Food Addiction Help

Written by Sky Taylor, Diet Bites

Why Food Addiction is the Worst Habit

Why is it so hard to lose weight?  Because in my opinion Food Addiction is the most powerful habit that currently exists. Alcohol, drugs - some of our toughest habit-forming fixes fall behind when it comes to the power of Food Addiction.

Why?

Each day that we rise and shine, we must eat to survive - and not only once a day, but several times throughout the day.  

Why it's so hard to lose weight.

For those who have an addiction to food, it's not as if they can simply lock the habit out of their lives. They can't say, "I won't have this habit in my house or in my life anymore!" because we must all eat to survive. Therefore, food addiction is an ongoing, perpetual temptation. 

This isn't to say that alcoholism, drug addiction - or any other such addictions aren't serious and many times become life-threatening habits.

It is to say that those who face their Food Addiction do such with surmountable courage.

To face the enemy daily and win is commendable. And those that conquer Food Addiction not only beat obesity, they also transform from hostage to commander.

So if you have a Food Addiction, do your very best to win the battle against obesity each and every day.  

And on those days when you find that you didn't do as well as your would have liked, try not to be too hard on yourself. Just like any other addiction, overcoming Food Addiction is a day-by-day process.

Standard Measures for Weight Loss

Government Standards, Patterns for a Healthy Daily Diet

Our most valued standard for weight loss, the Official Food Pyramid keeps shifting because it is built on loose sand. Even the government with all their massive resources cannot win the obesity and overweight battle which has embedded itself in our nation.

Why? Because each of us - we are all so different in chemical make-up from one another.

Even when we pair-off with an individual who is basically identical to us in every way - age, muscle mass, same climate, same gene pool, identical body frame size and height - each will require a different amount of daily energy (calories).

Each will have a different activity level as we don't play follow the leader in the real world. Each will have a different metabolicrate at which they burn the energy.

Therefore, it is impossible for our daily energy standards to be exact.

This is why a pattern is offered; eating the recommended foods can assist in maintaining as well as in achieving a healthy weight as well as optimum health.

But when we examine the Food Groups, the recommendations will call for yellow and orange vegetables.

Yellow corn contains quite a few more calories than orange carrots or an orange bell pepper. Therefore, the caloric values of the foods we eat will all vary. And guess what our weight is based upon? That's right - calories.

Family Patterns & the Daily Diet

The children in this era are fattier than ever before. And unfortunately, an overweight child has great difficultly in managing their weight into adulthood - and may never reach their recommended weight.

If both parents are overweight, the child has a much higher risk of becoming overweight than a child whose parents are both at their recommended weight. It's those naughty old genes coming into play.

As a family, patterns are set. Meal times are generally scheduled with the family rising in the morning and eating breakfast.

Once the family scatters to go about their day and to meet their responsibilities which will support their family financially, lunch is generally consumed away from the family group. But they rejoin for dinner and typically have it at a particular time of day.

Help for Eating Addiction Habit

Timing Meals Wisely

The time of day in which overeating can be best controlled are the hours from dinner to bedtime. And yes, I know this is the most difficult time of the day to resist eating. We're preparing to retire for the night; we're relaxing - and we don't even want to think about the morrow. We just want to enjoy the day.

Making Healthier Choices for Snacks & Meals

Some solutions that can assist and which make healthier options than the a-typical potato chips, nachos, pizza, ice cream, cookies, snack cakes and frozen appetizers include: lean jerky, hot air popcorn, pretzels, low fat yogurt and reduced fat cheeses - including cottage cheese.

In Conclusion

Strive towards losing those extra pounds.

While it may be difficult - you can certainly achieve a higher level of health by doing such and you'll feel so much better.

If you have an overweight little one, try to discreetly teach them about better nutrition.

Try to incorporate activity into their schedule to replace too much time otherwise spent in front of a computer or game machine.

Related Articles

Ideal Body Weight | Diet Binge

Time to Lose 20, 30+ Pounds