Do you take a scoop of ice cream but then end up finishing the whole container?  Are the potato chips screaming your name down the high street with you name written all over them? Do you keep eating and eating to the point where you just never seem to get full…. ever? The chances are you’re a food addict.

So what do we do when we can’t stop the addiction? Here are eight top tips that will help you! 

1 .Acknowledge and Accept-   Having a food addiction makes you feel powerless, but you can overcome it. Which is why before anything I say you should acknowledge and accept that you’re a food addict. Being in denial to the facts just causes more frustration, which is exactly what, fuels the addiction. Acceptance really provides you with peace of mind.

2. Find the Trigger Foods- Know what foods trigger you to overeat.  In general it tends to be sweet things, or salty foods but the key factor is always carbs in them. No one seems to have cravings for such things like carrots or cucumbers. So I would say that you must know your trigger foods and banish them slowly if necessary ( so long as they go). Its best not to eat them when you are trying to stop being addicted to eating them. But if you are going to carry on eating them occasionally, then do so  with caution.

3. What is your reason why? –  It’s a serious question you need to answer to yourself. How can you sacrifice something if you don’t even know why? Relax and think about what’s important to you. Why do you want to give up eating harmful amounts of food?  Maybe it’s for better health? More energy for the day?  A more attractive physique? Allow yourself to feel this desire. Picture your goals first and imagine how wonderful it will be to accomplish them, so much so it feels real. With 100% conviction you can do it. 

4. Get to know when you’re about to sink- Know when you are vulnerable to over eat. It tends to be at lunch times. People make the fatal era of skipping breakfast, having a massive lunch and the trend continues for dinnertime.

5. Be assertive– If you want to eat healthy food and your friends are all going out for a McDonalds ( ditch them)  I joke.. speak up and get them to compromise, tell them how you feel  you might be surprised at their reaction.  

6. Beware of ‘diet foods’– much like non- alcohol beer, or ‘diet’ cookies, and other treats are just a stepping stones to the actually thing- and 2 cookies may only be about 50 calories but what are the chances that an emotional eater will really only eat two biscuits?   

7. Eat– Now I know this may sound conflicting, but food addicts have a love/hate relationship with food. If they’ve eaten too much, they will really struggle by eating very little the next day. This can only lead to disaster because when you’re extremely hungry, you eat anything and everything. As you know, food is the fuel that gives you the energy, so please don’t avoid eating food, just eat healthy meals and healthy snacks, but eat. 

8. No Guilt- If you’ve fallen off don’t give up, Get right back up and go again. Don’t feel guilty about what you’ve done. Having guilt just does not serve a purpose. You’re an emotional eater and that wont change over night.