I was excited to get married in 9 months but had not lost any of the 40 pounds I wanted to before my wedding day. My food cravings had overpowered my desire to lose weight, showing me I had a problem. Food addiction is tricky as intense cravings always seem to kill diets. Food cravings are rooted in our bodies and are exclusively physical, as we are drawn to fatty and sugary foods due to the opioid release and feelings of pleasure they cause, having been introduced to these foods at a young age. Identifying the true root of food cravings, such as emotions, can help overcome simply addressing the craving with more food.

1. I was excited because I was getting married in 9
months, during which I planned on losing 40 pounds. I
wanted to look svelte and trim for my husband on our
wedding day. The months passed by pretty quickly, and
alas, no radical changes were registering on my bathroom
weight scale. It appeared that my food cravings had
completely overpowered my desire to lose weight. That
was the moment I knew I had a problem.

2. The subject of food addiction is a tricky one. Some people
equate food addiction with emotional eating, and they
aren't too far off. The problem lies within those intense
food cravings that always seem to kill a diet. Finding out
what food cravings mean lends some clue as to how to
overcome them.

3. A food craving is rooted in our bodies; it is exclusively a
physical happening. Ponder this for a minute: When do
you ever just get a compelling urge to eat crisp, raw
vegetables during moments of emotional upset? Um, how
about, Never! I know I don't! There is an explanation as
to why you and I crave only foods that are concentrated in
fats and sugar. That reason is opioids.

4. An opioid is simply a chemical that is released into the
blood stream once those sugary and fatty foods have been
broken down. These chemicals cause a mild euphoria
when they bind to the receptors in the brain that cause
feelings of pleasure.

5. Having been introduced foods that cause the release of
these opioids at a very young age (as many of us
have), the brain and body get used (in other
words, addicted) to them, often signaling for those foods
in times of "need".

6. Kay Sheppard, author of "Food Addiction: The Body
Knows", describes what she calls an "addictive
response". Identified need -- decision -- eat addict food.

7. Think of the identified need as the trigger of a food
craving. When a food craving rears its ugly head, take a
few steps back and identify the true root of that craving.
Are you angry, sad, lacking physical intimacy, are you
simply thirsty? Mentally note that eating the food you are
craving isn't going to satisfy the problem, in fact, it will
only compound the problem in the long run.

8. http://www.healthyhabitsdirect.com/seanmcallister/