“My willpower is gone. I am having a hard time fighting my addiction to food. I buy healthy options, but then end up buying carbs and snack foods.  I may be feeding my isolation and depression, what should I do?” S.S. New York, NY

I don’t think it’s about your willpower or lack of it, I think it is more about the feelings you have when you eat the food.

When we eat our favorite foods our brain releases a neurotransmitter called dopamine, which creates a sense of pleasure.  Because of this, food often becomes the signal for the possibility of more pleasure in the future.

As this cycle grows stronger and stronger, it becomes extremely difficult to resist strong urges to overeat, or even indulge in a particular food you just decided not to. Struggles with food are quite common and as you can see, these struggles have a reason.  Oftentimes, we choose food because of isolation, depression, or anxiety- or to escape some awful feelings. So, instead of blaming yourself because of lack of willpower, think of it as a sign to develop a new plan of action.

Food addiction is a real problem, and, for some people, it starts to take over their life pushing the people they love away. It may even interfere with work or school- creating feelings of shame and possibly leading to disordered eating, obesity, and related health problems.

Finding pleasure in other things is essential, such as taking a walk, enjoying yoga, meeting up with a friend, taking a bubble bath, taking up a new hobby, watching reruns of your favorite sitcoms, journaling, or adopting a pet! 🙂

Learning to rewire our brains is no easy task.  Therefore, consideration in working with a Mental Health Therapist, as well as a Registered Dietitian, can help you to break free from these unpleasant feelings and begin to make healthy lifestyle changes.

Some ideas to help get you started…

1. Eat on schedule
2. Eat a high-protein breakfast
3. Eat 3 meals/day
4. Eat a combination of carbohydrates, proteins and heart-healthy fats at meals
5. Increase fiber intake with fluids
6. Sit and eat slowly, enjoying every bite!
7. Seek pleasure from other activities
8. Get adequate sleep (generally 7-8 hours)
9. Commit to some kind of daily exercise
10. Be patient with yourself!

Christine McDermott  MS, RDN, CDE, BC-ADM