There are any number of ways to combat food addiction. Here are five eating habits I have found to be very useful and effective.

1. Don’t keep trigger foods in the house. Just like there are trigger emotions that lead to binging, there are trigger foods that feed a food addiction. You know what yours are. Don’t keep those foods in the house.

2. Eat small meals every 2-3 hours. Make sure to eat 2-3 ounces of lean protein at each and every meal (4-6 oz for men). Combine this with either a piece of fruit or a  small baked potato or 1/2 cup of rice at mid-morning and mid-afternoon meal/snack.

Replace the fruit with 1-2 cups of vegetables at lunch and dinner, eating the rice or potato depending on your preference. Portion size may be higher for men.

3. Do not skip even one of the small meals. When your body gets fed often, the brain will not need to send out a signal that you are starving. You will feel more balanced and less likely to stuff yourself with whatever you can find.

4. Eat when you are hungry. At first, you may not feel hunger so eating on time is very important. Eventually, your body will signal you when it requires more energy and you will know it is time to eat.

5. Stop when you no longer feel hungry. Do not wait until you are full. This is a tough habit to master, so don’t give up.

Learning new habits is part of the recovery process. Food addiction was a process that started with stress that led to emotional eating and eventually the food addiction itself.

It takes approximately 28 days to learn a new habit. Focus on the new behavior and not on what you are doing wrong. You can succeed in overcoming your food addiction. Keep your eyes on the prize.