help i am addicted to food

[luna moth]

I have managed to get past this (Ok, have gone a little extreme too) and also have lost 20kg, so here's the tips I have:
* Allow for one treat per day (as a start) You need something to look forward to.
* Substituting is a good idea - choccy mousse for chocolate, or a low-fat flavoured milk, flavoured rice crackers, mineral water (a vice for me) or that uber dark chocolate and some peppermint tea (was my swap for choc-mint combo)
* Use substitution six days a week, and once a week, go a bit wild, have that quadruple chocolate fudge cheesecake. Then do some killer exercise to work it off.
* Don't keep tempting foods in the house. Just don't do it. If there's something you really feel like, on your treat day, WALK out to go and get it. It lessens the guilt.
* Repeat after me "What I put in my mouth will not change the way I feel"
* Read up a bit on nutrition and how much you need to get of every vitamin and mineral. You'll realise that every morsel that passes your lips needs to count nutritionally. Before you eat anything, think of this.
* Identify what your favourite things are, and where you have trouble. eg do you always have a wine when cooking dinner, do you snack in front of the telly etc.
* Do a food diary. Do it for Thursday-Sunday, so it covers work days and play days. Then use a calorie counter (free online but also available at newsagencied for $7 or so) to add up what you have taken in. Make sure you also check out your favourite foods. It will give you a good idea of how you're going.
* If you have any kind of food craving, drink half a litre of water first. Then wait half an hour. Then see how it's going. This was a brilliant one for me.
* Also, just make sure you are getting at least 2L of fluid per day. When you're dehydrated, even a little bit, you start to seek out any kind of water, especially that in food.

I'm more than happy to give you more ideas, especially for food/treat/behaviour substitution, but you have to really be serious about it (and I know that you are) Posting this thread was a step in the right direction.

Here for you! (and anyone else who needs it)