Quiz: Do You Have a Food Addiction?

I admit it, I have a food addiction. In fact, my addiction had gotten so bad that I had reached 256 pounds by the time I was 28 years old. No kids to blame it on, no medical conditions or drugs to take the fall. It was all on me.

So how did I know that it was time to do something about myself and make a change for the better? One day while at our local grocery store in 2007, my husband and I decided to step on a scale and weigh ourselves. His weight was not anything out of the ordinary, as he is in the military and always keeps it in check. Mine, on the other hand had skyrocketed to 256 pounds. I was so embarrassed. Here I was 28 years old, 5 ft. 6 inches and weighing this much. I guess those size 22 pants should have been a clue.

After that day, I decided to change my life for the better. No, I was not taking the easy way out and getting gastric bypass surgery. I believe that is for the deathly obese that are hundreds overweight. For those that want to lose 100 pounds like myself, discipline is the key. I immediately cut out everything that I could think of that was killing me: fast food, sodas, cakes, you name it. This was in March of that year, and by the time August came I was down to 213. Still intending to keep to my 156 pound goal (my actual weight in high school and a size medium I was), I eventually am now down to 196. So, here you are with me and I am on my journey to lose the last 40 pounds and keep it off. I have a blog and use it not only to update others with my progress, but to support those in a similar situation. Addiction is often discussed: alcohol, drug, gambling and even sex addiction. Now, it is time to bring food addictions to light and help those that need support deal with this lifetime battle.

If you feel that you may be suffering from a food addiction, there are a few questions to ask yourself:

1) Do you always feel hungry even though you know you just ate not too long ago?

2) Do you race through your food with thoughts about the next thing you can eat?

3) Is a good part of your day consumed with thoughts about the day's meals?

4) Do you eat your groceries (a good part of the time) before you can get them home from the store?

5) If you drive past a fast-food eatery, are you able to have the will power to not pull in, even though the smell is tempting?

6) When there are leftovers, do you put them away for later, or are you always finishing them up?

7) If you do eat fast food, are you tempted to upgrade a combo for a bigger sized fry and drink even though you know you shouldn't really be eating the fires to begin with?

8) How much sugar do you consume? If you drink sodas or add sugar to your drinks, it may be a good idea to do an experiment and see how much you use.

9) If you just have to have a certain food immediately, do you ever have to borrow or use money you shouldn't be using just to pay for it?

10) Do you ever hide wrappers, food packaging, receipts or other food-related items so people won't see it?

If you answered "yes" to a majority of these questions, you may have a food addiction. Consider consulting a Registered Dietician or Nutritionist as soon as possible, to start making healthy changes to your eating habits.