The fact of the matter is that it is possible to become addicted to food. This is not a euphemism, it is a fact. Studies performed on rats have shown that if they are routinely fed foods that are high in fat and sugar, they eventually develop a compulsive need to continue eating those foods. It became so bad that the rats would actually be willing to shock themselves in order to get to the food.
The reason that this happens is that junk food operates on the pleasure center of the brain. This means that it gets dopamine flowing through your brain. Dopamine is the same chemical that causes us to seek sex. It is also the chemical that gets us addicted to drugs and alcohol. When released, dopamine does not lead to a feeling of satisfaction. Instead, it causes us to feel the sensation that we want something. In other words, dopamine causes us to feel cravings. When we get what it is that causes the dopamine to be released, we stop feeling the craving, but we don’t actually feel satisfied.
It is possible to end an addiction to junk food. One immensely powerful tool that can be used to that end is self hypnosis. Self hypnosis can be used in order to help a person quit feeling cravings for alcohol and drugs, so there is no reason that it can not also be used in order to end a craving for junk food.
The reason that self hypnosis is so powerful is that it operates directly on the subconscious mind. Most of the things that we do as humans is governed by the subconscious mind. When we are learning something new, or when we are deliberately thinking about something in order to make a decision, we use our conscious mind. Once we have learned how to do something, the task is left up to the subconscious mind.
The subconscious mind is actually much more powerful than the conscious mind. This can be demonstrated by what happens when an expert golfer chokes, for example. Studies have been conducted that demonstrate what happens when somebody chokes under pressure. It is not so much that they have forgotten what they are doing. The problem is actually that they begin to second guess themselves and think too consciously about what they are doing. The conscious mind is not at good at performing tasks as the subconscious mind.
It is for this reason that a conscious understanding of what needs to change does not immediately allow us to change it. Learned behaviors are governed by the subconscious mind. If you have already learned to eat junk food on a regular basis, a conscious understanding is not enough to prevent you from eating it. It is true that the conscious mind can override the subconscious mind. But to be effective this must be done over and over until the subconscious mind learns how to do things the right way.
Self hypnosis allows you to send messages directly to the subconscious mind. This is accomplished by finding a quiet place. Once you find a comfortable place to sit down where you will not be distracted, you start taking slow, deep breaths. This will put you into a state of relaxation in which your subconscious mind is more receptive. As you allow yourself to fall deeper and deeper into relaxation, it is time to start repeating phrases to yourself about how you will behave differently in the future. You can also imagine the taste of fast food, and associate it with disease and weight gain, and think about how the same taste can be interpreted as unattractive. You can also visualize yourself being thin, tell yourself that avoiding junk foods is easy, and so forth. The idea is not to bark orders at your subconscious, but to state these things as fact.
In order for self hypnosis to be effective, it must be repeated several times and become a part of your routine.