Over-reading

I wouldn't say I'm a compulsive eater or a food addict, but when I was at my heaviest it had a lot to do with binge eating in front of the TV. The best tip I ever learned in dealing with it was from Dr. Phil's book The Ultimate Weightloss Solution.

"Incompatible Behaviors"
The idea is when a food craving hits, you instantly change your focus by doing something that makes it impossible to satisfy that craving. You can't eat chocolate cake while driving, or taking a hot shower. (Well, at least you probably shouldn't.) The trick is to find something productive. Instead of fighting a craving, channel the energy into something else. For me, I use weight-lifting, but that can be taken too far. Then I end up over-training and injured. So instead of over-eating, I recommend over-reading. It's productive, takes your mind off the craving, and you can't really do too much of it. Speaking of which, I should have a new book review written up very soon.