The Secret to Curing Your Food Addiction

Trying to eat better? Brad Lamm has a solution: Know your style.

Lamm, an interventionist who works with those struggling with food addictions, has identified six types of eaters and their motivations. Knowing your type is crucial. “It reveals the behavioral changes you need to make,” says Lamm, founder of Breathe Life Healing Centers in Los Angeles. To find your style, read on.

Emotional eater

The style:

“You eat in tragedy or triumph, rather than [by taking] natural hunger cues,” says Lamm. You lack the ability “to distinguish between food as fuel [and] food as a coping mechanism.”

The strategy:

List “nonfood” ways to elevate your mood, such as a spa treatment.

Habitual eater

The style:

You indulge in junk food under a “just this once” excuse, but don’t stop eating. “If you’re not careful, ‘just this once’ becomes a part of your daily routine,” says Lamm.

The strategy:

“Journal about your eating each day to help you see your habits in black-and-white, and keep an eye on where and when to cut back,” says Lamm.

External eater

The style:

You fall victim to food that appears in front of you, like bagels in the office kitchen, and you’re susceptible to advertisements.

The strategy:

Shake off the “I see, therefore I need to feed” mentality, says Lamm. Be aware of external cues and your sensitivity to them. “Stop and think, ‘Do I really want to eat this?’ ” says Lamm.

Critical eater

The style:

You have a wealth of knowledge about nutrition and health but a strong “all or nothing” way of thinking. You might consume an entire box of snacks and think, “Well, this day is a bust anyway, so whatever,” and subsist only on green juice the next day to counteract your overindulgence.

The strategy:

Ease up on your food rules and be more realistic. “Think less about how self-destructive you feel when you’re ‘off the rails’ and more about how your next eating choice will be a healthy one,” says Lamm. “The whole day doesn’t have to be a wash if you made one poor meal choice. Restart it at any time.”

Sensual eater

The style:

You relish every bite and don’t hold back when trying exotic and decadent dishes — even if it means putting on the pounds.

The strategy:

“Keep your portions in control and this style of eating will not get the best of you,” notes Lamm. “Stick to the ‘three forkfuls’ rule” — allowing yourself only three bites of indulgent dishes.

Energy eater

The style:

You work out all the time, so you think you can eat all the time, but you tend to “inaccurately calculate the quantity of fuel [you] actually need to power through [your] day,” says Lamm. The snacks you’re eating are likely healthy, but you’re consuming too many.

The strategy:

Try journaling to get a clear picture of just how much you’re eating, and make an effort to eat more protein to help you stay satiated.