[SoftwareMaven]

You have a similar problem to food addicts (I was/am one). You can't completely abstain, so you have to find strategies. Things that have helped:

Planning: Determine in advance what you will consume and when.

Support: Find others like you that you can use for support (just not on Twitter ;).

Self-empowerment: 12-steps call this your "higher power", but I think that brings too many religious overtones (even though they explicitly say it's not meant to). Regardless, there is a power we have (or are given, if you are religious), but you have to dig for it. The journey is what provides the power.

Good luck!

[jongleur]

One of the benefits of intermittent fasting is that you can in fact completely abstain from food; not forever, but for a day, certainly.

[SoftwareMaven]

While that is certainly true, I, personally, would never do that because it would put me in a situation that the combination of biology (real hunger) and emotion (haven't eaten in a day!) would put me in an extremely dangerous place. Instead, I go for routine: regular, small meals; don't ever get really hungry; etc. Couple that with eating high quality food that you actually want to eat, and it has served me well.

You are in a different boat. You physically can abstain forever, but your career doesn't allow you to. I could see how abstaining would be a very helpful option there.