Chip Addiction!

ostrichrider

Hey guys, some of you might think this is funny. But I cant stop eating chips. The longest I've gone without eating chips was 2 weeks (about 3 months) and I "relapsed" and gained over 20+lbs. I don't even crave them, but I I cant stop. I eat like 2-3 bags a day. I've tried to stop eating them and every time I feel like I cant control it. The time that I stopped for 2 weeks, I was sleeping a lot, because if I'm awake I cant hep myself. I told myself that I was going to start eating clean today so yesterday I binged...I ate the big bag of Hot Cheetos, the new Chester's Puff (Pizza Flavor), nachos.

Did any of you know what I'm talking about? A certain food that you just cant stop eating.
How can I control this, I tried substituting other crunchy snacks, but it doesn't work.

This is my first post, PLEASE DONT BE MEAN.

uconnwinsnc1

Chips are really tasty.

brenn24179

I do ok eating small bags. I am not giving up my chips. I eat a bag of funyuns every day!

Chief_Rocka

I hear that baked Kale tastes exactly the same

SideSteel

What happens if you stop purchasing them?

Pamela_June

...me too.... if chips are around... I will eat them....I try to to buy them... but IF I am weak and hungry while I am shopping... the chips just JUMP into my cart...!!

0067808

Rather than cut them out completely, treat yourself to one small bag a day - have it in the evening so you can look forward to it. Build it into your calorie allowance - deprivation never works.

SideSteel

0067808 wrote: »

Rather than cut them out completely, treat yourself to one small bag a day - have it in the evening so you can look forward to it. Build it into your calorie allowance - deprivation never works.

I'm all for moderation but if someone is literally plowing through 3 bags of chips in a day then it stands to reason that temporarily removing that food item from the environment can be a reasonable short term fix provided you're not using that as a Band-Aid solution in the long term.

ostrichrider

uconnwinsnc1 wrote: »

Chips are really tasty.

uconnwinsnc1 wrote: »

Chips are really tasty.

I know!!

ostrichrider

brenn24179 wrote: »

I do ok eating small bags. I am not giving up my chips. I eat a bag of funyuns every day!

Maybe I should try the small bags....and try to control it.

ostrichrider

0067808 wrote: »

Rather than cut them out completely, treat yourself to one small bag a day - have it in the evening so you can look forward to it. Build it into your calorie allowance - deprivation never works.

- That's true! thanks for your advice. I think I will buy the small baggies..

ostrichrider

Pamela_June wrote: »

...me too.... if chips are around... I will eat them....I try to to buy them... but IF I am weak and hungry while I am shopping... the chips just JUMP into my cart...!!

LMAO! I know...

ostrichrider

SideSteel wrote: »

0067808 wrote: »

Rather than cut them out completely, treat yourself to one small bag a day - have it in the evening so you can look forward to it. Build it into your calorie allowance - deprivation never works.

I'm all for moderation but if someone is literally plowing through 3 bags of chips in a day then it stands to reason that temporarily removing that food item from the environment can be a reasonable short term fix provided you're not using that as a Band-Aid solution in the long term.

I dont know...I feel that if I have the little bags, what will hold me back from eating all of them.
I wish it was easy, but I need to be have more self control....thats why im here. To learn.

Sinistrous

Then don't stop? Try to take time to weigh enough portions and eat less and less over time.

silentKayak

You're on a good foods/bad foods cycle of deprivation/binging/guilt. That's no good.

Come onto the site every day. Track everything you eat. Set a reasonable caloric goal based on your activity level and goals. For right now, work on "maintenance", because right now you're gaining. Figure out how much you can eat and still allow for a little bit of chippy goodness every day. Once you get some balance, you can either add exercise or cut back on food (either real food or treats) to start losing.

You'll also want to weigh and measure them, and eat them out of a small bowl rather than straight out of the bag.

The problem isn't the chips. The problem is portion size and very likely emotional eating. The more you eat, the more you feel guilty, and the more you feel guilty, the more you want to eat. It's a horrible cycle. Tracking your food and budgeting for treats will end the guilt, which helps curb the eating.

Ulwaz

make your own healthy ones look for recipes

FitOldMomma

ostrichrider wrote: »

Hey guys, some of you might think this is funny. But I cant stop eating chips. The longest I've gone without eating chips was 2 weeks (about 3 months) and I "relapsed" and gained over 20+lbs. I don't even crave them, but I I cant stop. I eat like 2-3 bags a day. I've tried to stop eating them and every time I feel like I cant control it. The time that I stopped for 2 weeks, I was sleeping a lot, because if I'm awake I cant hep myself. I told myself that I was going to start eating clean today so yesterday I binged...I ate the big bag of Hot Cheetos, the new Chester's Puff (Pizza Flavor), nachos.

Did any of you know what I'm talking about? A certain food that you just cant stop eating.
How can I control this, I tried substituting other crunchy snacks, but it doesn't work.

This is my first post, PLEASE DONT BE MEAN.

The only way to stop...just stop.
There's no secret or trick.
Every chip you put in your mouth is a choice you're making to eat it.

I told my doctor "I can't stop smoking...I just can't". Know what she said?
"Of course you can. Just stop".
So I did.

You can too. Just stop.

Nenny1985

Hey. I used to binge really bad on chips too. like two jumbo bags a day. When I really thought about it I knew I was just eating them for emotional reasons, habit and boredom. So I tried to cut down numerous times and kept "relapsing" and before I knew it was back to my old habits. So I decided one day to try to cut them out completely, not even eating one chip at a party. It was tough for the first couple of weeks but now I haven't eaten a chip in 2 and a half years and don't even crave them. But the best part is that my diet improved overall as well. I'm not saying this is necessarily the best way to go but for me I knew it was an addiction so needed to do something to stop that. Currently log every day, feel free to add me.
I wish you all the best! And you can do this

Nenny1985

Oh and making your own air popped popcorn is heaps healthier and might be a good replacement for the chips

briar_rose

I'm a chip addict and am currently seeing a nutritionist. I have come to the conclusion that I can never have them again because even if I have a few it leads me to binge majorly and gain all the weight back that I lost. Eating them in moderation does not work for me. My nutritionist compared it to a person who has a drug or alcohol problem - would they need to stay away from the thing that makes them an addict?? of course!! It makes me sad because chips give me lots of pleasure but at the same time they single-handedly keep me overweight and unhealthy. I'm doing a lot of work on my salt cravings and it seems to be working!!

kathyrain

Chips are my downfall too, but I am finding I eat less of them if I am tracking.

laurenz2501

briar_rose wrote: »

I'm a chip addict and am currently seeing a nutritionist. I have come to the conclusion that I can never have them again because even if I have a few it leads me to binge majorly and gain all the weight back that I lost. Eating them in moderation does not work for me. My nutritionist compared it to a person who has a drug or alcohol problem - would they need to stay away from the thing that makes them an addict?? of course!! It makes me sad because chips give me lots of pleasure but at the same time they single-handedly keep me overweight and unhealthy. I'm doing a lot of work on my salt cravings and it seems to be working!!

That's pretty awesome! I crave salty things too. I don't buy chips anymore because if I did they wouldn't last a day.

It makes me sad because chips give me lots of pleasure but at the same time they single-handedly keep me overweight and unhealthy

This this this. This is how I feel about drinking

999tigger

There are various strategies you can use.

1. Get the right mindset and make the commitment properly about why you want to lose weight and your commitment to reaching target. Mindset is very importnat because that helps you make the choice between taking steps towards or further away from target. Its your choice.

2. What kathyrain said about tracking. It works because if you are serious it becomes your objective to hit target and you spend calories wisely.

3. MFP is all about change of lifestyle, which means you dont have to deny yourself anything but you should learn portion control, with the aim of eating less than you burn until you reach target. Hence peoples suggestion of smaller bags. Fit a bag a day in as part of your diet. Possibly have it at your most vulnerable time to take away the craving. I have my kind of reward foods at the ned of the day.

4. If that doesnt work consider just not buying them and having them in the house.

5. Consider what it is about the snacks you like is it the crunch or the strong flavour? I like pickles as an alternative quick snack, few calories and strong flavour. I also get the crunch from crisp and ryebreads. Find acceptable alternatives and wean yourself off. I also try and avoid being hungry as chips are a grazing food, that really dont satisfy hunger, but are convenient. No hunger then it means less likely to graze.

6. Pick the less calorie dense form of chips that are baked instead of fried. You get more chip for your calories i.e 85 calories per 25g bag ccompared to 150 cal.

7. If they are that important then do exercise for them. It will take you 15-30mins to earn 1 small bag of chips doing cardio.

8. You can stop if you want to, but getting hooked into the idea of denial, banning foods completely and having ideas about eating clean means you are going into a diet you will not be able to sustain imo. Start with babysteps and just loging plus learning how to use MFP properly. Plan your mindset, deficit, diet and exercise, then implement it slowly to give you time to adjust. If you go too hard then you will burn out and either quit, get stressed or binge.

I like crisps/chips and follow all the above. For goodness sake when you eat them, then enjoy. They are fine in moderation or if you are prepared to exercise for them.

nerdymathgrrl

Most days I can control myself around chips, but certain days when I'm ravenous or have PMS, I cannot. So I don't keep them in my house--not even portion controlled bags. The only time I crave them is in the evening, but I've never craved them badly enough to go out and buy them. (It helps that by then, I've taken my sleeping meds, and it wouldn't be safe to drive!)

Occasionally, maybe once a month or so, I get a meal from Subway, and I get a small bag of chips with it. I can practice moderation with almost anything--but not chips. I will add that I try to go grocery shopping after eating, and that keeps me from loading my cart with chips and cupcakes.

apparations

I have not touched chips since I started on MFP. I honestly cannot buy them without eating them all. If I didn't finish a bag I used to eat them for Breakfast the next morning! Even the portion control bags don't do it for me, it's just too tempting. I think I might get some at some point when I really want to treat myself? But the thought of logging like 1000 calories of chips is enough to keep me away from them. I don't go down that isle in the grocery store. Crispy mini's are an OK replacement, but again I will still eat a whole bag of them (at least it's only like 400 cals!).

TheVoidOfHeloyse

Hi! A big part of the reason I made an account was my chip problem. I'm a vegan and a very finicky eater so I'm extremely healthy otherwise, but I've got this one guilty pleasure for potato chips and I've got to cut it out and make smarter choices! The biggest factor is just not allowing myself to cave and buy them, which is easier said than done, but much more simple to just not give yourself the option than to have them available and try not to eat them. My friends tease me because since my car's been broken I've been unable to get to the grocery store, and so I was feeding myself from the gas station on nothing but salt n vinegar chips, cashews, and clif bars! Horrid since I'm trying to find a healthy balance and tone my muscles hah. I went to Whole Foods recently a few times with friends and stocked up on delicious healthy options, but still found myself with a bag of chips the other day! Although, that's been the only one I've bought since I've had other options, so I'll just chalk it up to bad habit I suppose. If you can find some salty, crunchy snack to replace chips I believe that would be a good place to start. Glad I'm not alone I was feeling very silly! Best of luck cutting back

galenofedgewood

Chips for me, not so much. Cheez-Its, however, are a little more of a problem. My solution is the small bag trick. Okay, being deployed helps when it's more difficult to get them. LOL

HugeBum

I was the exact same. In my experience, it's all good and well saying "portion control is key", but in practise it isn't all that easy. My new year's resolution this year was to stop eating them. I now haven't touched one since the 30th december 2013. I know that had my resolution been to "cut back" the amount I ate, I would never have succeeded. Sometimes there are foods I just can't exercise portion control over and for me personally it was far easier to cut them out altogether.

TheRealKit

I crave them sometimes. I just get a small bag if I spurlge on something.
btw kale chips and apple chips are awesome .

MrsATrotta

I think you need to remind yourself what are you losing by not eating the chips? Have some self control, sometimes that self control begins and ends in the grocery store. If you can't not buy the product that's your first problem. I love chips and it was definitely different for me to have a serving size but now I dole out my 24 bite sized tostitos and grab my salsa and go on my merry way. It's not so bad on the "other side" of the potato chip.

sweedee1218

Chips and a soda at work was one of my biggest downfalls!! I would raid the vending machine. Now I just make sure not to bring cash to work. I will have chips every now and then but not like I used to because they are so high in calories.