Anyone have success with the 3 day rule for junk food?

resistsweets

I've heard of the 3 day rule with recovering alcoholics, and specifically cigarette smokers where if you can survive the first tough 3 days you can do it. Well I've been trying for the past 2 years to lose weight and I can't seem to kick cravings I've tried everything. Anyone Come off a serious sweets addiction easier after 3 clean days? Btw I've never gone a day without junk food

ana3067

No. Because junk food doesn't make people fat. Calorie surplus makes people fat.

AllOutof_Bubblegum

I've never really gone a day without junk food, either. I still lost close to 40 pounds. Junk food is not the culprit, here.

970Mikaela1

I eat no junk food. Same proteins,carbs,and fats. It's all just food. Yes some choices are better than others but it is still just food.

epido

I've never even heard of the 3 day rule, so I suppose my answer to your question would be no. While I have seriously cut back on the junk food, I haven't cut it out completely. In fact, I just enjoyed a fabulous chocolate cupcake with chocolate buttercream icing on it!

Cutting anything completely out is a bad idea, IMHO. Everything in moderation is the way to go! Just take it one day, meal, or craving at a time. Find healthier alternatives that will satisfy your sweet tooth. For me, that's some of the more decadent flavors of greek yogurt, and some fruits. You can still get your sweet fix and not eat all the calories if you get a little bit creative.

kgeyser

The first three days after quitting smoking are tough because the nicotine is leaving your system. It would not work the same way for food because of the lack of chemical addiction present. It sounds like what you are describing is a behavioral issue (habit), which as a former smoker I can attest takes much more work to overcome. The desire for nicotine was nothing compared to trying to figure out what to do with myself when I no longer had to smoke after every meal, on breaks, in the car, etc.

My best advice is to take it one day at a time and focus on the new behavior that you want to adopt, rather than trying to stop the one you do not. Start with a calorie deficit - don't worry about the food, just get yourself into a deficit. Do that for awhile, and when you are comfortable, make another change towards you goal - adding in exercise, eating a certain number of servings of vegetables each day, etc. You will get to a place where you'll find that you're not eating sweets as much because you simply won't have room for them (or as much of them) and still be able to meet all your other goals.

Camo_xxx

If you have not gone without then you have not tried "everything" try going cold turkey. Time heals all as the saying goes. Just take it one day at a time.

loops56

All I can say on this is I am having a harder time cutting back on sugar than I did with quitting smoking (32 days and still going strong except for the new peanut butter cup habit to go with the anything chocolate habit) Whether addiction or habit, take it one day at a time and realize the first week is the toughest. Congratulate yourself when you get through one day and don't beat yourself up if you don't. But above all - don't accept "excuses" from yourself for why you didn't make it. Which is why it took me two years to drop 17 pounds, even though my excuse to start smoking again (twice!) was because I was gaining weight!

ana3067

loops56 wrote: »

All I can say on this is I am having a harder time cutting back on sugar than I did with quitting smoking (32 days and still going strong except for the new peanut butter cup habit to go with the anything chocolate habit) Whether addiction or habit, take it one day at a time and realize the first week is the toughest. Congratulate yourself when you get through one day and don't beat yourself up if you don't. But above all - don't accept "excuses" from yourself for why you didn't make it. Which is why it took me two years to drop 17 pounds, even though my excuse to start smoking again (twice!) was because I was gaining weight!

You probably could have saved yourself some time and trouble by simply still eating everything you normally do and just eating less food overall/tracking calories to eat below maintenance. Just sayin.

TimothyFish

The problem with trying to able the three day rule to food is that it isn't a chemical addiction. Addiction to food is a mental thing. Sure, there are some similarities to a chemical addiction. Many people turn to food to deal with their emotional pain just like the chemical addict turns to a drug of choice to medicate the pain. In both cases, the person must change the unhealthy attitude.

CynthiasChoice

I've never heard of the three day rule, but that's how long it takes me to feel OK after quitting a high sugar diet. About 6 months ago, I cut out all desserts, white flour, white rice, etc. For the first three days, I felt terrible. I had headaches, felt fatigued and cranky, and the hunger pangs were intense. I had to battle frequent urges to eat, too. On the fourth day, I felt better, and the urges to indulge gradually subsided over the next several weeks. I think that is common for most people - it takes 3 - 4 weeks to learn new habits, and even longer for those habits to really feel natural.

Not everyone needs to give up sugar entirely in order to eliminate those pesky cravings. But if you're one of those people who can't seem to "get started" because you keep giving in to cravings for sweets, then you should definitely try cutting them out completely for a while to see if it helps. Surprisingly, my life is much happier without desserts. I'm more in control of my appetite, and that's a really valuable thing to me - more valuable than desserts!

imabeevampire

So never heard of this rule but HERE is my previous diet.
Id wake up and have a pain au chocolate, and maybe a can of diet coke, id snack all day on cheese and crisps.
My addiction was chocolate. You know those share bags? Id eat one of those as a snack. Then maybe fish fingers and chips for lunch, a mid afternoon snack of 10 duck spring rolls and then maybe some biscuits. Then a whole pizza in the evening,(sometimes with chips)

So yeah not really healthy, and far too many calories.
Now im on day 11 of no chocolate, no crisps, no diet coke, no chips. Ive cooked chicken and veg for most dinners, drinking a LOT more water, eaten loads of salad and switched to wholegrain bread.

I feel great! And honestly if I can stop eating chocolate anyone can! I used to get so so cranky if i went one day without chocolate. Good luck

SLLRunner

ana3067 wrote: »

No. Because junk food doesn't make people fat. Calorie surplus makes people fat.

yep.

Lourdesong

It's the 3 day hump. And I think with diet something similar to the 3 day hump could be the case when starting a plan with a calorific deficit, however that is achieved. Adjusting to 1500 calories of pizza and chips and ice cream from a former diet of 3000 calories of pizza and chips and and ice cream would probably require an adjustment period.

sarieth05

I haven't cut sweets out, and I'm a HUGE sweets addict, so I can't really comment on that. However, sort of related, I cold turkey quit soda over a year ago (I was also addicted to it). I couldn't just ween myself off of it - I had to just stop. So either try to figure out a way you can control your sweets portions or just stop keeping it in the house. Eventually, you might come to a place where you can reintroduce it back into your life and not let it control you.

Spocky

I don't eat junk food because that does not make me feel full. I like the taste of a xy burger and a pizza but I get hungry soon after eating them. I eat mom-made cake but only a little amount. Okay I eat chocolate but very tiny pieces a day.

hollyrayburn

resistsweets wrote: »

I've heard of the 3 day rule with recovering alcoholics, and specifically cigarette smokers where if you can survive the first tough 3 days you can do it. Well I've been trying for the past 2 years to lose weight and I can't seem to kick cravings I've tried everything. Anyone Come off a serious sweets addiction easier after 3 clean days? Btw I've never gone a day without junk food

An alcoholic doesn't "recover" and isn't "okay" after three days. Not only are they an addict for life, during the time of detox, they have to receive medications to ween themselves or they can die, since ETOH is a very serious withdrawal.

I'm on the fence about food addiction. I do think it's a thing, more mental, but could also be chemical due to all the additives in our foods. Example: I could consider myself a Starbucks addict. Is it from all the caffeine, or just the yummy, makes me want to smile when I take a sip of that 500 calorie drink? Who knows? Have I quit Starbucks, since perusing my healthier life? Hell no! I'll still run by and get me one, but with skim milk, sugar free syrups, no whip, etc. then there's days where I fit it in, or allow myself to go over calories, and get a sugary frappuccino piled high with whipped cream.

It's all about SETTING limits if you want "junk" food, have it. Just plan for it, and fit it in accordingly, don't eat allthefooooods!

dunnodunno

I've ate 'junk food' pretty much everyday I've been on here. Some days I eat too many sweet treats & other days I try to balance them out & I've managed to lose around 150 pounds in two years.

lemurcat12

I don't think 3 days would do a thing for junk food habits (also haven't heard of it as a thing in connection with quitting alcohol, and don't think 3 days would make a whit of difference).

What I did find is that where I had certain food related habits, like emotional eating at certain times and places, it was helpful--for ME--to drop the relevant foods or activity (snacking) for a period of time to help teach myself I didn't NEED them, that they were just a crutch I could do without, and to start figuring out a way to form better habits or coping mechanisms. After that, I was more able to do moderation/avoid the bad habit (since it's not about addiction).

3 days wouldn't have been enough for that, though, since you have to get some experience in facing the normal situation, whatever it is, without food.

Springfield1970

The secret is finding a way of life that YOU can live with. I have all sorts of tricks. I'm just munching on a very delicious very filling chocolate protein bar, AFTER my steak and pasta, which I ate slowly, then cleared up the dishes after before sitting down with my treat. I could keep going, and I'm on a tiny deficit, but I'm just about satisfied enough now to get over the little bit of hunger I have left.

Lots of protein, fat and complex carbs, colorful veg, and a couple of treats a day to look forward too, and I can get through until the next feast, blowout or party!

Yes, I'm only about a pound of fat away from my sports weight for the summer, but I have to do these things year round, because I could eat and drink wine ALL day. It's a hobby!

I have days, weeks and holiday seasons to eat without logging for freedom and fun, but when my skinny jeans get tight I get back to logging again.

resistsweets

Thank you all for the input. I'll keep trying

Liftng4Lis

Quitting alcohol and cigarettes are way different than not having a cookie, and shouldn't be compared.
As for cutting back on sweets, I have at least one daily and make them fit into my allotment.

gingersnapnz14

I found the in the first week it was really helpful to cut out processed carbs such as bread and junk food entirely, instead getting my carbs through fruit and vegetables and I had no cravings at all, for the first time in my life.

I think the thing with craving carbs and sugary foods is that the more processed carbs you have the more your body craves them - I think it's because they're an easy form of energy.
I started a week or two before Christmas and found that I could eat whatever I wanted on Christmas and Boxing Day (with portion control of course) without it derailing me.

I have reintroduced wholegrain foods into my daily diet and have the occassional serving of junk food, but can still manage the occassional cravings the pop up. I think the part that's really important is that you try to eat a lot (and a wide variety too) of fruit and vege, because if you're getting enough of a range of nutrients your body is less likely to revert to its old ways.

Beastshaw

For me personally, once a bad habit is kicked for 30 days, it's gone for good.

47Jacqueline

No, because I don't consider eating junk food either bad or a habit to break.

jasmineruth

Buy a small amount of your fave snack. Buy a food scale. Measure a reasonable amount (amount that fits your calorie allotment and still allows for meals) put it in ziplock bags or containers portioned out. Eat one of those portions every day and still lose weight. No need to 'cheat' no need to never eat the thing you love again. Just eat less of it.

resistsweets

Hi all, my binge junk food eating has been for 2 days (not a lot but the first time in over a month for me) I found that my willpower increased immensely when I knew I would be wearing a bikini in 5 weeks. I think having an event helps you stay on track and accountable, really helped me when nothing else did

resistsweets

*gone for 2 days