Cutting junk food out of my diet?

shaliyahdixon

I've been having trouble with cutting junk food out of my diet. I tried to only eat junk food in moderation. I also tried to make sure it fit my macros, but that eventually led to more craving and overeating. Now I'm back to square one. What method did you guys use to cut junk food out of your diet? What foods did you substitute for junk food?

riderfangal

I quit walking down the junk food aisles at stores. Really that was the biggest thing for me and even now that I rarely crave it anymore I still purposely avoid my temptation sections. I know myself well enough to know I can not eat certain things in moderation.

Merkavar

What do you consider junk food?

You need some will power either way. Either to cut it completely or to eat it in moderation.

AnotherPuppet

This week is a horrible week for me (giving myself one day off has lead to 4 days off now) so we're all going to fall off the bandwagon every once in a while. Just try to remember that if you do though I guess I'm writing it down more for me than you. XD oops

I make a grocery list and stick to it. I can't keep junk food in the house without binging on it. It's my burden to bear but if I want to be healthy I have to stick with it.

Sydking

What are you saying junk food?

1 Oreo or 1 packet or 5 packets

Or are you eating fast food 3 times a day

Moderation and balance is key to sanity and longevity in this game

lindsayk324

I still struggle with this, but it's helped me to just not keep snacks in the house. I'm particularly bad with quick easy junk like bags of chips, crackers, candy, chocolate, ice cream, things that I can just put directly in my mouth without having to prep or cook. I slowly got my stocks of those things out of my cabinets and just stopped buying them on grocery trips. Now, if I really, really want chips or ice cream, I have to go out and buy it, and I'm usually too lazy to do that.

missiontofitness

Moderation is tough, but you have to learn how to tell yourself "no". I wouldn't give up on moderation just yet. Completely cutting something out may lead to overeating on the items one day down the road.

I haven't cut anything out, because it's not sustainable for me. Pre-portioning and weighing out items helps, and prelogging my day helps me anticipate if I can fit something (like my Ben and Jerry's froyo, oreos, chips, ect) into my day. Fitting it in helps me keep my consumption of treats and snacks in check.

mzbek24

I find it easier if there's no bulk packets of biscuits, chocolate etc in the house, so if I want those I always buy just a single portion and nothing more, so I don't keep eating it. If there's only healthy food and snacks in the house, that will go a long way. Also, when I go shopping I sometimes estimate how much money Im going to reasonably need for the stuff we actually need, and then leave the rest at home or in another account so that I literally cannot buy a heap of junk food and stuff I don't need. Same goes at work, if I don't take money I don't buy unhealthy stuff on my break and am left to eat the healthy meal I packed. Also I used to make myself bike or walk to do my local errands, I live 5km from any shops so that was pretty beneficial.

Machka9

shaliyahdixon wrote: »

I've been having trouble with cutting junk food out of my diet. I tried to only eat junk food in moderation. I also tried to make sure it fit my macros, but that eventually led to more craving and overeating. Now I'm back to square one. What method did you guys use to cut junk food out of your diet? What foods did you substitute for junk food?

I stopped buying the junk food.

If junk food = potato chips ... by the time I got home after work, I used to have almost desperate cravings for potato chips. Then I made an interesting discovery when I started logging here. My sodium levels tend to be low. So, I started eating salted cucumber slices or pickles with cottage cheese when I got home after work, and those potato chip cravings went away.

PrizePopple

You learn moderation, and it's not always easy to do. I have Oreo's sitting in my pantry right now. I have in the not so distant past (when I wasn't logging so well for a bit) sat and eaten an entire row of the Oreo's. I'm not having any tonight because I finished off the gelato I had in the freezer. I'll have some tomorrow perhaps, and then I'll have 2-4 based on how many calories I have left. I want to fit into smaller clothes more than I want to pile cookies into my face, so I moderate myself.

dubird

I don't keep snack foods in the house for the most part. If I decide I'm actually hungry enough to snack, I have to drive to the gas station and get a bag of something, and normally I'm too lazy to do that! Doesn't mean I don't do that, but normally it's an old habit of snacking that's bugging me, not actual hunger or need for calories. So this way, I can keep empty calories to a minimum by utilizing my inherent laziness. XD

Machka9

I was my slimmest when I didn't own a car (my choice ).

That helped in 2 ways.

1) If I wanted to get food of any sort, I had to walk or cycle to acquire it. I also cycled or walked everywhere else too.

2) Since I usually walked the 2 km round trip to the grocery store, I could only buy as much as I could carry in my backpack and arms. Therefore I made very careful selections ... only what I needed and rarely anything like potato chips and chocolate.


One way to make the break from junk food might be to decide that if you want it, you've got to get it with human powered transportation ... walking, cycling, rollerblading, or whatever.

dubird

Machka9 wrote: »

I was my slimmest when I didn't own a car (my choice ).

That helped in 2 ways.

1) If I wanted to get food of any sort, I had to walk or cycle to acquire it. I also cycled or walked everywhere else too.

2) Since I usually walked the 2 km round trip to the grocery store, I could only buy as much as I could carry in my backpack and arms. Therefore I made very careful selections ... only what I needed and rarely anything like potato chips and chocolate.


One way to make the break from junk food might be to decide that if you want it, you've got to get it with human powered transportation ... walking, cycling, rollerblading, or whatever.

Heh, I tried that. Turns out the distance I have to walk to get my favorite Quizno's sandwich doesn't burn enough calories to make it a viable choice. XD I drive to go places, because it's usually late at night that I get the munchies, and I don't walk outside after dark. And I hate driving at night, so if I have to really REALLY want that snack to do so.

MoiAussi93

I don't keep any junk food in the house. I tried to eat it in moderation...many times over many years. It did not work for me. Having a little sugar always led to cravings for more sugar and I would end up eating all of it. Finally, I cut it out completely. That works very well for me. The first week is tough. The second week was better. And after that, the cravings eventually disappeared completely.

On rare occasions, I will have sweets at a restaurant or someone else's home. But never in my own. I went from obese to a healthy weight and have no intention of going back. Junk food just is not that important to me.

omnipotentmiku

Cut it completely for a while and then after a while of being "clean", so to speak, you can have it again in moderation. At least, that's what I did with soda. I noticed today out of the blue for whatever reason how about a year ago, when I made the choice to cut the soda, that I no longer crave it and that when I do drink it it never returns as a habit nor something I really desire much cause really it's not even all that good tbh and I don't know how I ever became addicted to the stuff in the first place. But yeah tldr; cold turkey is probably the best route to take friend.

Machka9

There's no moderation with potato chips.

Not for me, anyway. As soon as that first chip is eaten, the rest of the bag goes too. There's no limiting myself to 12 chips and then putting it away. They know my name!!

This is why I haven't touched a potato chip in 4 months.

TimothyFish

I always have junk food in the house, but I limit myself to one serving at a time. After a while, I get so used to seeing it that I ignore it. I have a package of cookies that's been sitting on my counter for two or three weeks. There are only three servings left and I want to free the counter space, but every time I go for a snack, I'm usually thinking that I want something else. I have several tubes of Pringles that I keep forgetting I have.

I think helps that I leave a bowl of fresh fruit sitting out. The fruit looks better than the cookies, and since the cookies are messy, it is easier to eat the fruit.

thankyou4thevenom

It depends what you define as junk food. If you're taking about having the food in the house. I would definitely recommend not having any in the house and if you do just buy enough for one snack. Alternatively when you get it home separate it into portions.
This works with food at home and out, log it before you eat it. Then you know what you're eating. How well that fits in the day and if it's worth it.
One also found making your own versions of food can help. I REALLY want cookies at the moment so I'm going to be making a few protein cookies tomorrow.

Unknown

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Sarasmaintaining

For me to be successful at this whole thing I had to come to the realization that I control the food I consume and it doesn't control me. Learning how to eat all the foods you enjoy in moderation will go a long way in helping you succeed with this whole thing over the long term OP.

bigd66218

Junk food in moderation/purchase smallest size possible..1.25 oz. chip/single serve cookies/one candy bar. Enjoy and work in to your daily calories.

Jgasmic

Sarasmaintaining wrote: »

For me to be successful at this whole thing I had to come to the realization that I control the food I consume and it doesn't control me. Learning how to eat all the foods you enjoy in moderation will go along way in helping you succeed with this whole thing over the long term OP.

This, so much of this. I was giving way too much power to the "junk". I'd feel bad for being naughty and having ice cream so I would eat ALL of the ice cream (cookies, chips & dip, etc.) so I could get it out of the house and start being "good" again. Now, it's just food. I weigh it and log it the same as everything else. I have been able to make a container of ice cream last over a week, and the other day I bought a bag of chips and some dip and I didn't eat all of them that day. It turns out I have a lot more self control than I gave myself credit for, I had just set my expectations for myself too low.

ndj1979

why would you consider any food to be junk?

Food is neither good, bad, or junk it is just food that provides energy and nutrients. Stop assigning moral judgements to something that you eat.

I would be curious what you are considering as junk….

ndj1979

lindsayk324 wrote: »

I still struggle with this, but it's helped me to just not keep snacks in the house. I'm particularly bad with quick easy junk like bags of chips, crackers, candy, chocolate, ice cream, things that I can just put directly in my mouth without having to prep or cook. I slowly got my stocks of those things out of my cabinets and just stopped buying them on grocery trips. Now, if I really, really want chips or ice cream, I have to go out and buy it, and I'm usually too lazy to do that.

none of those foods are "junk" when taken into context an overall diet….

I mean ice cream is fat, carbs and protein ….all three macros in one delicious serving….

shadowfax_c11

No such thing as junk food in my house. Whatever it is I weight it out and log it before I eat it. The act of measuring and logging makes me think before I eat which stops the mindlessly eating the whole bag problem. I am starting to find that I enjoy the actual experience of eating more since I have become more mindful about it. Since the amount is limited, I have to slow down and actually enjoy my food.

I used to think I ate a lot because I liked food. Turned out I wasn't even truly experiencing all of the things I was eating, when I was just stuffing myself.

leggup

I keep smaller/easily portioned treats in the house, like single serve nutella, palmier cookies, chocolate covered pretzels, ice cream sandwiches, etc. I save 100-300 calories for treats at the end of the day and I wait to eat them until the end of the day. That way I'm not tempted to come back for more. I also pre-log all my treats so that I can see that only 1 fits my allotment for the day, or if I can have more.

whmscll

ndj1979 wrote: »

why would you consider any food to be junk?

Food is neither good, bad, or junk it is just food that provides energy and nutrients. Stop assigning moral judgements to something that you eat.

I would be curious what you are considering as junk….

I completely disagree with this. Chips, cookies, cake, most food in the "snack" aisle...have few if any actual nutrients, tons of preservatives and additives, high fat (including trans fats until they were banned by the government because they were so detrimental to health), huge amounts of added sugar, etc. Some food serves no purpose other than to make money for food conglomerates.

janejellyroll

whmscll wrote: »

ndj1979 wrote: »

why would you consider any food to be junk?

Food is neither good, bad, or junk it is just food that provides energy and nutrients. Stop assigning moral judgements to something that you eat.

I would be curious what you are considering as junk….

I completely disagree with this. Chips, cookies, cake, most food in the "snack" aisle...have few if any actual nutrients, tons of preservatives and additives, high fat (including trans fats until they were banned by the government because they were so detrimental to health), huge amounts of added sugar, etc. Some food serves no purpose other than to make money for food conglomerates.

In the context of a balanced diet, there is nothing wrong with having some food that is calorie-dense or high in fat or sugar. Even the foods that you're demonizing provide energy and macro-nutrients. To say they serve no "purpose" is confusing. Why does a potato chip have less of a "purpose" than a grape?

PrizePopple

whmscll wrote: »

ndj1979 wrote: »

why would you consider any food to be junk?

Food is neither good, bad, or junk it is just food that provides energy and nutrients. Stop assigning moral judgements to something that you eat.

I would be curious what you are considering as junk….

Some food serves no purpose other than to be tasty.

FIFY.


A high number of people here consider any food fair game once you hit your macros as eating over your macros isn't going to gain you extra credit or anything. Granted I've been piss poor about it lately, but once I hit my fiber and get close to my protein I am more than happy to spend the rest of my calories on whatever I want, and it will be full of fat and sugar without fail... Sicilian Pistachio Talenti ... I really shouldn't have to say more.

ndj1979

whmscll wrote: »

ndj1979 wrote: »

why would you consider any food to be junk?

Food is neither good, bad, or junk it is just food that provides energy and nutrients. Stop assigning moral judgements to something that you eat.

I would be curious what you are considering as junk….

I completely disagree with this. Chips, cookies, cake, most food in the "snack" aisle...have few if any actual nutrients, tons of preservatives and additives, high fat (including trans fats until they were banned by the government because they were so detrimental to health), huge amounts of added sugar, etc. Some food serves no purpose other than to make money for food conglomerates.

Ok - so lets assume I have eggs, whole wheat toast, whole wheat bread, turkey, greek yogurt, fruit, fish, vegetables and I have 300 calories left in my day and have chips and cookies and I hit my micros, macros, calories, have I eaten junk food or a balanced diet that hits all my dietary needs?

whmscll

For those of you who are able to eat treats in moderation, I admire and envy you. OP said she tried this and it didn't work for her. It doesn't work for me either. I get so tired when people say simply don't let food control you and eat whatever you want in moderation. This does not work for everyone!