Fast Food
Varamyr38
Posts: 258 Member
My Achilles heel has always been fast food when I try to lose weight. I started at around 300 and got down into the 220s. Now I'm up to 252. Was at 257 last week but I think all that quick weight coming off was probably just water weight. Always going good until I have fast food and then it goes downhill really quick. For anybody that's fighting the struggle of fast food addiction (I see it as an addiction), how do you overcome it? It's like trying to stop drinking and there's a bar on every street corner.
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All I did was tell myself that I have to just be content eating a little of it. As long as you count calories and make sensible enough choices, you can fit fast food into a diet and still lose weight.0
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Yeah I try that. Just something in my mind clicks and as soon as I eat a little bit, it's like my body says that I need more and more. Don't know how else to describe it. It always happens when my wife gets off work and we have to decide what to have for dinner. Wish I knew how to cook. Need to figure out what to get at the store next time so fast food doesnt even enter my mind.0
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Yeah I try that. Just something in my mind clicks and as soon as I eat a little bit, it's like my body says that I need more and more. Don't know how else to describe it. It always happens when my wife gets off work and we have to decide what to have for dinner. Wish I knew how to cook. Need to figure out what to get at the store next time so fast food doesnt even enter my mind.
Why not take a cooking class? They are fun!! Really!! Foodtv is fun to watch and their website is loaded with how to's.0 -
I brainstorm various solutions and then try them out. I keep the ones that work. I ride my cravings instead of fighting them.
- One strategy I use is a late afternoon snack so I am not coming home ravenous.
- Learning to cook sounds like another great idea.
- You might be loving the salt, which would also explain how your weight goes up and down so fast. Have some salty go-to foods like pickles at home.
- Nuts are fast food, and calorie dense too.
- Decide what you are having for dinner in the morning and put it out to defrost or cook (i.e. slow cooker meals)
- When the craving hits, drink a full class of cold water first. Still hungy? Even if you do eat afterwards, you'll eat less.
- Pick the McWrap instead of the Quarter Pounder with fries and full sugar soda. The calorie difference is astounding.
You might find more ideas here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/jgnatca/view/halting-a-binge-session-7151310 -
queenliz99 wrote: »Yeah I try that. Just something in my mind clicks and as soon as I eat a little bit, it's like my body says that I need more and more. Don't know how else to describe it. It always happens when my wife gets off work and we have to decide what to have for dinner. Wish I knew how to cook. Need to figure out what to get at the store next time so fast food doesnt even enter my mind.
Why not take a cooking class? They are fun!! Really!! Foodtv is fun to watch and their website is loaded with how to's.
Watching foodtv sounds like a better option. My wife works nights and I can't drive because of my Epilepsy.
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queenliz99 wrote: »Yeah I try that. Just something in my mind clicks and as soon as I eat a little bit, it's like my body says that I need more and more. Don't know how else to describe it. It always happens when my wife gets off work and we have to decide what to have for dinner. Wish I knew how to cook. Need to figure out what to get at the store next time so fast food doesnt even enter my mind.
Why not take a cooking class? They are fun!! Really!! Foodtv is fun to watch and their website is loaded with how to's.
Watching foodtv sounds like a better option. My wife works nights and I can't drive because of my Epilepsy.
Sorry to hear that!! Rachel Ray has 30 minute meals. A good place to start.0 -
I brainstorm various solutions and then try them out. I keep the ones that work. I ride my cravings instead of fighting them.
- One strategy I use is a late afternoon snack so I am not coming home ravenous.
- Learning to cook sounds like another great idea.
- You might be loving the salt, which would also explain how your weight goes up and down so fast. Have some salty go-to foods like pickles at home.
- Nuts are fast food, and calorie dense too.
- Decide what you are having for dinner in the morning and put it out to defrost or cook (i.e. slow cooker meals)
- When the craving hits, drink a full class of cold water first. Still hungy? Even if you do eat afterwards, you'll eat less.
- Pick the McWrap instead of the Quarter Pounder with fries and full sugar soda. The calorie difference is astounding.
You might find more ideas here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/jgnatca/view/halting-a-binge-session-715131
The funny thing is that I'm not starving or anything by the time she gets home. She works nights and gets home around 12:45 am. That's when we have our dinner/breakfast. The last time I eat is around 10 pm. Also, with the fast food, it's kind of an association too. It's weird but we usually eat fast food when we're watching those Gordon Ramsay shows. Just got some chicken tenders out of the freezer a while ago. Going to have those to eat tonight. We can make those and maybe get some corn or peas the next time we go to the store. I drink plenty of water all day. That helps fight my cravings. I usually go a few hours in between eating.
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queenliz99 wrote: »queenliz99 wrote: »Yeah I try that. Just something in my mind clicks and as soon as I eat a little bit, it's like my body says that I need more and more. Don't know how else to describe it. It always happens when my wife gets off work and we have to decide what to have for dinner. Wish I knew how to cook. Need to figure out what to get at the store next time so fast food doesnt even enter my mind.
Why not take a cooking class? They are fun!! Really!! Foodtv is fun to watch and their website is loaded with how to's.
Watching foodtv sounds like a better option. My wife works nights and I can't drive because of my Epilepsy.
Sorry to hear that!! Rachel Ray has 30 minute meals. A good place to start.
The seizures are in control. None of those big ones. Just these ones called absence seizures where brain stops or something from anywhere between a few seconds to 30 seconds. Most of the time can't even remember they happened. Just standing and my brain stalls. They're more of an annoyance than anything.
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I brainstorm various solutions and then try them out. I keep the ones that work. I ride my cravings instead of fighting them.
- One strategy I use is a late afternoon snack so I am not coming home ravenous.
- Learning to cook sounds like another great idea.
- You might be loving the salt, which would also explain how your weight goes up and down so fast. Have some salty go-to foods like pickles at home.
- Nuts are fast food, and calorie dense too.
- Decide what you are having for dinner in the morning and put it out to defrost or cook (i.e. slow cooker meals)
- When the craving hits, drink a full class of cold water first. Still hungy? Even if you do eat afterwards, you'll eat less.
- Pick the McWrap instead of the Quarter Pounder with fries and full sugar soda. The calorie difference is astounding.
You might find more ideas here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/jgnatca/view/halting-a-binge-session-715131
The funny thing is that I'm not starving or anything by the time she gets home. She works nights and gets home around 12:45 am. That's when we have our dinner/breakfast. The last time I eat is around 10 pm. Also, with the fast food, it's kind of an association too. It's weird but we usually eat fast food when we're watching those Gordon Ramsay shows. Just got some chicken tenders out of the freezer a while ago. Going to have those to eat tonight. We can make those and maybe get some corn or peas the next time we go to the store. I drink plenty of water all day. That helps fight my cravings. I usually go a few hours in between eating.
I don't no if this will help you or not, but learn to embrace hunger. Being hungry is not so bad. Of course if you have raging hungry that is different. Realistically there is nothing wrong with being a little hungry. It makes your next meal taste very good.0 -
I went from ordering the full meals to just having a burger or the nuggets or just an order of fries. I wouldn't allow myself more than one item and absolutely would not order a soda. Before I knew it, I was pretty much over it. I still eat pizza and stuff like that, but now I don't have to remind myself to only have one slice, my body gets full after the one slice on its own. And no I haven't reached my goal yet, lol so I'm not speaking from "I did this and now I'm super skinny" I'm still a big girl (194 lbs), but what I am saying is that it's the small adjustments that come together to make big differences. It's taken me 4 months to lose 27 pounds, but I'm trying.0
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Then I suggest you are picking fast food out of habit. Habits are powerful things.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/jgnatca/view/halting-a-binge-session-715131
You might enjoy Charles Duhigg's book on the Power of Habit.
What you do is replace your old habit with a new one. If you associate watching Gordon Ramsay shows with cuddling, togetherness, entertainment and comfort, plan a different association other than food when you watch these shows. I find it helps if it includes keeping your hands busy. For instance, you might get laser pointers and fool around with them while watching the show.0 -
I used to eat while watching TV also, and it effected how satisfied I would feel once I finished my meal because I wasn't paying attention. I'm using past tense here, but I actually do still, on occasion, eat while watching TV. It is a very hard habit to break. Maybe a good first step could be not watching TV while eating fast food. Little changes, one at a time, have helped me make big changes. Keep up the good work.0
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I keep a limited amount of cash in my wallet, it's mostly for groceries but if I want some fast food, I have to budget out of that grocery money. Knowing I only have $20 in my wallet and I need to buy veggies for the next five days is an AMAZING motivator to not blow it on quick and easy stuff.
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Just don't buy it. Hit the grocery store instead. Once the habit is broken, it gets super-easy.
And if you must eat it, skip the fries.
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Fast food is one of those things I had to cut out from the get go.
I find that the more I eat it, the more I want it and then it just cascades downhill from there. I have it still like once a month or so, but that's it.0 -
However the OP claims they may have an eating addiction to fast food, which I can see. If you are an addict, going back for a little taste can suck you back into the cycle of addiction. Have you thought about talking to a professional about fast/food addiction?
I hate to say it, but the advice here is free the adage about getting what you pay for... well...
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My Achilles heel has always been fast food when I try to lose weight. I started at around 300 and got down into the 220s. Now I'm up to 252. Was at 257 last week but I think all that quick weight coming off was probably just water weight. Always going good until I have fast food and then it goes downhill really quick. For anybody that's fighting the struggle of fast food addiction (I see it as an addiction), how do you overcome it? It's like trying to stop drinking and there's a bar on every street corner.
Do you log your food? Log everything you eat?
Do you weigh food you eat at home?
It's not the fast food, but the fact that you are eating too much food overall, that's causing weight gain. Everything in moderation and eat at your calorie goal to lose weight.
And, this comes from a girl who rarely eats fast food because I just don't like it that much.
Oh, by the way....cool avatar!0 -
Yeah I try that. Just something in my mind clicks and as soon as I eat a little bit, it's like my body says that I need more and more. Don't know how else to describe it. It always happens when my wife gets off work and we have to decide what to have for dinner. Wish I knew how to cook. Need to figure out what to get at the store next time so fast food doesnt even enter my mind.
Eggs and toast is a good default dinner, or tomato soup, I like to keep a few freezer meals around that I can throw in the oven or warm up in the microwave. Stew is always a good one, just make a batch, eat it one night and freeze the rest.
I am guilty of fast food and lots of it these days. What I do is eat about half my calories during the day and save the other half for dinner. So yesterday I had 700 calories at dinner time, so I order just the burger and a diet coke. No fries. Even if I want more, I don't have it to eat. The worst damage you can do with a fast food burger is 800 calories, so if you save that for the end of the day it should be fine. I tend to look up calorie content in advance and order what I know will fit my goals.
Now, you might not be full by just getting the sandwich, but I find that since I have been eating less, if I wait a bit my body is quite satisfied.
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My Achilles heel has always been fast food when I try to lose weight. I started at around 300 and got down into the 220s. Now I'm up to 252. Was at 257 last week but I think all that quick weight coming off was probably just water weight. Always going good until I have fast food and then it goes downhill really quick. For anybody that's fighting the struggle of fast food addiction (I see it as an addiction), how do you overcome it? It's like trying to stop drinking and there's a bar on every street corner.
Do you log your food? Log everything you eat?
Do you weigh food you eat at home?
It's not the fast food, but the fact that you are eating too much food overall, that's causing weight gain. Everything in moderation and eat at your calorie goal to lose weight.
And, this comes from a girl who rarely eats fast food because I just don't like it that much.
Oh, by the way....cool avatar!
Yeah I have a food scale and I know how to lose the weight. Usually falls off pretty quickly as long as I stay eating healthy. As quick as it falls off, it can come back on though when I eat "bad" food. I know some people hate when it's refers to like that. I think my diary is still open to everybody so feel free to check it out. I've been logging almost every day as I try to get back to eating well again.
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I gave up TV and fast food three years ago. It was the best decision I ever made. I can maintain my goal weight and get lots of other stuff done too. I don't miss either one.0
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My Achilles heel has always been fast food when I try to lose weight. I started at around 300 and got down into the 220s. Now I'm up to 252. Was at 257 last week but I think all that quick weight coming off was probably just water weight. Always going good until I have fast food and then it goes downhill really quick. For anybody that's fighting the struggle of fast food addiction (I see it as an addiction), how do you overcome it? It's like trying to stop drinking and there's a bar on every street corner.
Do you log your food? Log everything you eat?
Do you weigh food you eat at home?
It's not the fast food, but the fact that you are eating too much food overall, that's causing weight gain. Everything in moderation and eat at your calorie goal to lose weight.
And, this comes from a girl who rarely eats fast food because I just don't like it that much.
Oh, by the way....cool avatar!
Yeah I have a food scale and I know how to lose the weight. Usually falls off pretty quickly as long as I stay eating healthy. As quick as it falls off, it can come back on though when I eat "bad" food. I know some people hate when it's refers to like that. I think my diary is still open to everybody so feel free to check it out. I've been logging almost every day as I try to get back to eating well again.
Okay. But, there is no good or bad food, there is just good. Moderation is key.0 -
Make it a rule to never ever order fast food before you've had a glass of water, a big salad and a bowl of low calorie soup, then order a meal reasonable in calories. After you eat it you will be too full to want more.0
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I'm in maintenance now - but... it's so much easier to lose and maintain when I don't base my daily intake on fast food/junk food. My "weakness" is chocolate, chips, cookies, cake, candy, ice cream and chips - no amount seems ever to be enough. But I can't eat it when I don't buy it, and I don't miss them when I eat a balanced and varied diet of tasty whole food that I like. I used to have cravings all the time and couldn't resist. I feel that I'm in charge now, and I enjoy the satisfaction of real food instead.
OP, overeating can be likened to an addiction, but you shouldn't stop eating, you just have to stop overeating. The right way for you to do that, is up to you to find. Counseling may be a help if you eat emotionally, but if you eat because you are malnourished and the junk food tastes too good, there are more effective ways to handle the problem, in my opinion.0 -
My Achilles heel has always been fast food when I try to lose weight. I started at around 300 and got down into the 220s. Now I'm up to 252. Was at 257 last week but I think all that quick weight coming off was probably just water weight. Always going good until I have fast food and then it goes downhill really quick. For anybody that's fighting the struggle of fast food addiction (I see it as an addiction), how do you overcome it? It's like trying to stop drinking and there's a bar on every street corner.
Added sugar in junk food is shocking and ally that with the typically high fat content it's a recipie for disaster- don't think there is any method of overcoming it - if you can't moderate you'll most likely have to cut it out completely.
The only thing I will eat that's fast food is the zinger salad and 2 hot wings at KFC, have had quite a few for lunch over the last 4 months and I'm down 35Lbs so far
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For me i quit fast food because of the cost and the poor service i kept getting everywhere. I got tired of paying 12+ dollars for food that i could make at home for half the price that was just as good if not better and healthier.0
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At my heaviest I ate fast food most days for at least one meal. Each meal, I guess, has different ways I "fought" going. Now I occasionally eat fast food when traveling, but that's about it. I echo j's advice above, and here's some of my tactic:
Breakfast: it was so easy to drive thru and get a hot meal. Or a donut somewhere. Now I don't eat often first thing in the morning. But to break my egg mcmuffin habit I started pre-making my own spinach frittata type things and cutting them up and parcelling into microwaveable containers to top on a toasted Ezekiel English muffin.
Lunch: packed cold lunch, sandwiche or leftovers. I really tried to change the mindset of lunch being a burger and fries. After a while I simply don't think about that as a lunch.
Driving home from work: pre planning my dinner helped. But -- I know this isn't much "better" for me, but it helped break the drive thru habit -- if I really needed to pick up dinner, I'd go to the grocery store instead and buy from the deli. Rotisserie chicken or the lasagne slices, maybe the prepackaged salads. If fast food is a habit, then doing this helped me avoid the drive through on the nights I really couldn't be bothered to cook.0 -
I don't have a problem with fast food because for most popular fast food restaurants, calorie information is easily accessible. McDonalds has some low calorie choices and I've naturally veered towards those as opposed to the high calorie options. The way I see it, this allows me to eat at these places still but I'm not using all my allowance on one burger! Another option is, order the burger without any sides - the chips (fries) can add an extra 400+ calories to the meal!
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I usually get the Grilled chicken plain. Its about 330 calories and a water. Actually. 2 grilled chickens. High in Protein and only 660 calories. = nice lunch or dinner0
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I didnt stop fast food or beer I just set limits 600-700 calorie fast food meal, limit 2 drinks. If its the end of the day and/or I know I will have more left over, then might get a bit more to meet my quota. 0
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Here is a simple idea.
1. Learn how to cook.
2. Stop eating too much fast food.0
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