Craving bad food
georgiamaxine1
Posts: 77 Member
How do I get out of this? Craving bad food so bad, but I've done so well so far I don't want to go back to my old eating ways!
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Replies
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Eat something good for you like a banana or apple.0
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i am the same way. i was craving a burrito from chipotle the other day, and that is WAY over my daily calorie count! instead, i bought a chicken breast and an avocado, added some tomato and made my own for a fraction of the calories. sometimes that won't work, and i'll break-down and eat a burger or pizza. just get up the next day and start again.3
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People handle this different ways.
I prefer not to classify foods as "good" or "bad." If I am craving something, I will figure out if I can make it fit in my day. If I can't make it fit that day, I figure out a way to do it. Sometimes doing the work of figuring it out will make me realize that I don't want it that much (for example, the other day I was craving some Swedish Fish, but when I realized how many calories it was for just seven, it cured that craving and I decided to have something else instead). Sometimes I figure out if there is a lower calorie way to meet the craving (like zucchini noodles instead of a big bowl of pasta). And sometimes I just suck it up by reminding myself of my goals.
But I would say that the majority of the time, there is a way for me to fit in at least some portion of a food I'm craving into the day (or the next day).8 -
What do you view a bad food?2
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I balance out my diet with lots of whole, nutritionally dense foods...and I use discretionary calories on other things that may not be so nutrient dense. The all or nothing approach rarely if ever works in my experience.
I don't typically look at foods as good or bad...I look at my diet overall and what is making up the majority of my diet...if most of that was "junk" food then I would have a bad diet...if most of it is solid nutrition then the small amount of "junk" is pretty irrelevant.1 -
Work those items into your calorie goals!
Have a smaller lunch so you can indulge in a small bag of chips or a small cup of icecream.
It's all about moderation and you can fit junk food into your daily calorie goals. If you want it, make room for it! Or find lower calorie substitutions.2 -
Some days I want to eat McDonald's, pizza, chocolate, crisps, sweets and binge eat. That's what I class as bad food lol. I can't just have a small piece of chocolate, once I start I can't stop so it's either don't eat any at all or have a binge day, I've always had a bad relationship with food and saw a psychiatrist but still can't get over it!1
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georgiamaxine1 wrote: »How do I get out of this? Craving bad food so bad, but I've done so well so far I don't want to go back to my old eating ways!
Change your way of thinking. Food is not good. Food is not bad. Food is fuel. You have certain nutritional needs, of course, but its not like every bite has to be optimally nutritious. Labeling food as good and bad sets you up for other issues, such as guilt for eating something that you deem as bad. When it comes to weight loss, you need a calorie deficit. Even your 'bad' food can work into that. If you are trying to say you will never again eat XYZ, when XYZ is something you enjoy, life is going to be rough. Instead perhaps figure out how to have some of the 'bad' foods in moderation.
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If you are going to give in try quality over quantity to satisfy the urge. If you need chocolate don't have a one pound bar of store brand have a smaller piece of Godiva or some other premium chocolate. If you indulge with high satisfaction but less than it may satisfy the urge and not do as much damage. Whatever you do take the time to enjoy the experience. DO NOT eat the "bad food" fast and unconsciously. Lastly, if you have been dieting for long listen to your body after you've indulged. Your body may not have a positive reaction.4
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I'm going through something very similar.. how long has it been? I believe that food can and is an addiction.. It's hard to get away from.. but depending on how long it's been you may just need more time to get over it? It's taken me months to get over the Lenny & Larry's cookies that I obsessed over for a while. I still think about them but the longer I go without having any the easier it is to ignore them. This is my experience of course and may not exactly be what you're going through.2
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georgiamaxine1 wrote: »Some days I want to eat McDonald's, pizza, chocolate, crisps, sweets and binge eat. That's what I class as bad food lol. I can't just have a small piece of chocolate, once I start I can't stop so it's either don't eat any at all or have a binge day, I've always had a bad relationship with food and saw a psychiatrist but still can't get over it!
I'm so bad at eating chocolate too, if i buy a whole family sized block of chocolate, i tend to eat it all in one go, just can't help me self cause it's just so good. It's a good thing i rarely crave pizza, crisps or lollies. I don't ignore my cravings, if i crave for a "bad food" i add it do my daily diet, and if i go over my calorie count i just reduce the next few days to make up the difference or exercise some more.
If you can't stop at just one piece, then don't buy a whole block just for yourself, either share it around or buy one freddo frog or some other premium single serve bar to indulge on. Or go to some activity until the craving has passed. Just don't have a binge day1 -
I'm dealing w/ the same thing. I have the urge to eat an entire box of Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies or Poptarts. It's bad. I have no advice.2
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Been 5 weeks on my diet but had a few treats.. yeah definitely got addicted at one point. Worst thing is when I actually eat it I don't even feel satisfied, I don't enjoy it as much as I didShiverStorm wrote: »I'm going through something very similar.. how long has it been? I believe that food can and is an addiction.. It's hard to get away from.. but depending on how long it's been you may just need more time to get over it? It's taken me months to get over the Lenny & Larry's cookies that I obsessed over for a while. I still think about them but the longer I go without having any the easier it is to ignore them. This is my experience of course and may not exactly be what you're going through.
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georgiamaxine1 wrote: »Some days I want to eat McDonald's, pizza, chocolate, crisps, sweets and binge eat. That's what I class as bad food lol. I can't just have a small piece of chocolate, once I start I can't stop so it's either don't eat any at all or have a binge day, I've always had a bad relationship with food and saw a psychiatrist but still can't get over it!
Allow those foods in your way of eating. Instead of a piece of chocolate, just get 1 bar from the store. Make sure to hit your macros and fibre first, then add your favourites.
Calories are king.
Ignoring cravings can lead to possible binges. Make peace with them, but be sensible. A balanced diet is healthy for the body mind and soul.4 -
georgiamaxine1 wrote: »How do I get out of this? Craving bad food so bad, but I've done so well so far I don't want to go back to my old eating ways!
There are no "bad" foods, just bad diets. Learn to eat BETTER......because trying to eat perfectly will likely backfire. You don't need perfection for weight loss.....but improvement is good.
Are you never going back to eating a serving of "bad" food.....ever? Learn portion control for all foods....not just "diet" foods.
You aren't likely "addicted" to food. Look up My 600 Pound Life......those are people with some serious food issues. I like food too, in fact I LOVE chocolate, but that doesn't make me an addict.3 -
what are you definin as "bad" foods...?
I will just say this ...there are no bad foods, just bad diets.
As long as you hit your calorie, marco, and micro targets for the day you will be fine.1 -
I'm nearing my TOM and I have had cravings the last 2 days. Yesterday I ate 160 cals. worth of sour cherry blaster gummies and today I had an Eat More bar for 240 cal. When I'm old and grey I don't think I'll say to myself 'man I shouldn't have had those to eat'. Some days are better than other's. Figure out what you want and then have it and be done with it. Just be cognizant that you have now had those calories so you need to try and stick to however many you have left for the day. Don't make it a bigger issue than it needs to be. Good luck.
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I'm going to make a comment I fear is not helpful to you, but might be to others reading here.
I like potato chips. No issue eating a family sized bag while watching tv. Did it on a regular basis. Part of the reason I hit 330 lbs. So I'm not doing that anymore. But I still have a box of small bags of chips, ~30g each, and will have one every second or third night. Same for Mars bites, Rolo's and Aero minis. I can have a half portion of them and am good for a couple nights.
This works far better for me than to say I can't have them. Having smaller portions available keeps me from eating the family sized bag.
But it sounds like you would not be able to stop at a few, or a small bag. If that's the case, then you just don't have them in the house. Unfortunate if that is the case, but you've got to figure out what works for yourself with this. Maybe a substitute will work, maybe allowing something one day a week. It all comes down to what works for you and what you can handle.
Good luck.4 -
The junk cravings are so rough!
I find myself asking "Did this make me feel any better before?". The answer is always no and that makes it much easier for me to make a healthier choice0 -
When I do the following, I don't have cravings:
1. Get sufficient sleep
2. Exercise regularly - when I get the happy hormones from exercise, I'm not prone to seeking them from food.
3. Get sufficient protein in relationship to carbs. I'm not low carb, but reducing carbs and upping protein worked for cravings for me. See also http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/fuller/understanding-satiety-feeling-full-after-a-meal.html
4. Eat moderate amounts of fruit. This makes me less interested in higher calorie sweets.
5. Take a magnesium supplement. This can be especially helpful for women premenstrually.
6. Save foods like chocolate for after dinner, in small amounts
7. Stay hydrated
8. Have a calorie deficit that is appropriate for the amount of weight I need to lose. An overly aggressive goal can definitely lead to cravings.
9. Eat at maintenance when my appetite goes up premenstrually. I take this opportunity to eat "bad food."0 -
Ugh oh girl I TOTALLY know the feeling!! I struggle with some sort of mix of binge eating and food addiction myself. I recently had a chat with my mom and she asked me something I had never been asked: "Are you filling a void with food? Do you feel lonely or unloved?" and while I've never had any trauma in my life and generally have a pretty great life... I totally resonated with that, I suddenly realized that I DO feel lonely and I do feel unloved... and that's when I decided to work on my self love.
I just bought a book from amazon which is supposed to be like a therapy workbook to help identify what's contributing to the source of the problem. It's called "Love yourself, heal your life": http://amzn.to/2qAeTvv
I'm hoping that can help me get to the root of the cause here and stop my binge eating/food addiction so I can have a normal life of balance and not hate my relationship with food.
Positive vibes girl, we got this Good luck on your journey!
[edited by MFP Mods]0 -
I'm tired. I thought your title was about craving cat food. That would be a problem.
My advice about craving "bad food" is stop and think about why you are limiting or avoiding these foods.
Drop the labels good or bad on individual foods and just look at specific nutrients and your whole diet. Are you meeting your nutritional needs? Will it really be harmful to eat some of whatever less nutritious food you are avoiding if the bulk of your diet is nutrient packed?
You want to eat in a way you can sustain long term. If you are having intense cravings and struggling to stick to your plan to me that says you have restricted too much either type of food or calories for you to sustain.
1. Make smaller changes to your diet over time rather than a huge change all at once. Buy smaller amounts of your problem foods to help you learn to moderate.
2. Have a smaller calorie deficit. Lose slower but more comfortably. Along the way learn to reduce portion sizes.
If you have problems with emotional eating or drinking work on developing different coping tools that are not food. Therapy, art, music, journaling, exercise, meditation, change your environment, etc.0 -
georgiamaxine1 wrote: »How do I get out of this? Craving bad food so bad, but I've done so well so far I don't want to go back to my old eating ways!
Lowing weight is all about breaking bad habits. You have to want to do this, and have the discipline to overcome the desire to overeat. If it's just "bad food" you want, that's okay, as long as it fits into your calorie budget.0 -
That's different.
I crave kale.0 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »I'm going to make a comment I fear is not helpful to you, but might be to others reading here.
I like potato chips. No issue eating a family sized bag while watching tv. Did it on a regular basis. Part of the reason I hit 330 lbs. So I'm not doing that anymore. But I still have a box of small bags of chips, ~30g each, and will have one every second or third night. Same for Mars bites, Rolo's and Aero minis. I can have a half portion of them and am good for a couple nights.
This works far better for me than to say I can't have them. Having smaller portions available keeps me from eating the family sized bag.
But it sounds like you would not be able to stop at a few, or a small bag. If that's the case, then you just don't have them in the house. Unfortunate if that is the case, but you've got to figure out what works for yourself with this. Maybe a substitute will work, maybe allowing something one day a week. It all comes down to what works for you and what you can handle.
Good luck.
I agree with this. I can stop at a couple of rolos. I can eat just a handful of pretzels. But put a bag of potato chips in my house and they disappear faster than a twinkie at a weight watcher's meeting. No chips in my house now...EVER. I know my limits.1 -
georgiamaxine1 wrote: »Some days I want to eat McDonald's, pizza, chocolate, crisps, sweets and binge eat. That's what I class as bad food lol. I can't just have a small piece of chocolate, once I start I can't stop so it's either don't eat any at all or have a binge day, I've always had a bad relationship with food and saw a psychiatrist but still can't get over it!
Happy meal, individual pizza, single serving candies and crisps...etc. There are other ways, you know. Buying a bunch of goodies and expecting yourself to just take a bite and have perfect self control around the rest is not the only way.
Do you see yourself not eating any of these foods 10 years from now? And I don't mean the motivation fueled inspirational poster image you have in your head of the need to be strong and that you can do it and so on and so forth. Really, honestly and deep inside, do you believe you can give up these foods or would want to give them up? Do you think it's a viable sacrifice and step to take? If the answer is yes, tough it out for a little while longer. When something is not an option (and you need to be stern that it's NOT an option) your brain gets used to the idea and you stop thinking about it as often.
If the answer is no, it's time to learn how to moderate. You do that slowly and gradually. You don't expect to be perfect all the time. You give up the idea that foods are "bad" and try to start treating them just like any other foods. You don't expose yourself to temptations that you know you can't tackle yet, and make it less likely to overindulge by not having indulgent quantities around, if at all possible. Gradually get used to the act of fitting something small into your calorie budget. Another form of moderation would be to plan larger indulgences but less often.
Whichever route you choose, you need to know that it takes time, patience, experimentation with different strategies, and being kind to yourself when you aren't being perfect.1 -
I made this same mistake in the past. I was trying to do better, so I thought I had to avoid all the foods I labeled as bad. While the cravings were bad, I thought it was worth it. In my mind, I just had to learn to go through life and never have a piece of pizza or McDonalds ever again. For some time, I did okay. I lost weight, but the cravings got worse and worse.
I think I stuck to it for about 3 months before I caved. Those 'forbidden' foods tasted even better than before, and soon I had slipped completely off the track. I regained every pound plus some. I felt miserable.
That's why I'm doing things different. No food is bad, although some are better in the long run than others. I've learned to substitute certain things which helps. However if I really want something, I fit it into my diet. I'm happier, and I'm actually losing weight at a better rate when I felt like I was depriving myself.
Be good to yourself. Try to make better choices for your body, but trying to completely cut something out that you like can make you miserable. It's all about finding a balance.0
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