Junk food

arianaaasantiago

I want to cut out junk food entirely. How might I do that without feeling the urge to binge? Junk food and any other form of carbs are the reason I'm gaining. Plus I eat a lot of fast food.

callsitlikeiseeit

you dont have to cut it out. just limit the amount you eat, and fit it into your daily calorie goals.

i eat out with some regularity. i dont eat much junk food, but if i want it, and can make it fit, i do.

almost 90 pounds lost over 3 years.

ps: the reason you are gaining is because you are eating too much in general. you could eat all spinach and kale and still gain if you exceed your maintenance calories.

TeaBea

Losing weight is about calories.....not junk.....not carbs.....not fast food.

Elimination diets are good for dieting. But losing weight is just step #1. After you get to goal are you going to eliminate junk, carbs, and fast food forever? Because a smaller you will require (somewhat) fewer calories forever.

Instead of elimination you might try moderation. Log everything you eat and then figure out what needs to change permanently. Seeing the numbers, seeing the small serving sizes really help put some things in perspective.

I eat out at least once a week. I eat carbs.....but meet protein goals everyday. I eat "junk"......just not nearly as much as I used to.

livingleanlivingclean

Eating too many calories is the reason you're gaining weight, not a specific food or macronutrient.

Restricting foods completely may be the right way to go for you, or it may be completely the wrong way to go - it may make you crave it and binge. You need to work out what works best, either going completely cold turkey and using your willpower to avoid those foods, or try including them in moderation.

I've done both - I have found moderation more successful though, and an overall healthier approach (physical and mental). I also don't attach labels to foods anymore, nothing is good or bad.

kgeyser

Meal planning can help a lot with this challenge. I started by figuring out what meals I like to eat regularly, then chose snacks which help fill in my macro profile from there. I usually end up eating almonds as a snack, because I tend to be low on fat in my meals, and will also eat Greek yogurt for protein. I tend not to buy foods that I know will lead to snacking if I am bored or stressed. Drinking enough water also helps me, and after tracking my food and physical responses for awhile, I noticed that I tend to eat lower carb than the average person and that helps me stay in my calorie range, especially keeping carbs low early in the day. A higher (than normal for me) carb count at breakfast and I know the day is going to be a mess, but figuring out the macro timing that worked well for me was a lifesaver. I also just stopped eating fast food - it was convenient, but it really wasn't doing anything for me. No regrets with that decision, I am able to eat a much higher volume of food this way and stay within my calories.

rheddmobile

I started by cutting out refined sugars completely - it takes about two weeks, but after that you don't crave them and they don't even taste good. And for me, refined sugars create other cravings - French fries or chips because sweet makes you crave salt, then burgers or fatty fried food to go with the carbs. If I just cut out the sugar, the rest fixes itself and it becomes much easier to eat lower calorie, healthy foods.

It also helps to think about what your body is really wanting. We've confused our bodies into craving things that have little nutritional value. For example, I used to crave lemon drops when what I really needed was vitamin c. If you want ice cream, try eating something creamy like Greek yogurt. If you want something sweet, try fruit. If you want something carby, try whole grains such as quinoa or oatmeal. If you want something crunchy, eat some fresh vegetables. Fatty, some nuts. One of my best life hacks was eating thinly sliced salted radishes instead of potato chips. I also have some dark chocolate every day.

The thing is, eating these foods will make you feel good, instead of bloated and sluggish like junk food, so soon you will wind up craving the good foods instead.

Running_and_Coffee

You can find healthier versions of things you like. It's true that you could still work in a few junk foody type meals, but you might learn to love healthier options. Make your own burgers with bison or lean turkey, or have a regular burger without a bun. Switch from chips to air popcorn. Bake fries vs. french fries.

WinoGelato

arianaaasantiago wrote: »

I want to cut out junk food entirely. How might I do that without feeling the urge to binge? Junk food and any other form of carbs are the reason I'm gaining. Plus I eat a lot of fast food.

The reason you are gaining weight is that you are consuming too many calories, period. Whether those calories come from carbs, "junk" food, or nothing but whole foods, if you consume more calories than you burn, you will gain weight.

Do you have a history of binge eating disorder? Are there trigger foods that you especially struggle with? Are there situations in which you are more likely to over eat (stress, depression, anxiety, etc)? These are the things I would look at initially and make sure you are prepared to meet these challenges head on, then look at where you might want to make adjustments to your overall diet.

I don't have issues with binge eating or emotional eating - but the approach I always recommend is:

1. Enter your stats into MFP, along with your activity level, goal weight, and a reasonable rate of loss. Depending how much you have to lose (less than 50 lbs, no more than 1 lb/week; less than 25 lbs, no more than 0.5 lb/week) then MFP will calculate a calorie target for you with a deficit built in to help you achieve your goals.
2. Eat a variety of foods within that deficit, aiming for foods that provide nutrition (macro and micro nutrients), satiety (fill you up), and enjoyment (cutting out all the things you love is often a quick path to failure).
3. Log everything you eat as accurately and honestly as possible, ideally using a food scale.
4. Exercise if you enjoy it, logging and eating back a portion of those calories.
5. Be patient, monitor and adjust after 6-8 weeks depending upon your initial results.

lemurcat12

arianaaasantiago wrote: »

I want to cut out junk food entirely. How might I do that without feeling the urge to binge? Junk food and any other form of carbs are the reason I'm gaining. Plus I eat a lot of fast food.

You don't need to cut it out entirely, although if you think it would be helpful, it might be. People with bingeing tendencies often find it counterproductive, though.

What you need (whatever you decide to do) is a way to control calories and limit the amounts that you eat. You are gaining because you are eating too much -- are you logging? Do you have a structure that governs your daily eating choices (i.e., calorie goal, planned meals, nutritional goals)? Do you know what's going on when you tend to overeat? Those are things to think about.

When I first started, I did decide to cut out sweets and snacks entirely (I ate quite well at meals already). I made sure my meals were easy and satisfying, and then I ate raw veg for a while if hungry outside of meals until I was used to my new plan and calorie goal. I cut snacks because I was an emotional eater and wanted to teach myself I didn't need to eat for that reason and I found I had less control when snacking. That was based on my specific issues, you will find what works for you by thinking about your specifics and getting started. I also found that I could add sweets back in in a controllable way by saving them for a dessert after dinner and making sure they fit in my calories.

Huge changes at once may be difficult, so one good way to start is write down what you've been eating, find your calorie goal (others have covered this), and then think of some changes you can make to reduce calories and, if you want, make meals more filling and nutrient dense. For me not snacking works, for others planning some satisfying snacks is preferable.

xchocolategirl

I love carbs and I like to eat food that may not be so nutritious. I just do so with moderation. Good luck!