I want to binge on fast food so bad right now: a rant

LatoyasTime

I'm only about a month into my weight loss journey and the biggest and definitely worst habit that I really needed to break is how often I ate fast food. This is really embarrassing to admit but I used to eat fast food every single day. I NEVER bought groceries and would just order from a restaurant or pull up to a drive-thru when I was hungry. I didn't even soften the blow to my body by choosing healthier options. I ate whatever I wanted and as much of it as I wanted. My bad habits took me to 360 pounds. I am now losing the weight and grocery shopping once a week. Since I started I've only eaten fast food on two occasions. I have this crazy urge right now to order fast food and splurge like I used to. I used to order a large pizza and 2 liter soda just for myself. A normal McDonalds order for me was a double quarter pounder with cheese, a large fry, a large soda, and a 10 piece nugget with ranch. I'm so tempted right now to order a large fast food meal and the sad thing is I JUST got groceries today so I have a full fridge. Obviously I don't try to totally restrict myself from eating fast food bc like I said I've had it twice in the last month but this time is different. I don't just want fast food, I want a huge fast food feast. You're probably thinking "Just order a smaller meal". That's the thing! I feel like I can't. I feel like I won't be satisfied and will be disappointed when I'm done eating and it won't have been enough. This is the first time since I started my weight loss journey that I've felt this way. I've been doing well and am down from 350 to 339. I actually just realized while typing this why I may be struggling with this today. I had my weekly weigh-in today and was devastated that the scale has not moved since last week. At last week's weight-in I only had a loss of 1 lb. I think the 1 lb loss already had me a bit down and then to see no loss this week was a big blow. I started feeling earlier that this is all pointless and I should just go back to eating whatever the hell I want and *kitten* the consequences. I tried to make myself feel a little better by going online and searching for reasons why the scale hadn't moved. I am always well within my calories so I know that's not it. The only thing I can think of is water retention. I did just start working out a few days ago and have been super sore since yesterday. I read something about how your body retains water after you start a new exercise program to help your muscles recuperate. I'm hoping this is it because otherwise I can't think of a single reason why the scale is moving so slowly. I mean I'm a really big girl and I thought morbidly obese people lost weight even faster than regular sized people. I won't lie, I'm discouraged and maybe that's why I'm struggling with this fast food urge tonight. I'm going to try to either forego the fast food or get something that's within my calorie range but honestly I can't make any promises. An hour from now I could be sitting on my bed with a large pizza chowing down.

joeterry2112

Not the best advice, but if you are feeling better overall, I would go for your fast food binge. As matter of fact do it worse. Get a pizza and a burger and your soda and everything to go for it.

Then remember how you feel the next morning. Likely you will feel like crap and it can remotivate you.

Bex953172

An hour from now you will not be eating pizza.
You've worked hard this week right?
Cuttibg down from fast food every day to twice in a month is a MASSIVE achievement.
How do you feel health wise after cutting back and eating healthier foods?
The water retention is the most likely reason, especially with a new exercise! And also weight does fluctuate.
The important thing is is that you haven't gained! That in itself is a big achievement!

If you eat pizza now, that scale WILL go up, is thy what you want?

To beat this urge (because you can beat it) go get a cup of water and keep drinking until you're full. Then have a healthy snack, a very low calorie one.

Try find achievements in the small things, not just a number on the scale!

You CAN do this! Just get through the urge and you will have another achievement to add to your list!

ValkyrieOnline

I’ve felt like this every day for the past months because I work at a fast food restaurant. I’ve lost 39 pounds and some days (like today) I’ve eaten 90% fast food and I’m topping it off with two slices of sweet potato pie and whole milk. I’m getting discouraged by what I see so I am a little down about it, and on top very stressed. Sometimes I need to just eat like I’m not caring so I don’t over eat again until a few weeks! The scale not moving gets me down but as long as you know that you are going to continue with your weight loss, go get your fast food, enjoy it while you can and don’t feel upset about it because we all can’t just eat the same things every day! ☺️ just remember that you have a goal and focus on it & go back to the scale in a couple of days!

I completely understand how you feel ♥️

seltzermint555

I know you don't wanna hear how satisfied a person can be with 2 slices of pizza or one piece of fish and some green beans at Long John Silver's. So I'm not gonna say that to you. Although it's true, for me anyway.

What I will say is I have been over 300 lb in the past too, and when I first started losing weight I thought I would drop like 8-10 lb every week like the people on weight loss TV shows. I didn't. It took me a few years to lose the first 50 lb and I worked pretty hard at it. With MFP, things went faster but still never more than 5 lb in a week...usually more like 1-2 lb every week, some weeks nothing, and then when I got smaller, it went even slower.

I will say in my experience if you try to 100% cut out all (insert name of "bad" food you love), you will just wind up eating it sooner or later. Also, I think it's VERY important to stick pretty darn close to your calorie goals set by MFP. When I was first starting out around 300 lb I felt like 2,000-something cal/day was a lot and looked at other women a little smaller eating 1,500 cal but when I restricted too much, or didn't eat back any of my exercise calories, my cravings were much worse. What I've pretty much always done (and still do years into maintenance) is having a bit of a free day on Saturdays eating "worse" and more food and treats, and try to stick to my MFP goals the rest of the week.

777Gemma888

I would order the pizza with Coke zero.

What does your new diet look like? Why are you having these binge cravings? Why not just allocate calories to pizza and soda? You can achieve losses by eating what is your normal, just within your caloric allotment. Do you use a food scale?

stephaniezinone

Remember this?

“I started at 360 pounds and I eat about 1200 calories a day. I'm actually pretty happy with it. I don't feel hungry, tired, deprived, nothing. Don't really see why I should force myself to eat more when I feel fine. I've lost 20 pounds so far. I haven't started working out however and I know that will make me feel hungrier in which case I'll just eat more lol. No biggie.”

I read this and predicted you would start bingeing, face a stall or slow down in your weight and want to give up... all because you’re eating 1200 calories at over 300 lbs. You wanting to binge is the sane part. The 1200 calories is what is causing these cravings/desire to binge/overeat.

Maybe choose a more appropriate calorie goal. No biggie, right?

LatoyasTime

stephaniezinone wrote: »

Remember this?

“I started at 360 pounds and I eat about 1200 calories a day. I'm actually pretty happy with it. I don't feel hungry, tired, deprived, nothing. Don't really see why I should force myself to eat more when I feel fine. I've lost 20 pounds so far. I haven't started working out however and I know that will make me feel hungrier in which case I'll just eat more lol. No biggie.”

I read this and predicted you would start bingeing, face a stall or slow down in your weight and want to give up... all because you’re eating 1200 calories at over 300 lbs. You wanting to binge is the sane part. The 1200 calories is what is causing these cravings/desire to binge/overeat.

Maybe choose a more appropriate calorie goal. No biggie, right?

I've been eating 1500+ calories since that post because of a post from another member that made me rethink things. I've also upped my calories bc I've started working out. I do still stand by what I said in my post that you quoted which was that I did not feel hungry or deprived at 1200 calories. Anyways, I 100% believe my cravings were because I was upset. Fast food has been my daily comfort for years and it's the first thing I think about when I get upset and start feeling depressed.

LatoyasTime

Bex953172 wrote: »

An hour from now you will not be eating pizza.
You've worked hard this week right?
Cuttibg down from fast food every day to twice in a month is a MASSIVE achievement.
How do you feel health wise after cutting back and eating healthier foods?
The water retention is the most likely reason, especially with a new exercise! And also weight does fluctuate.
The important thing is is that you haven't gained! That in itself is a big achievement!

If you eat pizza now, that scale WILL go up, is thy what you want?

To beat this urge (because you can beat it) go get a cup of water and keep drinking until you're full. Then have a healthy snack, a very low calorie one.

Try find achievements in the small things, not just a number on the scale!

You CAN do this! Just get through the urge and you will have another achievement to add to your list!

Thank you so much. I did what you said and drank a bunch of water and I also tried to preoccupy myself and got some work done. It didn't take long for me to forget my fast food cravings actually.

wolftrucking08

Go ahead and binge out?, Really?
Ignore the eat the fast food advice. Have some high quality protein on hand like precooked chicken breast; a 4 oz serving add it to a lettuce and spinach salad works wonders for me.

LatoyasTime

wolftrucking08 wrote: »

Go ahead and binge out?, Really?
Ignore the eat the fast food advice. Have some high quality protein on hand like precooked chicken breast; a 4 oz serving add it to a lettuce and spinach salad works wonders for me.

Lol yeah I ended up making a tuna sub

MikePTY

I feel your pain. I can be pretty good most days, but sometimes I crave the fast food binge hard. The thing is though, it really never feels as good as I think it is gonna feel. Sure it fixes the urge for a little bit, but it leaves me feeling crummy and blah inside and I regret it. So I try as hard as I can to resist the urge. Usually when I get it, I will eat something, anything ASAP. This way the hunger will go away, and I won't be driven by that to make bad choices, even if the thing I ate didn't light my taste buds on fire.

randiz66

Glad you did not binge. I went through the same thing not too long ago. I was working out and eating healthy. Traded my 12 pack diet dew addiction for water (me and coffee broke up last week😪) and still the scale was not moving. But my clothes where fitting better and I lost one of my chins. And more importantly I felt better. It took a few weeks for the scale to acknowledge the weight loss. Don’t let the scale control you. Look for results elsewhere.
Feel free to add me.

elisa123gal

Go to the success forum and read the stories. look at the before and after picture threads there. Read their advice. You'll see women who have lost all the weight... it is so motivating.

You are down 10 pounds and you are doing great. We all get tempted.. but successful people don't give in or go back to the destructive habits that made them overweight. You've made the changes by grocery shopping you are on the right path...stay strong. Do this for yourself. Do it for your future. You deserve to be fit, healthy, and to control your own life. Good luck to you.

leanjogreen18

I plan a fast food dinner. I cycle my calories or bank them so that I have a bigger calorie allowance on Wed. That’s my errand day and I’m wiped when I get home so I order a personal pan pizza (600c for cheese) I get a individual wine (small box type yes I’m a cheap wine drinker) and I make a small side salad.

It’s a big splurge coming in around 1000 calories but I don’t eat breakfast or lunch that day so I still have room for a snack. I’m honestly stuffed uncomfortably so because of it being such a large meal and only one of the day.

I do not crave pizza at all anymore because I plan that one day to “splurge”.

Not sure if this will help you and I’m not sure how long I will continue doing this but for now it works for me.

quiksylver296

LatoyasTime wrote: »

wolftrucking08 wrote: »

Go ahead and binge out?, Really?
Ignore the eat the fast food advice. Have some high quality protein on hand like precooked chicken breast; a 4 oz serving add it to a lettuce and spinach salad works wonders for me.

Lol yeah I ended up making a tuna sub

Nice! Congrats on that!

ValkyrieOnline

I wasn’t trying to be negative but a lot of the times that I would feel like that I would keep bingeing and wouldn’t have limits, and then because I had no real dedication I would just keep eating. Personally for me I do occasionally eat fast food or anything in a big amount because I know I’m going to be back at it tomorrow, and I know that I’m not going to be having an even worse craving in the next couple of days. Different folks, different strokes🤷🏻‍♀️ keep up the good work though! 🥰