How do YOU combat the unhealhy foods you love(d)

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mbeuchert24
mbeuchert24 Posts: 204 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am a junk food addict! And when I think about the things I cannot eat because they are unhealthy/fattening I get a little sad. Like I recently found out that my favorite Applebees dish was 1000 calories! Not that I didn't susspect it was unhealthy...but it's one of those things that hits you about the calories you are putting in your body. Some of my other favorite "bad" items are Tropical Smootie drinks...I like the ones with Splenda, but I know at the same time those aren't good either. I love Ruffles and onion dip (the kind made with onion soup mix and sour cream). I love love love cookies! Or my mom's homemade mac & cheese! My hubby and I are really working on eating better, but I also know there is going to be a lot of food I am missing (oh another one - CAKE! I love cake, cupckaes UGH, I just have a major sweet tooth).

So if you enjoyed some (or all) of the things I do...what did you do to combat them?

Replies

  • PapaPolarBear
    PapaPolarBear Posts: 459
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    i generally eat what ever i want, just in moderation. I also love ruffles and french onion dip, i could sit there and eat a whole jar of it at one time. or eat half a cake within a day. now i just have one piece of cake, and i actually have to avoid the chips all together. intesad i make popcorn a lot more.
  • 4lafz
    4lafz Posts: 1,078 Member
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    Go to www.hungry-girl.com

    She does "swaps" of lots of "junk" food!
  • mama050709
    mama050709 Posts: 100
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    I keep telling myself, Ok if you eat this..... I don't want to hear it about seeing the scale go up!!!!

    I replace my cravings with something else.... like try the mini rice cakes They are called True delights quakes rice snacks.....
    My FAVORITE ones are Vanilla creme brulee! They taste JUST like rice crispy treats!

    Remember, there are healthier opinions out there for the food we love. We just need to search for them and make sure we stock up on them instead of the junk!
  • khskr1
    khskr1 Posts: 392
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    Girl...my mouth is salivating reading your post! I constantly battle the junk food cravings. Over the years I've learned to not buy the stuff but I still have my indulgences! I buy actual potato chips once a year...during college football bowl season. That's it!! And yes, it's usually ruffles with the onion dip! :) Other than that I buy whole grain tostito chips and salsa. Still not great, but better than potato chips. I'll also try to make baked potatoes for dinner during those craving times. I also substitute hot chocolate instead of chocolate candy. I buy the low sugar kind. It hits the cravings and I don't feel so bad. But I feel ya!! It's not easy...but it will get easier!!!
  • Amandac6772
    Amandac6772 Posts: 1,311 Member
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    I work them into my daily calorie allowance. I am trying this week to cut out some of the processed foods and eat more natural foods...not having too much success but it's early in the week.
  • dumb_blondes_rock
    dumb_blondes_rock Posts: 1,568 Member
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    I would suggest the book cook yourself thin....i watch the tv show and they show how to make your favorite foods, but make it healthy so it cuts like half if not more of the calories
  • mayal
    mayal Posts: 1 Member
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    ...for the onion dip craving-try this: one cup fat free sour cream, one cup fat free greek yogurt, one thawed box of frozen chopped spinach (squeeze out as much moisture as possible w/ paper towel), and one packet of onion soup mix. dip cucumber slices, celery, or multi-grain crackers.
  • ladybug91254
    ladybug91254 Posts: 232 Member
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    I have also replaced my unhealthy foods with healthy alternatives...however I also occasionally indulge in foods I love that aren't healthy...just in moderation like someone else said. I think the mindset that says you can NEVER have those things is what makes most people "fall off the wagon". That's just my opinion of course.
  • dumb_blondes_rock
    dumb_blondes_rock Posts: 1,568 Member
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    ...for the onion dip craving-try this: one cup fat free sour cream, one cup fat free greek yogurt, one thawed box of frozen chopped spinach (squeeze out as much moisture as possible w/ paper towel), and one packet of onion soup mix. dip cucumber slices, celery, or multi-grain crackers.

    OMG I DROOLED!!! that sounds soooo delicious! Definantly gonna make that at the next picnic!
  • lfcutie
    lfcutie Posts: 103 Member
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    for the mac and cheese I use the weight watcher recipe......believe me I LOVE mac and cheese and was not all for trying it at first.,.,.but let me tell you i have made it for family parties and people don't even know it was low fat!
  • Sumatra
    Sumatra Posts: 181
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    For me right now, when I see something that I know is really high in empty calories, it sort of grosses me out. I really don't want it. I think of how hard I'm working to get this excess weight off and it almost makes me sick to think of eating those things...most of the time. I do however occasionally eat something that's not exactly a health food. I usually make most of our foods from scratch, because I'm slightly obsessive about what my family eats. We have a long list of ingredients we don't eat, so I substitute a lot of ingredients in recipes to make them a little better for us. Then I don't feel so bad when I have a treat. I don't want to deny myself anything, but I do want to remember moderation. Also when I want to eat something that is dangerous for my weight loss, I think about why I want it. Is it just because I see someone else eating it, or out of habit of eating it that situation or do I really want it. I usually have a glass of water while I'm thinking about it and if I decide that I really do want it, I'll have a little bit, a bite and I really concentrate on that bite to fully enjoy it and then I decide if I want another bite. You know the first bite of anything is always the very best bite! So, I just try to be really careful about why I'm eating everything and think about it rather than just keep eating something for no reason.

    GOOD LUCK!
  • rose1617
    rose1617 Posts: 469 Member
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    Moderation.
    If you deprive yourself, you'll want it more.
    Surprisingly at some point, you'll want something and give it to yourself (in moderation) and find that you'll want less than you even set aside for yourself.
    For now, don't stress too much about it.
  • hroush
    hroush Posts: 2,073 Member
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    What works for me is just not buying it, but then again I don't really crave food. If it's not in the house, then I can't eat it. I am currently working on finishing off the bad food in the house (can't stand throwing food away, even if it's bad for me) and then replacing it with healthier food.
  • emilysparey
    emilysparey Posts: 73
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    i found when i first started mfp i really craved the sweet stuff i used to eat (cupcakes, chocolates, even sugar in my coffee)
    i found snack jacks caramel rice cakes really helped..they taste just like toffee popcorn

    however now i have one dessert a day strictly weightwatchers desserts....you'd be suprised how one little dessert can literally be all you need

    my partner actually looks at me with jealousy when i eat one....

    i dont know about anyone else but it actually makes me feel great when someone looks at what im eating with envy and beg to taste it
  • Keltinator
    Keltinator Posts: 265
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    Well, I do a couple things.

    I ask myself, are these calories worth it? Are they going to make me feel fuller and satisfied (in the long run)?

    I focus on thinking about the healthy foods I love. For example, I love many different fruits. I try to make them a dessert or side dish rather than chips or a can of soda.

    But when it comes down to it, it's not like I never eat a cookie, or a piece of cake. I just eat that kind of food in small amounts, and make sure I made room in my calorie count for them.

    That's what I do! :)
  • jheller
    jheller Posts: 194
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    One thing that really kick started me into choosing healthier foods is reading. Micheal Pollan - Omnivore's Dilemma, Food Rules, and In Defense of food. I really began to understand just what the food industry is doing to us. If you aren't much of a reader I'd highly recommend In Defense of Food if I had to just chose one book. That is what did it for me.
  • LotusF1ower
    LotusF1ower Posts: 1,259 Member
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    I am a junk food addict! And when I think about the things I cannot eat because they are unhealthy/fattening I get a little sad. Like I recently found out that my favorite Applebees dish was 1000 calories! Not that I didn't susspect it was unhealthy...but it's one of those things that hits you about the calories you are putting in your body. Some of my other favorite "bad" items are Tropical Smootie drinks...I like the ones with Splenda, but I know at the same time those aren't good either. I love Ruffles and onion dip (the kind made with onion soup mix and sour cream). I love love love cookies! Or my mom's homemade mac & cheese! My hubby and I are really working on eating better, but I also know there is going to be a lot of food I am missing (oh another one - CAKE! I love cake, cupckaes UGH, I just have a major sweet tooth).

    So if you enjoyed some (or all) of the things I do...what did you do to combat them?

    Before I started my weight loss programme, my dietary habits were absolutely appalling. I would replace meals with massive bags of sweets. I would have numerous cakes and chocolate bars and think nothing of having battered fish and chips several nights in a row on top of it all!

    Then I decided to make a total commitment to this weight loss and by giving myself the best possible chance, I cut all of that crap out - completely. As each day went by, it got easier, my thinking became clear as a bell, I felt good for the first time in years, healthy, alert. It was at that moment I looked back at the stuff I used to consume with different eyes.

    Yes, it tasted nice, but at what price? Everything has a price, and what I paid for the junk food was too expensive on my body.

    I no longer crave any of that previous stuff now, I enjoy every single mouthful of my meals, truly.

    It does get easier the longer you cut it out, willpower is a massive factor in avoiding it all, but as I stated, the major factor for me, was seeing what all that stuff was really doing to me, now that suffering (and it was suffering!) has gone and for that I thank God every single day.

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