FAST FOOD addiction!!! HELP!!!!
Replies
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I ate fast food for all three meals today and not only was under, but came awfully close to my macros without trying.0
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I have two things for you ... read MSGTruth.org and Jon Gabriel's book, The Gabriel Method.
Seriously. It's not your fault. You are addicted to chemicals they put in the food for the sheer purpose of making you addicted. Yes, it's your choice and yes, it's your responsibility to do what you're doing (seeking help, EXCELLENT MOVE) ... but NO, it's not your fault.
In order to break the addiction, you have to get it out of your system. Then you won't crave it anymore. Many of us were addicted like you are and are no longer. Promise!
YOU'VE GOT THIS! :drinker:
Lol.0 -
Or, if you still decide to get fast food try to make a healthier choice, log it, and make it fit.
I eat fast food all the time. You can make it work for you by making better choices if you just can't give up the convenience or the camaraderie of going out with your friends/coworkers. You'll see a bunch of responses about how fast food is bad for you, and it's definitely not as good as whole fresh foods, but it CAN work.
This might work for some, but be careful...if you're nursing an obsession/addiction w/salt and fat I wouldn't play with it. For people who have food obsessions/addictions - there is no "just eat a little and log it".
The best advice here (which is the hardest to swallow, no pun intended) - is DECIDE and DO. You are not powerless. Make the choice to love yourself. When you feel like getting fast food - don't. When you feel like driving there, don't. When you feel like eating it again, don't. When you think about it, don't. If you feel like cheating and just having a little, don't. Are you getting the picture?
RUN from it as far as your legs can carry you. It does NOT control you. YOU control your life and your destiny.
While I agree with this to a point, I also have to point out that this advice is just simply not going to work for a lot of people. If someone's going to make a lifestyle change, it needs to work WITH their lifestyle. Yes, obviously completely avoiding fast food is fine for some and definitely healthier, but if the person can't stick with it, isn't it better to learn to make better choices in everyday situations? I never would have lost my weight if I had been told to completely avoid the foods I enjoy forevermore.
Agreed that it won't work for everyone - because not everyone has addictions to food. If you don't have bonafide compulsive overeating issues, then by all means my advice does not apply to you. I would never advise a person who was not an alcoholic to stop having beer.
I have no idea where the OP stands with these issues; however, some of their language seems to point to a possible "problem" with particular foods, such as fast food - the very title of this post is "Fast Food Addiction - HELP!". They talk about this problem being "out of hand", they feel "depressed", and indicate feelings of powerlessness and confusion over this issue. This is classic addict behavior.
I have to gently take issue with the phrase, "if the person can't stick with it, isn't it better to...." I'd argue that for people in this position, no...it's not better for them to "learn to make better choices" because that doesn't work for compulsive overeaters.
That's just it, you see...you never learn...you can't. In the same way an alcoholic cannot "learn" to just enjoy "a little" of the vodka he loves. For people who have problems with certain trigger foods, I will always recommend abstinence from them.
I completely understand that this is EXTREMELY difficult for people to handle. This is because most of us cannot fathom the horror of giving up the things we use as emotional crutches in our lives. We "need" them...thus we will do ANYTHING to keep them - even justify to ourselves that we can "handle it" if we'd just be more self-controlled. Why, even the fact that you believe I was saying this person must "completely avoid the foods [they] enjoy forevermore" betrays this belief. I never said that, you see? I simply was talking about *fast food* for *this* person in particular. Not that this person needs to completely avoid any and all foods they enjoy! Heck, I eat french fries and fried chicken once a week. I eat chips and tacos and all kinds of awesome things. But I cannot eat sweets. Ever. Eating a cupcake, for example, will send me right back into my eating disorder. Some people, like myself, yes, do need to avoid particular foods for life. Once a person in a similar position to me finally absorbs this, and practices abstinence, the exact opposite of what you'd expect happens: you become FREE and HAPPY - not miserable and boxed in.
I want to reiterate that I have no clue where the OP stands on this. But *just in case*...I wanted to bring it up because it might be true - and if that's the case, then all the advice in the world to "just start over tomorrow", "just bring healthy food", "just this, just that"...will never help - in the same way telling a drug addict these things won't. Compulsive overeating is a whole other ball game and requires other rules. But those rules end up setting you free. 0 -
show your will power here. the only thing that could help you out of it is a strong commitment with yourself. moreover try having lots of water and have roasted peas when you feel the urge, it will help you killing your hunger. try having green tea with lemon without sugar, this is also a good source of killing hunger. add apple and guava in your daily diet plan. hope you will manage to get rid of this habit.0
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It's a very personal thing. Think about how you felt when this fast food craving came on. What were you doing? Were you even hungry? Were you in a location that tempted you, like a place and time of day that you've traditionally eaten fast food?
People really are creatures of habit-- especially with food. We associate certain stimuli with certain food, and almost automatically start craving those things when we encounter that stimulus. Make note of everything around you the next time this craving comes on, then avoid whatever that stimulus was.0 -
In reading your recent posts, every self control or dietary problem seems to look like an addiction/ obsession problem to you. I'd suggest you get therapy.Or, if you still decide to get fast food try to make a healthier choice, log it, and make it fit.
I eat fast food all the time. You can make it work for you by making better choices if you just can't give up the convenience or the camaraderie of going out with your friends/coworkers. You'll see a bunch of responses about how fast food is bad for you, and it's definitely not as good as whole fresh foods, but it CAN work.
This might work for some, but be careful...if you're nursing an obsession/addiction w/salt and fat I wouldn't play with it. For people who have food obsessions/addictions - there is no "just eat a little and log it".
The best advice here (which is the hardest to swallow, no pun intended) - is DECIDE and DO. You are not powerless. Make the choice to love yourself. When you feel like getting fast food - don't. When you feel like driving there, don't. When you feel like eating it again, don't. When you think about it, don't. If you feel like cheating and just having a little, don't. Are you getting the picture?
RUN from it as far as your legs can carry you. It does NOT control you. YOU control your life and your destiny.
Op looks like a troll post to me.
Agree on both counts.
*sigh* Fine. I'll go get therapy since you both recommended it. Y'know - total strangers who hide behind their computers lobbing insults at others they know zippo about, that is... Where should I begin in my therapeutic journey? Can you educate me about my "problem"? Y'know...cuz I'll need something to introduce to my therapist when I make that first appointment.
Shall I go into how my eating addiction has been broken for two solid years?
How I lost nearly 70 lbs effortlessly after I got my ED under control?
How I just completed my 2nd 5K at 6.25mph when I'd never run in my life before last year and am going for another in a couple weeks as well as a half-marathon next summer?
How I used to be so depressed I couldn't leave the house but am now a social butterfly?
How my weight-loss success is so evident to folks around me that I'm constantly being approached for life-coaching advice?
Or perhaps how many of my relationships have blossomed further because I'm not so self-involved and don't loathe myself as I used to?
Maybe how I no longer have the constant weight of guilt over me that accompanied the endless cycle of bingeing/dieting?
Shall I talk about my rediscovered spirituality and love of God even though I used to blame him for all my problems the years I was caught in my addiction?
Or maybe about how I now sleep well at night, have no pain in my knees when climbing stairs, my head is clearer, vision brighter, smile broader, step quicker?
Oh I know! Maybe about the joy, happiness, self-control, peace, love, and freedom I now experience on a daily basis.
Tell me o-wizard-o-wise-ones... Which of this horrible problems should I tackle with my therapist first? I REALLY need more of your advice! Don't leave me hangin! 0 -
In reading your recent posts, every self control or dietary problem seems to look like an addiction/ obsession problem to you. I'd suggest you get therapy.Or, if you still decide to get fast food try to make a healthier choice, log it, and make it fit.
I eat fast food all the time. You can make it work for you by making better choices if you just can't give up the convenience or the camaraderie of going out with your friends/coworkers. You'll see a bunch of responses about how fast food is bad for you, and it's definitely not as good as whole fresh foods, but it CAN work.
This might work for some, but be careful...if you're nursing an obsession/addiction w/salt and fat I wouldn't play with it. For people who have food obsessions/addictions - there is no "just eat a little and log it".
The best advice here (which is the hardest to swallow, no pun intended) - is DECIDE and DO. You are not powerless. Make the choice to love yourself. When you feel like getting fast food - don't. When you feel like driving there, don't. When you feel like eating it again, don't. When you think about it, don't. If you feel like cheating and just having a little, don't. Are you getting the picture?
RUN from it as far as your legs can carry you. It does NOT control you. YOU control your life and your destiny.
Op looks like a troll post to me.
Agree on both counts.
*sigh* Fine. I'll go get therapy since you both recommended it. Y'know - total strangers who hide behind their computers lobbing insults at others they know zippo about, that is... Where should I begin in my therapeutic journey? Can you educate me about my "problem"? Y'know...cuz I'll need something to introduce to my therapist when I make that first appointment.
Shall I go into how my eating addiction has been broken for two solid years?
How I lost nearly 70 lbs effortlessly after I got my ED under control?
How I just completed my 2nd 5K at 6.25mph when I'd never run in my life before last year and am going for another in a couple weeks as well as a half-marathon next summer?
How I used to be so depressed I couldn't leave the house but am now a social butterfly?
How my weight-loss success is so evident to folks around me that I'm constantly being approached for life-coaching advice?
Or perhaps how many of my relationships have blossomed further because I'm not so self-involved and don't loathe myself as I used to?
Maybe how I no longer have the constant weight of guilt over me that accompanied the endless cycle of bingeing/dieting?
Shall I talk about my rediscovered spirituality and love of God even though I used to blame him for all my problems the years I was caught in my addiction?
Or maybe about how I now sleep well at night, have no pain in my knees when climbing stairs, my head is clearer, vision brighter, smile broader, step quicker?
Oh I know! Maybe about the joy, happiness, self-control, peace, love, and freedom I now experience on a daily basis.
Tell me o-wizard-o-wise-ones... Which of this horrible problems should I tackle with my therapist first? I REALLY need more of your advice! Don't leave me hangin!
I would start with the unnecessarily long posts that I don't bother reading. Work on being more concise plz.0 -
I have two things for you ... read MSGTruth.org and Jon Gabriel's book, The Gabriel Method.
Seriously. It's not your fault. You are addicted to chemicals they put in the food for the sheer purpose of making you addicted. Yes, it's your choice and yes, it's your responsibility to do what you're doing (seeking help, EXCELLENT MOVE) ... but NO, it's not your fault.
In order to break the addiction, you have to get it out of your system. Then you won't crave it anymore. Many of us were addicted like you are and are no longer. Promise!
YOU'VE GOT THIS! :drinker:
^THIS!!! I had the exact same problem as you. For years. I tried everything, but finally it came down to getting off the crap cold turkey. Then I forced myself to get educated about how it's all made, how the corporations are really just interested in money, not our health, how the animals are treated that go into the foods we get at these awful places, and I got off the sugar which made me crave it and say yes to it ALL THE TIME. McDonalds was the worst. I swear there's something addictive in their food.0 -
If you're trying to lose weight or get fit... eating Fast Food is not going to get you anywhere. I guess you just don't want it bad enough to stop eating junk.... when you're ready, you'll stop. Good luck.
Not so much. You can lose weight eating fast food for lunch. You can even get fit doing it.Or, if you still decide to get fast food try to make a healthier choice, log it, and make it fit.
I eat fast food all the time. You can make it work for you by making better choices if you just can't give up the convenience or the camaraderie of going out with your friends/coworkers. You'll see a bunch of responses about how fast food is bad for you, and it's definitely not as good as whole fresh foods, but it CAN work.
Exactly. Pick something that gets close to the calorie and macro profile you want to hit and make it fit. It's worked for me - I eat some kind of fast food for lunch most work days.0 -
In reading your recent posts, every self control or dietary problem seems to look like an addiction/ obsession problem to you. I'd suggest you get therapy.Or, if you still decide to get fast food try to make a healthier choice, log it, and make it fit.
I eat fast food all the time. You can make it work for you by making better choices if you just can't give up the convenience or the camaraderie of going out with your friends/coworkers. You'll see a bunch of responses about how fast food is bad for you, and it's definitely not as good as whole fresh foods, but it CAN work.
This might work for some, but be careful...if you're nursing an obsession/addiction w/salt and fat I wouldn't play with it. For people who have food obsessions/addictions - there is no "just eat a little and log it".
The best advice here (which is the hardest to swallow, no pun intended) - is DECIDE and DO. You are not powerless. Make the choice to love yourself. When you feel like getting fast food - don't. When you feel like driving there, don't. When you feel like eating it again, don't. When you think about it, don't. If you feel like cheating and just having a little, don't. Are you getting the picture?
RUN from it as far as your legs can carry you. It does NOT control you. YOU control your life and your destiny.
Op looks like a troll post to me.
Agree on both counts.
*sigh* Fine. I'll go get therapy since you both recommended it. Y'know - total strangers who hide behind their computers lobbing insults at others they know zippo about, that is... Where should I begin in my therapeutic journey? Can you educate me about my "problem"? Y'know...cuz I'll need something to introduce to my therapist when I make that first appointment.
Shall I go into how my eating addiction has been broken for two solid years?
How I lost nearly 70 lbs effortlessly after I got my ED under control?
How I just completed my 2nd 5K at 6.25mph when I'd never run in my life before last year and am going for another in a couple weeks as well as a half-marathon next summer?
How I used to be so depressed I couldn't leave the house but am now a social butterfly?
How my weight-loss success is so evident to folks around me that I'm constantly being approached for life-coaching advice?
Or perhaps how many of my relationships have blossomed further because I'm not so self-involved and don't loathe myself as I used to?
Maybe how I no longer have the constant weight of guilt over me that accompanied the endless cycle of bingeing/dieting?
Shall I talk about my rediscovered spirituality and love of God even though I used to blame him for all my problems the years I was caught in my addiction?
Or maybe about how I now sleep well at night, have no pain in my knees when climbing stairs, my head is clearer, vision brighter, smile broader, step quicker?
Oh I know! Maybe about the joy, happiness, self-control, peace, love, and freedom I now experience on a daily basis.
Tell me o-wizard-o-wise-ones... Which of this horrible problems should I tackle with my therapist first? I REALLY need more of your advice! Don't leave me hangin!
Lol! So, a couple of people make observations on the internet that you don't like and you write 1000 words essays back to them? That'll show 'em!
TL/DR0 -
The more fast food you eat, the more you will want to eat, more often. It's how your body works with the hormonal responses to food that has been designed to trigger elevated dopamine and serotonin responses. The more fast food you eat, the more likely you are to overeat, develop insulin resistance, leptin resistance and an abundance of plasma circulating ghrelin.0
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no I bring food I like. I have lots of fruit I like along with healthy stuff. Really healthy. But it seems right after class I'll do arens before work and get fast food instead of reaching in my back pack and pull out the banana I packed for the cheese string. It is really depressing.Are you packing lunches of food you like? Or do you bring things you don't really like but think you should eat?
Or the people at work always ask if I want to get anything to eat and even though I brought stuff I'll still get something. It is a never ending battle.
I want to lose the weight but I am making the wrong choices.
Well, it really comes down to you. Which do you want more? You can eat fast food and lose weight, but you'll need to be more picky with your choices and you'll likely have to eat less food volume, as most fast food is high calorie.0 -
I have two things for you ... read ...(nonsense redacted).
Seriously. It's not your fault. You are addicted to chemicals they put in the food for the sheer purpose of making you addicted. Yes, it's your choice and yes, it's your responsibility to do what you're doing (seeking help, EXCELLENT MOVE) ... but NO, it's not your fault.
In order to break the addiction, you have to get it out of your system. Then you won't crave it anymore. Many of us were addicted like you are and are no longer. Promise!
YOU'VE GOT THIS! :drinker:
Thanks for the laugh :laugh:0 -
In reading your recent posts, every self control or dietary problem seems to look like an addiction/ obsession problem to you. I'd suggest you get therapy.Or, if you still decide to get fast food try to make a healthier choice, log it, and make it fit.
I eat fast food all the time. You can make it work for you by making better choices if you just can't give up the convenience or the camaraderie of going out with your friends/coworkers. You'll see a bunch of responses about how fast food is bad for you, and it's definitely not as good as whole fresh foods, but it CAN work.
This might work for some, but be careful...if you're nursing an obsession/addiction w/salt and fat I wouldn't play with it. For people who have food obsessions/addictions - there is no "just eat a little and log it".
The best advice here (which is the hardest to swallow, no pun intended) - is DECIDE and DO. You are not powerless. Make the choice to love yourself. When you feel like getting fast food - don't. When you feel like driving there, don't. When you feel like eating it again, don't. When you think about it, don't. If you feel like cheating and just having a little, don't. Are you getting the picture?
RUN from it as far as your legs can carry you. It does NOT control you. YOU control your life and your destiny.
Op looks like a troll post to me.
Agree on both counts.
*sigh* Fine. I'll go get therapy since you both recommended it. Y'know - total strangers who hide behind their computers lobbing insults at others they know zippo about, that is... Where should I begin in my therapeutic journey? Can you educate me about my "problem"? Y'know...cuz I'll need something to introduce to my therapist when I make that first appointment.
Shall I go into how my eating addiction has been broken for two solid years?
How I lost nearly 70 lbs effortlessly after I got my ED under control?
How I just completed my 2nd 5K at 6.25mph when I'd never run in my life before last year and am going for another in a couple weeks as well as a half-marathon next summer?
How I used to be so depressed I couldn't leave the house but am now a social butterfly?
How my weight-loss success is so evident to folks around me that I'm constantly being approached for life-coaching advice?
Or perhaps how many of my relationships have blossomed further because I'm not so self-involved and don't loathe myself as I used to?
Maybe how I no longer have the constant weight of guilt over me that accompanied the endless cycle of bingeing/dieting?
Shall I talk about my rediscovered spirituality and love of God even though I used to blame him for all my problems the years I was caught in my addiction?
Or maybe about how I now sleep well at night, have no pain in my knees when climbing stairs, my head is clearer, vision brighter, smile broader, step quicker?
Oh I know! Maybe about the joy, happiness, self-control, peace, love, and freedom I now experience on a daily basis.
Tell me o-wizard-o-wise-ones... Which of this horrible problems should I tackle with my therapist first? I REALLY need more of your advice! Don't leave me hangin!
Lol! So, a couple of people make observations on the internet that you don't like and you write 1000 words essays back to them? That'll show 'em!
TL/DR
I read it. It was a pretty good response to be called a troll for expressing an opinion.0 -
Don't go over your calories and you're good.0
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Go online and google mcdonalds hamburger. Read the process they use to make food acceptable for human consumption. That fixed my fast food addition. Can't stomache the thought of another fast food burger. If they need to do this to the hamburgers, you know that it is same for chicken etc.0
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Fast food is designed to be made of fat, salt and sugar - all the things that we become addicted to. It's why we are all so fat. It tastes so delicious that we just want MORE, MORE, MORE!
After a while your body becomes so addicted that you automatically can't help but crave it until you get it.
There's two ways of dealing with this: stop cold turkey or diminish and substitute. I would suggestion diminish and substitute. Replace white sugar with fruits, healthy food with salt instead of bad food with salt and good fats instead of bad fats.
Long marathons win the war.0 -
no I bring food I like. I have lots of fruit I like along with healthy stuff. Really healthy. But it seems right after class I'll do arens before work and get fast food instead of reaching in my back pack and pull out the banana I packed for the cheese string. It is really depressing.Are you packing lunches of food you like? Or do you bring things you don't really like but think you should eat?
Or the people at work always ask if I want to get anything to eat and even though I brought stuff I'll still get something. It is a never ending battle.
I want to lose the weight but I am making the wrong choices.
I've been having some of those same issues myself - it's just so convenient.
Here's what I'm going to start doing though beginning this weekend (no options of FF today or tomorrow for me anyway):
1. Make up some healthy "sliders" that I can grab for lunches
2. Cut up and pre-portion out healthy sides and snacks
3. Allot myself $5 per week to eat out for either breakfast or lunch (depending on where I go, that amounts to either a part of 2 meals or one whole meal)
4. For every month I don't go out for breakfast or lunch, I'll treat myself to a non-food item with the money I've saved (i.e. new article of clothing, manicure, new movie, new book, etc.)0 -
In reading your recent posts, every self control or dietary problem seems to look like an addiction/ obsession problem to you. I'd suggest you get therapy.Or, if you still decide to get fast food try to make a healthier choice, log it, and make it fit.
I eat fast food all the time. You can make it work for you by making better choices if you just can't give up the convenience or the camaraderie of going out with your friends/coworkers. You'll see a bunch of responses about how fast food is bad for you, and it's definitely not as good as whole fresh foods, but it CAN work.
This might work for some, but be careful...if you're nursing an obsession/addiction w/salt and fat I wouldn't play with it. For people who have food obsessions/addictions - there is no "just eat a little and log it".
The best advice here (which is the hardest to swallow, no pun intended) - is DECIDE and DO. You are not powerless. Make the choice to love yourself. When you feel like getting fast food - don't. When you feel like driving there, don't. When you feel like eating it again, don't. When you think about it, don't. If you feel like cheating and just having a little, don't. Are you getting the picture?
RUN from it as far as your legs can carry you. It does NOT control you. YOU control your life and your destiny.
Op looks like a troll post to me.
Agree on both counts.
*sigh* Fine. I'll go get therapy since you both recommended it. Y'know - total strangers who hide behind their computers lobbing insults at others they know zippo about, that is... Where should I begin in my therapeutic journey? Can you educate me about my "problem"? Y'know...cuz I'll need something to introduce to my therapist when I make that first appointment.
Shall I go into how my eating addiction has been broken for two solid years?
How I lost nearly 70 lbs effortlessly after I got my ED under control?
How I just completed my 2nd 5K at 6.25mph when I'd never run in my life before last year and am going for another in a couple weeks as well as a half-marathon next summer?
How I used to be so depressed I couldn't leave the house but am now a social butterfly?
How my weight-loss success is so evident to folks around me that I'm constantly being approached for life-coaching advice?
Or perhaps how many of my relationships have blossomed further because I'm not so self-involved and don't loathe myself as I used to?
Maybe how I no longer have the constant weight of guilt over me that accompanied the endless cycle of bingeing/dieting?
Shall I talk about my rediscovered spirituality and love of God even though I used to blame him for all my problems the years I was caught in my addiction?
Or maybe about how I now sleep well at night, have no pain in my knees when climbing stairs, my head is clearer, vision brighter, smile broader, step quicker?
Oh I know! Maybe about the joy, happiness, self-control, peace, love, and freedom I now experience on a daily basis.
Tell me o-wizard-o-wise-ones... Which of this horrible problems should I tackle with my therapist first? I REALLY need more of your advice! Don't leave me hangin!
Lol! So, a couple of people make observations on the internet that you don't like and you write 1000 words essays back to them? That'll show 'em!
TL/DR
I read it. It was a pretty good response to be called a troll for expressing an opinion.
Interesting in light of the fact that she wasn't called a troll. I referred to the OP's post as being a troll post though. Maybe you need to pay closer attention or work on your reading comprehension?0 -
There's reasonably healthy fast food choices out there. Whopper Jr is under 350 cal. Wendy's single with all the veg is pretty good too.
There's some curveballs out there .. just research it and make it fit ..
For example: Premium Chicken Ranch Wrap - 580 Cal, 29 G fat vs. Quarter Pounder With Cheese - 520 Cal, 26g fat
"Crispy" plus ranch/bluecheese would make the knee-jerk choice the bad choice in a lot of cases ...0 -
#1 Google Jamie Oliver and McDonald's...watch and read. You won't crave fast food anymore.
#2 A good friend of mine who has a PhD in nutrition once asked me this question. "If they can sell you a burger for $1 and still be making a profit where do you think that meat came from?" Good point right?0 -
Or, if you still decide to get fast food try to make a healthier choice, log it, and make it fit.
I eat fast food all the time. You can make it work for you by making better choices if you just can't give up the convenience or the camaraderie of going out with your friends/coworkers. You'll see a bunch of responses about how fast food is bad for you, and it's definitely not as good as whole fresh foods, but it CAN work.
This might work for some, but be careful...if you're nursing an obsession/addiction w/salt and fat I wouldn't play with it. For people who have food obsessions/addictions - there is no "just eat a little and log it".
The best advice here (which is the hardest to swallow, no pun intended) - is DECIDE and DO. You are not powerless. Make the choice to love yourself. When you feel like getting fast food - don't. When you feel like driving there, don't. When you feel like eating it again, don't. When you think about it, don't. If you feel like cheating and just having a little, don't. Are you getting the picture?
RUN from it as far as your legs can carry you. It does NOT control you. YOU control your life and your destiny.
While I agree with this to a point, I also have to point out that this advice is just simply not going to work for a lot of people. If someone's going to make a lifestyle change, it needs to work WITH their lifestyle. Yes, obviously completely avoiding fast food is fine for some and definitely healthier, but if the person can't stick with it, isn't it better to learn to make better choices in everyday situations? I never would have lost my weight if I had been told to completely avoid the foods I enjoy forevermore.
Agreed that it won't work for everyone - because not everyone has addictions to food. If you don't have bonafide compulsive overeating issues, then by all means my advice does not apply to you. I would never advise a person who was not an alcoholic to stop having beer.
I have no idea where the OP stands with these issues; however, some of their language seems to point to a possible "problem" with particular foods, such as fast food - the very title of this post is "Fast Food Addiction - HELP!". They talk about this problem being "out of hand", they feel "depressed", and indicate feelings of powerlessness and confusion over this issue. This is classic addict behavior.
I have to gently take issue with the phrase, "if the person can't stick with it, isn't it better to...." I'd argue that for people in this position, no...it's not better for them to "learn to make better choices" because that doesn't work for compulsive overeaters. That's just it, you see...you never learn...you can't. In the same way an alcoholic cannot "learn" to just enjoy "a little" of the vodka he loves. For people who have problems with certain trigger foods, I will always recommend abstinence from them.
I completely understand that this is EXTREMELY difficult for people to handle. This is because most of us cannot fathom the horror of giving up the things we use as emotional crutches in our lives. We "need" them...thus we will do ANYTHING to keep them - even justify to ourselves that we can "handle it" if we'd just be more self-controlled. Why, even the fact that you believe I was saying this person must "completely avoid the foods [they] enjoy forevermore" betrays this belief. I never said that, you see? I simply was talking about *fast food* for *this* person in particular. Not that this person needs to completely avoid any and all foods they enjoy! Heck, I eat french fries and fried chicken once a week. I eat chips and tacos and all kinds of awesome things. But I cannot eat sweets. Ever. Eating a cupcake, for example, will send me right back into my eating disorder. Some people, like myself, yes, do need to avoid particular foods for life. Once a person in a similar position to me finally absorbs this, and practices abstinence, the exact opposite of what you'd expect happens: you become FREE and HAPPY - not miserable and boxed in.
I want to reiterate that I have no clue where the OP stands on this. But *just in case*...I wanted to bring it up because it might be true - and if that's the case, then all the advice in the world to "just start over tomorrow", "just bring healthy food", "just this, just that"...will never help - in the same way telling a drug addict these things won't. Compulsive overeating is a whole other ball game and requires other rules. But those rules end up setting you free.
I was once a chronic binge/ overeater, I claimed I had and "addiction".
I was wrong. Once I stopped making excuses guess what? I got my crap together and got healthy. I did not have an addiction. I was lazy and I had no self control. I have lost 125lbs and maintained it for a year. When I lose 15 more pounds I will have lost 140lbs. I eat everything in moderation. Overeaters can learn to moderate but they have to stop making excuses.0 -
Is there something that you'd really like to buy for yourself? Like maybe a new outfit or a new phone/ tablet or running shoes or even a trip... Instead of buying fast food and wasting the perfectly good healthy food that you packed for the day, every time you resist the temptation, put whatever money you would've spent on that fast food in a jar and start saving up for that thing you really want. It's got to be something good so you stick with this.
Also think about how you feel when you eat fast food vs how you feel when you eat healthy. I'm not sure if it's age or the healthier lifestyle but I just can't handle fast food anymore like I used to. Eating a drive thru cheeseburger used to be something I enjoyed on a regular basis...but now it's an experiment in how long it's going to take until I'm going to need a bathroom (sorry if TMI). But it's not just about digestion issues, it's about energy level, feeling more satisfied for longer, etc.
How about making health a higher priority. Sure you can lose weight while eating fast food but how healthy is it, especially if you've got more natural food and snacks with you?0 -
I just read through all the comments. It seems that we throw around that term addiction now to mean anything. I don't see this as an addiction. You do not NEED to have it. You are not going into debt or doing something illegal in order to feed your addiction.
I think several people hit it right on the mark when they asked if you were packing what you like to eat. Your response was I believe that you pack fruit and healthy things. While that is great, it does not satisfy that part of you that wants savory. Try bringing something you had for dinner the night before. Go out of your way when you are preparing to make sure there will be something for lunch.
Yes, sometimes we do crave fast food, because it is so high in flavor and you can remember that flavor, but it is not an addiction. That craving will go away, once you have something good to take its place.
I used to eat fast food at least five times a week. Now, I can't tell you the last time I had it. The longer you stay away from eating it, the easier it gets and the less you will crave that taste.
If it is a social thing, and a group is going out for lunch, take your lunch with you and order a coffee or tea, sit there and eat your lunch. You don't have to eat what they are eating to enjoy their company.0 -
Stop packing super-"healthy" stuff.
By contrasting salad/fruit with "all else that I really like" you are just setting yourself up for failure. Explore full fat products and calorie dense foods- they are filling and nutritious, and are an actual substitute to the crap you are eating. You cannot substitute a burger with an apple and then expect that because it's "healthier" it will satiate you.0 -
Allow yourself just one day. I find if i do this i am much pickier on what it is. I will only do something i really, really want because it is my one time i can.0
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In reading your recent posts, every self control or dietary problem seems to look like an addiction/ obsession problem to you. I'd suggest you get therapy.Or, if you still decide to get fast food try to make a healthier choice, log it, and make it fit.
I eat fast food all the time. You can make it work for you by making better choices if you just can't give up the convenience or the camaraderie of going out with your friends/coworkers. You'll see a bunch of responses about how fast food is bad for you, and it's definitely not as good as whole fresh foods, but it CAN work.
This might work for some, but be careful...if you're nursing an obsession/addiction w/salt and fat I wouldn't play with it. For people who have food obsessions/addictions - there is no "just eat a little and log it".
The best advice here (which is the hardest to swallow, no pun intended) - is DECIDE and DO. You are not powerless. Make the choice to love yourself. When you feel like getting fast food - don't. When you feel like driving there, don't. When you feel like eating it again, don't. When you think about it, don't. If you feel like cheating and just having a little, don't. Are you getting the picture?
RUN from it as far as your legs can carry you. It does NOT control you. YOU control your life and your destiny.
Op looks like a troll post to me.
Agree on both counts.
*sigh* Fine. I'll go get therapy since you both recommended it. Y'know - total strangers who hide behind their computers lobbing insults at others they know zippo about, that is... Where should I begin in my therapeutic journey? Can you educate me about my "problem"? Y'know...cuz I'll need something to introduce to my therapist when I make that first appointment.
Shall I go into how my eating addiction has been broken for two solid years?
How I lost nearly 70 lbs effortlessly after I got my ED under control?
How I just completed my 2nd 5K at 6.25mph when I'd never run in my life before last year and am going for another in a couple weeks as well as a half-marathon next summer?
How I used to be so depressed I couldn't leave the house but am now a social butterfly?
How my weight-loss success is so evident to folks around me that I'm constantly being approached for life-coaching advice?
Or perhaps how many of my relationships have blossomed further because I'm not so self-involved and don't loathe myself as I used to?
Maybe how I no longer have the constant weight of guilt over me that accompanied the endless cycle of bingeing/dieting?
Shall I talk about my rediscovered spirituality and love of God even though I used to blame him for all my problems the years I was caught in my addiction?
Or maybe about how I now sleep well at night, have no pain in my knees when climbing stairs, my head is clearer, vision brighter, smile broader, step quicker?
Oh I know! Maybe about the joy, happiness, self-control, peace, love, and freedom I now experience on a daily basis.
Tell me o-wizard-o-wise-ones... Which of this horrible problems should I tackle with my therapist first? I REALLY need more of your advice! Don't leave me hangin!
Lol! So, a couple of people make observations on the internet that you don't like and you write 1000 words essays back to them? That'll show 'em!
TL/DR
I read it. It was a pretty good response to be called a troll for expressing an opinion.
Interesting in light of the fact that she wasn't called a troll. I referred to the OP's post as being a troll post though. Maybe you need to pay closer attention or work on your reading comprehension?
The OP is a troll for asking for help in saying no to fast food?? Yeah, that makes perfect sense. Carry on.0 -
The more you eat it, the more you will crave it. Between the sugars, carbs, unhealthy fats and just plain chemical gook, your body just wants it. Combine that with being hungry, having a little money in your pocket and the convenience of a fast food place being near, it is a recipe for a continuous bad loop. At the very least, go to fast food places that have healthier choices. Do what the other posters suggested and cook your own fast food type items. Love french fries, cut some potatoes and BAKE them. Love taco bell, make some homeade tortillas with lean ground turkey. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE, LOVE fast food too. It is a serious problem for me. But as I have cut it out of my diet, I have been more and more successful with reducing the cravings for it. You can do this. You can do this. And did I mention you can do this?0
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don't take any money with you? Then you have to eat the stuff you brought instead of buying fast food.
THIS! 0 -
I was once a chronic binge/ overeater, I claimed I had and "addiction".
I was wrong. Once I stopped making excuses guess what? I got my crap together and got healthy. I did not have an addiction. I was lazy and I had no self control. I have lost 125lbs and maintained it for a year. When I lose 15 more pounds I will have lost 140lbs. I eat everything in moderation. Overeaters can learn to moderate but they have to stop making excuses.
All of this all day long!! Excellent post!! :flowerforyou: :drinker:0
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