How do I kick my addiction to crisps?

The_Raspberry

It may not kill you as efficiently as an addiction to alcohol, drugs or tobacco, it may not rip your family apart and cause the same amount of pain as those things, but it certainly is an addiction, and one that is negatively affecting you.

I absolutely feel your pain since crisps are also my major trigger. You are on the right path to never have them in the house or at work, and throwing away half-eaten packets is a really good tactic. Something that has helped me avoid buying crisps (or other trigger foods) is "mindfulness" about my urge, when it strikes. I accept that I am feeling the urge to buy and consume the food. I recognise that my mind is trying to trick me with excuses or evasions such as "But if I go to that supermarket, I can get some washing powder, which I need! Of course I'm not going there just for crisps, what do you think I am?!" In reality, if I go to that supermarket, then I will of course end up buying and eating the trigger food, which causes more craving and more binges. I talk to myself and say "I recognise I am making excuses to go to this store because I want to eat crisps. I am going to do something else instead." If I can then make a plan to go somewhere else, or stay in the house, or take a different route home, then I will be successful and not have a binge. Sometimes I will do something to make it hard for me to go out, like deliberately not draw any money at the ATM and leave for work without my purse/debit card. Or if the urge strikes at home, I will go and take a bath and wash my hair and then get into my pyjamas, so as to make the whole process of going out very much more hassle.

I also check my urge levels sometimes by saying to myself "Currently my urge to go out and eat this food is at 10 out of 10. I am going to do something else for 5 minutes, and then I will check in again." I go and do something for 5 minutes, preferably something that engages my hands and brain, like playing a game on Facebook or sending an email to someone. When I check back in again, often the craving feels much more manageable, and I feel more able to say "You know what, I only feel 5 out of 10 now, and I have beaten that urge many times before." (This technique is something I learned when I gave up smoking 10 years ago.)

What I can say is that with any addictive substance, moderation is NOT the key for me. (I am not saying this doesn't work for some people, but it definitely doesn't for me, and it doesn't sound like it does for you.) I haven't been perfect with crisps, but when I stop eating them, if I can stick to my resolve for a few weeks, it becomes much much easier. (My reading of various books about food addiction gives me the understanding that it's because the pleasure receptors in the brain have "reset" somewhat.) I cannot "just have a small portion" or "buy a single packet" because the minute I get into that food, my brain goes out on holiday and my entire system throws itself into "MUST HAVE MOOOOOORRRREEEE!!!" mode. Cold turkey, for me, is the only way to go with these foods.

Yeah, this is what it feels like! I am going to try some of these ideas, thank you :flowerforyou:

The_Raspberry

It's a mind *&%^ , you can kick it with will power!

This ^^

If the cravings are so bad that you drive across town to buy them, then it's not going to be easy. But, unless you want to pay someone to physically restrain you from eating crisps, then the solution is all you. Just don't buy them. Don't eat them. Just don't.

Think logically. You really, really, want crisps. But what will happen if you don't get them? You'll be a little miserable. If you eat them, you'll be fat and miserable. If you are going to be miserable either way, you might as well lose weight while being miserable.

Haha, good point!

The_Raspberry

How about replacing the crisps you buy with ones you make yourself out of yams. If you slice yams super thin, place them on baking sheets and bake them at the lowest temperature you can get your oven to go (it takes quite a while to get them totally crisp, check every two hours til they are crisp as you like) you can still get that crispy crunchy food but it will be healthier for you.

I have a dip recipe I always serve and my friends ASK me for it at parties and potlucks it is THAT yummy. You wash and deseed red peppers. Put them in a paper bag and put them in an oven 425 for about 40 minutes (I suggest putting some sort of tray below the bag because they lose a lot of juice).

Put the roasted peppers, garlic and balsamic vinegar into a blender and blend it up. Put this concoction in the fridge for a couple of hours.

This will result in a scrumptious dip your friends will adore. Calories are NEXT TO NOTHING!

I hope this is helps you!

Wow. This sounds delicious!! I think I might try this!

craftywitch_63

it is not an addiction ….

you just need to learn to control yourself around them and exercise some self control…

I like ice cream, I have about five pints of talenti in my freezer at any one time, when i want it, I have one service and put the rest back = moderation. Learn it…but please don't think you have an "addiction' as this is a slap in the face to people struggling with real addiction.

You usually have sensible things to say, but in this you're just wrong. Studies have even shown that compulsive overeaters or binge eaters have changes in the brain similar to cocaine addicts and alcoholics:
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/182/4108/166.short
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673600036436
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0031938481903668

These are actual peer-reviewed studies, not broscience.

As someone who struggles with this daily, I know what I have is an addiction because the symptoms are similar to alcoholic "blackouts." Like sugar, alcohol negatively affects blood sugar: http://answers.webmd.com/answers/1166930/how-does-alcohol-affect-blood-sugar and most food addicts binge on sugar (see above articles).

You can deny all you want, but the research is there. Alcoholism was considered a moral failing through most of history, overeating has also been considered a moral failing. I've been told to just "put the fork down" but I don't know how to do that when I don't realize I even have a fork in my hand. I've eaten thousands of calories at a sitting and don't remember any - or much - of it. All I know is I eat until I get sick, throw up (not on purpose) then start eating again.

The worst part is an alcoholic can stop drinking and never take another drop of alcohol. A drug abuser can kick the habit and never smoke another crack pipe or shoot up ever again and be healthier. I don't know how to stop eating and never take another bite of food without dying. Literally.

ETA: This is not to deflect responsibility on the part of the overeater. This is to give those of us with this addiction another tool with which to fight our addiction, but, of course, we have to be willing to fight it. Denial only makes the problem worse.

tennisdude2004

it is not an addiction ….

you just need to learn to control yourself around them and exercise some self control…

I like ice cream, I have about five pints of talenti in my freezer at any one time, when i want it, I have one service and put the rest back = moderation. Learn it…but please don't think you have an "addiction' as this is a slap in the face to people struggling with real addiction.

You usually have sensible things to say, but in this you're just wrong. Studies have even shown that compulsive overeaters or binge eaters have changes in the brain similar to cocaine addicts and alcoholics:
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/182/4108/166.short
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673600036436
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0031938481903668

These are actual peer-reviewed studies, not broscience.

As someone who struggles with this daily, I know what I have is an addiction because the symptoms are similar to alcoholic "blackouts." Like sugar, alcohol negatively affects blood sugar: http://answers.webmd.com/answers/1166930/how-does-alcohol-affect-blood-sugar and most food addicts binge on sugar (see above articles).

You can deny all you want, but the research is there. Alcoholism was considered a moral failing through most of history, overeating has also been considered a moral failing. I've been told to just "put the fork down" but I don't know how to do that when I don't realize I even have a fork in my hand. I've eaten thousands of calories at a sitting and don't remember any - or much - of it. All I know is I eat until I get sick, throw up (not on purpose) then start eating again.

The worst part is an alcoholic can stop drinking and never take another drop of alcohol. A drug abuser can kick the habit and never smoke another crack pipe or shoot up ever again and be healthier. I don't know how to stop eating and never take another bite of food without dying. Literally.

ETA: This is not to deflect responsibility on the part of the overeater. This is to give those of us with this addiction another tool with which to fight our addiction, but, of course, we have to be willing to fight it. Denial only makes the problem worse.

Well said.

Slacker16

I have an idea:
How about instead of turning this into an addiction thread, we try to give the OP useful advice?

OP, just a shot in the dark but have you considered seeing the chips & dip less as a snack and more as a regular food item?

It seems to me that you're putting bread/pasta/etc... into one category (meal food) and the chips & dip as another. When you think about it, half a bag of chips with dip would come up to about 1250 kcal. Throw in some lean chicken breast and you've got yourself a 14-1500 kcal meal. It's a lot, granted, but if you eat lighter the rest of the day and work out it can fit into your goal or make you go only slightly over.

Best of all, you don't have to force yourself to eat some ridiculous and unsatisfying 10 chips and then cry as you put the bag back in the cupboard, or try to kid yourself that carrots with dip are the same as chips...

Just a suggestion. It's what I do, chips and salty snacks are my weakness too.

Acg67

it is not an addiction ….

you just need to learn to control yourself around them and exercise some self control…

I like ice cream, I have about five pints of talenti in my freezer at any one time, when i want it, I have one service and put the rest back = moderation. Learn it…but please don't think you have an "addiction' as this is a slap in the face to people struggling with real addiction.

You usually have sensible things to say, but in this you're just wrong. Studies have even shown that compulsive overeaters or binge eaters have changes in the brain similar to cocaine addicts and alcoholics:
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/182/4108/166.short
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673600036436
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0031938481903668

These are actual peer-reviewed studies, not broscience.

As someone who struggles with this daily, I know what I have is an addiction because the symptoms are similar to alcoholic "blackouts." Like sugar, alcohol negatively affects blood sugar: http://answers.webmd.com/answers/1166930/how-does-alcohol-affect-blood-sugar and most food addicts binge on sugar (see above articles).

You can deny all you want, but the research is there. Alcoholism was considered a moral failing through most of history, overeating has also been considered a moral failing. I've been told to just "put the fork down" but I don't know how to do that when I don't realize I even have a fork in my hand. I've eaten thousands of calories at a sitting and don't remember any - or much - of it. All I know is I eat until I get sick, throw up (not on purpose) then start eating again.

The worst part is an alcoholic can stop drinking and never take another drop of alcohol. A drug abuser can kick the habit and never smoke another crack pipe or shoot up ever again and be healthier. I don't know how to stop eating and never take another bite of food without dying. Literally.

ETA: This is not to deflect responsibility on the part of the overeater. This is to give those of us with this addiction another tool with which to fight our addiction, but, of course, we have to be willing to fight it. Denial only makes the problem worse.

Do you even read the studies before posting them as "evidence"? All are just abstracts, the 2nd one dealt with 10 subjects, the third dealt with rodents. Woah, undeniable evidence

AliceSwarthout

You DON'T need them. And you already know that eating a whole sharing-size bag with a full pot of dip is not healthy (both in terms of calories and because it's also not normal!!)

As others have said, try buying smaller bags and eating them with a lower calorie dip, then drop the dip, then drop the crisps until you are fully weaned off them. It could be the salt that you're craving rather than the crisps themselves, so maybe try eating pickled onions or gherkins or something else salty and crunchy that doesn't have the fat and calories.

But ultimately, you know that you need to kick this habit because it's not healthy - and the only person who can do that is YOU.

Hehe, yep, fully aware that this is very unhealthy and makes me a weirdo :P Those are my greatest motivation!

Thanks for your support!

I don't think you're a weirdo! I have the same problem. If it's in front of me, I will eat all of the chips and dip until they are gone! I just can't let myself buy them.

mandyneedtolose

If you want it bad enough you will do it! Don't buy the chips ... When it comes to stuff like that its mind over matter. Sit down and think if eating the bag of chips is worth it. And if you feel that it is eat them, but if you know that it isn't walk away, and pay those chips no attention!

levitateme

What I've done to change my relationship with potato chips or anything similar:

Buy a large bag and immediately weigh out the servings in sandwich bags OR buy a small bag, either one that I can eat the whole thing for X calories, or split it halvsies with someone for X calories.

I eat some kind of chips every single day. I used to only be satisfied when I ate a full 14 serving bag by myself. I'm grossed out by my old behavior.

carpetbagger12000

One New Year's Eve I ate so many salt and vinegar chips that my mouth was in total agony. I made a New Year’s resolution right then that I would not eat a potato chip again, and I actually didn’t for more than a year! Otherwise, I simply have to avoid eating them. You cannot hope to kick the habit by eating “just a few” and expecting that that will satisfy your cravings. You’ve got to go cold turkey and never look back, else you’ll always be a slave to the habit. Good luck!

BrownEyedBetty

Have you tried veggie crisps? They might be a better alternative .