nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

MyFitnessPal Community

Hardest to quit

helenarriaza

I've been encountering a lot of healthy alternatives for several products and foods; however there are a couple of things that are proving very hard to quit, in my case:
- Pastries
- Salad dressing
- Coke

For you, what are the hardest things to quit or what were the things you had the most trouble with quitting and what was your alternative?

Replies

BigT555

potato chips. i switched it out for beef jerky, even more delicious and a pretty good protein source. my wallet has taken a hit though, stuff is expensive

VChristy07

Don't quit them entirely. I found that if I denied myself these things, I ended up going overboard on them when I caved in (and I always caved).
So, for every glass of Coke, make sure you have at least 1 glass of water. (try a low cal version of Coke?)
Put your dressing on the side and dip your fork in before each bite.
Pastries...don't buy them and keep them in the house, just enjoy them when you encounter them (preferably only 1 per time!)

I can.not. have Kit Kats or Rice Krispie treats around. They are gateway foods for me...to more Kit Kats and Rice Krispie treats!!

deadkimmie

I have a terrible sweet tooth! If I am at the store i am good at restraining myself from buying it, but if my husband or if someone brings it over .......... I am done for ...... oh hello cookies...hello candy.....nom nom nom nom

BigT555

Don't quit them entirely. I found that if I denied myself these things, I ended up going overboard on them when I caved in (and I always caved).
So, for every glass of Coke, make sure you have at least 1 glass of water. (try a low cal version of Coke?)
Put your dressing on the side and dip your fork in before each bite.
Pastries...don't buy them and keep them in the house, just enjoy them when you encounter them (preferably only 1 per time!)

I can.not. have Kit Kats or Rice Krispie treats around. They are gateway foods for me...to more Kit Kats and Rice Krispie treats!!

i agree with this personally, but some people will find it easier to resist the temptation at all. i had to stop with chips entirely for the first month or so because id dip my hand in and without realizing it the whole bag is gone 10 minutes later lol

bkk40in2011

Why not try to have those things on days when you really exercise hard? Don't treat it as a "special treat' because we know how we got to this position - well most of us, but more as a scientific reality. If you work harder you can eat more. I mow the lawn 1x a week and it is a huge yard so mowing for 3 hours gives me a great exercise calorie addition - tonight I will eat pasta. If you know that Saturdays are spent more active then use those days for the higher calorie things. As for Cokes (mine was Dr. Pepper) - I cut down and went to unsweet tea because I love it. Still go to Sonic but I order an unsweet tea. Try cutting the amount down slowly. Since I only drank 1 every other day or so I just went to 1/2 a 20oz and really enjoyed it at 125 calories. I only have them about 1x week now and never with meals because I don't really get the full enjoyment from them that way. Also it helps to think about the fact that Coke is used to clean the acid off car batteries. :ohwell:

Just thought of something else - I know I was using Dr. P in the afternoons because I was exhausted and I used to gear up for the rest of my day. Maybe you could take a cat nap. It has really helped me kick the caffeine habit. Good luck.

bcattoes

Sweet baked goods.

Fresh baked cookies, pies, cakes, cobblers, etc. I've never cared for packaged pasteries. They all have some similar taste that you don't get from fresh baked. I suppose it's some commonly used preservative.

I don't care how much people argue about the term, sugar has an addictive quality to it, especially when paired with white flour.

I rarely eat the baked goods I grew up on now, and only eat cake on birthdays and at weddings. And I just eat less sweets in general. But I do still occasionally make cookies or cobbler, but I use less flour and sugar, more oats, nuts and fruit.

koosorlose

chunky monkey ice cream and chickfila in general lol

helenarriaza

Don't quit them entirely. I found that if I denied myself these things, I ended up going overboard on them when I caved in (and I always caved).
So, for every glass of Coke, make sure you have at least 1 glass of water. (try a low cal version of Coke?)
Put your dressing on the side and dip your fork in before each bite.
Pastries...don't buy them and keep them in the house, just enjoy them when you encounter them (preferably only 1 per time!)

Thanks for the advice, I am seeking alternatives to coke (and scaring myself with reading its effects) and natural dressings but pastries are my weak spot, being a baker and all :sad:

bcattoes

Actually, my answer above is a lie. While it was very, very hard to learn control around baked desserts, I did it. And I am happy with alternatives.

But I have yet to learn control over chips, especially if there is dip. If chips are in the house, I will eat them. And seaweed or kale chips, while tasty, are no substitute. There are no alternatives for chips for me.

ew_david

I haven't quit anything. Alternatives are never as good as the real thing and I just end up eating both. So now, I just skip the alternative and eat what I want as long as I make room for it in my day.

dazkeirle

Whisky and fried chicken

(not together)

helenarriaza

Sweet baked goods.

Fresh baked cookies, pies, cakes, cobblers, etc. I've never cared for packaged pasteries. They all have some similar taste that you don't get from fresh baked. I suppose it's some commonly used preservative.

I don't care how much people argue about the term, sugar has an addictive quality to it, especially when paired with white flour.

I rarely eat the baked goods I grew up on now, and only eat cake on birthdays and at weddings. And I just eat less sweets in general. But I do still occasionally make cookies or cobbler, but I use less flour and sugar, more oats, nuts and fruit.

I know! Prepackaged pastries have the same flavor.

Hearts_2015

Don't quit them entirely. I found that if I denied myself these things, I ended up going overboard on them when I caved in (and I always caved).
So, for every glass of Coke, make sure you have at least 1 glass of water. (try a low cal version of Coke?)
Put your dressing on the side and dip your fork in before each bite.
Pastries...don't buy them and keep them in the house, just enjoy them when you encounter them (preferably only 1 per time!)

I can.not. have Kit Kats or Rice Krispie treats around. They are gateway foods for me...to more Kit Kats and Rice Krispie treats!!

i agree with this personally, but some people will find it easier to resist the temptation at all. i had to stop with chips entirely for the first month or so because id dip my hand in and without realizing it the whole bag is gone 10 minutes later lol

Exactly! Not everyone can eat everything in moderation at first... hello that's why we're here! lol I think it's awesome if you've reached the moderation point. Many of us haven't so to hear over and over to eat chocolate, junk carbs, salty junk & 'poptarts' (adding an eye roll) etc... we know our bodies or are learning about them as we go, so please try and be considerate when telling us if we don't eat poptarts, icecream every night and chips we'll fail. I slip when I eat those.

There are millions of ppl on MFP... not all of us have 5 lbs to lose, some have 100 lbs. to lose well, no thanks on the poptarts. I'm learning to make healthier chooses (ones that contain real nutrients). Not knocking 5lb ppl...wish I was one of them but eating poptarts with 5 lbs to lose is way different than making a habit of eating boxes of them when someone is simple carb addicted

If you can't do moderation yet...sometimes the best thing is to either alter the recipe or simple keep that food out of the house for a bit. Yup I agree, there ARE gateway drugs that are food.

off to the gym ;o)

helenarriaza

Whisky and fried chicken (not together)

I laughed too hard at this.

helenarriaza

Don't quit them entirely. I found that if I denied myself these things, I ended up going overboard on them when I caved in (and I always caved).
So, for every glass of Coke, make sure you have at least 1 glass of water. (try a low cal version of Coke?)
Put your dressing on the side and dip your fork in before each bite.
Pastries...don't buy them and keep them in the house, just enjoy them when you encounter them (preferably only 1 per time!)

I can.not. have Kit Kats or Rice Krispie treats around. They are gateway foods for me...to more Kit Kats and Rice Krispie treats!!

i agree with this personally, but some people will find it easier to resist the temptation at all. i had to stop with chips entirely for the first month or so because id dip my hand in and without realizing it the whole bag is gone 10 minutes later lol

Exactly! Not everyone can eat everything in moderation at first... hello that's why we're here! lol I think it's awesome if you've reached the moderation point. Many of us haven't so to hear over and over to eat chocolate, junk carbs, salty junk & 'poptarts' (adding an eye roll) etc... we know our bodies or are learning about them as we go.

If you can't do moderation yet...sometimes the best thing is to either alter the recipe or simple keep that food out of the house for a bit. Yup I agree, there ARE gateway drugs that are food.

Weaning off sugary stuff is hard. Your body craves it badly.
I find it easier to not to have it in the house.

Another thing I've been doing is bringing my own food and snacks from home (all healthy) and I only carry a bit of cash, that way my wallet does not take the impact of me going out for fast food.

So, either I eat my stuff or I don't eat anything (and not eating is not an option).

WanderingPomme

Pastries!! Anything bready! :sick:

GreenIceFloes

I quit nothing! But I do try to kill most of my McDonalds cravings with homemade burgers. And milkshake cravings with smoothies. It works most of the time.

Zx14chick

Bread was hard initially, but I have been doing better lately. CHIPS are my weakness. I love potato chips. I don't keep them around the house anymore. I will eat them if they are there.

ritan7471

cheese and chocolate (not together).

Friday is my cheese and chocolate day. I eat in my plan all day and then Friday night, after sauna, I indulge in cheese and chocolate.
It helps keep me on track for the week. When I start craving I just remind myself that I can have that on Friday.

I'm losing more slowly than I would if I swore it off entirely, but that doesn't work for me long term, I always crash and go back to my old eating habits. So this time I'm trying to be a bit easier on myself. If it takes me a year and half to lose these 22kg, so be it, but at least cheese and I can be together on Friday :laugh:

catladyksa

Bread...definitely bread was my downfall and had to go off it cold turkey! Why not try the other 'diet' drinks...if you are ok with the sweeteners. Mountain Dew (diet), diet 7 up, diet sprite etc....diet ginger ale....maybe trying something totally different may help?

astylla

Initially giving up sugar was hard but now more than three weeks later I don't find myself craving it at all. I still have an occasional treat with sugar but it's not my first instinct. I had to cut out almost all bread because I don't like how heavy white starch makes me feel.

I don't think you need to cut out everything all the time , but learn how to work it on once in awhile. For me soda and sugar itself was such an addiction I could NOT have it around , so I found alternatives like zero calorie sparkling water.
I also found popcorn was something I could have that helps the snacking craving go away.

I used to be craving ice cream constantly , now it's a treat and usually I just go to my local frozen yogurt shop instead.

You will get lots of suggestions but ultimately you just need to find what works for you and it does take steps.

yellowlemoned

salad dressing, sweet tea, pizza, and cheeseburgers.

the pita bread pizzas, flat bread pizzas, and tofu/veggie/turkey burgers just don't cut it for me lol

LessHeavyVeggie

Maybe find homemade healthy versions of your favourite things? Everything tastes better with a sprinkling of pride :-) + there are tons of blogs dedicated to healthy desserts etc nowadays!

On the dressings front I made a tahini dressing the other day which is very low cal - literally just put a spoon of tahini in a bowl and stir in water until it's the desired consistency! - creamy and nutty/sesame-y (I make a lot of hummus so I have tahini lying around anyway) Other than that I don't like the taste of olive oil/vinegar etc so I'm a plain salad kind of gal.

My things to cut down on were bread and cheese so now I have sandwich thins and just slice the cheese thinner - I like mature cheddar so you still get all the taste with a lot less calories!

But in general if I'm craving something I'll eat it - I just work it into my calorie allowance so the craving is satisfied without me being tempted to over on calories by having it on top of my 'healthy' food.

lemurcat12

I haven't actually quit anything, but the toughest thing for me are the desserts that aren't part of my plan. For example, my office has food around all the time, and usually when they get something catered that involves cookies or brownies. My assistant has a bakery business on the side with her family, and brings in stuff they are trying out all the time. There's a Godiva in my lobby that hands out free samples on occasion. I go out to dinner a couple times a week and the dessert menu looks tempting. I can control having this stuff in the house (luckily I enjoy cooking more than baking) and am not tempted by packaged treats at the store, but I was in the habit of eating dessert items more than I currently can fit into my calories or think is reasonable for someone of my height and ideal weight, so I'm having to learn to say no, even if it seems (usually incorrectly) that everyone else is having them.

nycoleyrides

Don't quit them entirely. I found that if I denied myself these things, I ended up going overboard on them when I caved in (and I always caved).
So, for every glass of Coke, make sure you have at least 1 glass of water. (try a low cal version of Coke?)
Put your dressing on the side and dip your fork in before each bite.
Pastries...don't buy them and keep them in the house, just enjoy them when you encounter them (preferably only 1 per time!)

Thanks for the advice, I am seeking alternatives to coke (and scaring myself with reading its effects) and natural dressings but pastries are my weak spot, being a baker and all :sad:

I love COKE and do not ever ingest artificial sweeteners. I drink the 0 cal club soda and add cherry juice extract or fresh squeezed lemon when I need something fizzy and flavored. Sometimes I will have a coke but I never keep it in the house and try to avoid saying yes to "would you like a refill?"

willdob3

Giving up sugar and grains - easy. Giving up dairy - still struggle with that one.

melimomTARDIS

I also haven't given up anything, however my shopping and dining habits have changed.

I don't order fries out anymore, but I do make them at home. (Baked ore Ida)

I mostly use fat free dressings. So that's different.

I eat a lot of sugar free jello, less ice cream for dessert now.

The hardest thing was stopping eating off my kids plates!

crepes_

I have to follow a low carb diet for medical reasons. Normally, I don't miss anything. It's a very satisfying way of eating.

However, I miss the sheer convenience of food. Don't feel like cooking? No problem. There's a bowl of cereal or microwavable mac and cheese. All delivery places have things that I can eat, and I can always make myself a sandwich.

Now, I have to defrost things and dirty pots, pans, cutting board, knife, spatula, plate, fork, knife. It's awful.

I'm not sure I miss the flavor of the things that I crave, or just the short timespan it takes to prepare them.

arheasn

Haven't really quit anything, but I have cut back on how often I have them. Bread and Pasta!! I could happily eat pasta of some type 7 days a week and not have a problem with it. Bread has been a problem all my life. I come from a family that loves bread and it was never hard for a family of four to devour an entire loaf in one sitting.

I have slowly switched to whole wheat breads and pastas and so far no one has complained much about the flavors being odd. My husband did beg for white buns for his kielbasa though. He says the whole wheat ones just aren't as sweet and he misses that.

MelodyandBarbells

Don't quit them entirely. I found that if I denied myself these things, I ended up going overboard on them when I caved in (and I always caved).
So, for every glass of Coke, make sure you have at least 1 glass of water. (try a low cal version of Coke?)
Put your dressing on the side and dip your fork in before each bite.
Pastries...don't buy them and keep them in the house, just enjoy them when you encounter them (preferably only 1 per time!)

I can.not. have Kit Kats or Rice Krispie treats around. They are gateway foods for me...to more Kit Kats and Rice Krispie treats!!

i agree with this personally, but some people will find it easier to resist the temptation at all. i had to stop with chips entirely for the first month or so because id dip my hand in and without realizing it the whole bag is gone 10 minutes later lol

Exactly! Not everyone can eat everything in moderation at first... hello that's why we're here! lol I think it's awesome if you've reached the moderation point. Many of us haven't so to hear over and over to eat chocolate, junk carbs, salty junk & 'poptarts' (adding an eye roll) etc... we know our bodies or are learning about them as we go, so please try and be considerate when telling us if we don't eat poptarts, icecream every night and chips we'll fail. I slip when I eat those.

There are millions of ppl on MFP... not all of us have 5 lbs to lose, some have 100 lbs. to lose well, no thanks on the poptarts. I'm learning to make healthier chooses (ones that contain real nutrients). Not knocking 5lb ppl...wish I was one of them but eating poptarts with 5 lbs to lose is way different than making a habit of eating boxes of them when someone is simple carb addicted

If you can't do moderation yet...sometimes the best thing is to either alter the recipe or simple keep that food out of the house for a bit. Yup I agree, there ARE gateway drugs that are food.

off to the gym ;o)

But Some of the people giving the advice to not cut things out *have* lost a hundred pounds.

Why white knuckle it if you don't have to, especially if it could affect your long term success? Either way I would think it helps to be aware of other options out there

To the original question, if I can't have controlled quantities of an item, it does have to stay out of the house. I do not yet know now to be face to face with certain food items and not eat ALL of it. On this list are: icecream, nuts - pretty much all kinds, grapes, bananas, bread, cakes/

Uh.. Accidentally tapped the post reply button but I guess I was done, oh well.