Cant let go of the bad stuff

Embilldexter

Anyone have the same problem and or any advice on binging on foods such as McDonalds and Chippy chips! I am eating 80% good foods that are clean, raw ect including nutribullet shakes but I just cant help myself of a weekend or when I just cant resist junk food! Recently kicked the habbit of smoking so not sure if thats something to do with it? I feel like an addict lol how do you stop this vicious cycle Im worried it will sabotage my hard work when I work out 4 times a week. Am I taking this to the extreme? does it really matter that much or not? My fitbit tells me I am 2,301 average burn and 1,714 average intake, inclusive of excersise.

ksy1969

Anyone have the same problem and or any advice on binging on foods such as McDonalds and Chippy chips! I am eating 80% good foods that are clean, raw ect including nutribullet shakes but I just cant help myself of a weekend or when I just cant resist junk food! Recently kicked the habbit of smoking so not sure if thats something to do with it? I feel like an addict lol how do you stop this vicious cycle Im worried it will sabotage my hard work when I work out 4 times a week. Am I taking this to the extreme? does it really matter that much or not? My fitbit tells me I am 2,301 average burn and 1,714 average intake, inclusive of excersise.

As long as you are at a deficit that is all that matters. In either for this to be long term, for the rest of our life, we have to learn how to still incorporate those foods. Especially if we like them. If we don't learn how we will fail in the long run.

BigT555

i wouldnt worry about it, as long as you are getting enough vitamins and minerals on top of your macros then you are golden. its the calorie count that really matters, your stomach cant tell between fast food and regular food.

fast food just has a bad reputation because its generally calorie dense, high sodium, and lower in vitamins and minerals than its homemade counterpart

sugarlemonpie

Here's my philosophy on junk food: All food is fine in moderation. Plan for it, set those calories aside, and enjoy it.

If you know McDonald's is your weakness, make that something you strive to fit into your diet every 2 weeks, otherwise it won't be sustainable once you lose the weight. You'll be DYING to go get some fries! Work out beforehand so you know you have some of those extra calories you just burned. Drink a lot of water that day, because fast food has a lot of sodium. Then go get your Mac Attack on!

Branstin

Unless you have a medical reason not to eat a certain food then don't stress over it. Invest your time into making sure you don't blow your calorie deficiency and enjoy your food.

segovm

I'm not a big fan of the junk food just because even though it's all about calories in vs. out I think those junk food calories keep me craving more junk food calories and that's counter productive to being healthy in my mind.

The thing that helps me a lot is planing my foods in advance well enough that I know when my next filling and nutritious meal is going to be inside of my belly.

Driving by a McDonalds when hungry and having no plan means my plan is to stop at McDonalds. If I know I have a healthy meal waiting at home and ready to go its really easy to just skip on past.

If it's a part of your diet and it works within the calorie restrictions you have it's not a problem, but for me, I just decided to drop it and avoid the temptation splurging on impulse against an otherwise well thought out plan.

StaciMarie1974

First I'd say if the smoking cessation is new - then give yourself a break. That's a big deal, and stressing over your weight is perhaps a secondary matter. Until you have that under control, perhaps aim for only a small (250-500) calorie deficit per day.

As to the rest of your question, we each have our food weaknesses. (Personally, its not McD's for me - find the food bland.) But the good news is, you don't have to avoid any particular food or locale. Just plan for it. When eating chips, don't eat from the bag. 1 ounce of chips with veggies, protein, etc. - fits into a meal easily. Fast food also. Just go for a smaller burger - or eliminate the bun. (To cut calories, personally I don't avoid carbs. I do tend to buy lower cal buns at the grocery store, there is less to them and therefore less calories.)

dt3312

I have an addictive personality and I used to binge a lot. The thing that helped me break the binging cycle was Geneen Roth's Breaking Free from Emotional Eating. Before, I could not eat in moderation (i.e., I'd eat 6 donuts). Now I can (I can eat 1/4 donut or none at all, and I actually think I don't like them anymore.)

Embilldexter

Thank you to everyone who posted, I appreciate the time you have given me. Some really good tips that I can use so I'm not as 'worried' about enjoying some junk foods and sabotaging my overall goal as long as I concentrate on my workouts and remain within my weekly calorie deficit. I think I may also explore some extra reading in to emotional eating to help with my cravings. Have a fab weekend :drinker:

spara0038

My fitbit tells me I am 2,301 average burn and 1,714 average intake, inclusive of excersise.

That's a 587 calorie/day deficit. Why are you beating yourself up? Theoretically that's a 1.17 lb/week loss.

I eat pizza, fried chicken, chocolate, cookies. etc- just smaller portions. And I've lost 22 lbs since Feb! Trust me, if I gave all of that up, I'd be miserable. I tried to give up all "junk" once and I practically stopped eating because I didn't enjoy 100% healthy, 100% of the time. Eat what you enjoy, within your calories. It's simple really :flowerforyou:

airossell

Let yourself have a "bad" food from time to time, just make it work into your calorie allotment. I haven't been able to give up Starbucks. It's the one thing that seems to be my holdout and I find myself going through the drive-thru about 3 times a week. I just order a lower calorie drink (usually around 200 calories) and make it fit into my daily goal. This way I don't feel like I'm having to completely give up my favorite foods and can stick with the rest of my diet much more easilly.