were you addicted to junk food? help

lovelyMYlovely

ok I am having a hard time. I am doing this whole program because I am addicted to junk/fast food.. I buy they food to eat 20 bites then get very full and hungry again 20 minutes later till eventually I get bored of that food and order something else. I waste all my money on junk food. I finally went to the grocery and bought some more healthy foods.. And bottled water. But I desperately want to eat some chinese food from last night.. How long did it take for you to stop eating fast/junk food? I eat it everyday or so... I really am going to stop.. But need some guidance.. I dont feel healthy?

pkw58

Try to start obsessing on cooking and having your own heathyversions if junk food.... For example , you can have a big bowl of shredded cabbage stir fried with chicken or shrimp at home, and you. Control the oil and other ingrediants... I leave off the rice when i do this...

nikinyx6

The first week is the hardest. When I started here, I completely cut processed sugars, soda, and fast food. that week, i had migranes, uncontrollable shakes, just like coming off heroin I think lol. i've slowly been able to add in moderate amounts of these things now, but I no longer CRAVE them like I used to.

Good job on the water, it helps a lot

kenazfehu

I agree that it helps to make your own versions of your favorites at home. I used to really crave fast-food cheeseburgers, but the ones I make at home with lean beef and cheese and thin whole grain buns (or bread) are so good that I never want to go buy a fast-food one anymore.

It really helped cure the fast-food joneses when I bought a breakfast sandwich and the meat was spoiled. Then I forgot to throw it away when I got to my destination, and you can imagine how horrible the inside of the truck smelled after sitting in the sun half the day. Now all I have to do is see those golden arches, and I start gagging!

lovelyMYlovely

wow that is a great way.. your right the only way to know your food is safe is to make it yourself.. ! And who knows if the fast food employees washed there hands or dropped something or coughed in it.... I dont even really like junk food but i still crave it.. I like the feeling I get when I buy it and taste it.... I can hopefully kick it away and start focusing on reality.. thanks

californiagirl2012

ok I am having a hard time. I am doing this whole program because I am addicted to junk/fast food.. I buy they food to eat 20 bites then get very full and hungry again 20 minutes later till eventually I get bored of that food and order something else. I waste all my money on junk food. I finally went to the grocery and bought some more healthy foods.. And bottled water. But I desperately want to eat some chinese food from last night.. How long did it take for you to stop eating fast/junk food? I eat it everyday or so... I really am going to stop.. But need some guidance.. I dont feel healthy?

I started eating healthy a long time ago. It's best to make small changes, get it to stick, then another change, get it to stick.

Being on a calorie deficit is hard. You can't do this journey on will power alone. You must set up your environment for success. Have a team around you in your real life, not just online. Get trigger foods out of the house. It will take some sacrifice and it's not easy. You might have to say no to some social events sometimes.

Too many changes at once can be hard on some people. I've always eaten healthy so it easy for me to simply eat less. Eating at a calorie deficit is hard on people; even a small deficit puts your body in a state of flux with hormones and such. Everyone is different. Some people can handle a deeper calorie deficit than others, this is not right or wrong, it just is. Stress in your life affects your hunger hormones; lack of sleep, fatigue, job stress, family stress, financial stress, etc. Add in emotional eating issues and it gets even more complicated. Most people can only handle so much change/stress at once, they try to do too much and fail. Sometimes it might be a better strategy to eat at maintenance and make some small changes first, it really depends on how much stress you are taking in at the moment.

viccigb

I had a hard time w/ sweets and going out to lunch. If at a party, I'll take 1 bite of cake from my daughter just to get the taste. I no longer crave sweets. As for fast food, I still allow myself to go out to lunch, but I now make better choices. Instead of getting a burger and fries, I'll get a grilled chicken sandwich and fruit or a salad w/ fat free dressing. Good luck! It will get easier the longer you stick to it.

Dianalovescats

Hey!
I am working on my Junk food thing too!
I always crave something and make sure I eat a bit then I eat a bunch more than I had planned. I think cooking your own food is much better, youll control the oil, fat, and other stuff like potatoes or bread.
My uncle once told me never to stop yourself from something you crave, just take a bite or taste and stop that craving
I tried it with fruit candy (very sugary and fatty) and its getting easier to not crave chocolate and fruit candy

12skipafew99100

That reminds me of a joke:

This happened as the waiter brought the food to the table..

Patron said, "Excuse me, but your thumb is on my steak!"

Waiter: "Yes, I didn't want it to fall on the floor again."

:noway:

kimothy38

When I'm in the grip of food obsession there's no amount of will power that can stop me from devouring huge amounts of food until I want to be sick. Thankfully, this doesn't happen as much anymore (maybe 3-4 a month) and it's so liberating not to be driven by the need for food or consumed by the thought of food all the time. I started training with a personal trainer and concentrated on exercise and read every book and online article I could find about binge eating, nutrition, exercise etc. What you resist will persist! I didn't bother telling myself 'right, today I'm not going to eat this, or do that ....' because it just didn't work for me. Once I changed my focus onto exercise I natureally started taking better care of myself physically (eating whole foods, getting 8 hrs sleep, exercising) and mentally (journalling morning and night, being grateful, lots and lots of reading). Small changes is the key.

FitnessPalWorks

ok I am having a hard time. I am doing this whole program because I am addicted to junk/fast food.. I buy they food to eat 20 bites then get very full and hungry again 20 minutes later till eventually I get bored of that food and order something else. I waste all my money on junk food. I finally went to the grocery and bought some more healthy foods.. And bottled water. But I desperately want to eat some chinese food from last night.. How long did it take for you to stop eating fast/junk food? I eat it everyday or so... I really am going to stop.. But need some guidance.. I dont feel healthy?

Girlfriend, that's exactly what I was doing. If you read up what that does to your body you will stop in a heartbeat, or your heart will simply do it without your consent.....

I started 25 days ago with just eating healthy as it seemed I was becoming sensitive to the gluten that is in most fast foods, bread, etc. What a difference right away. I lost 7lbs right off the bat. Then I got sick from a fast food trip and I was down to a 3lb loss.... so I learned pretty quick.

I am allowing myself once per WEEK to get something that is within my caloric "budget" (1200/day). That's it. And oddly, my body doesn't seem to mind it as much now.

Remember, it takes about 20 minutes for your body to tell your brain you are FULL... so eat a reasonable portion and stick with it. Also water is your friend. It will help wash out the toxins your body will be releasing while you lose weight. Drink water religiously. It's been a huge help for me and it helps with the hunger pangs.

Hope that helps. If I can keep driving past FF restaurants, you can too, trust me....

lovelyMYlovely

ok that sounds about right.. yes i will work slowly and not force myself to completely stop cold turkey...

lovelyMYlovely

ok I am having a hard time. I am doing this whole program because I am addicted to junk/fast food.. I buy they food to eat 20 bites then get very full and hungry again 20 minutes later till eventually I get bored of that food and order something else. I waste all my money on junk food. I finally went to the grocery and bought some more healthy foods.. And bottled water. But I desperately want to eat some chinese food from last night.. How long did it take for you to stop eating fast/junk food? I eat it everyday or so... I really am going to stop.. But need some guidance.. I dont feel healthy?

Girlfriend, that's exactly what I was doing. If you read up what that does to your body you will stop in a heartbeat, or your heart will simply do it without your consent.....

I started 25 days ago with just eating healthy as it seemed I was becoming sensitive to the gluten that is in most fast foods, bread, etc. What a difference right away. I lost 7lbs right off the bat. Then I got sick from a fast food trip and I was down to a 3lb loss.... so I learned pretty quick.

I am allowing myself once per WEEK to get something that is within my caloric "budget" (1200/day). That's it. And oddly, my body doesn't seem to mind it as much now.

Remember, it takes about 20 minutes for your body to tell your brain you are FULL... so eat a reasonable portion and stick with it. Also water is your friend. It will help wash out the toxins your body will be releasing while you lose weight. Drink water religiously. It's been a huge help for me and it helps with the hunger pangs.

Hope that helps. If I can keep driving past FF restaurants, you can too, trust me....

ok thank u i will try this..... water will help... I just bought a 20 pack of water bottles becuse its easier for me to grab a botle than a cup with ice for some reason.. thanks! i actually barely drink water so hopefully this will help

lovelyMYlovely

That reminds me of a joke:

This happened as the waiter brought the food to the table..

Patron said, "Excuse me, but your thumb is on my steak!"

Waiter: "Yes, I didn't want it to fall on the floor again."

:noway:

haha thats very funny actually!!! ew... also

floopysandi

Depending on what junk food you crave... you can sometimes find substitutions that help wean you off of the crap. I was addicted to Cheetos. I found Cheetos naturals (white cheddar) and switched to eating them as a little snack since they were much lower in calories. Now I barely crave them anymore. It's small changes that will make the difference in the long run. I also found some kettle corn (white cheddar, caramel or plain) that is fairly low in calories for 2 1/3 cups of popcorn (about 150). Nice little sweet tooth or junk food match that stops the severe cravings.

BaconMD

The ONLY thing that worked for me was starting to work out.

I didn't use MFP for the first 9 months after deciding I need to make a change or die quite young. I actually set out to NOT change my eating at all, just add in exercise. Well, that attitude went straight out of the window when I came to the realization that I was putting out a ton of effort trying to get more fit... I naturally began to gravitate towards eating better, and my weight started to register on the scale again, and I was losing fat.

I got on MFP to really make sure my food was on track. I don't go overboard, mind you. I still occasionally have fast food, but I track everything pretty much, and I now have a good understanding of what it means, numbers-wise. It helps keep me in check.

This is just what worked for me.

WendyTerry420

Since when was Chinese food considered junk food? That's a new one.

The only thing I have ever been addicted to was nicotine. I gained weight simply from not paying attention or caring about what I ate. Now I still eat things that I like, I am just more aware of nutrients (of which Chinese food has plenty) and keeping to my target calories.

There is no food that has a withdrawal syndrome. So it basically comes down to what you *choose* to eat. It's your body, your goals. If you want Chinese food, then eat it, or don't. It's your decision to make.

DaphneAtx

Her Chinese food could easily be fried with a high calorie sauce, so yes, that is junk food.

OP - you seem like such a nice person and I can tell you're really struggling. I don't have much to contribute except to say that you've gotten some pretty good advice on this topic so far. Drinking more water will help keep you full and will aid overall in general health.

Just try cutting back a bit for starters and do a little more every day or every week. Don't be harsh on yourself if you backslide. Learn from it, and keep going. I know you can beat this junk food addiction!

WinnerVictorious

ok I am having a hard time. I am doing this whole program because I am addicted to junk/fast food.. I buy they food to eat 20 bites then get very full and hungry again 20 minutes later till eventually I get bored of that food and order something else. I waste all my money on junk food. I finally went to the grocery and bought some more healthy foods.. And bottled water. But I desperately want to eat some chinese food from last night.. How long did it take for you to stop eating fast/junk food? I eat it everyday or so... I really am going to stop.. But need some guidance.. I dont feel healthy?

junk food doesn't really fill you up and leaves you hungry for more a short time later. at least that's what i've found to be true for myself. pizza. potato chips. pretzels. candy. fast food. all of that stuff is trouble. in moderation, you can enjoy all of those from time to time, but if you eat too much, it seems to lead to binging in my experience.

dr2k12

Kicking junk food is as hard if not harder then other "things" I've had to kick in days past. You have to really want to make the changes and put a tremendous amount of effort into it.

But...

You can do it, good luck and if you "slip" don't beat yourself up over it just get right back on course...

Best of success to you!

WinnerVictorious

That reminds me of a joke:

This happened as the waiter brought the food to the table..

Patron said, "Excuse me, but your thumb is on my steak!"

Waiter: "Yes, I didn't want it to fall on the floor again."

:noway:

haha thats very funny actually!!! ew... also

i worked in restaurants when i was in college. even in expensive, fine dining restaurants, you really DON'T want to know what goes on in the kitchen. if you're going to eat out, treat your waiter and busboy and everybody else like they're your dearest long lost friends. that's all i'll say...