how do you say no to bad food?

mamacassi

For me having any junk ruins my day. Constantly someone brings a cookie or a cupcake or a shake around me, chocolate!!! and I say no I cant. But then I do! And I hate it. I dont even want the food its just hard to not eat it. I feel sick after. Gross.
I need to lose 10 pounds this month, which I know I can. It's more like 9 ish. So how do YOU keep away from that? I live wigth someone who eats ...well sugar a lot, and bad foods. If you live with people who don't have the same goals as you, how can you fight the urge to screw up your diet?

mszSHOGAN

Basically it boils down to your will power and motivaiton. The longer your at it the easier it will come. I struggled with saying no (and sticking to it) previously but it's getting much easier. You should have better-for-you alternatives for when the temptation gets the best of you. My new chocolate substitution is Quaker mini delights 90 calorie packs in chocolate mint. They are so yummy and unlike most 90 calorie packs there's quite a few pieces in each one! Good luck, you can do it!

SugarHi

Say NO, with great meaning behind it. Do it out loud if you have to. But do it. Then prove to yourself that you can eat something healthy instead and do that. Accomplish it this one them, feel great about it and then do it again! You can do it

drvvork

Well, you said it makes you feel horrid afterwards... maybe that is the feeling you have to remember when you look at it. :flowerforyou: I know it is easier said than done but that is what I have to do with certain foods that I always had problems saying no to. :bigsmile:

Wolfena

Wait a few minutes... realize after those few minute that if you'd eaten that food, it would already be gone and you'd be feeling guilty. Pretend you already ate it and you're done.

Walk away feeling un-guilty.

maryfern2

I think about how I'll feel an hour later when the 'bad food' is sitting like a rock in my stomach and how I'll wish I hadn't eaten it. I save splurges for special food that I plan ahead. Today I'll have a small piece of cake at my son's birthday party - I've been looking forward to that all week! But if I didn't plan the splurge myself I can turn it down by thinking 'Is the 60 seconds of pleasure worth the hours of bad affects to my health and motivation?'

TCASMEY

I don't consider any food bad. Everything in moderation! I look at something and think about how many calories it will have and how many minutes I will have to spend on the treadmill and bike to burn that many calories. Most days I don't have an extra hour or two to exercise so that keeps me from eating something really high in calories. IF I DO, I either cut calories somewhere else in my day or make myself to exercise more!

cmriverside

This is how I say no.



"No, thank you" with a big


Maybe I have prickly body language, but people don't push it after that. Be firm but polite. (Be firm with YOU, too. It's for your own good.)

sonjavon

So - when you eat the "bad food" you end up feeling bad... right? Sounds like a food allergy to me - just convince yourself that you are allergic to junk food. I have been known to tell people that I am allergic to chocolate - because people are MUCH more understanding of that than me sayin, "Oh no - thanks, I'm trying to watch what I'm eating".

Another thing I do is: I don't eat anything without FIRST logging it into MFP. So - if you're trying to decide whether or not to eat it- go add it to your food diary and see how it sits with you... if you decide not to eat it... delete it from your food diary and congratulate yourself on a good decision! If you do decide to eat it - well, at least you've made an informed decision.

kelli_panzera

my family's like that. And i screw up something in my diet almost every day. its a tough beginning, and the longer you work at it, the stronger you are at saying no. maybe you need a little more variety in your diet to make you feel more satisfied. have you looked at anyone's food diary to see what people are doing? maybe you'll try something new, and you'll find a craving for that instead of the food that makes you feel bad ; )

eeesposito

I know will power is always a problem for me, so before I go out with friends or do anything, I pick one person who I trust and say, "No matter what don't let me eat any crap today!". And then when I'm tempted and they tell me I can't, I don't. Sometimes I might try and rationalize to them why it's okay, but then I hear how desperate I sound and I still don't. If I really wanna try something, I just ask for a bite of someone else's.

kwardklinck

Make sure you're not hungry and keep a good for you substitute for those sudden sugar cravings. The more you say no, the easier it'll be.

Samantharose8akaDebbie

You have to decide who or what is bigger - you or the cookie. Happy dieting and just say no:)

HonestOmnivore

:frown: I have healthy low cal foods at work like baby carrots and small green apples - This keeps me from being hungry with an empty belly when tempting foods shows up.

If it is food coming from a good friend or it's something amazing I won't see again in months (the Boss's wife's homemade baklava) I cut off a small piece (1 inch cube or smaller) and eat it slowly, concentrating on all the flavors and textures and every bit of it. If I savor one small piece that takes care of at least 80% of the temptation and I can say NO to the rest.

The other part of this is that if a piece is left at my desk (happens all the time) I either quickly dump it at another empty desk or I toss it into the department garbage (or bathroom garbage) because REAL waste is having it on my @$$ for another month! (sadly -if I toss it in my waste can with it's clean liner and containing only a couple pieces of paper and a few used tea bags - I'm quite capable of digging it out!)

toots99

Say NO, with great meaning behind it. Do it out loud if you have to. But do it. Then prove to yourself that you can eat something healthy instead and do that. Accomplish it this one them, feel great about it and then do it again! You can do it

I do the same thing...even if I'm st athe grocery store eyeing a box of cookies...I'll tell myself out loud, "No! You like oatmeal just as much so snack on oatmeal instead!" People probably think I'm nuts, but what do I care? :laugh:

Also, after a while, I've found that saying no to the food that others offer you really gets to be a habit after a while. I work in a pizza restaurant, and temptation is always around! So I've just gotten in the habit of thinking and saying "No, I don't eat that." And also, the people offering food have gotten the point, and even marvel about how good I am at saying no.

I also try to imagine all the work I'm going to have to do to undo the damage done by that bad food.

mamacassi

Thank you all. My latest splurge was a cupcake shake... and a funnel cake from burger king.
Let me just say that was BAD!!!! Not only did I not want it but it made me sick the day after.

mbmomof4

Willpower is a huge part of being committed to a diet plan, easier said than done, I know. I pretty much lived on junk food, having 3 kids, it was pretty much grab & go for me. So it was very hard for me just to break that, it was like an addiction. In the beginning I got really irritable because I couldn't have my junk, because I completely cut it out. But I learned learned moderation. I don't eat junk food every day, usually a healthier alternative. The 100 calorie packs are great, or fruit for a sweet tooth. Then for those salty days, instead of a bag of chips, pretzels or popcorn are a better choice. I do my best to stick to this, but trust me if there is a day i want a Tastykake candy cake, I eat it. I make sure it fits into my day, or put that extra few minutes in at the gym. You shouldn't be miserable on a diet, you are doing it to better yourself!

I saw this on someones profile...."I would rather be skinny than eat _____." (fill in the blank) That line runs through my head when I'm considering something I really don't need. :blushing:

toots99

I saw this on someones profile...."I would rather be skinny than eat _____." (fill in the blank) That line runs through my head when I'm considering something I really don't need. :blushing:

I always think to myself "Don't give up what you really want for what you want right now!" :drinker:

kellycrow

one thing i just did was spend 3 days eating nothing that was processed... just fruits and veggies (and peanuts for protein...) (i am vegan so it wasn't as hard as it sounds...) during this time, i have a house full of girl scout cookies (leader of 2 troops) and worked a bake sale at a 6th grade fundraiser and attended a 50th b-day party for my boss. can you say 'too many temptations??" wow - that was tough!! but i knew i was at a plateau and wanted to break through it so i kept it safe. during the bake sale/bingo night, my friends (who are also dieting and working out) kept eating brownies and cookies and cupcakes but i just kept telling myself how hard i was working to get to my ultimate goal and that kept me motivated.
hang in there, KNOW you can do it... and just remember the ultimate goal. have faith in yourself and that will help you to say no!
good luck! )

mbmomof4

I saw this on someones profile...."I would rather be skinny than eat _____." (fill in the blank) That line runs through my head when I'm considering something I really don't need. :blushing:

I always think to myself "Don't give up what you really want for what you want right now!" :drinker:

I like that!

jarelary4

I LOVE THIS!!! Just tell yourself you are "allergic". I think I'll try this, I am now allergic to pizza, chips, etc. Thanks!

toots99

I LOVE THIS!!! Just tell yourself you are "allergic". I think I'll try this, I am now allergic to pizza, chips, etc. Thanks!

:laugh: I try to convince myself that something's gross...

cmriverside

Great thread, great answers, love it.

XFitMojoMom

This is how I say no.



"No, thank you" with a big


Maybe I have prickly body language, but people don't push it after that. Be firm but polite. (Be firm with YOU, too. It's for your own good.)

ditto!

but alcohol is evil :devil: and will cause you to sometimes say yes. So - try to stay away from that as well.:frown:

kbarn009

Well get somethings to keep around you so if your friends and/or coworkers want chocolate you can too! I love the new 90 calorie Fiber One Peanut Butter and Chocolate Bars. Or you could get the 60 Cal Sugar Free Jello Pudding Snacks, there are ALOT of good flavors to those! I know it is hard bc my fiance eats like a lil pig and CAN, so I just keep weight watchers or skinny cow ice cream snacks and things like that so when he gets his ice cream snickers I get my skinny cow ice cream sandwhich, that way you get something sweet too:)

hollyroode

I plan all of my meals out at the beginning of the day. So when there is bad food around I can think about what foods I have to look forward to eating that day! It makes it easier for me to have it all planned out like that.

lvfunandfit

Find yourself a chocolate protein bar that you like and keep fruit around so when you are offered those snacks or you have a craving, you have your treats on hand that you know are good for you.

I try to input junk into MFP first to see the cals and then I decide it's just not worth it.