Fast Food Cravings... HELP
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jen14128
Posts: 24 Member
Hey guys, I did a terrible job today. I went to taco bell and ate wwaayyy to many calories just because my boyfriend asked me to bring him a quesadilla on my way home from work. I had this whole plan about how I was not going to get anything for myself and go home and make myself a veggie burger and a salad, but when I got up to the window my order came out of my mouth almost as if I had no control over it whatsoever. Growing up in the US I sort of had fast food my whole life. It is one of the reasons I have always struggled with my weight. I know I am not the only person battling the fast food demons. I am wondering, how do you all deal with those cravings? The ones that nothing but a huge mound of empty calories will satisfy. Ideas?
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Replies
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This is something I've been known to struggle with from time to time too, and I wish I had an easy solution for you.
I try to avoid my triggers at all costs. When I'm faced with them, I keep thinking in my head about how I have a choice and I can choose to have this crap food and feel temporarily good or keep going on the good path and feel even better in the long run.
Willpower is like a muscle... the more you use it, the stronger it becomes.0 -
If you're eating a really well balance diet your body won't crave junk food so much. I hated fruit and hardly ate any veges and now the majority of my food is fruit and veges. Sometimes you need to know your limitations and ask her boyfriend to buy and consume his own junk food cause it's not fair on you. It's not forever and it's not a punishment - you just need to put your needs first for a while.0
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you will eventually get over it if you have enough will power to get through a week or so. I have been eating super healthy for a week, tried to have a cheat day and ate a piece of pizza, tried to eat a second one and almost threw up LOL0
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If you're eating a really well balance diet your body won't crave junk food so much. I hated fruit and hardly ate any veges and now the majority of my food is fruit and veges. Sometimes you need to know your limitations and ask her boyfriend to buy and consume his own junk food cause it's not fair on you. It's not forever and it's not a punishment - you just need to put your needs first for a while.
This this this this this.
Or have a wonderful husband like mine, whom I asked to help me watch what I put in my mouth, and he started helping me. When we (Rarely) go to fast food now, he says things like "You don't need french-fries/mozzarella sticks. How about the apple slices?"
He also looks up the calories of the sammiches on his phone and helps me make the lowest calories choice. 0 -
I agree. Fast food for one smells so good that's it really hard to resist at all. Try looking at some your favorite fast food places and see what they have that's under your certain caloric intake. I keep a small note of what I can order that's not too out of control and I've made that a habit now. Hope this helps you out.0
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I would probably get one of something instead of a meal. Then I would ask my boyfriend not to put me in that situation until I was in a place where I could control myself better.0
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Carry a water bottle with you, and chug it before you get to the drive through. You'll feel full from the liquid, and you won't feel inclined to order something :-)0
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I am the worst when it comes to fast food cravings and to make it worse I work at a retail store across the hall from it. On a daily basis I see people eat it, I smell it and everyday I want it.
There is no magic way to stop your cravings and believe me eating healthier as mentioned above does not stop the carvings.
It comes down to 100% willpower. When you want it just stop and remember how much work you have put in and how much work would be wasted if you give in.
Eat something else to make you less hungry. My favorite alternative is those 35 cal yogurts. There are other tricks like brushing your teeth or eating a stick of gum.
When you get that craving STOP! THINK! What do you want more? To satisfy that craving at that time or to eat healthy and get fit?0 -
I get fast food cravings as well. What helps me is I think of stepping on the scale or think about how bad I feel after Ive eaten the food. It dosnt always work but most of the time it helps me. The other day I really wanted A&W but i thought on how happy I was when I see a weight loss on the scale and I didnt end up going!0
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I absolutely love Taco Bell, it was my favorite thing to eat in the world. I can understand where you're coming from. For some people, like myself, food is an addiction. Asking you to pick up a quesadilla at Taco Bell is like asking a recovering alcoholic to pick up a six pack at the liquor store. Not a good idea. You can beat this, feeling healthy and seeing yourself progress feels so much better than eating a bag full of tacos.0
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First, don't beat yourself up!
Second... well, here's what I did... I don't like fast food, but I have a different problem: I'm a foodie. I'm in for every new restaurant opening. In fact, it's almost restaurant week where I live... and usually that would mean a full week of eating out. And trying every amazingly fattening treat that can be imagined. My super fit athletic husband has always been my partner in crime. But, he doesn't gain weight from our excursions, and I do. Knowing I want to be successful at being a healthy person, I got him on board. He knows that we won't be going to restaurant week. And, that when we do go out, we won't be ordering fried appetizers. If he wants to go out and have a big calorie laden meal, he absolutely can..... but not with me. Not right now at least. The temptation is too much for me right now. Eventually, I would like to be in a position where I can make healthy choices no matter what. But, that's not where I am today. So... can you talk with your boyfriend and get him on board? Maybe he gets his own fastfood and doesn't ask you to go to a place where you will be tempted?0 -
As a manager at taco bell I will be the first to tell you it's hard to deal with fast food cravings, you just have to pick and choose more wisely what you eat. I eat taco bell 5 days a week working 8 and 9 hr shifts and have lost over 60 lbs it can be done. As for next time I can give you a few suggestions as to what I eat and I don't feel guilty at all. Our fresco menu is awesome any item can be made that way it takes off all dairy and sauces and adds pico de gallo. The majority of the time I eat chicken hard tacos they are only 100 calories a little bland so I add sour cream making it 130 cals. Dorito tacos are only 170 and the dorito supremes are 200 cals. If you are a bread eater our chicken gordita supreme is only 270 cals. Right now I'm hooked on nacho supremes if you substitute the chips for lettuce you get all the toppings over lettuce for 210 calories. just some suggestions for the next time.0
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Without meaning to sound rude in any way, do you really think Taco Bell is worth it? :S I tried it once and thought it was terrible, generic, bland food.. worse than McDonald's.
I do get what you mean, though.. my trigger is chocolate. The other week, my boyfriend made rich, dark chocolate mousse, with a chocolate shell and an almond/chocolate base. I ate ****LOADS of these and promised myself that I wouldn't eat anymore, starting from "tomorrow." Well, I woke up, went to the fridge, made my breakfast and about an hour later, went back to the fridge and ate all the rest of them! There really was absolutely no talking myself out of it!
I'm now just avoiding sugary foods at all cost and haven't had chocolate in about 2 weeks. I think I'm finally on the road to losing this weight!0 -
Have a free day once a week, so it's never more than six days til you can have it if you still want it then.
Tell your boyfriend to get his own junk food.
Eat lots of small portions throughout the day. By the time you have done this for a month, you will not be able to eat vast quantities of anything any more. So your "slips" won't be as bad.
Turn off your TV. Huh? you say. More to the point, turn off the food advertisements. If you don't have Big Burger's new improved SuperDoubleBellyBuster Deluxe being flashed in front of your eyes every fifteen minutes, you won't realize that's what you need, and can get by with a healthy meal. When I turned off my TV I also as a bonus was able to deal with being discontented with my home and feeling that I'd never be 20 and a size 0 so why bother with weight loss at all and feeling that I wouldn't measure up if I didn't have new clothes. So it's a very useful tactic. You can get any show you like over the computer.0 -
Watch/read Supersize Me.
Many fast food restaurants, McDonalds is notorious have food that contains neurotoxins that the body 1) rejects then 2) craves. IN addition, trans fatty acids block proper signaling of neurotransmitters to dopamine and seratonin response leadin you to again crave fast food for the positive reinforcement of eating that kind of food. The smell alone (which disgusts me to horrid nasuea now) is enough to trigger this sensation.
Fun fact: fried foods, especially those from fast food restaurants, are often made in oil that has already been used. These high boiling point oils like corn or vegetable have a high concentration of polyunsaturated fats that oxidize when used to form oxygen-carbon unstable bonds called epoxides which create free oxygen radicals binding to the ribose phosphate backbone of DNA and potentially setting off now methylated oncogenes. Now, is cancer really worth those fries?0 -
Without meaning to sound rude in any way, do you really think Taco Bell is worth it? :S I tried it once and thought it was terrible, generic, bland food.. worse than McDonald's.
I do get what you mean, though.. my trigger is chocolate. The other week, my boyfriend made rich, dark chocolate mousse, with a chocolate shell and an almond/chocolate base. I ate ****LOADS of these and promised myself that I wouldn't eat anymore, starting from "tomorrow." Well, I woke up, went to the fridge, made my breakfast and about an hour later, went back to the fridge and ate all the rest of them! There really was absolutely no talking myself out of it!
I'm now just avoiding sugary foods at all cost and haven't had chocolate in about 2 weeks. I think I'm finally on the road to losing this weight!
Naw, you're not rude. I know the food is terrible, but it is comfort. I can't explain it. Someone else on this message board compared dropping fast food to an alcoholic trying to remain sober. I have not had the alcohol problem (thank goodness) but I have quit smoking and the cravings are very similar. It is all about willpower, and sometimes I just don't have any. Best of luck to you with your chocolate cravings, I hope we can both shake our bad habits.0 -
Watch/read Supersize Me.
Many fast food restaurants, McDonalds is notorious have food that contains neurotoxins that the body 1) rejects then 2) craves. IN addition, trans fatty acids block proper signaling of neurotransmitters to dopamine and seratonin response leadin you to again crave fast food for the positive reinforcement of eating that kind of food. The smell alone (which disgusts me to horrid nasuea now) is enough to trigger this sensation.
Fun fact: fried foods, especially those from fast food restaurants, are often made in oil that has already been used. These high boiling point oils like corn or vegetable have a high concentration of polyunsaturated fats that oxidize when used to form oxygen-carbon unstable bonds called epoxides which create free oxygen radicals binding to the ribose phosphate backbone of DNA and potentially setting off now methylated oncogenes. Now, is cancer really worth those fries?
I've actually seen it, and yes. The food is disgusting. I am also a vegetarian. I am not vegan, although I do not drink milk or consume butter, my only weakness is cheese. I make sure to get plenty of lean protein (beans/tofo/vegetable) and calcium and watch my diet carefully. For the most part, I am very healthy. since I don't eat meat I never go to McDonalds, or Wendy's or Burger King, but Taco bell gets me. I can get beans in anything instead of meat, and it is so easy to get it on the way home from work when I am tired... arg. it is just one of my struggles, I'll shake the habit eventually.0 -
My tip is - Whatever you put in has to be worked off in exercise. So check out the nutritional values for the foods you crave and see how many calories they include. That's the best way to avoid them. One meal from a fast food place usually is close to or exceeds my whole daily limit. Just not worth it.
But if you do eat it, don't feel guilty, just get your butt exercising it off and you'll be fine.0 -
Fast food on occasion isnt going to hurt you. I get that you want to make better choices but you can have taco bell or whatever from time to time. No big deal. I try to eat the best I can but sometimes I want a big mac and some fries, so I go get a big mac and some fries. I didnt get fat cause I ate a big mac now and then.0
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When I have cravings for fast food I get green beans and oven cook them with a little garlic salt and olive oil. It's my chip (or fries for the US people) substitute and I LOVE them!0
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