Junk food!

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MissPerfect2012
MissPerfect2012 Posts: 21 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Does anyone else find that they can't just have one thing that's bad? i find that if i have one thing bad it sets me off wanting everything
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  • 1223345
    1223345 Posts: 1,386 Member
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    Me too! Of course I was crucified today for even mentioning following a junk free diet. If I get on my junk free wagon, I can stay on it. But If I decide to "just have" one scoop of ice cream, or piece of cake or something, It will lead to a week of junk. First I tried just having one treat a day to ward off cravings, but it made me binge. I also tried just one day a week for a free day, that also failed. It is just better sometimes to avoid the junk altogether for some of us.
  • livelaughlove384
    livelaughlove384 Posts: 100
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    I as well can't deal well with junk food. Like this weekend...I was doing really well Saturday (which is shocking because weekends are the worst) I woke up from a nap and found chocolate....that sent me binging for the next day and a half....I find that not having the junk in the home makes it a lot easier not to binge.
  • GerritTheBlacksmith
    GerritTheBlacksmith Posts: 234
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    same here.

    people are always telling me "just one (cookie, piece of cake, ect) wont hurt yiur weight loss...."
  • CoriGayle
    CoriGayle Posts: 13 Member
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    I agree with the others. I can't stop at just one, so I have stopped having the junk altogether. I take some heat for it too. People just don't understand that I lose control once I have the initial bite.
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
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    If you don't have self control, it behooves you to cut the stuff out entirely until you break the addiction (sugar IS addictive). Once you've done that, you can slowly re-integrate.

    but self-control is a HUGE part of staying fit and healthy long-term. no getting around that.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I did that for the first 30 days on MFP. Then I learned more about different kinds of nutrients and that there is no so thing as "junk food." I used to have certain foods that would trigger me to binge, but not since I've been MFP.
  • tomcornhole
    tomcornhole Posts: 1,084 Member
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    I have a cheat day to take care of all this. Every Saturday I eat whatever I want in any quantity I want. The rest of the week is a slow carb diet. I read all the posts that say this is bad, and I concede it could be. But this has been my secret weapon in my year of weight loss. If I crave something during the week, I make a mental note and eat it on Saturday.

    I will say that the first 6 months of cheat days were epic events. When Hostess announced they were going out of business, that Saturday I ate only Hostess products. Felt terrible. Lately though, I just don't cheat so much and the last few cheat days have been a donut or cat tales. I just don't care for much junk these days.

    I am not sure if I could have stuck to this for so long if I completely denied myself or felt guilty when the inevitable binge came. The controlled binge worked for me. I cannot and will not infer that it will work for everyone.
  • 1223345
    1223345 Posts: 1,386 Member
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    I have a cheat day to take care of all this. Every Saturday I eat whatever I want in any quantity I want. The rest of the week is a slow carb diet. I read all the posts that say this is bad, and I concede it could be. But this has been my secret weapon in my year of weight loss. If I crave something during the week, I make a mental note and eat it on Saturday.

    I will say that the first 6 months of cheat days were epic events. When Hostess announced they were going out of business, that Saturday I ate only Hostess products. Felt terrible. Lately though, I just don't cheat so much and the last few cheat days have been a donut or cat tales. I just don't care for much junk these days.

    I am not sure if I could have stuck to this for so long if I completely denied myself or felt guilty when the inevitable binge came. The controlled binge worked for me. I cannot and will not infer that it will work for everyone.
    I wish I could have "just one" day of lax eating and go back to my regular diet. It's like being an alcoholic and trying not to drink more than one beer. You mention the hostess thing, I used to buy the big box of little debbie fudge rounds, and eat the entire box on the way home from the store. Thank God I don't do that anymore.
  • Mjlefty35
    Mjlefty35 Posts: 17 Member
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    Do we really have to talk about this??? I go back and forth. Sometimes I can stick to once a week--other times my mind says I can have another day and another day, etc! I am still looking for a balance--there has to be some sort of solution for people like myself who need to have a little junk food now and then!
  • Lisafrazier71
    Lisafrazier71 Posts: 59 Member
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    YES! It's so much easier to just not eat it at all. I don't even mind having it around because while everyone else is pigging out I can be like 'NOPE, not happening" and feel like I have accomplished something by not caving in. Besides, who the hell wants to eat two Oreos? Even three? That's just enough to piss me off. I'd rather not have any. Plus I have tried "cheat" days and feel like total crap after.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    If you don't have self control, it behooves you to cut the stuff out entirely until you break the addiction (sugar IS addictive). Once you've done that, you can slowly re-integrate.

    but self-control is a HUGE part of staying fit and healthy long-term. no getting around that.

    X2....

    Often self control needs to be re-learned as well. I had to be pretty regimented in the beginning, but I do ok now and a lot of the things I used to love are just too sweet for me now.

    I can still go nuts on some jelly beans though...
  • JeepBaja
    JeepBaja Posts: 1,824 Member
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    I still eat junk food I just eat far less than I used to. That alone was enough to drop weight but now I'm stuck in a rut and need to get my act together and change my eating habits.

    The way I went about losing weight didn't feel like a diet. I didn't crave anything and I didn't feel like I was 'missing out" but now I accept the fact that if I want to drop the remaining 30lbs. I need to make a change big time.
  • Alisha_countrymama
    Alisha_countrymama Posts: 821 Member
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    Yes sugar and carbs are addictive, so it's good to avoid it if it triggers cravings. I have to remind myself that that food not only isn't good for me physically. Mentally it's worse.
  • 1223345
    1223345 Posts: 1,386 Member
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    Do we really have to talk about this??? I go back and forth. Sometimes I can stick to once a week--other times my mind says I can have another day and another day, etc! I am still looking for a balance--there has to be some sort of solution for people like myself who need to have a little junk food now and then!

    While I don't feel like I "need" junk food now and then, I think of times when it's around. Birthday cake on birthdays, candy on easter etc... I think the key is to find the junk you like, but not the junk that ruins you for the rest of the week or month. I do know I can eat something like a handful of chocolate chips and be okay, but something like a candy bar or chips will have me in a frenzy. I don't know why chocolate chips are the "safe" junk for me.
  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
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    If you don't have self control, it behooves you to cut the stuff out entirely until you break the addiction (sugar IS addictive). Once you've done that, you can slowly re-integrate.

    but self-control is a HUGE part of staying fit and healthy long-term. no getting around that.

    I definitely agree here.. There are SOME things I can enjoy in moderation... A single small scoop of ice cream? No problem.. I enjoy it and would LIKE to have more but it's not an uncontrollable desire for more.. I simply put the rest in the freezer and don't eat it.. Jelly beans? gummy candy? No problem, I can eat three jelly beans and put the rest away.. Again, yes I WANT more, but once I put them away I forget about them and move on to healthier choices. Chips or pastries on the other hand send me into a virtual feeding frenzy. I have had to cut them completely out of my diet.. I've tried to add back in moderation a few times, but no such luck yet, as a small amount leads to more and more for me. I do believe that I can learn moderation even with the most tempting of foods. I may not have been successful yet, but I plan to just keep cutting it out and try very controlled reintroduction until I achieve success!
  • FitToBeKim
    FitToBeKim Posts: 85 Member
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    I was addicted to Mt Dew for over 20 yrs. I drank a 12 pack a day by myself. I didn't crave sweets, probably because I was getting SO much sugar from the Dews.
    Now I am off the regular Dews and sometimes want something sweet. I just look and see what we have and then look at the serving and calories for that amount then decide... is it worth it ? Will this cookie make me feel better and is it worth the calories I'm going to get from the small amount I am going to eat ?! Sometimes it is worth it... most times its not but I DO indulge when I decide to.
    My husband loves sweets and for some reason can eat *anything* he wants and not gain weight so the house always has sweets and junk food in it. I have to walk past it and make a decision every time I go to the fridge or cabinet. I find that when I see the calories in each thing it makes me reevaluate whether I really want it.
    I know I can eat that sweet thing and modify my days food to make it work if I have to have it and be ok.
    That's just what works for me though.
  • MissPerfect2012
    MissPerfect2012 Posts: 21 Member
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    The main thing for me is crisps, im not so bothered about choolate and sweets, but my downfall is crisps and pizzas
  • HannahsHealthKick
    HannahsHealthKick Posts: 11
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    I find that, as 'tomcornhole' said, planning a cheat day is very effective to curb a desire for eating whatever you fancy!

    If you enjoy your food, as I think most of the world does, then it can sometimes be demoralising to think 'oh I can't have this, I can't have that' and over time you find an urge to rebel against the restrictions you're giving yourself, and though that won't necessarily lead to weight gain, getting into a pattern of fighting against yourself and what you want isn't necessarily healthy.

    By planning a 'cheat' day, you're giving yourself something to look forward to. Not 'cheat' by eating several satchels of donuts and pizza, just because you've got the opportunity, but eat a slice of that cheesecake you'd seen your friend eat at lunch a few days ago. You'd turned it down to stick to your food plan, but you hadn't forgotten about it. Go back, order it, and enjoy it. Feel better because it's the first time you had it, work out if it was worth the wait- if yes, then maybe every fortnight/month you go back and enjoy it again.

    My belief is that everything is healthy if enjoyed in moderation. I sometimes plan my 'cheat day' way ahead, for instance i'm leaving my current job in two weeks. I've already worked out that the Friday I leave work, I will accept and digest the gifts of chocolates and alcohol that will be given to me, drink more in the evening, and probably fall victim to a dirty kebab. I don't do it every week, it's a special occasion, and the Saturday will be a brand new day to wake up to with oats and green tea!

    Another tip, if you struggle to avoid certain snacks or treats, is to either not buy them or replace them with healthier alternatives. Crisps, changed to Rice Cakes (I like the snack a jack brand personally. It's a savoury alternative that substitutes the crunch and the flavour). Biscuits, changed to Marshmallow Wafers (I think the ones I eat are called 'Caxton' Pink and Whites. They're a bit more bulky, still very sweet, but still very nice) and Pizza, there are a variety of alternatives. Either creating your own crust from, say, cauliflower (recipes online), or get a tortilla wrap, add the ingredients you may find on a pizza, making the healthiest options possible (say you add mozerella; don't add the whole ball. Half it, save some for another meal) and then put it in the over to crisp up and enjoy.

    Lastly, I find that if I fill up on healthier foods (say, some protein, some carbs and a large serving of veg) and wash it down with a glass of water, then i'm less likely to snack during the day on anything else.

    These are the tips i've picked up on my weight loss/health gain journey so far. I've found them useful, but everyone is different. :) Best of luck with your goals though!!
  • 1223345
    1223345 Posts: 1,386 Member
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    I find that, as 'tomcornhole' said, planning a cheat day is very effective to curb a desire for eating whatever you fancy!

    If you enjoy your food, as I think most of the world does, then it can sometimes be demoralising to think 'oh I can't have this, I can't have that' and over time you find an urge to rebel against the restrictions you're giving yourself, and though that won't necessarily lead to weight gain, getting into a pattern of fighting against yourself and what you want isn't necessarily healthy.

    By planning a 'cheat' day, you're giving yourself something to look forward to. Not 'cheat' by eating several satchels of donuts and pizza, just because you've got the opportunity, but eat a slice of that cheesecake you'd seen your friend eat at lunch a few days ago. You'd turned it down to stick to your food plan, but you hadn't forgotten about it. Go back, order it, and enjoy it. Feel better because it's the first time you had it, work out if it was worth the wait- if yes, then maybe every fortnight/month you go back and enjoy it again.

    My belief is that everything is healthy if enjoyed in moderation. I sometimes plan my 'cheat day' way ahead, for instance i'm leaving my current job in two weeks. I've already worked out that the Friday I leave work, I will accept and digest the gifts of chocolates and alcohol that will be given to me, drink more in the evening, and probably fall victim to a dirty kebab. I don't do it every week, it's a special occasion, and the Saturday will be a brand new day to wake up to with oats and green tea!

    Another tip, if you struggle to avoid certain snacks or treats, is to either not buy them or replace them with healthier alternatives. Crisps, changed to Rice Cakes (I like the snack a jack brand personally. It's a savoury alternative that substitutes the crunch and the flavour). Biscuits, changed to Marshmallow Wafers (I think the ones I eat are called 'Caxton' Pink and Whites. They're a bit more bulky, still very sweet, but still very nice) and Pizza, there are a variety of alternatives. Either creating your own crust from, say, cauliflower (recipes online), or get a tortilla wrap, add the ingredients you may find on a pizza, making the healthiest options possible (say you add mozerella; don't add the whole ball. Half it, save some for another meal) and then put it in the over to crisp up and enjoy.

    Lastly, I find that if I fill up on healthier foods (say, some protein, some carbs and a large serving of veg) and wash it down with a glass of water, then i'm less likely to snack during the day on anything else.

    These are the tips i've picked up on my weight loss/health gain journey so far. I've found them useful, but everyone is different. :) Best of luck with your goals though!!
    Unfortunately that "cheat" day turns into cheat week...month...etc... for some of us. We are talking about how it would be nice to be one of those who can have a cheat day and not derail the whole program. A cheat day has never worked for me and the same goes for many others. Some of us must avoid the junk completely. Protein has nothing to do with it, eating more often has nothing to do with it, drinking massive water also has nothing to do with it.
  • dawnna76
    dawnna76 Posts: 987 Member
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    I plan to have a little junkin my diet. But I have to be very careful with myself with what I buy. Like I really had a craving for nacho cheese dip and salsa and chips. I bought what I needed to make some and as soon as I was done I threw the remainder of the stuff away so i wasn't tempted to eat more another day. Yes, it wasteful money wise but if I didn't trash it I would eat it! I can't have any junk in the house or any and all control I have is gone.

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