Calling all Junk Food Junkies!

Majorette2015
Majorette2015 Posts: 13
in Health and Weight Loss
Junk food is my life, and primarily the reason I got 20 pounds overweight. ( Sugar being the biggest problem) I am looking for ways to replace the junk in my life with healthy foods, and find alternatives for my sweet tooth. Right now I LOVE the Atkins diet and snack bars. I'm not on the Atkins diet but they are tasty and low in sugar. I've also tried some diabetic snacks again trying to cut back on sugar even though I am not diabetic. How do you satisfy your junk food cravings and what replacements are you using?

Replies

  • Happymelz
    Happymelz Posts: 536 Member
    I don't do any of the low sugar stuff because the artifical sweeteners give me wicked leg cramps. IF I'm going to have something sweet I opt for mini candy bars. OR lollipops because they last longer. :)

    For me, I just look for lower calorie regular stuff. I LOVE the Cheetos cheddar popcorn stuff. Or cheezy poofs.

    But, Baked Lays sourcream and onion are amazing!
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    I find it better to give in to my cravings, but stay within my calorie goals and practice moderation. I eat chocolate and ice cream on about a daily basis. Just a bite or two will usually satisfy a craving, then go on about your life.

    Substitutions won't satisfy you for long.
  • Majorette2015
    Majorette2015 Posts: 13
    You know, I've been wondering if the artificial sugars end up being worse than just having a few bites of something sweet, and maybe all the artificial is the reason I'm getting so many headaches??? Thanks for the comment!
  • Melissa11412
    Melissa11412 Posts: 145 Member
    I find it better to give in to my cravings, but stay within my calorie goals and practice moderation. I eat chocolate and ice cream on about a daily basis. Just a bite or two will usually satisfy a craving, then go on about your life.

    Substitutions won't satisfy you for long.

    knbzs.gif

    with "practice" being the operative word.....it definitely does take practice but i'm getting better at not going over, satisfying the craving and moving on
  • Happymelz
    Happymelz Posts: 536 Member
    You know, I've been wondering if the artificial sugars end up being worse than just having a few bites of something sweet, and maybe all the artificial is the reason I'm getting so many headaches??? Thanks for the comment!

    Welcome! :) It is VERY possible. Stevia or RebA is the only one that doesn't bother me...but it is actually NATURAL. Vitamin Water Zero uses it.

    AND there is Zevia, which is a 0 cal soda. Tastes like diet...but satisfies carbonaation cravings. :)
  • WanderingPomme
    WanderingPomme Posts: 601 Member
    Mashed banana with cinnamon on rye toast gives me my banana bread fix. I stew apples in sprite zero, add splenda and cinnamon and eat it on toast, apple pie fix. Stew strawberries in balsamic vinegar, splenda and a pinch of pepper on toast, my strawberry jam fix. Those are what usually helps me!
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    I find it better to give in to my cravings, but stay within my calorie goals and practice moderation. I eat chocolate and ice cream on about a daily basis. Just a bite or two will usually satisfy a craving, then go on about your life.

    Substitutions won't satisfy you for long.

    knbzs.gif

    with "practice" being the operative word.....it definitely does take practice but i'm getting better at not going over, satisfying the craving and moving on

    So agree. I got fat because I ate too much - not because I ate "bad" food. I can still have the things I'm craving or enjoy, I just can't have all of them, all the time. So, instead of 3 packs of snack cakes, I have 2 cookies. I eat a serving of ice cream instead of an entire pint.
    It does take practice, but I'd rather learn to be really good at something (like moderation) than to be constantly searching for a substitute.
  • stfuriada
    stfuriada Posts: 445 Member
    I try to feed my chocolate addiction via those 60 calorie chocolate pudding cups. My salt cravings with the Kellog's chips that are like 110 cals for 27-30 pieces.

    When those don't work, try to occupy my mind so I don't think about food.
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
    I just eat it.

    I'm quite lucky in the fact that my favourite 'junk foods' are the lower calorie ones - like malteasers and quavers.
  • supremelady
    supremelady Posts: 211 Member
    I just keep enough calories to include the things i love. York Peppermint patties, skinny cow has some great snacks. and now i actually read labels so i only eat 1 serving of things. Also there is a great line of 100 calorie snacks.
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
    The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it... I can resist everything but temptation. ~ Oscar Wilde

    Try to include some of the things you like in moderation.

    If that doesn't work and you find yourself binging try an avoidance / elimination programme for about a month or so.

    Slowly re-introduce the foods back into your diet and see how you then get on.
  • palmerar
    palmerar Posts: 489 Member
    I would recommend initially getting rid of your trigger foods completely. Get them out of your house and replace with fresh fruits and veggies, hummus, unsalted nuts, low calorie and high nutrition density foods. This worked for me when I started trying to follow a healthier lifestyle. I did not eliminate snack food from my life, but I did make it so i had to actually go to the store and buy something if I wanted it, this makes you think if you actually want it or you just want something to snack on cause you are bored.

    Once you go through junk food "detox" just buy single servings of the items you want to keep on hand when a craving hits, or if you buy a larger container ALWAYS measure out a serving and close the container and walk away no more eating right out of the box or bag.
  • BozGirl
    BozGirl Posts: 333 Member
    Hello, fellow junk food junkie! I definitely indulge my cravings from time to time, some days I can't control myself -- I overeat on sweets, and I try to get back on track the next day. Some days I just eat one portion of something sweet and fit it into my day. Some days I stay on track with my eating and have a few jelly beans or yogurt-covered raisins when I need something sweet.

    My favorite sweet healthy snack is a mixture of a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp of strawberry jam, and 1/4 cup of fresh sliced strawberries. I also like sliced bananas with peanut butter or sliced bananas with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
  • supremelady
    supremelady Posts: 211 Member
    I would also like to add on days where i have a lot of fruit (peaches, watermelon, pineapple, plums, strawberries or grapes) I'm usually able to cut back on junk food.
  • jmoliveson
    jmoliveson Posts: 40 Member
    Hi There! I am just like you and am a sugarholic! I am addicted to sugar and hate diet drinks etc. But now that I am on this site, I use my sugar sparingly. At first I was eating sugary cereals and oatmeals for breakfast and sugary Healthy Choice meals so it took me a little while to get it down. To trick my mind, I eat Wheat Thins Honey sticks once a day which only has 5 sugars for 14 sticks so I'm still getting the sweet tasty snack but with 130 if I decide to eat a whole serving. For breakfast I have OatFit maple & brown sugar with Flax seeds because not only is it only 100 calories but has only 1 gram of sugar. My goal is to cut most of the sugar out of breakfast and lunch so that everyday for desert I get to eat an ice cream cone, dark chocolate or even a skinny cow candy bar. The point is that in order for us to lose weight we need maintain a deficit so the best thing you can do is research what foods are sweet but low in sugar. Believe it or not I even avoid certain fruits with high amounts of sugar.
  • Amberlynnek
    Amberlynnek Posts: 405 Member
    Arctic Zero Ice cream - whole food carries it. 150 calories for the entire pint and only 5g of sugar!! Its not super rich and creamy but it does the trick! If you pair it with almond milk and a banana in a blender, you get a wicked "shake." It also comes in flavors like chocolate, vanilla maple, pumpkin, coffee, chocolate peanut butter cup and chocolate mint.
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    You know, I've been wondering if the artificial sugars end up being worse than just having a few bites of something sweet, and maybe all the artificial is the reason I'm getting so many headaches??? Thanks for the comment!

    Aspartame and artificial sweeteners trigger migraines for me if I have too much of it. It's a common headache trigger.
  • FindMyInnerAthlete
    FindMyInnerAthlete Posts: 61 Member
    I have a serious junk food addiction too. I put on 15 pounds just because of it. It's so easy to put but takes forever to take it off. Right now I'm just trying to stay away from the sweets/anything really processed. It's hard and I just started. One of my friends just came in my office and said mmmmm that watermelon looks good and I said it's not better than peanut butter snickers. LOL!! But those damn peanut butter snickers put this dag on weight on me so I have to stay away. So, I'm trying to bring in more fruit and veggies into my life and if that doesn't kick the craving then I will look into a healthier option of junkfood. Possibly, fiber one brownies or low calorie chips. You can do this chica!! Just know we are going through it with you. :)
  • onefitsurvivor
    onefitsurvivor Posts: 108 Member
    Mashed banana with cinnamon on rye toast gives me my banana bread fix. I stew apples in sprite zero, add splenda and cinnamon and eat it on toast, apple pie fix. Stew strawberries in balsamic vinegar, splenda and a pinch of pepper on toast, my strawberry jam fix. Those are what usually helps me!

    Love this!
  • dorthymcconnel
    dorthymcconnel Posts: 237 Member
    I find it better to give in to my cravings, but stay within my calorie goals and practice moderation. I eat chocolate and ice cream on about a daily basis. Just a bite or two will usually satisfy a craving, then go on about your life.

    Substitutions won't satisfy you for long.

    This, in a nutshell. Although I will say if its going to cause a binge, don't keep it in the house. At the very least, have someone else hide it. Out of sight, out of mind works for me. Knowing I can have something like chocolate when I want it reduces the cravings a bit for me. The minis work well, or if I want something salty like potato chips, I get either the one serving bags or I consciously pull out one serving and put the rest away. Otherwise the bag will be gone and I won't be happy. Another tip, when you enjoy your sweet, do it away from the tv, computer, or other distraction. Pay attention to what you are eating. You will enjoy it more and may eat less. It works for me. :smile:
  • shafikes
    shafikes Posts: 52 Member
    Having the same problems...I love junk food. I have been leaving enough calories in my diet to have those things but lately I have been feeling hungry all the time. I didn't realize trying to teach myself to eat different would be so hard:(

    Thanks for all the good suggestions. I am going to try some of them:)
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Sugar addict here ....... I give into my sugar cravings, but in a controlled manner. I too want to lose 15 pounds and can't see going sugar free .... for life.

    I cut back on sugar where I can .... where it's easiest (breakfast cereal for example) .... because I want to "save" my sugar for something I crave ... like a piece of Ghiradelli chocolate. I never thought I'd say this but dark chocolate satisfies more than milk chocolate (it must be an acquired thing). I like that the chocolate comes in a wrapped small serving. OK - total junk food, but Blue Bunny has 140 calorie triple chocolate mini cones .... this satisfies chocolate AND ice cream.
  • Majorette2015
    Majorette2015 Posts: 13
    Wow!! Thanks for all the feedback! Love reading the advice and tips, you are all awesome! To the user who suggested skinny cow- DELICIOUS!!
  • baileyaad
    baileyaad Posts: 19
    I love junk food (especially ice cream and chocolate). I'm trying to remember to log it before I eat it to make sure I can fit it in my day... that's a lot easier than dealing with the guilt afterwards while trying to burn as many calories as possible.
  • Majorette2015
    Majorette2015 Posts: 13
    I have a serious junk food addiction too. I put on 15 pounds just because of it. It's so easy to put but takes forever to take it off. Right now I'm just trying to stay away from the sweets/anything really processed. It's hard and I just started. One of my friends just came in my office and said mmmmm that watermelon looks good and I said it's not better than peanut butter snickers. LOL!! But those damn peanut butter snickers put this dag on weight on me so I have to stay away. So, I'm trying to bring in more fruit and veggies into my life and if that doesn't kick the craving then I will look into a healthier option of junkfood. Possibly, fiber one brownies or low calorie chips. You can do this chica!! Just know we are going through it with you. :)

    Thank you so much for the support! I love fiber one brownies, they also come in a lemon bar type snack as well! Delicious!!

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