wanting junk food but I want to stop

No such thing as junk food. Eat whatever you want as long as you make room for it in your calorie budget. For example, if I want to have a brownie after dinner, and it's only noon, I just take a long walk for lunch so I have more calories I can eat later.

chocolatecoveredkatie.com

This is a great resource!

Some people are able to budget for it and use moderation. I am not one of those people. For me, the key has been replacing junk food with healthier alternatives and thinking in terms of health rather than weight loss. I also plan days in advance, so I know exactly what I need to prepare and what needs to be bought from the store. That way, I don't come home from work and think I want pizza or a burrito, etc. I don't even give myself that option. I know EXACTLY what needs to be prepared and that is what I eat.

If you're eating out of boredom, then that's a bit different. (That's also an issue for me.) If I know that I'm not actually hungry, then herbal tea is a great alternative if I'm craving sweets. My other "rule" is that I always eat what I've planned first. If it's the middle of the afternoon and I'm craving a cupcake, then I'll eat my apple (or whatever) that I planned first. More often than not, I no longer want that cupcake.

Ultimately, replacing foods with healthier alternatives is what has worked best for me. People preach on here all the time about not depriving yourself or not labeling foods as good vs. bad, but some of those things are just not food. If I eat healthier alternatives, then I *feel* better, which makes me want to make healthier choices, and I eat less for emotional reasons.

How do you control your desire to eat junk ? When I get bored I just want to eat like candy or sometimes I want an ice latte, how do I spot these cravings ?

I look in the mirror and decide which I want more - to like what I see in that mirror, or to have the junk.

THIS

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You might want to try cutting out the junk for a week or two to detox (or whatever you want to call it).......just to get off the roller coaster that sugar and fat puts cravings on. Then....add them back slowly.

I find that low-fat or the sugar-free substitutes aren't fulfilling to me....so I make the base of my foods veggies and fruits...and fit in things that I really want around that. Today I saw this 500 calorie cheesey deliciousness bun thing...and I wanted it...so I ate it. And now, I will eat things to keep me in budget for today (mostly plant based). I had an amazing micro-brew last night...and balanced that with a taco salad for dinner.

You need to find what works for you. You can still have treats...often even...but you need to make everything else work around it.

Good luck

For me, it's interesting because the more I allow myself to eat sweet or salty or fatty food, always within my calorie goal, the less I find myself wanting it. I eat so few sweets these days.

For example, at a family party yesterday, I knew there would be cake and I made sure my calories would allow a small piece. It was the white cake with the creamy frosting from the market (Safeway or Costco, I think), and I made sure I got just a sliver.

Well, because I don't eat sweets that often anymore, my body felt horrible after eating that small piece of cake. Horrible sugar aftertaste, tummy not feeling very well, and just icky feeling. There was nothing bad about the cake, it's just that my body didn't like it. I guess I might pass on the cake at the family birthday party on Thursday.

I allow myself treats every day though. My favorite is no (processed) sugar added So Delicious cocoanut Frozen Diary Desert. Sometimes I put a half serving of cashews on top. Tonight I created a recipe of homemade chocolate syrup (1 tsp Hershey's unsweetened cocoa, 1 tsp Agave nectar, 1.4 c. hot unsweetened cocoanut milk, whip until everything is blended).

Just allow yourself the treats but make sure it fits into your calorie allowance.