How long till the fast food cravings leave?

everyone has their trigger foods. i think it takes a good 6-8 weeks to change habbits once you notice a change in your body, it will be a big motivater for you not to want those things. it takes time to change life-long habbits, but you can do it!

I was a fast food junkie for over 20 years. Now because of health issues I have to really watch my fat and sodium. The first two weeks was the hardest for me - all I could think about was getting some fast food. It doesn't help that there are several fast food places right across the street from my house - LOL. After a month I didn't think about it that much and now it's been a year since I changed my lifestyle and I don't think about it at all. I have to confess to occasionally getting a small order of fries at McDonalds but like the previous poster said I fit it into my calories for that day. I can't eat that level of sodium and fat every day so it is an occasional treat - maybe every few months. Good luck to you - it was a difficult habit for me to change but you can do it.

It took about a month before I really lost a taste for fast food. I just kept thinking about how many calories I would save by making a healthier choice and I was committed to not breaking my resolve. That being said, I basically cut out all fast food when, after about 6 months of healthier eating, I decided to indulge in a quarter pounder with cheese and fries. My stomach immediately felt the effects of all the grease and I was miserable the rest of the day. Even the following day I felt bloated. It was not pretty. After that I decided it wasn't worth it.

I just keep telling myself that I will have another chance to eat the grease. Sometimes I decided if I'd rather have a great hamburger later or a crappy one from a ff joint now. Usually I choose the great one from a favorite restaurant, then it's more of a treat and I really have to want it.

Exactly this.

It doesn't have to be black/white OP. You don't have to swear off fast food for the rest of your life.

everyone has their trigger foods. i think it takes a good 6-8 weeks to change habbits once you notice a change in your body, it will be a big motivater for you not to want those things. it takes time to change life-long habbits, but you can do it!

^this. The change is addicting

When I craved salty/greasy foods I would have someone else portion a small amount for me. I would usually have my mom get it for me :blushing: She would bring me a portioned serving size of Lay's potato chips, usually. Then I ate it. Then I evaluated how I felt afterwards and wrote it down in a journal. Thus far, I have written that I don't feel satisfied when I eat things like that and sometimes I even get nauseous. Now, when I have the cravings, I look back in the journal at each time I ate those types of foods and ask myself if feeling those things again is REALLY worth it . Generally, it's not and I decide to have half an apple or some celery.


Crunchy foods make me feel more satisfied for some reason.

Very smart of you, journaling the experience and reading your journal later INSTEAD of eating foods your craved is BRILLIANT! Way to go and thanks for the inspiration.

It was tough for me the first few weeks so I steered clear completely, now about once a month I'll have some fast food as a treat... I scoured the company web sites to find the best deal for the calories and for me it is a Burger King Whopper Junior (no cheese, but the mayo is my vice) and a small order of fries (about 680 but obviously eliminating the mayo would help, I know). It can be fit into my calorie day if I've planned ahead. I eat really slowly and enjoy the heck out of every bit, and it's so filling I can take it easy at the other two meals that day and not fee deprived. Or possibly either eliminate a snack somewhere in there, or I'll add an extra lap around the park when walking the dogs, etc. to make a bit of that back. That ind of thing.

Like i said it's maybe once a month if that. And I have noticed that while it's good going down, it does taste very extra heavy and rich to me now. I cannot imagine eating a full-size Whopper now!

This coming from the girl who (I am mortified to admit) used to quite regularly hit the drive thru when Whoppers were like 2 for $4, and have them both gone within an hour. If I tried that now, I feel I would probably get sick and pass out before I got through. :embarassed:

My point is, the cravings will ease, even if they never do go away, they will get better. And you'll be able to work it back into your life. Just hang in there! :flowerforyou:

It took me about a month to get over the cravings. I still crave that stuff every now and then, but it's not every single day like it was, and it's easy to say no now (most days). On the days that it's not, I enjoy without going overboard, which is something I never could have done before.

I too am in the same boat. I went to a holistic nutritionist. I got a nutritional analysis done. she made me track all my food that went into my mouth for one week . She figured I wasn't getting enough protein. I also was snacking too much. she suggested I eat 3 meals a day. and make sure that I get enough protein at each meal. she also suggest not to eat after 7 p.m. For me. I followed her instructions and could hardly believe it. No more cravings. Now it's just the psychological ones , Watching my husband chew chew chew while watching TV
:-)
Suzanne

In my experience, the cravings never go away. However, it is possible to avoid fast food forever. At least with me, I had to find reasonable alternatives to fast food such as fish and vegetables.

While it is not easy to avoid fast food, it is possible. For the past 2.5 years, I had to make it possible. It has been either stay away from fast food or die.

i find that the more i keep myself occupied, the less i think about my cravings. it worked with smoking. and little by little, i wanted to work out more than i wanted to smoke. like cigarettes, fast food will limit your progress.

but depending what kind of fast food you like, you can make your own. i know i prefer my own homemade burgers and fries to fast food.