How long did it take you to stop craving junk food ?

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  • daniflems
    daniflems Posts: 69 Member
    I've never stopped wanting it, but that's because I never cut it out of my diet. It's interesting, though, because there have been changes. My family eats at a particularly greasy and high calorie restaurant at least once, sometimes twice a week. I haven't eaten there in five weeks. Although I want a fry, I'm now ok to just sit with them as they stuff down burgers and ribs, while I eat tuna salad or something. Of course, they also get pieces of chocolate cake and eat those in front of me, too. =( That's the hardest part.

    In general though, when people aren't eating delicious greasy foods in front of me, I don't feel like I have to have them.

    I totally agree with you about people eating foods in front of me! It makes it soooo much harder to not cave in and eat them as well...although i find it to be much easier now than it was before. In truth it is just another excuse to give into eating bad foods. Even though it is hard at times, we are the only ones who can control what we put in our mouths!! As simple as it sounds thats all there is to it.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    I still crave chocolate. I will always crave chocolate, and I don't plan to give it up. The idea of carrot cake is still very pleasing to me. :)

    Things I don't crave anymore: greasy food, chips, pizza, pasta (low-quality carbs, basically)

    Took me a few months of cutting those things out of my diet 99.5% to stop craving them almost entirely. I used to be able to eat like 3/4ths of a box of pasta (gross). I will still eat a burger or pasta every once in a while, maybe every couple of months, but since they're not a part of my regular diet, my body just doesn't really consider them necessary food anymore.

    If you really want to stop craving something, you have to make the commitment to eliminating it entirely. As SoDamnHungry says, if you don't cut it out of your diet then you will continue wanting it. If you know that 30% of your diet is not good for you, then you have some big changes ahead... Rewarding yourself with food is not going to help you with the problem of being controlled by food cravings.
  • montana_girl
    montana_girl Posts: 1,403 Member
    After losing 116 pounds, I still have occasional junk food cravings. The difference is now I make sure it's a true craving by telling myself I can have it, but I have to wait until my run day when I have more calories to eat whatever it is. And usually by the time the day comes around, I don't want it anymore. But if I do, then I know it's a true craving and I go for it, in moderation of course! :happy:
  • rachalach1
    rachalach1 Posts: 3
    being a vegetarian, i don't crave the burger, but the fries yes! right now i'm reading "Breaking the Food Seduction" by Dr. Neal Barnard. it teaches you 7 steps on killing those cravings! i love it!! i'm recommending it to anyone who needs help. i know i need to stop craving sugar! i love my chocolate!
  • OnWisconsin84
    OnWisconsin84 Posts: 409 Member
    It stops as soon as I get a burger, a small fry and a soda. I still indulge in all my favorites, I just don't order it in the old quantities. Pretty simple.

    ^^^ This. I still enjoy ice cream, regularly. Often times, I go straight to Cold Stone or Red Mango directly after the gym. No guilt here. I earned that $h!t. In the past I'd restrict myself of junk food completely which led to bingeing on those 'naughty' foods later. I don't exactly crave 'junk' food now, but I know that I can easily work in a dish of ice cream, burger or greasy breakfast on occasion without blowing everything. If you're going into it as a lifestyle change, as opposed to a diet, it's easier to find ways to work in your faves without the guilt.
  • mandycasey
    mandycasey Posts: 274 Member
    Never, been at this over a year and i still crave junk food all the time, i try and stick to having little treats at weekends and takeaways/ fastfood maybe once every few months. i will never be able to give it up completly - and as long as its only now and then i can't see it a problem. xx
  • x__abbi__x
    x__abbi__x Posts: 97 Member
    I've been doing this a week and i'm no longer craving crisps or huge bars of chocolate, however I will help myself to the occasional square of chocolate (all things in moderation right)
    And if I fancy a pizza (pizza hut is my fav place) I will get a lower calorie one from a supermarket, that way im still enjoying the food but not consuming ridiculous amounts of fat and grease. I've found it helps as im not refusing my body what I want, i'm just finding the healthier option
    Of course I still love my fruit and do try to eat good 99% of the time but at least I know I can indulge without feeling to guilty if I want
    :) xx
  • Saruman_w
    Saruman_w Posts: 1,531 Member
    I can't even remember really... the very first few weeks I started I kept finding myself eating junk every once and awhile. But I managed to get back on the wagon and keep pushing along. Eventually the frequency of me wanting to eat the stuff started to slowly decrease. Finally I no longer desire the stuff and can resist it if I don't need it.
  • AvonLucyR
    AvonLucyR Posts: 124 Member
    In high school I went an entire year with no junk food, sugar, processed foods, and never lost the craving. After about a month here, I must say I am very aware of what is going in my mouth. If I do eat something I shouldn't, I eat MUCH less to keep the calories down. I am able to resist temptations now. (Not that a shake doesn't sound good right now, but I wouldn't waste the calories. Good luck! It does get easier!! :bigsmile:
  • JoolieW68
    JoolieW68 Posts: 1,879 Member
    Been at this 18 months and it hasn't happened yet.

    I would LOVE to go have a McDonald's Big Mac with fries....the difference now, though, is that I know what it would do to my stomach that's not used to eating like that and I'd be sick for hours and hours. So my brain says "Um, don't do that".
  • drmattski
    drmattski Posts: 124 Member
    It took about 15 days to stop "Craving" the junk (cookies, candy). However, I still want to eat too much, but my body is better at telling me when I am FULL. Portion control was probably my biggest challenge (no more large pizzas at one sitting!). I still have a burger (lean Angus made at home), but no fries. I still have dark chocolate, but only one ounce. I still have lots of snacks, but mainly fruit.

    I used to eat junk all th etime when I was younger, fortunately my wife is ahealthy eeater, so we don't have much in the house.

    Cheers,
    Matt
  • drmattski
    drmattski Posts: 124 Member
    @Juwaack68
    Been at this 18 months and it hasn't happened yet.

    I would LOVE to go have a McDonald's Big Mac with fries....the difference now, though, is that I know what it would do to my stomach that's not used to eating like that and I'd be sick for hours and hours. So my brain says "Um, don't do that".

    I hear you - when I have something fatty now it justs sits at the bottom of my stomach like a lead balloon
  • dlwyatt82
    dlwyatt82 Posts: 1,077 Member
    @Juwaack68
    Been at this 18 months and it hasn't happened yet.

    I would LOVE to go have a McDonald's Big Mac with fries....the difference now, though, is that I know what it would do to my stomach that's not used to eating like that and I'd be sick for hours and hours. So my brain says "Um, don't do that".

    I hear you - when I have something fatty now it justs sits at the bottom of my stomach like a lead balloon

    mmm... Delicious, delicious lead balloon. :laugh:
  • Premadonna22
    Premadonna22 Posts: 2 Member
    It took approximately 1 week for my cravings for junk food to dissapate. On my "cheat day" I had a brownie square and it tasted like poision!!! Going forward, I will choose my cheat snack/meal more wisely.
  • LosingItForGood13
    LosingItForGood13 Posts: 182 Member
    after tracking for over 259 days the cravings are still there but I have better control of them now I think before I put anything in my mouth now I am obsessed with reading labels but After 6 months I included a cheat day once a week and that has been helping me along the way
  • SugaryLynx
    SugaryLynx Posts: 2,640 Member
    Never gave it up
  • downwardtrenz
    downwardtrenz Posts: 14 Member
    I do find that if I stay away from processed sugar that I crave it less, but that one cookie, one piece of chocolate - starts the cycle all over again. It truly is easier to have none than to have one and stop. That's my experience.

    Other 'junk' food, i.e. burgers, fries, chips etc...I just find that I feel yucky the next day and that feeling isn't worth it. Not to say I never indulge, because I do, but I am much more aware of how those kinds of foods affect me now.
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