Fast Food Addiction

I... just... can't...

Just don't go.

You have to make a conscious decision to eat something. You're putting yourself into financial hardship by doing this as well - that's more than enough reason to stop and think about the decision.

You're also not addicted... trust me. You've replaced cigarettes with fast food as a coping mechanism, but you are in no way addicted. Good luck OP.

i suppose you could pack your lunch and leave all cash/credit cards at home before leaving for the day

You replaced nicotine addiction with fast food addiction

Now replace fast food addiction with healthy food addiction.


BOOM!

Friends or family that can give you a hand to help you buy some stuff?

Go to a Pricesmart (or similar) and buy ready to eat grains, fruit cups, cereal, etc. Those are things that won't spoil as easily.

Find a cafe or cafeteria you can get smarter options (yogurt, fruit cups, whole meals).

It won't be easy since your tastebuds will need to feel the taste of fat/salt/sugar so cravings will be really bad.

But yeah, fast food is killing you and your budget.

i suppose you could pack your lunch and leave all cash/credit cards at home before leaving for the day

This. I don't take my wallet or purse to work with me. I pack my lunch, leave all money at home and then I have no choice but to eat what I pack.

Saying "Try to do that or not to do that" will not help. It seems like some kind of addiction (like sugar, coffee and etc.). I just recommend to try Paul Mckenna and his stuff. About 80 percents of people helped his videos and self hypnosis. I had enormous craving for ice cream and sugar, I tried "I Can Make You Thin" (I am not sure this is exact title) video sessions. I can not say, that I definitely do not eat sugar now, but somehow I felt more power to chose what I put in my stomach. Google about him and about videos. You can download all his material.

I haven't dealt with this but I tried to put myself in your shoes and came up with some ideas as to how I would handle being in this situation.

1) A lot of people are probably going to tell you this is all about willpower. And in a way it kind of is (I know that doesn't make overcoming this any easier at the moment though). You've acknowledged this isn't good for you and are looking for help to make a change. For that you should be proud!

2) Maybe start out by slowly cutting back? Create a budget and tell yourself you will only spend $15 a week on fast food and the rest you normally spend could be spent on groceries. Or tell yourself you are only allowed to eat out once a day and tehn from there once every other day etc.

3) I looked into your profile and saw that you are big into gaming and really studious. Maybe you could take 30mins each day from gaming and put it into researching the foods.places you eat at. Find out what options you no longer want to eat and what options aren't so bad. Moderation is a big thing I've read about in MFP. If its something you really like you shouldn't have to cut it entirely from your diet. The more informed youa re though the better you can be at making decisions. Watching FOod Inc. made me really think about the foods I was eating, I even went vegetarian because of it. Not saying you should scare yourself into change but really knowing what you are putting in your body might help.

4) Take another half an hour to plan and prepare/pack your meals for the next day

5) I know its hard to break habits. I used to eat a lot of things that were less beneficial for my diet because I didn't really know what foods I would like, what/how to cook, and because I always labeled foods as healthy or unhealthy. I think I always just thought unhealthy foods were privileges and would as a result taste better. There are a lot of foods that I have added to my daily intake that I am glad I tried and there are also many foods I no longer eat, not because I think they are unhealthy but because I have found so many other more nutritious things that I would rather eat

6) As a college student myself I know it can be hard to cook for one and that convenience is really important. For convenience I reiterate what I said before (Plan and prepare.pack in advance). You may also want to ask your friends if they'd be interested n preparing and having weekly meals together. Everyone brings a part (Taco shells, meat, veggies, etc) and everyone gets a decent meal

7) They may have support groups for this, I'm pretty sure they have them for people who identify as overeaters

Lastly here's a link I found Yay WIkipedia http://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-an-Addiction-to-Fast-Food

If you really do have an addiction problem (and I have no idea if you do), you won't solve it here. People with real addiction problems can engage in "symptom substitution" - basically replacing one addictive substance or behavior for another. Only you can tell if this is just a bad habit or an uncontrollable craving. If you suspect it's the latter, you may want to talk to an addiction counselor.

research whats in it....
*shudders* 10 times a week? do you even have food in your house? even 'healthy alternatives' from fast food are crap. m Mcdonalds bread has the same chemicals as a yoga mat. their french fries have 14+ ingredients- all chemicals. watch Fat sick and nearly dead on netflix and other documentaries. You overcome one addiction, replacing it with fast food (in my opinion) is WORSE then smoking cigs haha. I quit eating out and eat organic & natural (usually one ingredient pure foods) but still smoke. The answer is simple, just don't allow yourself to pull into a fast food place. as an adult you are responsible for your actions, you had enough will power to quit smoking, now identify your problem here and fix it. take control of your own life and make alternatives to fast food.

track your foods before you eat if you have to go out. I would probably read all the ingredients first too so it would sicken me enough that I wouldn't want it anymore.

Saying "Try to do that or not to do that" will not help. It seems like some kind of addiction (like sugar, coffee and etc.). I just recommend to try Paul Mckenna and his stuff. About 80 percents of people helped his videos and self hypnosis. I had enormous craving for ice cream and sugar, I tried "I Can Make You Thin" (I am not sure this is exact title) video sessions. I can not say, that I definitely do not eat sugar now, but somehow I felt more power to chose what I put in my stomach. Google about him and about videos. You can download all his material.

First post on this website advertising a product...seems legit.

Thanks everyone, at least the positive people. It's hard when you juggle work, publishing research, teaching two classes, and going to school at the same time, all while trying to maintain a life at home. When your schedule is literally booked from 7am to 8pm Monday through Friday, while devoting almost all weekend to readings, I guess it's easy to let things slip. Summers are always tough because it's when my academic career path really catches up with me. I think the problem is really overworking myself, and maybe the weekends are a good place to start meal prepping. I really hate the idea, but maybe it will help.

I really like the idea of just leaving money at home. I think I will start that. Anything to change up the routine. The upcoming transition to grad school has really made my life a lot less functional, so fixing the problem now is what I need to do.

I know what it's like transitioning to grad school; currently a student myself. If you start bringing your food, put that loan money to good use (I'm an extreme couponer, so I stock up on healthy foods for next to nothing!), and get into a habit of better choices to fuel you through those 13hr days, you can make some huge changes.

Meal prepping is an awesome tool, and I'd definitely recommend it. About to go do it myself! Now that's good fast food to grab during the week. If you want some recipe ideas, shoot me a message!

Thanks everyone, at least the positive people. It's hard when you juggle work, publishing research, teaching two classes, and going to school at the same time, all while trying to maintain a life at home. When your schedule is literally booked from 7am to 8pm Monday through Friday, while devoting almost all weekend to readings, I guess it's easy to let things slip. Summers are always tough because it's when my academic career path really catches up with me. I think the problem is really overworking myself, and maybe the weekends are a good place to start meal prepping. I really hate the idea, but maybe it will help.

I really like the idea of just leaving money at home. I think I will start that. Anything to change up the routine. The upcoming transition to grad school has really made my life a lot less functional, so fixing the problem now is what I need to do.

I guess I'm not surprised that there would be *kitten* on top of nice people, but goodness. Things that put people down don't help, and do nothing. Were you not ever once struggling against something that felt impossible? It's not like I'm a newbie at this, I just have a problem I haven't been able to deal with on my own. I did Muay Thai, ran 60+ miles a week, and still strength train. I broke both ankles while trail running, and let me tell you, it's hard to pick up healthy habits when you're stuck like that, and with recurring bone edema due to an old fracture, it's pretty easy to beat yourself up. Don't judge people before you actually know them.

Thanks again everyone who was kind in their advice.

You know what the problem is? You.

You're looking for every single excuse possible. Quit doing that, and you'll have success