Drive Thru fast Food Addiction

I don't see a problem with fast food. I still eat it and lose fine mind I tend to avoid the breakfast potatoes preferring the options that have apples or something but that's just my personal preference.

There is a bit of psychology I want to discuss about this. Yes I know you can go through the drive thru and get salads or coffee, but this is not about those people.

Does anyone else suffer from drive thru fast food addiction? Or better yet, an "instant hot food" addiction. Here I am, trying to lose weight, and justifying my Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich I just gobbled down from Jack in the Box because it was 520 calories, and I still have 1280 calories for the rest of the day.

But I think there is something more important at work here. Yes, a calories is a calorie and it has been debated here ad nauseam. However, there are also habits to consider. For instance, I try to stay away from sugar because the sweetness of it, especially when cooking things like teriyaki, makes me even more hungry.

Is the habit of going through the drive thru all my life going to be something that holds me back? Today might be a very good day calories wise, but I have slipped in the past, and binged at the drive thru. So even though going today might not have an effect on the bottom line, does it set me up for failure later on, because today I just reinforced this "habit"?

I think you're asking a great question.

Here is my current opinion.

So at the surface you already know that as long as you can maintain a continual energy deficit you will be able to continue to lose weight. It would be pretty easy to just answer "Yeah you'll be fine just stay in a calorie deficit". And that could be correct but it doesn't address the habits.

I wouldn't say that today's visit to the drive-through is going to set you back. I would say that it's probably in your best interest to limit trips to the drive through if you believe the drive through is a likely place for you to binge-eat. Note: I am not suggesting that you have to give up fast food entirely.

The other thing I'd probably pay very close attention to, are your hunger/satiety signals so that you can evaluate whether or not the items you are ordering are keeping you full, vs satisfying some other need.

I think a huge part of weight loss is the psychology behind it... especially for those of us with food issues. I do think that hitting up the drive-thru on a regular basis could potentially sabotage your weight loss; as you've said this morning wasn't so bad but that could easily turn into a 1000+ calorie binge. I know a lot of people on MFP preach "eat everything in moderation" but I know for me that there are certain things I can't moderate. I wouldn't order a pizza saying "I'll just eat one slice" because I know that specific food has classically triggered overeating for me. So I am avoiding pizza. For the rest of my life, no. But until I feel strong enough with my habit changes to not worry so much about eating a slice.

Also, fast and processed food is generally engineered to light up your pleasure zones that trigger overeating. I just finished the book Salt, Sugar, Fat by Michael Moss and it was really eye-opening in terms of how food manufacturers manipulate our self-control.

I'm not saying you should avoid drive-thrus for the rest of your life, but avoiding them for a defined period of time could be a good thing. Good luck!

I do believe fast food can be addicting. I bought many a mcchicken when I wasn't hungry in the least. I just wanted to have a party in my mouth. I am *not* saying this is true for everyone, but for me, the more I eat fast food, the more I want it. Maybe they scientifically study some people and their taste buds (ie, they have a good balance of fats and sugar that keep me going back for more). Maybe it's something in my genetics that not everyone has. But fast food is addicting for me and that's why I don't go anymore. I know there are healthier options at most fast food places and I know sometimes people use it for time & schedule purposes-but for me personally, it will lead to more consumption. I just think everyone is different in this area.

Some people don't change their habits. They just adjust their portions. It works for them.

My advice is to quit the fast food. Go cold turkey. Just stop that. It's not the hardest habit to break.

Eating at home is less tragic than it will seem the first week.

Here's the issue as I see it. I'm not into clean eating and I'm one of the biggest calories in vs calories out people you'll ever meet. This being said, I would NEVER make it a REGULAR practice to devote 30% of my daily calories to 1 breakfast sandwich, especially one that had such a high amount of fat relative to it's protein content (27.5F vs 36.4P). I do eat fast food on occasion but it generally has a much better protein to fat ratio. Are you only counting calories? If so I'd suggest you also count macro nutrients. This helps because it makes it not impossible, but much harder to have a successful day while eating a sandwich like that. Also you must ensure that you get in enough micronutrient rich food and fiber to be healthy. Eating away 30% of your calories on a sandwich makes that harder (not impossible). Satiety would also be a concern. How filling was that sandwich for you? Satiety is largely personal but I know for myself that I'd be hungry almost immediately after eating it. Given the choice I'd sooner make myself a large omelette with cheese and a side of oatmeal for the same calories. I just plugged the numbers of a 2 whole egg, 8 egg white omelette, with 1oz cheddar cheese, spinach, and peppers, plus a full serving of oatmeal. It's almost exactly the same calories (577) With 20 fat and 55 grams of protein. While I'll concede the ultimate breakfast sandwich probably tastes better, I feel most people would find the massive omelette and bowl of oats much more filling.

To me calorie counting is a game of how full can I get off of how many calories I have. I've been ex-obese for a few years now and my appetite has yet to make the change. I'm still just as hungry as I always was and learning to make the most out of my calories has been crucial. At the end of the day, calories in vs calories out still wins 100% of the time, but you have complete control over the calories in side of the equation. Can you lose weight eating lots of fast food? Sure can. Can you make it easier on yourself by eating more micronutrient rich, filling, food, I think so!

I found the plus side to skipping the fast food joints is the money I save. Even ordering off the dollar menu is more expensive than bringing my lunch to work. And if I do decide to hit the golden arches (or any of their competitors), I check the calories carefully before I order.

I have had to stop eating fast food completely because even though I might stay under my calories, some days I just order too much and eat it all. But the biggest issue to me was that I would eat a fast food meal for lunch and be STARVING within a few hours and want to eat more! I have learned what works for me (more protein keeps me full longer) as well as avoiding any trigger food for bad eating habits. But I agree with other posters- if you manage your portions or change what you eat at fast food restaurants I think it is fine. But if it causes you to be tempted too much, then steer clear. Have some foods at home you really enjoy to snack on while you make dinner so the appeal of instant and hot is tempered a bit. I use fruits/100 cal greek yogurt for those times (I have a strong sweet tooth), but pick something you really enjoy and it will still feel like a treat But just my two cents. Good luck!

Wombat,

We are similar. I can have a "modest" sandwich at a drive thru and my cravings are turned on all day. It might play more into more than calorie in and calorie out, if you are having similar issues.

I limit fast food, and actually try to avoid. The only way I've done this with any consistency is to plan and pack all my foods for the day, and have a sensible option to cook or eat at home. If I wait until I'm hungry, the ADD 6 year old in me is likely to have sway, and he doesn't make good choices.

I also think there is an element in design in these fast foods that drives our cravings. Many of these foods are designed in lab to cause us to hit what the developers literally call the "bliss point" when we eat them. Not my opinion, they actually call it this. They are meant to keep us addicted and craving.

I generally don't eat fast food for a lot of reasons...mostly because I don't like it! And I'm a pescetarian, so fish is usually fried (I don't like that) or the salads are super crappy with flavorless cheap lettuce.

That said, I do think that some foods may trigger other cravings. It seems to work that way for me.

If I eat Skittles, even if the serving fits into my macros, I crave other sugar and carbohydrates. If I drink diet soda - and it may just be that I associate fizzy drinks with junk foods - I will crave potato chips or other salty snacks that I prefer to avoid.

I think it's great that you're evaluating your food choices and not just calories!

Sounds like me. I live in the middle of no where, so fast food really isn't the culprit. But if I happen to buy a bag of chocolates, or basically any type of potato chip...I tend to go overboard. I stick to buying a single serving every once in a while as a treat. So while you might be able to lose weight having these things in your diet, they may trigger binges (like mine) and you end up sabotaging yourself. I say if you can PLAN a little fast food splurge every once and a while and stick to this, then you should be fine!

It is not nor will ever be an addiction. People over use the term addiction as a means to excuse themselves from taking responsibility and to feel better about themselves. At the most it's a habit albeit deeply entrenched one. Nothing will ever set you up for failure unless you believe it, please don't.

Changing a habit is hard and despite being in agreement with the IIFYM/flexible dieting crowd at this stage in developing a doable lifestyle for myself, I have no doubt that jumping on the all healthy foods eating kick when I first started the weight loss journey helped a great deal. It allowed me to add back in slowly plus I didn't feel guilty when having family get togethers.

If you have an interest in learning more about habits and how to change might I suggest reading The Power of Habit: Why We do What We Do in Life and Business - Charles Duhigg. Thoroughly enjoyed this book and try to come back to using a feedback loop to check some of my less desirable habits.

And if I do decide to hit the golden arches (or any of their competitors), I check the calories carefully before I order.

This helps me a lot actually. I do the same thing in an attempt to plan my day but it often just makes me change my mind.. seeing how depressingly many calories are in even a small burger that I know I can plow through in 4-5 bites keeps me from ordering it. Most of the time...