how to fight lifetime junk food addiction

namelesshere · February 2015

It is hard breaking the habit of sweets. I have started to make sure I know the caloric count before I eat. Then I need to know how much exercise it will take to counter act that. I would love to say I jump on the tread until I have the calories worked out before I eat the treat but rarely does that happen. Still, I make sure I log so I can see why the weight didn't come off that week. Can I eat a smaller serving and be satisfied? I love Blizzards but have gone from ordering the large to ordering the small. Still too many calories on a regular basis so I now limit them to a treat on days the temps reach 90 or above(rarely for our area). Most times I don't get them because I don't want to stand in line on those hot days. The truth is you are going to find a way to work minimal treats into your daily life because they make life worth living.

trainmanup · February 2015

Routine. I am the same way, and the only way I can usually begin a diet is by pre-planning my meals everyday and not allowing deviation from those plans for the first few weeks.

Jolinia · February 2015

You may not like this and I'm not saying it's easy to do, but I had to start eating home cooked fresh meat and produce and cut out everything else until I started to crave the taste of the foods I wanted to eat for my health. Not saying you can never have DQ again, but for awhile maybe you should focus on teaching yourself to enjoy the foods that will give you energy, health, and maybe longer life. Cooking is a challenge, too, if you never have. Do you have someone close to you who can help you learn?

deannamarie · February 2015

So many great tips! Planning is such a huge part of staying on track

CooCooPuff · February 2015

levitateme wrote: »

I wanted the pumpkin pie blizzard when it first came out, but the tiniest one was something ridiculous like 600 calories. I like talenti as an indulgence because i can weigh it. It is is amazing.

I was planning a trip to dairy queen with my nieces and was planning on having a big ol blizzard. I remember the medium cookie dough being something like 1k and a small something like 700.

I still really want to find that new Ben and Jerry Jimmy Fallon ice cream though.

wizzybeth · February 2015

levitateme wrote: »

wizzybeth wrote: »

levitateme wrote: »

You really can't make room for a 900 calorie blizzard on a regular basis. OP will not benefit from all the "just fit it into your day" comments because the sentiment behind the advice is the essence of will-power.

This is true - but you can opt for a smaller serving size, right? Every so often I want ice cream and instead of buying an entire container, I go to McDonald's and get a plain sundae in a cup. I enjoy it just as much. I get mad when they tell me their ice cream machine is down. They have no idea how much I wanted it right then. LOL

I really wanted the pumpkin pie blizzard when it first came out, but the tiniest one was something ridiculous like 600 calories. I like talenti as an indulgence because i can weigh it. It is also amazing.

eta: but everything we are discussing pertains to willpower, which the OP thinks is not possible for her. Just my opinion, but when someone claims food "addiction" there's no real way to advise them other than "seek counseling."

Yeah...that's a bummer when they're still so big. It's not like you can eat half and save half for later either, because it just doesn't taste right (I tried saving a Frosty that way...fail.)

That's why I like Wendy's "Junior Frosties". When I was doing WW very strictly, I would treat myself 1x a week after the meeting, if I lost weight, to a baby cone at the soft serve place.

But Dairy Queen and the like do not care about people wanting to watch their weight, all they care about is $$$$$. Though they could make a killing on "baby size" portions - they could charge more money and increase their profit margin significantly...lol

I used to tell myself I had no will power either. I really did. I would give up on ANYTHING if it became too challenging. Riding my bike? Not if I had to go uphill even a little. Walking briskly with the dog? Only till I got out of breath a little, then I had to rest. Give up junk food? Well maybe for a day or two but then, oh noes, I need the sugars! I needed it! I was addicted!!!

But in actuality, I was a wimp when it came to exercise. I knew this. I spent $600 on a bike to force myself to USE it. And I did. Did I make it up all the hills the first time I went out? No. I told myself "Just this far, just make it this far" (like to a certain landmark like a pole or signpost." Then the next time I would say "You made it there yesterday, do it again. Now go a little beyond it..." I didn't try to conquer the whole thing at once but cajoled myself into it.

I approached my eating with a different mindset. I told myself I could have it as a reward if I first took proper care of my body nutritionally.

This is an ongoing battle. It's something I had to constantly keep on - maybe someday it will be a new habit. But I have a different idea of self control. To me it's not "total denial" but rather ... 'You can, but only if...."

That worked with my kids too. I could say "No" to something, or I could say "Yes, but only if you do this for me first" Guess which was more effective?

SwankyTomato · February 2015

Here is my recommendation....

Buy a food scale if you have not already done so and start logging EVERYTHING you eat & drink. Do not worry about the "calorie count" for at least 2 weeks.

Weigh foods in grams, this is something that helps you "see" portion sizes.

Now you look at your logs and begin the "tweaking process".

Example...if you are eating fast food like McDonalds, skip the fries and the soda pop and just buy the burger.
Or if your willpower is very low that moment, order the kids "happy meal". The fry/soda serving is lower in calories than the "Big Mac Meal".

As far as Dairy Queen Blizzards, change your portion to a MINI or SMALL Blizzard or "take a break" from Dairy Queen. Change it to a mini/small blizzard once a week.

Not easy to make changes but you want to set yourself up for success. Changing HOW you order your food is a good stepping stone for the next level.

deksgrl · February 2015

Really, the only way to do it, is just do it. But, it isn't going to happen all at once or overnight. Baby steps to better habits. First thing I did was to ditch coke for unsweetened iced tea. Then it was ditch the french fries when I went to the drive through. Just by changing those two things, I lost a pound a week. (Wendy's large fries = 500 calories, Wendy's large coke = 320 calories usually 4-5 times a week. )

Here is some info that might be helpful:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10097870/the-really-blunt-list-of-things-to-consider-when-losing-weight

You have to find a way to make it work for you. Or you don't. The choice is yours.

ErikCory · February 2015

I wish you well!

As I read thru the very intelligent and helpful comments above, I really can offer nothing else, but I want you to know I think you got them because you opening post was soooo honest and well stated.

You have a high likelihood of success!

QueerAbuela · February 2015

I totally understand where you're coming from. I wasn't raised on healthy foods at all, I lived off of fast food, frozen pizzas, a constant supply of chocolate and pop, and pepperoni on white bread since I can remember. Now I don't even crave that stuff it honestly grosses me out. I still have one hell of a sweet tooth so I eat one square of very dark chocolate or the indulgent Greek yogurt when I want a treat instead of binging on whatever sweets I can get. It'll suck for a while I'm not gonna lie, but I really do believe in the whole your taste buds will change thing. Even the thought of raw vegetables used to make me sad, but now I love them!!
I know you said you didn't want to hear it, but really self control is the only way you're going to succeed.

eldamiano · February 2015

It is not an addiction. You are just not showing the mentality. You will get used to a lot of foods that you 'dont like' if you keep on trying them...

mikeski52 · February 2015

Don't know if you've tried it, but having a cheat day has always been very helpful for me. Being able to say "I'll have that on [insert planned cheat day here]" can make a huge difference.

Regarding ice cream cravings, as a fellow ice cream lover I've recently discovered protein fluff, which tastes like ice cream. Blend 2 cups of frozen berries (or 1-2 bananas) with a serving of whey protein powder and 1/4-1/3 cup of milk. You can run it afterward in an electric mixer for 4-5 minutes to whip some air into it and make it even more filling, but I prefer it without the whipping. Much healthier than any ice cream you'll be able to find, and IMO just as tasty.

Also, are you taking a daily multi-vitamin? I believe some cravings may be caused by one or more vitamin or mineral deficiencies.

akern1987 · February 2015

I'm totally in the same boat. I have a serious food addiction, particularly to sweets, and once I have a craving, I have to get it, otherwise it kind of consumes me. lol.
From the sounds of your story, it seems like you're really on the right track, you're working out like crazy (I just started working out too) and that will help a lot in the long run, so keep at it.
As far as the food, I think try to cut things gradually. Limit yourself to one awesomely bad thing a day, a week, whatever. Or maybe try getting a smaller size at first. I know the call of the milkshake well, and a small will satisfy that craving just as much as the regular size. Some places will even have a kids size (which looks about the size of shot glass), but it will do the trick.

Good luck (and keep logging, get that diary up to date lady!)

maillemaker · February 2015

Step 1: Log everything.

Step 2: Ignore everyone who does not understand food addiction.

Step 3: If certain foods trigger binge eating, avoid them. Your husband needs to be on board with this.

There are medications available now that can help with appetite control, such as phentermine, Topomax, (Qysmia).

SergeantSausage · February 2015

Slharrison14 wrote: »

I won't be able to check replies to this until later but I am writing this morning because I am so frustrated that the scale keeps going up despite working out at least an hour to an hour and a half five to six days a week. Yes I"m getting in very good shape as far as cardio and strength but stupid scale is not reflecting my hard work and I know it is because of my bad diet.

Before I go any further PLEASE do not put negative comments or about willpower. If I naturally had willpower, I wouldn't be dealing with a true addiction to sweets and I know about addiction because I am in recovery (from alcohol) almost five years sober now but giving up junk food/sweets is ten times harder than alcohol was. My father was obese and died at the age of 33 from heart attack so I also know the consequences if I don't figure out how to stop this

I've been eating nothing but fast foods/junk food since I was a toddler and I have tried many times to eat fruits/veggies and the taste is horrible. I just can't bring myself to eat it. I have cut back fried foods and almost everything I eat is grilled/baked. I got a food scale for portion control. It's the sweet tooth and late night cravings I am dealing with as well as emotional eating especially during certain time of the month when I seem to not care for a few days (sorry guys)

There HAS to be a way to curb this sweet tooth and make me not pick up the sweets. I've even tried not bringing it in the house but next thing I know i"m asking my husband to bring me some ice cream (Blizzard at DQ are my weakness) I've even been trying self hypnosis for about a week but no luck with that yet either. I get so mad at myself to burn hundreds of calories in a workout only to eat twice that much later in the day.

I haven't been entering my food into the log so it's not accurate right now. I'm gonna work on doing that again starting today. It's kind of been hit or miss with my logging although I do write it down, I don't like putting it out there where other people can see it.

I know there isn't a "quick fix" I've been doing this long enough to know that and I have lost 70+ lbs twice in the past so I know it's possible but I've never had quite this much trouble before. Guess it's because I was younger then (I'm 38 now) Is there anything you have tried-supplement, mental trick, anything that helps keep you from picking up that 480 calorie honey bun or even worse 900 calorie ice cream/milkshake??

Oh also not as an excuse but just to kind of offer further exlanation as to why I'm struggling I also have struggled with depression my whole life and turn to food as a comfort thing. Thought about getting counseling for that but live in small rural area with not many options in that area unless I pay for it privately.

Nope. Sorry. Request denied.

Unless/until you learn and, more importantly, exercise some self-control, you will go nowhere with this.

Nowhere.

It's a simple question of what's important to you, and following up to take the necessary steps.

You already know what to do. We all do. You are *choosing* not to do it. It is FULLY in your control, and it is a conscious CHOICE.

Time to take some responsibility for your actions and do what you know you need to do, right?

Read your OP objectively - it is nothing but excuse after excuse.

Stop that.

auddii · February 2015

wizzybeth wrote: »

Rather than focusing on the fruits/veggies that "taste horrible" - I am sure there are *some* things that you like. Or maybe things you might re-try because previously you didn't like the way they were prepared.

Make a list of the fruits and veggies you like, the ones that are "OK" and the ones that you might consider trying a different way. (For instance, my husband would say he hates spinach...but he hates cooked spinach. He enjoys raw spinach in a salad in place of lettuce.)

You can lose weight and still enjoy treats. Unfortunately you do have to learn to exercise some self control - there is no way around it.

I have always had a habit of reaching for high-sugar foods most of my life. I would eat an entire box of Froot Loops in one sitting. I would drink almost an entire 2 liter bottle of Dr Pepper in one day. I did not want water, it did not appeal to me. Now I drink water almost exclusively - water, black coffee (my comfort food! lol) and black tea (hot. I hate unsweetened iced tea.) So I know where you're coming from. I LOVE SWEETS! ALWAYS HAVE!

Instead of trying to go cold turkey, try to change 1 habit at a time.

Do you drink a lot of soda? How much do you drink? Try to replace one serving of that with water. If you drink 3 cans of soda a day, cut back to 2 cans and drink 12 oz of water instead. If it helps, get the 0 calorie flavored water.

Then after a couple weeks - cut out 1 more can and replace with water. You don't have to cut soda out completely. I chose to cut soda completely because I decided I didn't want to waste calories on drinking (unless it was wine) and keep my calories for food. It took me a while to appreciate water. It was not an overnight thing. I did it because I knew it was better for me to drink more water. I wanted to be healthy and I had to do it. Now...I love water.

I also find that I crave sweets less when I drink more water and eat more nutritionally dense foods. If you like baby carrots and celery, add them to your diet. If you hate Macintosh apples, try red delicious or gala. Try different things. My friend only likes celery with peanut butter. That's fine - if that's how you like it, just eat it.

Don't be overwhelmed by all the "cants" or that big mountain of "junk food" you're looking at. Just hack away with baby steps.

This is a deep rooted habit but you can overcome - if you really really want to. You have to want it more than anything.

This is all really good advice.

I personally had problems binging on sweets and salty stuff too (okay, I just overall have a binging problem on hyperpalatable foods). I've also always been a secretive eater. I'd do good "in public", but back in my room or in my home I'd shove my face with everything that tasted good. I had no self control.

I ended up forbidding myself from buying quantities to keep in the house. I stopped eating them at all for a little while, and then incorporated portion controlled goodies. A single serving of chips as a part of a meal out; a single 3oz serving of gelato when out with friends. This got me used to an appropriate serving size.

Now, I can keep gelato or ice cream in my freezer without an issue (most of the time). I focus on full flavored items that may be more expensive, but I can find a smaller portion the perfect amount to satisfy my craving.

And I'm definitely still a work in process. I'm still battling my binges, and I've recently decided to up my calories to a slight deficit (and may up them again to maintenance depending on if I still have binging problems). I'm hoping having an overall higher calorie intake will reduce my hunger levels so that I can better address the mental portion of my binges.

kazhomuhsin · February 2015

Hi there,

So I also had the same issue with the sweets cravings in the beginning of my diet.
But here is what I did:
1. Completely eliminated unhealthy sweets and sugar from my diet for 3 weeks. I just ate one tsp of honey each day instead.
2. I started adding other good sweets that I didn't think I would like. For example, dried figs, dried berries and raisins. These are very low in calories and very healthy and they are really good sweets swaps even as late night snacks. (They taste much better than the other sweets.)
3. Since I'm a chocolate addict, I decided to include one to two small squares of 90% dark chocolate in my diet ( also it's healthy and has lots of benefit). I would eat that 1-2 square only one day in the week.
4. On my cheat day, I was allowed to have three cheat meals. But honestly, I didn't have fast food junk food cravings. So instead, on my cheat days I would allow one piece of sweets (cake, bars, drinks) that I would really like instead one of the meals.

I have lost 21 kilos in the past 5 months and I think this really helped. I hope it will help you as well

good luck and don't give up. It will pay off, I promise

pinkytoes33 · February 2015

I LOVE junk food. I think the key is to find healthier alternatives or just indulging in much smaller portions.

Some of my favorite healthy snacks that I think taste amazing:

- Watermelon or other fruit with chile powder and lime. This may sound weird but it's absolutely amazing. The sweet and spicy is so flavorful. I'm genuinely obsessed.

- Corn with cayenne pepper and a little feta cheese. Corn isn't the healthiest but it's definitely good for a treat.

- Plain popcorn with a little olive oil and salt/pepper (just no butter!)

- Making "french fries" at home. Just slice up your potatoes into very thin pieces. Drizzle a little olive oil and seasoning and bake in the oven.

- For ice cream cravings, check out the freezer section in the grocery store. Weight watchers has some ice cream pops that are only 100 calories each. Not healthy but at least it's a low-calorie indulgence. Also McDonalds' soft-serve in a cone is 170 calories.

ana3067 · February 2015

levitateme wrote: »

You really can't make room for a 900 calorie blizzard on a regular basis. OP will not benefit from all the "just fit it into your day" comments because the sentiment behind the advice is the essence of will-power.

........................ yes you can. Plan ahead and eat high volume low cal during the day, eat at maintenance so you can eat more food while eating the blizzard, or have a day above maintenance because who cares?

This isn't the essence of will-power, it's the essence of being conscious of your choices and understanding their ramifications, deciding if the ramifications are worth it or not, and ultimately deciding that YOU are in control of your eating choices and results... not some extraneous force. If I had only 500 calories left for the day and my friends said "let's go get a blizzard" I'd probably say yes because a) I rarely eat blizzards (maybe once or twice since I graduated HS in '09) and b) having a day at or above maintenance will not somehow make me fat again. I can always take 100 calories off of the next 4 days to balance out my weekly average.

Slharrison14 · February 2015

sorry I didn't get a chance to come back yesterday. was a crazy busy day! I can't respond to each comment individually but did read them all.

When I said please no "negative" comments regarding willpower I mean the type of comment I've been hearing my entire life that I "can stop if I want to. all I gotta do is quit eating the wrong foods" I HATE that because as a (recovering) alcoholic it means I have an addictive personality which means I can't just stop that easily and comments like that just upset me worse.

Thanks for the advice and feedback. I am going to try finding a fruit/berry that might can help some. That is the main reason I posted was to look for feedback regarding something whether it be a supplement or a food that can tame my cravings and maybe trick my brain into thinking I am eating something that I really want.

I am NOT giving up regardless!! I did a little better yesterday. I did get a milkshake on impulse at mcdonalds but I only drank a few sips of it, not even 1/4 of it and threw the rest of it away so that is progress and that was a medium. Normally I would have had a large and finished the whole thing.

I started taking L Glutamine yesterday since I've been doing a lot of weight lifting and heard it was good for soreness I wonder if it might help with the sugar cravings too bc I opened a pop tart this morning (I know I don't even need to have that stuff in the house) but I ate just half of one and threw the rest away. It didn't taste as good as usual so that is a good sign.

I've done this twice before losing large amounts of weight and I didn't change what I ate just the amount of it. I don't know if it's because I'm getting older or what but it seems to be harder this time around than the other times. I've been doing this 126 days now and had lost 18 lbs then gained 8 back. Normally in four months I would have lost at least 25 lbs or more.

Weight lifting is amping my appetite up really bad so I am trying chia seeds for protein and to help me feel full. My zumba instructor recommended it. It works in the mornings but I don't know if eating them later in the day too close to bedtime is a good idea for my stomach.

how to fight lifetime junk food addiction

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