how to fight lifetime junk food addiction
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kazhomuhsin wrote: »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
thanks for the honey suggestion. My friend is a beekeeper and I have a good stock of natural honey that I keep here bc it fights allergies in springtime but I haven't had any in months. I may try just a little of that when the sweet cravings hit.0 -
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.
On a regular basis? No. Terrible idea to build in a 900 sugar bomb on a regular basis while trying to create a healthy lifestyle.0 -
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.
I have a milkshake machine so I will try this. I like the taste of fruit/berries but the texture of it grosses me out so if I can get it to the texture of a milkshake it might work. I just started taking a multivitamin a few days ago.0 -
I really like shamrock shakes. I looked at the calories for a small one and said "darn, I can't justify spending 530 calories on this" So I went to Meijer, and I bought a container of 1/2 fat vanilla ice cream, mint extract, and green food dye. I made the same shake at home for 230 calories (using 1 cup vanilla ice cream, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, and 1/4 tsp extract).
The main thing I try to suggest when people are having issues with food is to not restrict too much. Go out and find alternate options and dupes of things you love but don't want to use that many calories on. Try to take it one day at a time, and try not to beat yourself up too much when you have a not so good day. Also remember to celebrate when you do well! Positive reinforcement works a lot better than negative. Good luck! 0 -
Use the processed foods to make the "better" options more palatable to you. For example, I make myself a buffalo chicken wrap that initially would include a buffalo chicken tender with a little bit of greens in it that had a blue cheese dressing. Over time I kept adjusting the proportions so now that wrap is a full cup of greens with no dressing and only 2 oz. of the chicken tender.
I did the same gradual adjustment to lower my sweet tooth. Initially ate sweetened cereals, then unsweetened that I added the sugar myself and then kept cutting back on the sugar I added until I don't have to add any at all any more.
I've gotten a drive thru taco and broken it up over my all veg salad...0 -
L-glutamine does help with sugar cravings. I think you should continue taking it.
I also think you should go cold turkey for three weeks. No added sugars at all for three weeks. This should re-set your taste buds so you want sugar less. Things you used to enjoy eating, like Blizzards, will probably taste disgustingly sweet to you. You will need less sweetness to satisfy your sweet tooth.
After you start to re-incorporate sweets, when you decide to indulge, get better quality desserts. No more Blizzards and McDonald's milkshakes. Instead, get some good ice cream and treat yourself to a truly good homemade milkshake and drink it slowly, savoring every sip.0 -
MindySaysWhaaat wrote: »I really like shamrock shakes. I looked at the calories for a small one and said "darn, I can't justify spending 530 calories on this" So I went to Meijer, and I bought a container of 1/2 fat vanilla ice cream, mint extract, and green food dye. I made the same shake at home for 230 calories (using 1 cup vanilla ice cream, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, and 1/4 tsp extract).
The main thing I try to suggest when people are having issues with food is to not restrict too much. Go out and find alternate options and dupes of things you love but don't want to use that many calories on. Try to take it one day at a time, and try not to beat yourself up too much when you have a not so good day. Also remember to celebrate when you do well! Positive reinforcement works a lot better than negative. Good luck!
I *love* those. Here's my salute to the Great Green Weenie
You can have a few, they just need to be properly budgeted into the Calorie Quota.
PS - almost time again this year, right?
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It honestly doesn't sound like an addiction, it sounds like you need to develop your tastes. I was raised on whole foods and like cooking and think properly cooked whole foods (including fruits and veggies--although no need to cook the fruits) are tastier than fast food by far. If it makes it easier to cut out the fast food or sweets for a while while developing your taste for other things I'd do that, and I like the cooking class recommendation too, but I'd say that if you don't like fruits and veggies that's the thing to worry about, not that you do like sweets. I like and make room in my diet for sweets, but since the majority of what I eat is nutrient dense I don't see any harm in that, and I think if you have an overall nutritious diet it will have moderate amounts of more calorie dense foods naturally.0
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MindySaysWhaaat wrote: »I really like shamrock shakes. I looked at the calories for a small one and said "darn, I can't justify spending 530 calories on this" So I went to Meijer, and I bought a container of 1/2 fat vanilla ice cream, mint extract, and green food dye. I made the same shake at home for 230 calories (using 1 cup vanilla ice cream, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, and 1/4 tsp extract).
The main thing I try to suggest when people are having issues with food is to not restrict too much. Go out and find alternate options and dupes of things you love but don't want to use that many calories on. Try to take it one day at a time, and try not to beat yourself up too much when you have a not so good day. Also remember to celebrate when you do well! Positive reinforcement works a lot better than negative. Good luck!
I think this is really good advice. Especially the bold.0 -
L-glutamine does help with sugar cravings. I think you should continue taking it.
I also think you should go cold turkey for three weeks. No added sugars at all for three weeks. This should re-set your taste buds so you want sugar less. Things you used to enjoy eating, like Blizzards, will probably taste disgustingly sweet to you. You will need less sweetness to satisfy your sweet tooth.
After you start to re-incorporate sweets, when you decide to indulge, get better quality desserts. No more Blizzards and McDonald's milkshakes. Instead, get some good ice cream and treat yourself to a truly good homemade milkshake and drink it slowly, savoring every sip.
Oh gosh, so much this. It's amazing how discerning my palate became when I reintroduced sweets after giving them up. I am such an ice cream and chocolate snob.
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mamapeach910 wrote: »L-glutamine does help with sugar cravings. I think you should continue taking it.
I also think you should go cold turkey for three weeks. No added sugars at all for three weeks. This should re-set your taste buds so you want sugar less. Things you used to enjoy eating, like Blizzards, will probably taste disgustingly sweet to you. You will need less sweetness to satisfy your sweet tooth.
After you start to re-incorporate sweets, when you decide to indulge, get better quality desserts. No more Blizzards and McDonald's milkshakes. Instead, get some good ice cream and treat yourself to a truly good homemade milkshake and drink it slowly, savoring every sip.
Oh gosh, so much this. It's amazing how discerning my palate became when I reintroduced sweets after giving them up. I am such an ice cream and chocolate snob.
I agree with this. Being a sweets snob is actually incredibly helpful with all this. I'm not tempted by lots that's around for this reason.
But again learning to like fruits, veggies, and home cooked foods is key.0 -
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.
I can't. Just because one can does not mean another will be able to.
Notice levitateme said on a regular basis.0 -
I'm also a junk food addict. I still eat much of the foods I love, but not daily and about a fourth of the portion. It's tough but it becomes more natural.0
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lemurcat12 wrote: »mamapeach910 wrote: »L-glutamine does help with sugar cravings. I think you should continue taking it.
I also think you should go cold turkey for three weeks. No added sugars at all for three weeks. This should re-set your taste buds so you want sugar less. Things you used to enjoy eating, like Blizzards, will probably taste disgustingly sweet to you. You will need less sweetness to satisfy your sweet tooth.
After you start to re-incorporate sweets, when you decide to indulge, get better quality desserts. No more Blizzards and McDonald's milkshakes. Instead, get some good ice cream and treat yourself to a truly good homemade milkshake and drink it slowly, savoring every sip.
Oh gosh, so much this. It's amazing how discerning my palate became when I reintroduced sweets after giving them up. I am such an ice cream and chocolate snob.
I agree with this. Being a sweets snob is actually incredibly helpful with all this. I'm not tempted by lots that's around for this reason.
But again learning to like fruits, veggies, and home cooked foods is key.
Definitely that too. I would rather have veggies and a bowl of lentil stew than desert most days than ice cream. It's just that if I do decide I want ice cream, I'm not going to waste my calorie allowance on BAD ice cream. Grocery store chocolates hold no allure for me. Well, maybe a Snickers bar...
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Sabine_Stroehm 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.
........................ 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.
On a regular basis? No. Terrible idea to build in a 900 sugar bomb on a regular basis while trying to create a healthy lifestyle.
No NOT on a regular basis. The most recent example as for one day once in a while so you don't have to think you'll never ever get to have one again.
High calorie foods should not be consumed in large quantities on "a regular basis." Seriously that's just common sense. As an occasional treat? No problem. The problem comes in when people get these "treats" way too often. Can't we find a balance between too much and just once in a while?0 -
I think it does. But I do agree it should not be every day...you won't be able to meet your macros. I did that on Weight Watchers...saved my points so I could have a high point treat every night. As a consequence I was under eating on nutritious foods.0
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herrspoons wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm 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.
........................ 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.
On a regular basis? No. Terrible idea to build in a 900 sugar bomb on a regular basis while trying to create a healthy lifestyle.
No NOT on a regular basis. Good grief! The example as for one day once in a while so you don't have to think you'll never ever get to have one again!!!
These foods should not be consumed in large quantities (900 caloroes) on "a regular basis." Seriously that's just common sense. As an occasional treat? No problem.
I wonder... Does a healthy lifestyle include not obsessively worrying about high calorie treats enjoyed now and then?
Like I said several times, she came across like she wants/needs to have blizzards and large treats all the time that put her over her goal. OP seems to think she is so addicted to "sweets" that she can't stop herself from getting a giant shake. she also said that will-power is not and option for her. She is not talking about "now and then" and neither was I.
she should read your now stickied thread, particularly the part that says "sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do." in this case, like say no to the blizzard most of the time and have one occasionally, like once a week. will-power.0 -
I had similar issues to work through in the past, it seemed I replaced one addiction with another. I like to call it an emotional attachment rather than an addiction because it makes it easier to overcome (for me). The way I dealt with the food (I also hated veg & ate too many high cal sweets): I started taking a greens powder to up my veggie intake. It tasted gross but I could chug it down so it's tolerable. Over time I got used to it and actually starting looking forward to my green drink. Fast forward to now, I no longer drink it anymore because I actually eat & like vegetables, especially salads. I think the greens powder helped my tastebuds adapt.
As for the sweets, I still like them but don't eat huge amounts anymore. I do have cookies and ice cream or something everyday and have found some that fit within my calorie goal. For example my fav's are magnum mini ice cream bars (160 cals) and chewy chips ahoy (110 cals for 2 cookies). This way I can "have my cake & eat it too)".
Hope some of this was helpful. It can be done, there are many success stories on here where people overcame similar obstacles.
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I know you don't want to hear any comments about willpower, but please keep reading. My response is supportive and hopefully useful. However, it would just be negligent to address your post without mentioning self-control because ultimately, you are responsible for what you eat. I do understand where you're at because I struggled with eating disorders for years. At the time, it did feel like food had control over me. One day my therapist told me that I (duh) have a choice about what I put in my mouth. That one statement changed my life. Food wasn't controlling me--I was making bad choices....and if I could make bad choices, I could also make good ones. It was very empowering. I changed my whole diet and I stuck to it, but it didn't happen overnight. I slipped a lot but eventually adjusted to natural, unprocessed foods. Now my diet is very satisfying and healthy, I'm never hungry, and I rarely crave sweets. I know that many people can eat sweets regularly or allow cheat days to cut down on the feeling of deprivation. Personally I can't do that -- one sugary treat leads to another and I get off track for days. As long as I don't eat sweets, I don't want them -- maybe that could work for you. I read all the posts and there are many different approaches, so I hope you can find one that works for you. Good luck.0
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It's not really an addiction, it's a habit. You said you've been eating that way since you were a toddler, so that's what's going on. It's hard to flip your whole eating world upside down all at once. You've also mentioned you're emotionally attached to the food, so there is that. The only way to break a habit is to replace it with another.
Instead of sending yourself into a panic and separation anxiety from the foods you love I suggest you forget about weight loss for now and work at changing your food habits, very very slowly. The thing about habits is that they need to be practiced over and over again to turn into habits, and need to be easy and appealing enough to justify the sacrifices.
Start very small, by adding a big salad to your dinner and leave everything else as is. Experiment with salads and see what you like, try to find lower calorie salads that you really enjoy. Master eating salad with your dinner. A few days or even weeks later, whenever you feel comfortable, add another small habit. Take a 15 minute walk at the same time every day, trying to make it fun by walking around places you like and add a couple of minutes every couple of days. Keep making small changes that sound silly and easy to you while keeping up with the changes you've already made before you move on to bigger changes like replacing a soda with a diet soda, then having one less high calorie snack a day.. just one at first. Knowing you will still be able to have your other snacks will be comforting enough to make the change.
Basically keep building up your way to the point where you eat mostly reasonable calorie foods that you enjoy and naturally have only a few higher calorie options a week or a smaller amount of them a day. ADDING more forgiving foods calorie-wise will eventually replace some of your usual foods because, well, we're not bottomless pits.
It may take weeks, it may take months, but whenever you get there you will be ready to start dieting. Having new eating habits will make dieting and most importantly maintaining much easier.
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