how to fight lifetime junk food addiction
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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...0
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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.0 -
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!)0 -
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).0 -
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.
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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.0 -
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
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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.
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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.0 -
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.0 -
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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