stopping the urge to get fast food

It's sort of like quitting smoking. The first few days are tough, then you get used to it.

You can incorporate it into your diet if you track it carefully to stay within your calories. But I find it easier to just avoid drive throughs entirely. If I'm feeling hungry, I pull into the next grocery store I see and get an apple, or a banana. You can eat fruit while driving. And a pit stop for fruit doesn't really take more than a couple minutes, it's not like it's costing you much time.

Try moving to a place without it.

For about 4 years recently I lived in an area where the closest fast food place was about 75 km away. We weren't about to drive 150 km round trip for fast food ... simply not worth it. It didn't take long to get used to eating what was available in the local grocery store.


If moving is not an option, then make non-fast food choices more convenient. Have a stock of them in your kitchen, drawer in your office, in your car, or wherever.

Log what you would get from the fast food place, see if you still want to get it. If you do you have to own it, either exercise it off or cut back the rest of the week.

tiffany31989 wrote: »

I wanna cut it out all together though

It's going to take willpower. Have to learn to tell yourself "no", drive by, and don't look back.

I would also suggest mapping out the amount you save by not stopping for fast food. If you usually go 2x a week, and spend $12 a week on it, put that money in a jar weekly, and watch it accumulate over the course of the month. Then use that money saved for some new clothes as you get closer to your goal!

As I live alone and fairly lazy with cooking, the temptation to order fast food is always there. I could happily order Pizza, Indian or Chinese Takeaway every night and have it on my door step in 45 mins after making the call. McDonalds have now started doing a home delivery service in my area now on orders over £7.00. I live two minutes walk away from a chip shop and Subway. I could also easily make all of my orders fit into my cals and macros for the day too, so there would not be any guilt in eating that way. However, I would prefer to use the stuff in my Fridge that I picked for myself at the Supermarket and practice a bit of self control, save a bit of money and invest the time in trying to learn how to cook properly for myself for personal development. Fast Food just feeds into my lazy mind set and instant gratification that I want to move away from. Fast food is Ok in moderation or a treat, but who wants to be a slave to these multinational companies that don't give a Sh@t about your health.

Imagine that all the people working at the fast food place have some sort of gastrointestinal illness that is highly contagious.

Drink more water/Eat foods with more fiber/Nothing wrong with treating yourself once a week to fast food, it's one day the other 6 days of the week you can control your caloric intake. Also, with the nice weather with more exercise you can have more safety calories if you go over by a little. This has worked for me, since January 1st, down 50 pounds.

If you're like me you'll hate wasting prepared food. So I will find time in the morning to prepare my lunch and supper for that day while I am cooking breakfast. I also add some spices and noncreamy sauces so when I smell the food I will want to eat it, not pass it off for a cheeseburger. If you prepare you're food and spend the time logging it into MFP, I find I am less likely to cheat. Also, it helps if someone takes away your car keys so you can't make the mistake of giving in and driving. If you want fast food, jog there or go for a long jog, burn what you'll eat and have the fast food. Sometimes it's better to give in than to stress it out (sometimes meaning no more than once a week). Give yourself a cheat day every now and again (no more than once a week again). If you designate a day for your cheat day, make a list of your cravings throughout the week so you can satisfy those urges on that designated day. Rome wasn't built in a day and to think everyone is capable of having so much willpower isn't very logical. If you're serious about losing weight and want a cheat day, start off with one a week. After a while you will be liking the losing weight part vs the cheeseburger eating and you'll not desire it as much. From there move your cheat day to once every two weeks. Take the steps that make you feel good and don't be too hard on yourself. Just don't lose track of what you want. A given rule is 5. 5 days of doing something usually gets you in that addictive state. 5 days of healthy eating and it'll be a habit. Just make sure your healthy food tastes good. If it's bland you're more likely to have more bad days than good. Make it temporary. Thinking of eating healthy forever sucks. Tell yourself to do a 7 day challenge, then a 2 week challenge, then a 30 day challenge. If you make it temporary it's not as stressful. Once you start seeing results, you will want the healthier lifestyle vs the unhealthy. That's my two cents anyways. Hope it helps.