Fast Food Junkie

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cmcmlb29
cmcmlb29 Posts: 25 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm a slave to fast food and salty snacks. Need support in saying no to these temptations.

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  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    It helps me to think about and write down why I want to achieve a certain goal. For example, I'm travelling this week for work and I realized that I drink too much when I'm travelling for work and I want to cut that out. I wrote down six reasons why I wanted to avoid drinking on this work trip. The great thing about having six reasons is that there is always something to motivate me when I feel like grabbing a glass of wine. So I don't particularly care about staying hydrated (one of my reasons) at that moment, but I want to sleep better in a strange place. So I pass up the wine.

    So think of the reasons why you want to reduce your consumption of fast food and salty snacks and keep those in mind instead of focusing on the overall goal.
  • jennamae102
    jennamae102 Posts: 179 Member
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    Have you tried pre-logging what fast food items you want and then determining if it fits into your goals for the day? If so, great! If not, maybe you can adjust the items you'd like or make the decision to not have fast food that day.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Learn to cook and make the same things at home.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
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    Give the wallet to your husband. No cash/cards. Once a week let him fill up your car with gas.
  • debtay123
    debtay123 Posts: 1,327 Member
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    I like to make similar items to the fast foods I enjoy- ie- homemade pizza using flatout breads and various meat and cheese- delicious, also bake wing drummettes to enjoy rather than fried, make my own banana split using light ice cream and real fruits etc. I also believe in pre-logging- so many times i will say(forget it) and make my own version and it will be good- Youtube has tons of recipes-
  • hgycta
    hgycta Posts: 3,013 Member
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    The more you give in and consume it the more you'll crave it, trust me.
    As others have mentioned, try cooking more delicious homemade meals, or packing healthy snacks if you're out like trail mix, dry cereal, fruit, yogurt, string cheese, etc. Whatever you like and fits your goals!
    If you're craving something specific (such as a pizza), and you really don't feel like making one yourself, you can even go to the grocery store and get a much smaller personal pizza (Lean Cuisine has some) which will help reduce that craving while limiting you to that smaller portion so you're not tempted by the rest sitting there.
    If you must settle for fast food, don't settle for anything than the best! Try some of their healthier options - just about every place has some now! McDonald's has an awesome southwest grilled chicken salad (which has a cilantro lime glaze and tortilla strips so doesn't even need dressing), Chick-fil-A has a great grilled chicken cool wrap (which again, comes with dressing but packs so much flavor you won't even miss it), Taco Bell has an indulgent Cantina Power Bowl, etc.
    The good news about fast food is 99% of the time a quick internet search can pull up the full nutritional information for you. This means if you MUST have that cheeseburger, you can work it into your diary and trade that dessert you were planning on having for a fruit cup.
    The first few weeks will be the hardest, but once you make it through that you'll be set in a new routine and form healthier habits. You'll begin to forget what that high fat, high salt diet tastes like and soon won't find yourself tempted as much (if at all)!
    I used to eat at McDonald's 3x a week and order cheeseburgers, fries, and milkshakes. Now I hardly go once a week and look forward to getting the salad (but of course, I'll occasionally try something new, but I always miss that salad when I don't get it now)!
  • Sweets1954
    Sweets1954 Posts: 506 Member
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    My daughter and I decided to not eat as much fast food long before I decided to diet. I lost quite a bit by just making that simple change. Now if I am tempted I will stop but am always disappointed as it never tastes as good or looks as good as the advertisement. About the only time I go to fast food places now is for breakfast when I am traveling.
  • WholefoodsMelbourne
    WholefoodsMelbourne Posts: 1 Member
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    My fast food radar increases the more stressed or harder I work. When I am relaxed I do not seek this food out at all.
  • QueenofHearts023
    QueenofHearts023 Posts: 421 Member
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    I've started making my own at home. :) mine always seem to have waaay less calories than the take out ones. And I know exactly what's in them.
  • 20likenow
    20likenow Posts: 40 Member
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    Anytime I feel the craving come on, I look up the the calories! Not worth it. Make a small goal, two weeks no fast food.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited January 2016
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    jennamae102 wrote: »
    Have you tried pre-logging what fast food items you want and then determining if it fits into your goals for the day? If so, great! If not, maybe you can adjust the items you'd like or make the decision to not have fast food that day.

    This^

    Know the "price tag" up front. You might fit some things into your daily calories here and there. But often the price is going to be higher than you anticipated.

    Hot air popcorn is a good snack. Spritz on a little oil (or some type of moisture) to get the toppings to stick. I like using a microwave popping bowl and 1 teaspoon of oil.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    theres nothing wrong with eating it if you can make it fit in your calorie goals for the day. i eat mcd for breakfst most weekdays. i eat lunch out 3-4 times a week (often times more).

    JanetYellen wrote: »
    Give the wallet to your husband. No cash/cards. Once a week let him fill up your car with gas.

    no. just. no.
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
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    Can you go and stick with a more realistic portion? I can definitely make a small fry and an mcchicken fit into my day (540 cals), vs a medium fry and premium chicken sandwich (860 cals) which I cannot make fit.
  • mgodfrey0202
    mgodfrey0202 Posts: 35 Member
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    I used to go to burger places but haven't set a foot in any of those places for 4-5 years now. I DO eat burgers but at a regular restaurant that serves a "gourmet" bun. For me, it was reading and watching documentaries like Food Inc., Fast Food Nation, Future of the Food, etc. Those did not convert me to a vegetarian (although I tried it for a couple months) but gave me an enough push to eat clean and less meat. Foods are highly emotional part of our life. I think we need to recognize that and search inside ourselves to find the answer that is true for oneself.
  • cmcmlb29
    cmcmlb29 Posts: 25 Member
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    Thx everyone for your tips and encouragement. I particularly like the one of giving myself reasons on why it would be worth. There is also the ability to make good choices even at the fast food restaurants. So I just have to aware of what is better for me and still satisfies my taste buds. I say it's for convenience but really all I'm doing is sabotaging myself. And being lazy.
  • cmcmlb29
    cmcmlb29 Posts: 25 Member
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    callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »

    no. just. no.

    Totally agree with this!

  • cmcmlb29
    cmcmlb29 Posts: 25 Member
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    hgycta wrote: »
    The more you give in and consume it the more you'll crave it, trust me.
    I always miss that salad when I don't get it now)!

    So true on both counts - the more you indulge, the more you crave the bad and the good. When I treat myself well and eat clean(er), I crave more of that. And if I indulge in crummy food, I'll go overboard and find it harder to get back on track.

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