Associating junk food with my happy, relaxation time?

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drrae65
drrae65 Posts: 29 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I always crave crappy food when I come home because I think I've grown to associate my relaxation time with junk food so it helps me wind down. So I'll usually want to have a soda, popcorn and some candy while I chill out on the couch after work. I've basically conditioned myself to crave those foods when I want to relax and unwind. How can I quit this habit? I plan out my meals and eat so well through the day then give in and pig out once I get home in the evening.
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Replies

  • EmbeeKay
    EmbeeKay Posts: 249 Member
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    Bump! I struggle with this too. It's not mentally "a vacation" or "relaxing" unless I can eat whatever I want and however much of it I want.
  • becki739
    becki739 Posts: 5 Member
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    I have the same problem. Even on the way home. If i stop at the store. I am picking up chocolate or chips. For the past two days i have been getting the 100 calorie snack packs. Not to sure how it will work in the long run
  • HealthyGinny
    HealthyGinny Posts: 821 Member
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    I'll have to agree. You can work on it but in the meantime you should plan for it. For instance, split your popcorn bag into small ziploc bags and know the portion & cals it contains. I would try avoiding soda entirely and replacing it with infused water or cold tea, or sparkling water, etc. About the candy, same as the popcorn, count a portion, put it in a little bad and prelog those portions every working day of the week and eat around that. I would also try to have half of my snacking as fruit cubes, cherry tomatoes or something. Or if you want salty: olives, jalapeno, etc. can work. Also, cashew, etc. instead of crisps? Just ideas... But if you don't want to eat in front of the tv when you get back from work, do something else like painting your nails in front of the tv, or brush your teeth right when you're back and maybe the minty taste will make you not want to eat right after? Good luck!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    Tea or coffee! Or just have dinner instead.
  • niblue
    niblue Posts: 339 Member
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    You can also work around it by sticking to options which aren't that unhealthy - for example the popcorn I sometimes make (the ones you pop yourself in the microwave) are only something like 88 calories for a sizeable portion so if you go with diet soda then you'd not be taking in all that many calories.
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,214 Member
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    Packerjohn wrote: »
    Skip chilling on the couch after work and go to the gym, for a walk, run, bike ride, etc. Kill 2 birds with one stone, get out of the sitting on the couch eating junk and get some exercise.

    Win-win.

    This. Make some new habits. Take a little bag of popcorn with you, if you like.

  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,843 Member
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    Packerjohn wrote: »
    Skip chilling on the couch after work and go to the gym, for a walk, run, bike ride, etc. Kill 2 birds with one stone, get out of the sitting on the couch eating junk and get some exercise.

    Win-win.

    This ^^
  • julesloveland
    julesloveland Posts: 93 Member
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    I totally get that and have swapped all my junk to something more disciplined. I allow myself two squares of 85% dark choc when I'm in and chilling - I factor it into my calories for the day.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    Well, you can eat that stuff in the right amounts to fit your calorie goal, choose different drinks and snacks like tea, vegetables, fruit, yogurt or change your habit of sitting on the couch to relax.
    Do some yoga or walk. Meditate. Go soak in the tub.
  • CrabNebula
    CrabNebula Posts: 1,119 Member
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    I can't relate. Minute I get home, there is only the opposite of relaxing. Dinner has to be made, showers taken, laundry done, dishes put away. No relaxing until dinner and then I am eating dinner.
  • meritage4
    meritage4 Posts: 1,441 Member
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    If the junk food is not in the house you can't eat it. and I certianly agree with the posters who say Change Your Ways-don't sit on the couch. Try undwinding with a walk after work, or even a slow stroll. Grab a water bottle-have one ready in the fridge-and off you go. At least around the block. The weight will go, really.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    stop buying it. have a hot cup of tea or coffee.

    if you dont buy it, you cant eat it.
  • BZAH10
    BZAH10 Posts: 5,710 Member
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    It is just that: an association, a habit. Switching to lower calorie food and drinks may be an option for you, but I'm in the camp of either don't go home and sit on the couch OR replace the habit with something non-food related.

    Is there a book you've been wanting to read? Or music to listen to or a video game? What else do you enjoy or look forward to? Try doing that as soon as you get home. Create a new "craving".
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    this is why i only eat 2 times a day. I eat a small (300-ish) meal during the day and then the rest of my calories after the gym at night. That way i can go to town ;)
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    OP, is the eating interfering with your weight loss?
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    drrae65 wrote: »
    I always crave crappy food when I come home because I think I've grown to associate my relaxation time with junk food so it helps me wind down. So I'll usually want to have a soda, popcorn and some candy while I chill out on the couch after work. I've basically conditioned myself to crave those foods when I want to relax and unwind. How can I quit this habit? I plan out my meals and eat so well through the day then give in and pig out once I get home in the evening.

    It's actually easier to replace one habit with another than it is to just "quit" something!

    You can figure out what a reasonable portion of your junk food is, pre-log those calories and make them fit into your day.

    You can figure out something lower calorie that you can eat while you chill and over time make THAT a habit.

    Or you can make a new habit of doing something entirely different as soon as you get home so the "relax & snack" at a specific time doesn't happen.

    Pick one, set your mind to do it, put sticky notes in your car, in the hallway, in your bag reminding you, if someone else is home at that time ask them to help you stick to your plan. Good luck!
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
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    Mentali wrote: »
    I find the "just exercise instead" advice almost laughable - like if you enjoy relaxing by sitting on the couch, the suggestion of exercising instead to relax is the opposite of relaxing. That's the equivalent of saying "just stop relaxing ever" for someone like me who relaxes by....relaxing my muscles instead of using them!

    I would do a mix of strategies - I keep a bag of chips in the house of my favorite flavor. When I get hungry for that flavor, I measure out exactly one serving as a treat. Then, I alternate it with a less calorie-dense snack, like some kind of veggie without a strong flavor. I get the action of eating, and the flavor of my favorite snack, with a much lower calorie count. Air-popped popcorn can be regulated with spray-on butter and make the calories a lot lower. Or try to switch to lollipops - they are sweets so they satisfy a craving, but they take a long time to eat and keep your mouth busy so 1-3 lollipops a night shouldn't destroy your deficit if you plan for it. :)

    To be honest, very few people in industrialized countries use their muscles in their work so probably not a physical need to "relax the muscles instead of using them".

    The OP feels she has a bad habit, developing a better one like moving when one gets home instead of being a lump on a couch. She may very well like the moving after work better.

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