Keeping mind off unhealthy food

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How do you distract yourself when you crave for junk foods?
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  • nagdha
    nagdha Posts: 30 Member
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    What's worked for me is not labeling any kinds of foods 'junk/unhealthy'. I eat what I like and just stay within my calorie goals. Have had great success doing things this way, and I'm in excellent health with a current bmi of 21 :)

    I Agree staying under calorie limit.but I have reached my calories goal and now I want to have a pack of cookies:-(
    Have to zip my mouth
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    What's worked for me is not labeling any kinds of foods 'junk/unhealthy'. I eat what I like and just stay within my calorie goals. Have had great success doing things this way, and I'm in excellent health with a current bmi of 21 :)

    I think this is good advice. Often thinking of something as forbidden fruit (usually not fruit these days, unless someone has demonized bananas, I guess) makes you focus on it and crave/miss it more.

    Another thing that works for me is focusing on what I want to eat (balanced meals with delicious tastes, plenty of protein and vegetables) and reminding myself how much I am looking forward to the foods I have planned for the day. Also, timing. My main issue with wanting to go off plan was that I was in the habit of snacking during the day when something turned up at my office or otherwise was suggested. Focusing on the schedule that works for me (regular meals, not much snacking, and only planned snacks when I do) got rid of the temptation to just eat something in the middle of the day because it was there. Now if I do I make a trade-off, but nothing is off limits and if I really want something I will schedule/plan it in (often have ice cream after dinner, for example).
  • MsAmandaNJ
    MsAmandaNJ Posts: 1,248 Member
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    Most often, I follow the craving and have a little bit. I know it doesn't sound realistic, like having one cookie, but I find taking my time to snack on it prevents me from eating an entire package. One way to not end up eating the "junk" is to not keep any in the house and refuse to go out to get it...never shop when you're hungry, it always leads me to make poor choices.
  • red99ryder
    red99ryder Posts: 399 Member
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    i have always told myself i will not go hungry , i grab an apple or piece of fruit if i just cant help myself

    Good luck
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    I don't label foods as junk or unhealthy unless they are contanimated, allergens, or taste bad.
    I plan to eat foods I like everyday so they fit in my goals. I have 100-300 calories for snacks. 2 cookies instead of a package.
    Divide larger containers into individual portions right away.
    I don't buy foods I can not moderate- like goldfish crackers. They are not worth the money or calories. There are very few foods I can not moderate.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    What's worked for me is not labeling any kinds of foods 'junk/unhealthy'. I eat what I like and just stay within my calorie goals. Have had great success doing things this way, and I'm in excellent health with a current bmi of 21 :)

    This. I still keep to some of the habits I had before losing weight (fast food on Thursday nights, pizza Friday nights, and dessert almost every night that's usually ice cream). I just now make lower calorie choices and watch my portion sizes.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    edited November 2016
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    rainbowbow wrote: »
    In my experience I like to either eat smaller portions of said "junky" foods, Emulate the foods i can't fit into my calories, or the foods i just absolutely cannot control myself around i don't keep them around/make them more difficult to get.


    You can start by having more enticing beautiful foods around the house that you want to eat. Think things like this:
    2065655740_47d7c055d8.jpg
    Product_Listing_SnackCups_Chocolate_SF_Pud@2x.jpg
    ChocolateDippedClementines-1-600x900.jpg


    etc. etc. etc.

    So to recap, eat delicious foods you love. If you have one food item you can't fit into your calories, try to make a lower calorie version of it. If you can't moderate certain foods, don't keep them around. Try and keep more enticing calorie friendly foods around instead.

    Just a side note that fruit is pretty calorie dense-I can have a cookie for less calories than say an apple. And if I'm in the mood for a cookie, all the fruit or pudding in the world isn't going to cut it-I'd just end up eating that and then still wanting the cookie :p

    the problem for me is that I can eat like... 6-8 cookies before i'm satisfied. LOL

    While some fruit is calorie dense, most are filled with fiber and water. As stated, if you can fit it into your calories, do it. If you cant, do a lower cal. And if you're like me where you can go to town on 600 calories worth of cookies in 5 minutes... try some dang fruit! :lol:
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
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    rainbowbow wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    In my experience I like to either eat smaller portions of said "junky" foods, Emulate the foods i can't fit into my calories, or the foods i just absolutely cannot control myself around i don't keep them around/make them more difficult to get.


    You can start by having more enticing beautiful foods around the house that you want to eat. Think things like this:
    2065655740_47d7c055d8.jpg
    Product_Listing_SnackCups_Chocolate_SF_Pud@2x.jpg
    ChocolateDippedClementines-1-600x900.jpg


    etc. etc. etc.

    So to recap, eat delicious foods you love. If you have one food item you can't fit into your calories, try to make a lower calorie version of it. If you can't moderate certain foods, don't keep them around. Try and keep more enticing calorie friendly foods around instead.

    Just a side note that fruit is pretty calorie dense-I can have a cookie for less calories than say an apple. And if I'm in the mood for a cookie, all the fruit or pudding in the world isn't going to cut it-I'd just end up eating that and then still wanting the cookie :p

    the problem for me is that I can eat like... 6-8 cookies before i'm satisfied. LOL

    While some fruit is calorie dense, most are filled with fiber and water. As stated, if you can fit it into your calories, do it. If you cant, do a lower cal. And if you're like me where you can go to town on 600 calories worth of cookies in 5 minutes... try some dang fruit! :lol:

    This is me. I find an apple is a filling snack that will tide me over between meals, but a cookie isn't. They both have places in my diet, but don't fill the same role. I have a cookie or two at the end of the day, when I'm full from my dinner and just want a little something sweet.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    rainbowbow wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    In my experience I like to either eat smaller portions of said "junky" foods, Emulate the foods i can't fit into my calories, or the foods i just absolutely cannot control myself around i don't keep them around/make them more difficult to get.


    You can start by having more enticing beautiful foods around the house that you want to eat. Think things like this:
    2065655740_47d7c055d8.jpg
    Product_Listing_SnackCups_Chocolate_SF_Pud@2x.jpg
    ChocolateDippedClementines-1-600x900.jpg


    etc. etc. etc.

    So to recap, eat delicious foods you love. If you have one food item you can't fit into your calories, try to make a lower calorie version of it. If you can't moderate certain foods, don't keep them around. Try and keep more enticing calorie friendly foods around instead.

    Just a side note that fruit is pretty calorie dense-I can have a cookie for less calories than say an apple. And if I'm in the mood for a cookie, all the fruit or pudding in the world isn't going to cut it-I'd just end up eating that and then still wanting the cookie :p

    the problem for me is that I can eat like... 6-8 cookies before i'm satisfied. LOL

    While some fruit is calorie dense, most are filled with fiber and water. As stated, if you can fit it into your calories, do it. If you cant, do a lower cal. And if you're like me where you can go to town on 600 calories worth of cookies in 5 minutes... try some dang fruit! :lol:

    This is me. I find an apple is a filling snack that will tide me over between meals, but a cookie isn't. They both have places in my diet, but don't fill the same role. I have a cookie or two at the end of the day, when I'm full from my dinner and just want a little something sweet.

    Yeah, this is basically me too.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    I've got a box of small sized potato chips and some snack sized Mars and Snickers at home. If I can fit it in my calories, I have a bag of chips. If I didn't have them, then I'd hit the store for a family sized bag and eat half of it. Even Ice Cream, I'm weighing out a portion instead of hitting up DQ for a Peanut Buster Parfait. Not having them in the house isn't the answer for me because if I'm craving something, I will go and get it one way or another.

    You need to find what works for you and stick to it. Everyone is different and what works for me does not work for others.

    Big thing is to log it all regardless of what it makes your day look like.
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    edited November 2016
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    I eat a little junk every day! :) Candy or chips or whatever. I make sure I already have my protein in, and plenty of vegetables and usually some fruit and some yogurt.

    I get less than 1400 calories a day and manage this.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    ihy76 wrote: »
    What's worked for me is not labeling any kinds of foods 'junk/unhealthy'. I eat what I like and just stay within my calorie goals. Have had great success doing things this way, and I'm in excellent health with a current bmi of 21 :)

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