Distracting yourself from junk food.

OP when I first joined MFP I quickly realized that cutting out foods I love completely was not going to be a viable solution for me. Rather than cutting things out (other than calories) I decided to add things to my lifestyle. More protein, more vegetables, more whole grains, more exercise, more sleep. I found that by doing that, in the context of my calorie deficit, I was able to fill my day with beneficial things but still have just enough room for things like wine, pizza, and Oreos. Not all in the same day necessarily, but by fitting them in whenever I was able, things just sort of naturally prioritized themselves.

Is there a reason you are avoiding things like pizza and chips? With 1600 cals you should be able to fit in a serving of these foods when you desire them, unless they are particular trigger foods that cause you issues with control.

Additionally, I've never understood labeling pizza as junk food. Bread, tomato sauce, cheese, meat and veggies. Why is that junk?

Depends what kind of pizza. I like making my own. It's typically low calorie, and delicious. Now yesterday I had 2 big slices of Casey's pizza, and while amazing, it made my calories disappear WAY too fast!

kshama2001 wrote: »

Here's what I do for cravings. (Since you're male, some will obviously not apply to you.)

When I do the following, I don't have cravings:

1. Get sufficient sleep
2. Exercise regularly - when I get the happy hormones from exercise, I'm not prone to seeking them from food.
3. Get sufficient protein in relationship to carbs. I'm not low carb, but reducing carbs and upping protein worked for cravings for me. See also http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/fuller/understanding-satiety-feeling-full-after-a-meal.html
4. Eat moderate amounts of fruit. This makes me less interested in higher calorie sweets.
5. Take a magnesium supplement. This can be especially helpful for women premenstrually.
6. Save foods like chocolate for after dinner, in small amounts
7. Stay hydrated
8. Have a calorie deficit that is appropriate for the amount of weight I need to lose. An overly aggressive goal can definitely lead to cravings.
9. Eat at maintenance when my appetite goes up premenstrually.

@kshama2001 Girl, you've shared a wonderful list to draw from!

Glad I popped on here... seriously this is a great list... like getting enough sleep. Seems pretty basic right?! Recently I've been staying up far too late not getting close to the healthy amount of sleep needed. I absolutely know better!

The list is a great reminder to get back on scedule so the rest of my life, eating etc. gets back on track! Junk food aka (my interpretation) less nutritious choices are what happens when I don't take proper care of myself, body, mind and spirit.

Thank you for taking time to post this... because it was exactly what I needed in this exact moment!
OP glad you posted the question

kshama2001 wrote: »

gebeziseva wrote: »

Pizza is not junk food. How did you figure it was junk?
I eat pizza about once a week or once a 10 days and the same goes for fries.
Why would you randomly label food as junk?

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/pizza-junk-food-8749.html

Americans eat an average of 46 slices of pizza per person each year, according to MayoClinic.com. While pizza can be healthy if you make it the right way, most of the pizza you buy counts as junk food because of the high amount of refined carbohydrates, fat and sodium it contains.

So, less than one slice per week. Doesn't seem like that much of a budget-buster that it needs to be so deeply vilified??