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Fast Food Addiction - Can Anyone Else Relate?
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Tblackdogs wrote: »I'd also add that people are very habitual. If you work hard to change your habits you can break this "addiction." I grew up adding lots of sugar to tea. Switched to artificial sweeteners and then stopped adding anything. But this was a conscious and somewhat hard fought habit change. As someone else suggested maybe give yourself one fast food visit per week and wean yourself from the foods you normally eat. Instead of a Value Meal, go down a size. Then instead of a regular meal, go down to a kids meal. Then maybe allow yourself a small burger. I bet you can beat this "habit" or "addiction" if you want to!
Yeah, I think habit is often the key and what needs to be addressed. That and thought patterns, often.6 -
If the OP is still around, or if anyone else is interested, some find success with cognitive behavioral therapy. The Beck Diet Solution is a good tool.
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Hi there, ANYTHING and EVERYTHING can be addictive to a person. Training can be addictive, a person's company can be addictive, a pet, work, music, shopping, family, drugs, guns or a prostitute's company can be addictive.
The fact that a generic word (addiction) means different things to different people does not change a person's reality. If a person can not live in peace because he/she feels the need for a "fix" should be considered an addiction and be dealt with it. Dismissing or belittling the condition does not help the situation. My 2 cents on that.
As for the OP's struggle with junk food: addiction is a result of multiple factors. Not just junk food. Be consistent, check your doctor as often as you can (cholesterol levels, diabetes, blood pressure etc.), don't get discouraged if you ate a burger or two. We do not become overweight from a couple of burgers a month. Stay healthy and everything else will come along. Good luck!29 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »meganhirschi wrote: »I relate my addiction is all carbs... I had spaghetti last night and spent the rest of the night wishing i had made more so there had been leftovers. Im still thinking about it and it makes me crazy.
Usually no one wants plain spaghetti, though -- it's the combination of pasta and a sauce that normally has fat and protein in it. (Maybe I'm weird, but the sauce has always been the most important part of pasta for me, easily.)
Of course it has sauce lol traditional tomato with beef1 -
Whether or not food addiction is a "real addiction" seems to still be under some debate; however the case for it being a real addiction is gaining strength in the scientific community:
"The concept of food addiction has been controversial historically due to definitional and conceptual difficulties and to a lack of rigorous scientific data... Recent findings have strengthened the case for food addiction. These findings may serve to validate the perception of food addiction in patients and inform psychoeducational, cognitive-behavioral, and/or pharmacological treatment for chronic food cravings, compulsive overeating, and binge eating that may represent a phenotype of obesity. " - from the journal "Current Opinions in Gastroenterology", Wolters-Kluwer
https://journals.lww.com/co-gastroenterology/Abstract/2010/03000/Food_addiction__true_or_false_.16.aspx
"There is evidence that bingeing on sugar-dense, palatable foods increases extracellular dopamine in the striatum and thereby possesses addictive potential." - from the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02791072.2012.662092?scroll=top&needAccess=true
According to Healthline, food is not only an addiction, but a serious problem in our society:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-overcome-food-addiction#section4
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0117959
In my opinion, food addiction is very real and very much a problem in our society. I used to eat fast food every single day and always felt sick and had low energy because of it. Between the high amounts of saturated fats, sodium and sugar, it's really no wonder this food was making me sick. And my cravings for it were really bad, absolutely out of control. I spent probably at least a few hundred dollars a month on fast food. You might laugh at that (and I wouldn't blame you because it's hard to believe) but $5 here, $9 there... it does add up in the end. Plus whatever copays I was spending at the doctor's office (which was sadly frequent!) because I was not eating right. Food affects every single aspect of our lives whether we realize it or not. It affects your health, how you feel, the clothes you wear, what you want to eat, how other people see you, your social life, your work life; it can even affect your family. Your kids are watching what you eat everyday whether you notice it or not. My dad ate fast food all the time and that's what started this whole obesity problem with me: I ate what he ate. Food plays a huge role in our lives. I know this to be true from personal experience; I lost 117 lbs and it has changed EVERYTHING!!! My health has significantly improved, my outlook on life has improved, my social life is MUCH better, my work life is better, I'm fitting into smaller, nicer clothes (haven't seen a size 18 jeans since college, folks! Now looking at a size 16- not since high school!)... I don't state these things to brag, I state them to make the point that what we put in our bodies makes a huge difference in the quality of one's life.
Even Hippocrates once said "Let thy food be thy medicine" and I think he would agree that food is a type of drug.
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I've never really been a fast food lover so take what I say with a grain of salt but is there any possibility that the issue isn't really the food but the act of going to get it? I remember on a road trip, I stopped at a McDonalds drive through to get a cup of coffee and I recall thinking "wow, I could get used to this level of convenience".
I think there is something very powerful about brand loyalty and the knowledge that what you're getting from the window will be exactly what you think it will be.
I'm not saying that it's impossible to be addicted to fast food but there may also be a ritual aspect to it. That said, you should be really proud of your weight loss so far and I think it's good that you are able to identify your issues with fast food.9 -
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MobOfBricks wrote: »The fact that a generic word (addiction) means different things to different people does not change a person's reality. If a person can not live in peace because he/she feels the need for a "fix" should be considered an addiction and be dealt with it. Dismissing or belittling the condition does not help the situation. My 2 cents on that.
I think the real debate here is about the best way to help OP. We really need more information from OP at this point, but that OP used the word "addiction" doesn't mean there's one correct approach for her and it must be based on the way drug addiction would be handled (whatever one thinks the right approach there would be).2 -
meganhirschi wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »meganhirschi wrote: »I relate my addiction is all carbs... I had spaghetti last night and spent the rest of the night wishing i had made more so there had been leftovers. Im still thinking about it and it makes me crazy.
Usually no one wants plain spaghetti, though -- it's the combination of pasta and a sauce that normally has fat and protein in it. (Maybe I'm weird, but the sauce has always been the most important part of pasta for me, easily.)
Of course it has sauce lol traditional tomato with beef
So not just "carbs" -- that was my point.0 -
Kimmotion5783 wrote: »In my opinion, food addiction is very real and very much a problem in our society.
I think compulsive overeating is different from addiction, but it doesn't really matter.
The point some are making about "fast food" is that there's no clear distinction between what is in fast food and what is in other foods (and fast food is really quite varied -- is a french fry the same as a shake as a burger? a grilled chicken sandwich the same as a rice and bean bowl with fajita veg and hot sauce and some guac (Chipotle))? So on.
If people are posing a physical addiction you'd be talking about a specific substance, and that's not what's at issue here.
Instead, it's either some idea of hyperpalatability or else a behaviorial addiction, and in either case it wouldn't be limited to fast food.
It's also possible to create an addiction through making foods forbidden fruits and then restricting and bingeing, so this difference is important. That's one reason why I asked OP if she was restricting her diet so much that she wasn't able to have a burger that was homemade either (personally I don't understand thinking that a fast food burger is more palatable than a homemade one, so if one was not restricting home foods to, I dunno, chicken breast and broccoli, you might be able to focus on an enjoyable diet with homemade foods, mostly, and find it was easier to include an occasional fast food meal if that's something you like).
In any case, if there is a food (or eating -- probably more correct) addiction, that would not be limited to fast food.10 -
Hey everyone! Thank you for all of your support. Sorry, I didn't mean my message to sound like I'm arguing about food addiction. I do agree that this post should be about how to deal with feelings of being out of control around food, because that's what I'm kind of dealing with right now as I'm sure we all are. I just really hate when people say, I'm not this or not that, especially because in my mind, I do think that food addiction does exist because for months I didn't have fast food and I was fine but than one day I had it, I was completely out of control and I read tons of articles online about it also. So for me, I do think it exist. It's okay if some think differently. But this was just my opinion. I'm also on a very strict medically supervise program, called HMR which I don't regret joining because this program has given me back my life. Anyways, thanks again guys. Hope everyone has a great week, full of goals and determinations!13
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Cooking is fun and homemade meals are delicious, but something about a big, greasy hamburger and some French fries just calls to me!
We eat fast food at least once a week...it's just convenient, and sometimes, cheaper than buying actual groceries. Of course, I'm the only member of my household that can't exercise control.
Like any other addiction, you just have to make those better choices! So yes, I do believe you can become addicted...psychological or otherwise. Addiction comes in many forms. Im sure for a lot of people on this site, it is food.1 -
Katherinelittle24 wrote: »Hey everyone! Thank you for all of your support. Sorry, I didn't mean my message to sound like I'm arguing about food addiction. I do agree that this post should be about how to deal with feelings of being out of control around food, because that's what I'm kind of dealing with right now as I'm sure we all are. I just really hate when people say, I'm not this or not that, especially because in my mind, I do think that food addiction does exist because for months I didn't have fast food and I was fine but than one day I had it, I was completely out of control and I read tons of articles online about it also. So for me, I do think it exist. It's okay if some think differently. But this was just my opinion. I'm also on a very strict medically supervise program, called HMR which I don't regret joining because this program has given me back my life. Anyways, thanks again guys. Hope everyone has a great week, full of goals and determinations!
There is a difference between behavioral and physical addiction. Which one do you feel you have when it comes to fast food? and yes both types can be agonizing to overcome.0 -
This is Burger King's nutritional information (forgive me, but I had a stroke two years and I'm still not up to par with grammar):
A Whopper is 49 g of carbohydrate and 11g sugars. Where's all this carbohydrate coming from? The sugar-laden bread, atop a 40g of fat and 980 g of sodium.
Metabolic syndrome, diabetes,impaired glucose tolerance -- layer over layer of sugar of refined foods. Yeah, I crave Slightly Sweetened Chai tea, 7 g sugar (8 g of Carb). The Original Tea is 19 g of sugar (22 g of carb). Whole wheat bread should not be flavored with corn syrup. A yoghurt shouldn't be an amount of sugar akin to Snicker's bar.
How to Stop Eating Sugar
I saw the "That Sugar Movie" last night!39 -
If I have peanut butter in the house I will finish the jar. For that reason I don't keep it in the house. I'm not addicted, I just really like it. I think many people have one or two foods like this, and it's just a matter of understanding what you can handle and staying away if you know it's going to start you down that path.9
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candylilacs wrote: »This is Burger King's nutritional information (forgive me, but I had a stroke two years and I'm still not up to par with grammar):
A Whopper is 49 g of carbohydrate and 11g sugars. Where's all this carbohydrate coming from? The sugar-laden bread, atop a 40g of fat and 980 g of sodium.
Metabolic syndrome, diabetes,impaired glucose tolerance -- layer over layer of sugar of refined foods. Yeah, I crave Slightly Sweetened Chai tea, 7 g sugar (8 g of Carb). The Original Tea is 19 g of sugar (22 g of carb). Whole wheat bread should not be flavored with corn syrup. A yoghurt shouldn't be an amount of sugar akin to Snicker's bar.
How to Stop Eating Sugar
I saw the "That Sugar Movie" last night!
I can tell!
Blaming sugar for the appeal of fast food makes no sense to me. What most strikes me about it (and why I'm not really someone who enjoys it that much) is that it's quite fatty compared to what I'd make at home.
Quarter Pounder with Cheese: 530 calories, of which 27 g (or 243 cal) are from fat, 31 g (or 124 cal) are from protein, and 41 g (or 164 cal) are from carbs. Of those carbs, 10 g (or 40 cal) are from sugar. Why? Small amounts in the onions, ketchup, pickle, bun.
Medium fries: 340 cal, of which 16 g (or 144 cal) are from fat, 4 g or 16 cal are from protein, and 44 g (or 88 cal) are from carbs. NONE of the carbs are from sugar (fries get their calories from potato plus oil).
So we have a meal of about 870 calories, of which you have about 387 cal from fat, and 10 g (or 40 cal) from sugar, and we hear that it's an issue because sugar -- a significant percentage of which is probably from the veg (or fruit, as a tomato is a fruit). Oh, MFP...
Re the Whopper in particular, you give the details as 40 g of fat (360 cal!), 49 g of carbs (196 cal) (of which 11 g, or 44 cal are sugar), and then proceed to wonder about ALL the CARBS and where they are from and suggest it's sugar. No, it's bread, obviously, and mostly starch, not sugar, not the biggest calorie contributor is fat, not carbs, anyway20 -
candylilacs wrote: »This is Burger King's nutritional information (forgive me, but I had a stroke two years and I'm still not up to par with grammar):
A Whopper is 49 g of carbohydrate and 11g sugars. Where's all this carbohydrate coming from? The sugar-laden bread, atop a 40g of fat and 980 g of sodium.
Metabolic syndrome, diabetes,impaired glucose tolerance -- layer over layer of sugar of refined foods. Yeah, I crave Slightly Sweetened Chai tea, 7 g sugar (8 g of Carb). The Original Tea is 19 g of sugar (22 g of carb). Whole wheat bread should not be flavored with corn syrup. A yoghurt shouldn't be an amount of sugar akin to Snicker's bar.
How to Stop Eating Sugar
I saw the "That Sugar Movie" last night!
Is that with everything on it? Because the tomato, cheese, and condiments will also include sugar.3 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »candylilacs wrote: »This is Burger King's nutritional information (forgive me, but I had a stroke two years and I'm still not up to par with grammar):
A Whopper is 49 g of carbohydrate and 11g sugars. Where's all this carbohydrate coming from? The sugar-laden bread, atop a 40g of fat and 980 g of sodium.
Metabolic syndrome, diabetes,impaired glucose tolerance -- layer over layer of sugar of refined foods. Yeah, I crave Slightly Sweetened Chai tea, 7 g sugar (8 g of Carb). The Original Tea is 19 g of sugar (22 g of carb). Whole wheat bread should not be flavored with corn syrup. A yoghurt shouldn't be an amount of sugar akin to Snicker's bar.
How to Stop Eating Sugar
I saw the "That Sugar Movie" last night!
I can tell!
Blaming sugar for the appeal of fast food makes no sense to me. What most strikes me about it (and why I'm not really someone who enjoys it that much) is that it's quite fatty compared to what I'd make at home.
Quarter Pounder with Cheese: 530 calories, of which 27 g (or 243 cal) are from fat, 31 g (or 124 cal) are from protein, and 41 g (or 164 cal) are from carbs. Of those carbs, 10 g (or 40 cal) are from sugar. Why? Small amounts in the onions, ketchup, pickle, bun.
Medium fries: 340 cal, of which 16 g (or 144 cal) are from fat, 4 g or 16 cal are from protein, and 44 g (or 88 cal) are from carbs. NONE of the carbs are from sugar (fries get their calories from potato plus oil).
So we have a meal of about 870 calories, of which you have about 387 cal from fat, and 10 g (or 40 cal) from sugar, and we hear that it's an issue because sugar -- a significant percentage of which is probably from the veg (or fruit, as a tomato is a fruit). Oh, MFP...
Exactly...1 -
McDonald's created an entire culture by offering standard product in a guaranteed clean facility. They worked darn hard to remove wait times, too.
The dopamine response begins, I believe, as soon as the golden arches are in sight.8 -
Katherinelittle24 wrote: »Thank you for commenting but please don't tell me that I'm not addicted. Fast food can be addictive. I did research on it, and a lot of research says it is. Some people can go and get fast food, and be fine like my boyfriend can. But other people, like me for instance, thinks about it constantly. Even the next day, I just ate a very nutritious breakfast full of protein but I am still craving that hamburger. So yes, for me it is an addiction. One that has take me months to break, and it's definitely a work of progress.
Yeah it is. If I stop eating fast food I get headaches, fuzzy thinking, lethargy, irritability and cravings that keep me up and wake me up at night. I feel just like I did when I quit smoking (and nobody argues that's addictive, right?) I don't care what anyone says, I know what I feel and some peer-reviewed scientific studies back me on this (I've posted them before.) After a few weeks of abstinence, if I go back to eating fast food (because mmm mmm Taco Bell!) The cycle starts all over. Before I am accused of this, I do not use this as an excuse, I use it as another tool to fight the addiction.
OP: I'm trying to stay away from the fast food, it's the only way I know to take and keep control. Stay strong!!17
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