I'm addicted to fast food

Dawn_Robinson
Dawn_Robinson Posts: 9 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi all,

Over the last few years I have gained a silly amount of weight, roughly 7 stone. Some of this was due to medication and illness but a HUGE part of it is due to my addiction to fast food and full fate coca-cola.

I have take aways pretty much nearly every day, even if I eat healthy for the entire day, it's as if my body does not register itself as "full" until I have takeaway. I've been known to eat and eat till I am sick, it has gone beyond just enjoying takeaways and being lazy, it's a fully fledged addiction. I get really emotional if I cannot binge of sugary foods or take outs, I won't be able to sleep because no matter how much other stuff I eat, I feel starving until I've eaten junk. I drink about 2.5L of sugary coca-cola. I am at my unhealthiest I have ever been, my chest is constantly tight and I can barely breathe. I'm only 26. I don't know how to get over this fast food addiction because it's barely recognised as an addiction. I think I will have to go cold turkey but I do not know where to begin. Food is like a drug to me, it's the one thing I can always rely on.

Replies

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,261 Member
    edited December 2022
    Yeah, it's a tough one for sure. Your neurotransmitters are working on all cylinders feeding the pleasure center of your brain. People I've personally known with similar problems that beat this problem needed to go cold turkey and they all did it by removing carbs. I've had a similar problem, not as bad but still needed to lower my carbs and it's been over a decade. Basically, the need to embrace whole foods will be paramount for success. There is a lot of science to back this up, you might want to do a little research into it.
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 12,057 Member
    Ok, I see from your other posts that you're a mother of 3 kids, and you posted back in September you were going to get blood tests done. What were the results of those?
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    nossmf wrote: »
    Ok, I see from your other posts that you're a mother of 3 kids, and you posted back in September you were going to get blood tests done. What were the results of those?

    OP hasn't logged in since Dec 6th. This is happening a lot on the boards. There's something up.
  • Dawn_Robinson
    Dawn_Robinson Posts: 9 Member
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    nossmf wrote: »
    Ok, I see from your other posts that you're a mother of 3 kids, and you posted back in September you were going to get blood tests done. What were the results of those?

    OP hasn't logged in since Dec 6th. This is happening a lot on the boards. There's something up.

    Huh? That was only yesterday?
  • Dawn_Robinson
    Dawn_Robinson Posts: 9 Member
    nossmf wrote: »
    Ok, I see from your other posts that you're a mother of 3 kids, and you posted back in September you were going to get blood tests done. What were the results of those?

    Yes I did, I had extremely low folic acid levels which I am now taking supplements for, I can't say I've noticed any difference as of yet? X
  • Dawn_Robinson
    Dawn_Robinson Posts: 9 Member
    nossmf wrote: »
    Going cold turkey is probably the most productive means of fighting takeout addiction...as well as the least likely to succeed, at least initially, without some serious support from friends, family and your doctor. While I agree with the above posts (other than the "view it as poison" comment), I suggest making some small changes which still include takeout (took me a moment to figure out what you meant by "take aways;" guessing you're not from the United States) while you start on your path of change:
    • If you order fries, get the next smaller size: from large to medium, or medium to small. When you order a drink, do the same.
    --> This will let you still get the taste you crave, which I've found is actually what I need more than the actual product...the first few tastes settle the brain's need, the rest is more habit than need. When I get a craving for chocolate for example, often a miniature candy bar satisfies my desires every bit as much as a full-sized candy bar, but with a fraction the calories.
    • Most fast-food places offer baked/grilled versions of some menu items. Instead of the fried chicken sandwich, try the grilled version.
    • Try to figure out whatever is the highest calorie-content ingredient of what you order. For burgers/sandwiches, this is often cheese or mayo; for others, it may be a special sauce or other condiment, or a thick salad dressing. You don't have to completely eliminate it right away; try asking for "light" amounts at first.
    • Sometimes you can get a recipe of your favorite restaurant meal to make at home. You then have full control to change amounts of ingredients (or leave out entirely) as well as overall portion size. If you can make your favorite orange chicken bites at home, you can get the taste of it without the extra calories from something else you may not crave but get out of habit, such as noodles.
    • You never mentioned if you were a single person. My best friend is single, and he admits he eats out more often not for the food itself, but to be in the presence of other people in a social setting outside of work. I don't know if taking food to a park or playground to sit, eat and see/hear other people
      interacting is an option, but it wouldn't hurt either.

    Thank you, this is really helpful. One thing I find hard is to stop binging. If I completely stop the junk food, it nearly always ends up with me pigging out, so I definitely think reducing may work best for myself.

    Yes, sorry I am from the UK. Takeaways are the same as fast food, I always forget that members are from all across the world. Thank you again for the advice.
  • Dawn_Robinson
    Dawn_Robinson Posts: 9 Member
    neanderthin wrote: »
    Yeah, it's a tough one for sure. Your neurotransmitters are working on all cylinders feeding the pleasure center of your brain. People I've personally known with similar problems that beat this problem needed to go cold turkey and they all did it by removing carbs. I've had a similar problem, not as bad but still needed to lower my carbs and it's been over a decade. Basically, the need to embrace whole foods will be paramount for success. There is a lot of science to back this up, you might want to do a little research into it.

    Thank you, the only issue I have with going cold turkey, is that it normally leads me to binging. I'm going to look into whole foods and what's the difference etc. Xx
  • Dawn_Robinson
    Dawn_Robinson Posts: 9 Member
    davidlittlejohn5858 wrote: »
    Been there … now just the total opposite. If fast food is the only option, I’ll starve. I view it as poison… and if you eat it you will feel like you were. Just avoid it and watch the weight fall off!

    How did you manage to get past the cravings etc? What helped, if anything? Xx
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,454 Member
    edited December 2022
    Dawn, all that caffeine (and sugar) is fueling your anxiety and this cycle of feeling like you HAVE to eat. You feel anxious, so you eat. The caffeine leads to feeling more anxious. It's a vicious cycle.

    I would suggest first things first. Get the anxiety under control. I would not go cold turkey from caffeine, it will cause a lot of symptoms not the least of which will be headaches.

    Can you switch to diet coke? Then wean down off that. Like, drink less of it every day until you're down to no more than two servings of a caffeinated beverage per day. By switching to diet coke at least you'll be mitigating the high calories.
  • Dawn_Robinson
    Dawn_Robinson Posts: 9 Member
    Hi all,
    Thank you all for your helpful comments. I find replying on threads very difficult, I tend to just get lost responding to everyone individually but please know I am reading all of these comments and finding them helpful.

    I think my first goal is to definitely lower the coca cola. Maybe 1 500ml bottle a day? Diet coke wont do it for me, I think it's the sweeteners but it makes me feel very sick and I end up just drinking full fat again, so I may as well cut down on that.

    I think I also need to be fairly realistic with myself, I have 3 kids and a full time job which is shift work, I find this difficult to meal plan but maybe if I just do simple meals and make an extra portion, that will help?

    Anxiety wise, I never really linked the caffeine to it but I wouldn't be surprised. On top of all that coke, I drink at least 4 coffees with 2 sugars in each daily. I honestly never used to be this unhealthy and it couldn't have happened in just one moment, I'm not sure where it all started. I've definitely always had a bad relationship with food and body image, as a teen I was extremely restrictive and lost a lot of weight, now I seem to be at the other end of the scale.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,261 Member
    Dawn_Robinson wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    Yeah, it's a tough one for sure. Your neurotransmitters are working on all cylinders feeding the pleasure center of your brain. People I've personally known with similar problems that beat this problem needed to go cold turkey and they all did it by removing carbs. I've had a similar problem, not as bad but still needed to lower my carbs and it's been over a decade. Basically, the need to embrace whole foods will be paramount for success. There is a lot of science to back this up, you might want to do a little research into it.

    Thank you, the only issue I have with going cold turkey, is that it normally leads me to binging. I'm going to look into whole foods and what's the difference etc. Xx

    Binging is more hormonal in its physiology and it's a double edged sword. It's the taste of sugar when trying to restrict calories that initiates binging so cutting back from your regular foods isn't going to cut it, there's just less sugar.

    First of all to remove all sugars you need to basically go on a very low carb diet, which is the polar opposite of the foods you're consuming now and until you do that sugar is going to sabotage any strategy, not for all people but for most. Like I said in my previous post you're going to have to embrace low carb whole foods where you can more easily control what you put in your mouth. the problem is getting over ultra palatable foods like fast food and to speak quite frank, that's pretty near impossible unless a person goes cold turkey.

    It's a herculean feat no doubt about it but, if a person can remove most carbs and go whole food, it switches the chemistry in the brain almost immediately and the sugar craving if a person can refrain for 3 or 4 days generally speaking is transforming and almost easy. This is no guarantee but it's the only advice I can give that has a better chance and we are talking lifestyle change here, and most unfortunately don't succeed, and their health and lifespan is apparently not enough of a motivator, hopefully this makes some sense and I do hope you find some success. Cheers.
  • littlegreenparrot1
    littlegreenparrot1 Posts: 702 Member
    My suggestions for what it's worth - firstly, give yourself some grace, you have a lot on.
    I have gained a lot of weight in the past, and developed appalling habits. Beating myself up about it never helped, we are where we are.

    Habits beat motivation. Small changes, additions are easier to start with, eventually they start to crowd the other stuff out.

    For example - can you replace a couple of those coffees with tea? Lots of flavours, I have green tea a lot.
    Could you have a glass of squash before the cola and then see if you still want it?
    Fruit for snacks, extra portion of a veg with whatever your having for dinner. Maybe some more vegetarian or vegan food, lots available in the supermarkets these days ( I'm in the UK to)

    I wouldn't worry about meal planning, I never do it. But I do make more of whatever I'm cooking. The leek and potato soup for today's lunch is also lunch for tomorrow. A fridge full of leftovers makes me happy.

    Finally, I changed my mind set to a more positive one. I wasn't not having stuff because the size of me was bad or a problem. I was eating good stuff because it made me feel better, anything else that happened was just a bonus.
  • fitmattnotfatmatt
    fitmattnotfatmatt Posts: 23 Member
    I agree with giving yourself grace. A lot of times I feel like we are so intent on going 15 rounds with ourselves because we feel guilty. Much of what you described is how I feel at times too so I get it. But we need to work on the positive habits, both of us.
  • fitmattnotfatmatt
    fitmattnotfatmatt Posts: 23 Member
    Belay4Beer wrote: »
    What if you think about other goals.
    - adding to your plate vs taking away …goal of 5 fruits and veggies servings every day
    - Drink 8 cups water
    - try a new homemade recipe every week

    Set an easy goal follow through make it permanent. After you feel solid add another goal.

    Also add in a movement goal also make permanent like daily walks. If you need extra money people will pay you to walk there dog.

    You can do this start small so it’s not overwhelming.

    Best of luck
    Belay4Beer wrote: »
    What if you think about other goals.
    - adding to your plate vs taking away …goal of 5 fruits and veggies servings every day
    - Drink 8 cups water
    - try a new homemade recipe every week

    Set an easy goal follow through make it permanent. After you feel solid add another goal.

    Also add in a movement goal also make permanent like daily walks. If you need extra money people will pay you to walk there dog.

    You can do this start small so it’s not overwhelming.

    Best of luck

    Great suggestions! I am going to incorporate some of these myself
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I stopped eating fast food burgers after watching "Food, Inc."

    https://watchdocumentaries.com/food-inc/

    If anything in the movie grosses you out, that might help. All the ethical vegans I know in real life have strong negative associations to the thought of eating meat and veganism is effortless for them. (I'm not at all suggesting you become veganism but using that to demonstrate the power of the mind.)

    Your words suggest therapy would be helpful.

    I suggest seeking professional help, specifically cognitive behavioral therapy. Sometimes people avoid therapy because they think it will be years and years about talking about your childhood. That's Freudian, not CBT :)

    While you get the ball rolling on that, you can check out this book on CBT for overeating. It was available in my library system, so maybe yours too.

    The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person

    Can thinking and eating like a thin person be learned, similar to learning to drive or use a computer? Beck (Cognitive Therapy for Challenging Problems) contends so, based on decades of work with patients who have lost pounds and maintained weight through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Beck's six-week program adapts CBT, a therapeutic system developed by Beck's father, Aaron, in the 1960s, to specific challenges faced by yo-yo dieters, including negative thinking, bargaining, emotional eating, bingeing, and eating out. Beck counsels readers day-by-day, introducing new elements (creating advantage response cards, choosing a diet, enlisting a diet coach, making a weight-loss graph) progressively and offering tools to help readers stay focused (writing exercises, to-do lists, ways to counter negative thoughts). There are no eating plans, calorie counts, recipes or exercises; according to Beck, any healthy diet will work if readers learn to think differently about eating and food. Beck's book is like an extended therapy session with a diet coach. (Apr.)
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Dawn_Robinson wrote: »
    Hi all,
    Thank you all for your helpful comments. I find replying on threads very difficult, I tend to just get lost responding to everyone individually but please know I am reading all of these comments and finding them helpful.

    I think my first goal is to definitely lower the coca cola. Maybe 1 500ml bottle a day? Diet coke wont do it for me, I think it's the sweeteners but it makes me feel very sick and I end up just drinking full fat again, so I may as well cut down on that.

    I think I also need to be fairly realistic with myself, I have 3 kids and a full time job which is shift work, I find this difficult to meal plan but maybe if I just do simple meals and make an extra portion, that will help?

    Anxiety wise, I never really linked the caffeine to it but I wouldn't be surprised. On top of all that coke, I drink at least 4 coffees with 2 sugars in each daily. I honestly never used to be this unhealthy and it couldn't have happened in just one moment, I'm not sure where it all started. I've definitely always had a bad relationship with food and body image, as a teen I was extremely restrictive and lost a lot of weight, now I seem to be at the other end of the scale.

    A friend was having anxiety attacks and his doctor told him to taper off caffeine. Here in the US we can get caffeine-free Coke - is that an option for you? I'm sure you can easily find decaf coffee.

    Do TAPER to avoid major headaches. If you are brewing your coffee yourself you can start with half full caf; half decaf.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Before anyone jumps on the OP for saying "full fat" cola - that's a regional thing. Yes, there's no fat in cola but in some places people say it to mean full sugar (and caffeine.)
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Belay4Beer wrote: »
    What if you think about other goals.
    - adding to your plate vs taking away …goal of 5 fruits and veggies servings every day
    - Drink 8 cups water
    - try a new homemade recipe every week

    Set an easy goal follow through make it permanent. After you feel solid add another goal.

    Also add in a movement goal also make permanent like daily walks. If you need extra money people will pay you to walk there dog.

    You can do this start small so it’s not overwhelming.

    Best of luck

    Focusing on adding is a great idea!

    I don't eliminate calorie dense foods like pizza - I add a large salad (with cottage cheese and chicken to up the protein.) Our favorite pizza, pepperoni, does not feel balanced to me as the protein is low in proportion to the fat and carbs. I can easily eat over 1200 calories of pizza, but when I add the salad I'm satisfied with a 500 calorie meal.

    When we have desserts like brownies or cake, I have a smaller portion and add Greek yogurt and raspberries.

    I cook vegetables to add to Chinese or Thai food take out. My OH complains that there are now dishes to do after take out, but oh well :lol:

    Meeting my fiber and protein goals helps me feel full and satisfied on less calories. :smile:
  • happysquidmuffin
    happysquidmuffin Posts: 651 Member
    There is no fat in Coca Cola... you mean full sugar. But seriously, sugary soda is GARBAGE and you shouldn't be drinking more than one a week, if you're going to have any at all.
    And I'm sorry, but you do not have an addiction, just really poor coping habits. You've got to get yourself in a mentally healthy place, and take care of yourself. You're heavily dependent on the dopamine rush from over-indulging in the foods and drink that you've conditioned yourself to rely on for comfort. Figure out why you're so distressed in the first place, confront it, and get a substitute that gives you comfort that isn't takeaway and soda. Plus, so what if you "binge" on other foods if you don't get your takeaway? What's the worst thing that's going to happen? Instead of eating out, make yourself some eggs. I don't care if you end up eating 6 eggs at once, it's still probably less calories than a take out meal, and far far more nutritious. So stop telling yourself that it has to be this way and this is always what happens, put on your big girl panties, and opt to do something different. YOU are in control.
  • sollyn23l2
    sollyn23l2 Posts: 1,784 Member
    *grabs popcorn and waits for another food addiction fight to break out*
  • ehju0901
    ehju0901 Posts: 394 Member
    I think what helped for me the most was noticing how my energy levels changed. I noticed I would be good about getting my exercise in all week up until I indulged in fast food. Once I did that, I just wanted to nap or lay around. To me, it just wasn't worth it anymore.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,261 Member
    ehju0901 wrote: »
    I think what helped for me the most was noticing how my energy levels changed. I noticed I would be good about getting my exercise in all week up until I indulged in fast food. Once I did that, I just wanted to nap or lay around. To me, it just wasn't worth it anymore.

    More than likely a bit too much blood sugar elevation when you consume fast food which generally has to do with the total glycemic load, which typically translates into a higher level of total calories.

    Feeling lethargic like you did is from the insulin response that sometimes creates a crash causing hyperglycemia where your blood sugar drops well below base and it takes a few hours until that balance corrects itself. It's actually a good proxy for insulin resistance.

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