Anyone have tips on how to ignore temptations of junk food?

charlottetoenuckles · January 3

I keep bingeing and i need help on stopping temptations.

mtaratoot · January 3

If it's temptations you want to stop, don't bring them into your house. For quite a while, I didn't bring salty crunchy things home. It wasn't hard to leave 'em in the store, but extremely difficult not to eat "more than I should" if they came home with me.

Eventually, over time, you may be able to engage moderation. That's when you win. You still get to enjoy the foods that you apparently enjoy, and you do it without going overboard. I bought some brie with wild mushrooms today. I wouldn't have done that a few years ago. I haven't even opened it! I'm saving room in my calories for the day after tomorrow - I have some cornbread to finish tomorrow.

One tool that works for some people if it's already in your house is to say STOP - I will not eat this for ten minutes. Then wait ten minutes. Maybe you'll still want it. See if you can go ten more minutes.

Funniest thing is that it's also possible over time you won't even crave some of the things you currently fear bingeing on. There's hope! Take it one day at a time, and remember to stick to it. That's the two keys - don't quit, and keep going. All you have is this one moment. All the decisions you make are in this moment. So just don't binge RIGHT NOW.

I know. Easier said than done, but I also know you CAN DO IT if you want to

musicfan68 · January 3

Don't have it in the house. Remove the temptation and you are less likely to binge.

Theoldguy1 · January 3

As others have said, don't bring junk food into your house/place of work. If it's already there, throw it out. Good luck.

Andrea222 · January 3

I agree with removing the temptation from the house. I cannot bring tortilla chips or crackers into the house. They're too easy to grab impusively. Once in a while, I get a bag of tortilla chips, eat a bunch (usually too much) and then wash the rest down the disposal. It's wasteful, but whatever. I won't be tempted the next day to finish the big bag.

Also, I found that when the thought hits to eat a particular thing, I tell myself that I don't have to listen to the thought. I know, for instance, that every afternoon about 3 o'clock, I have an urge to eat something not great. Sometimes it's fast food. Sometimes it's junk. And since I know this about myself, I can go, "aha, here's that same old urge again." And then I have a snack that satisfies but isn't horrible. I work at home, so this is easier for me. But I might have a salad with ranch and almonds and all the stuff I like on a salad. I always crave salty, savory things. Or I might have popcorn or a ham sandwich. Or my own little charcuterie plate with olives, cheese, etc.

One other thing that's helped me is to eat some of the things I like as part of my meals. Sometimes I get McDonald's for lunch. Then later, when I have an urge to overeat, I think, "eh, I just had fries with lunch, I'm not in the mood for that anymore."

Also, one other thing that's helped. I eat the carbs I crave, but healthier. I often have potatoes as part of my breakfast in an egg scramble. Then later I've caught myself thinking. "I don't feel like having fries today because I alreayd had potatoes."

I think eating some of the things you binge on, in moderation or healthier ways, takes some of the voodoo from them.

springlering62 · January 3

When the flip finally switched for me, I loaded up all junk and anything else I perceived as “bad” at the time and gave it to the neighbor, who had teenage boys.

No more “well I have to eat this up” “can’t waste this” etc etc. just drew a line in the sand and that was it.

The stores know how to tempt you with BOGOs on on Pepperidge Farm cookies, M&Ms, etc etc etc and I was happy to be sucked into their “good deals”

I made a list of acceptable snacks and made sure I went to the grocery store with a plan and a shopping list. Anything not on the list I didn’t buy.

I created new snacks and treats and from day 1, scheduled snacks into my day, because I accept and acknowledge, I’m a grazer.

Snacks now might be a Nugo bar, cottage cheese with pomegranate seeds or frozen blueberries, low cal toast with diced avocado, beef jerky, Corepower smoothie, homemade skyr ice cream.

All are low cal, and high protein because you know what? By logging and being attentive, I learned that high protein satiates me, and I (ymmv) found it easier to lose and maintain on very high protein. I also learned carbs make me desire carbs. I make sure to have some, but I seldom keep carby or fatty foods or snacks in the house.

People adopt the mindset that logging and weighing foods are a PITA, a punishment for weight gain. Nope. Logging is simply a tool.

For example, I was unusually peckish last night after dinner and dessert. I looked at my diary and lo and behold, remembered I did a gym session. I don’t count calories for gym sessions because they are so stop and go, reload, adjust etc. this was my first squat rack session in two months, since an injury. I also tried out some new hand grips, and got a couple of personal bests with them, so it was a great session- and explained why I was so peckish.

It was there in black and white, easy to spot immediately, thanks to careful logging.

I allowed myself a serving and a half of coconut/ginger bites and that was enough to top me off.

Your pantry, fridge contents , MFP diary, exercise regimen, all are simply tools. It’s up to you to put them to work for you.

no1racefan2 · January 3

Lots of good advice about temptations at home. If there's also temptations at work, I've had luck with finding replacements to keep in my snack drawer so I'm not tempted by the treats at work.

Ex. my coworker keeps a big bowl of butterfingers outside her office that I have to walk past 10+ times a day. I now keep fun size M&Ms in my snack drawer because they are lower calorie/fat than Butterfingers. It's not perfect, but it helps me walk past, and most of the time I can ignore the M&Ms in my snack drawer and just take some when I'm really jonesing for that treat.

spiriteagle99 · January 3

Also, eat before you go grocery shopping. If you are tempted by something you know triggers binges, tell yourself that it will still be there next week or next month, you can skip it now. The more often you postpone indulgences, the easier it gets to pass them by.

Theoldguy1 · January 3

no1racefan2 wrote: »

Lots of good advice about temptations at home. If there's also temptations at work, I've had luck with finding replacements to keep in my snack drawer so I'm not tempted by the treats at work.

Ex. my coworker keeps a big bowl of butterfingers outside her office that I have to walk past 10+ times a day. I now keep fun size M&Ms in my snack drawer because they are lower calorie/fat than Butterfingers. It's not perfect, but it helps me walk past, and most of the time I can ignore the M&Ms in my snack drawer and just take some when I'm really jonesing for that treat.

Places I've worked had mouse issues (large corporate office buildings). The first time you open your snack drawer and interrupt a mouse eating your M&Ms it will be time to abolish the snack drawer.

zebasschick · January 3

i don't keep trigger foods in the house, but also i've found lower-calorie snacks i like so i can munch sometimes. some - like dannon light & fit yogurt also add protein to my diet while being under 100 calories. and there are ultra low snacks like juicy gels sugar free gel cups (i prefer the orange and strawberry) plus i make my own calorie-free popsicles with my favorite calorie free sodas, herb teas (with stevia) and water enhancers so i can go crazy with no calories at all.

mtaratoot · January 3

@Andrea222

Maybe next time you're in the grocery and want some tortilla chips, just get a single-serving sized bag. You will pay a lot more per ounce, but you won't have a 12-serving bag in your house.

I cannot throw away perfectly good food. Given all the inputs that go into producing food, I find it abhorrent to waste it. I would absolutely find some other use. For tortilla chips, I might crush them into crumbs, put them in a jar in the freezer, and use them as coating for fish or something like that or maybe an addition to thicken a soup. Worst case is I'd mix them with some other ingredients and make some suet or some other food for the birds. Or at least go toss 'em in the river for the fish to eat. I couldn't throw them in the trash, and I don't have (nor do I want) an in-sink disposal device. Their main purpose is to create a nice food slurry for sewer rats. Yeah - I worked in a public utility. I don't like rats.

Abhorring food waste did lead to a weight gain this spring. I was on a private Grand Canyon Rafting trip that we used an outfitter to pack the food. They gave us way too much. Some of my mates weren't good at leaving some of the cans unopened or otherwise not actually cooking everything in the day's box. We always ended up with leftovers. They can't be saved, and in order to keep them from being thrown in the garbage, I'd eat more than I needed. I hated that. Sometimes there was so much extra I couldn't make a real difference, and we threw a LOT away. One night I was on the dish crew, and there was a pot full of delicious food. I told the rest of the group I will wash the pot, but I can't be the one to dump it in the garbage.

Wasting food wastes so much. It has become a real problem in the USA. It means that all of the inputs have gone for naught. The labor. The fuel used on the farm. The chemicals used on the farm. The fuel to transport the chemicals. The fuel used to transport the food multiple times. Unless it's composted, it also takes up landfill space and emits methane which is a powerful greenhouse gas. In the USA, over a third of our food gets wasted.

mtaratoot · January 3

no1racefan2 wrote: »

Lots of good advice about temptations at home. If there's also temptations at work, I've had luck with finding replacements to keep in my snack drawer so I'm not tempted by the treats at work.

Ex. my coworker keeps a big bowl of butterfingers outside her office that I have to walk past 10+ times a day. I now keep fun size M&Ms in my snack drawer because they are lower calorie/fat than Butterfingers. It's not perfect, but it helps me walk past, and most of the time I can ignore the M&Ms in my snack drawer and just take some when I'm really jonesing for that treat.

My old shop used to have "kind souls" who would leave "food" in a common area. It's a nice thought I reckon. The common area was 18 feet from my cube. I had to walk by it any time I walked out of my cube. It was pretty easy to walk right past the doughnuts, but if it was potato chips.... Yeah. My weakness. Every now and then a piece of chocolate, but usually not. I will cop to being a little passive-aggressive a time or two:

A friend had found a full pack of cigarettes by the side of the road. He used to smoke years ago. He tried one, and hated it. That's good. I asked if I could have them. When the "kind souls" would put junk food out (you know that stuff can kill people, right?), I would occasionally put out a nice doily and leave a few cigarettes out there. You know those things can kill you, right? Fair is fair. If it's OK to put out junk food, it should be OK to put out legal drugs like tobacco. I think it pissed some people off. Good.

The only good thing about the pandemic emergency was that the "kind souls" stopped leaving group food out.

I am so glad I don't go to that office any more, although I do miss my daily bike commute. I guess I could ride over there to say hi any time I want. Nah. I don't want to go there.

SafariGalNYC · January 3

Agree.. don’t bring in the house. At work.. have your own food on hand and when your will power is waning.. ask yourself.. will eating this serve my goals or just taste good for 30 seconds and then I’ll regret eating it?

jimmydr5 · January 3

1. High protein diet
2. Hydration
3. Sleep adequate 8-9 hrs
4. Kitchen is shut after fixed hrs. And so no bingeing.
5. Avoid unhealthy snacks. U also get protein chips.
6. Incorporate protein smoothies too.
7. One trick I would do is to sometimes reserve main portion of calories for food that you like. For eg. pastry. Once in a while is ok. Rather than binging regularly and on guilt trip.
8. One more trick. Keep major of your daily calorie requirement during bingeing hrs, may be late evening or night. And then try incorporating healthy foods like grilled chicken and smoothies, high protein foods etc etc. and then try gradually shifting it to your morning and lunch once you are in full control of not bingeing at night. Believe me. Even if you binge, you cannot literally have 500-700 grams of chicken. So actually u ate healthy food within calorie budget during your bingeing hrs. 👍

Most important is high protein diet. Helps a lot. It helps with early and longer satiety and so no hunger.

I feel bingeing actually happens because you don’t eat the food you like regularly. Imagine since morning you are into food you like, then why binge?

Andrea222 · January 3

@mtaratoot

I would love to buy a single serving bag of tortilla chips, but I’ve never ever seen them. 🤷‍♀️I also hate food waste. Luckily I’ve only done the tortilla thing a few times in my life

mtaratoot · January 3

Andrea222 wrote: »

@mtaratoot

I would love to buy a single serving bag of tortilla chips, but I’ve never ever seen them. 🤷‍♀️I also hate food waste. Luckily I’ve only done the tortilla thing a few times in my life

They are often close to the check-out as an impulse buy. Other times you have to buy a package of several of them - the size to put in a brown bag lunch. They're often also available at gas stations or convenience stores.

When I buy a 5-ounce bag of Kettle Chips, I have to admit that if I bring them home, there will actually be only one or two servings in the bag instead of the five claimed on the label. I also found that if I cut the top of the bag with a scissors after I've weighed out an ounce (and then a second ounce), I can re-seal it with my vacuum sealer. Then I can put it back in the pantry for another time. The problem is that I don't forget where I put them, and I actually know how to open that bag again. It works about half the time. So I just leave 'em in the store.

nossmf · January 3

A lot of posters have mentioned getting rid of junk food completely, and for some people that may be not only reasonable, but necessary. I, however, fall into the category of people who prefer moderation over elimination. In other words, I plan my day to include a little bit of my special treat, and having just a little bit helps stave off the desire to have a ton.

Now, this requires a little bit of planning ahead. If I open a bag of chips while watching the football game, I guarantee you I will eat several servings' worth before realizing what happened. So if my plan is to have chips during the game, I either buy the individual-serving sized bags, or the moment I get home from the store I portion out the large chips bag into several Ziploc sandwich bags. Then when the game starts I grab a single bag and enjoy.

I also plan out all my calories for the day in advance. This helps me to juggle high-calorie lunches with low-calorie dinners (and vice versa), whether I have enough protein planned into my day...and make sure I have enough calories in my "budget" to allow for a special treat. I might have to cut out that second slice of garlic bread to make room for dessert, but then when I do indulge it's guilt-free, not worrying whether this treat is putting me over-calories for the day.

When it comes to eating out, I do agree that making the conscious choice to cook for yourself is usually better. But even eating fast food can have ways to cope. Asking for the SMALL portions of fries and soda lets you have some taste without all the calories. Asking for grilled versions instead of fried (especially for chicken). Getting alternate sides (fruit or chili instead of fries, for example).

xbowhunter · January 3

If I have unused calories to eat, I will eat it if I want to.

If I'm maxed out on calories no bueno! :0)

uschica71 · January 3

I've felt so hungry since I started making changes which makes me vulnerable to overindulge. I did opt for smaller items thinking it was ok but when I entered that item into my food diary, it helped me for the next time I wanted to eat that again. I actually wrote the # of calories big enough on the snack as a visual so that I can make an informed decision. I also chose to drinking water, work out or distracting myself in another way. Thinking reassuring thoughts also helped to encourage me about my overall health goals. You can do it!

elisa123gal · January 4

For years.. many.. i've purged my kitchen of anything that wasn't on my eating plan. I also got rid of any alcohol. AFter all these years.. just now.. can i have a few of those things around and not be tempted. So yeah.. in after 20 yeras of keeping junk food and alcohol out of your house. you can build enough will power have them in there again and not be tempted. ha. But.. simply smart to never have the stuff around.

llmayle · January 4

I am addicted to sugar. I should not have it in the house, however, I have a husband who wants his ice cream and sugary snacks. I tell him to hide it so I don't know where it is. You know what? My nose finds it! LOL!

My addiction is real. For this new year, I am working on two things. #1 For my addiction to sugar, I tell myself many times a day - when I'm tempted - that eating those treats is feeding my addiction. I need to overcome that. It's 4 days in to the new year and I'm not perfect, but getting better. I went shopping and bought fruit, veggies, protein items, and made some homemade hummus. No preservatives if I can help it. Tracking my food on MFP is helping with portion sizes. #2 2024 is for my self care. I haven't taken care of me for a long time. I used to be a runner, so I signed up for a half marathon in October. (A 5k or 10k would have been easier but what the heck! Just go for it!) It's been awhile, so now I remind myself that I'm "in training." I have something to work towards. I need to focus on how I took care of myself back in the day. So far, so good. I have exercised every day. Instead of focusing on food, I am focusing on exercise, not only by doing, but also by reading and educating myself about how this will help me to have a better quality of life. And last, but not least, Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!

Thanks to all who post. Your comments are helpful in knowing that I'm not on my own in this journey.

Anyone have tips on how to ignore temptations of junk food?

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