Dreaming about junk food

blacklillyisme
blacklillyisme Posts: 7
edited December 18 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everyboddy, my name is Lilly and am new here.

I started eating healthy a week ago and cut all the crap, junk food, and drinking empty calories. I started at 207 pounds and lost around 9 so far.

Some days are easy, but most are hard, but am hanging there

I noticed since the day before yesterday, I 've been having these crazy dreams about fast food, and eating it .

Am up right now because I woke up in panic thinking I ruined my diet eating junk food. I can't tell you how relieved I was when I realized it was just a dream, or a NIGHTMARE i would say. I was scared as crazy. the exact same thing happened yesterday.

This is scaring me because I dont want to wake up and binge at night. I am an emotional eater and I binge for the smallest emotion so this is scarying me. Has anyone been going thru such a thing? if yes, how did you handle it? thanks in advance

Replies

  • Chester_1
    Chester_1 Posts: 26
    While I haven't quite progressed to actually dreaming about fast food, I've definitely been missing it lately. One of my coworkers made a comment today about how easily I've been losing weight, to which I replied "Easy?! Are you kidding me?! I feel like every moment of every day I'm two seconds away from going to the nearest fast food place and ordering six of everything!" Someone had McDonald's in the lunch room today and I nearly mugged him for his fries hahaha.

    I just try to concentrate on how far over my calorie limit the food would put me, along the lines of "Ok, that's an extra 500 calories. That's another .15 lbs I won't lose. If I eat that seven times, that's a whole pound I won't lose!"

    And then I go back to my stupid Coke Zero and stupid low-fat, low-calorie, low-sodium lunch and glare at them from across the room haha :)

    I also make sure I have no junk food in my house, so should I be overcome with an irresistible craving I won't have the opportunity to give in to it. I'm a lazy person, and as much as I love chocolate and chips, there's no way I'm walking my butt to the convenience store in the middle of the night to get it!

    I'm curious to know how other people handle the junk food cravings, because mine seem nearly constant!
  • Carnivorekat
    Carnivorekat Posts: 370 Member
    I do know how you both feel - I haven't managed to stop giving into the binges yet and feel like I am addicted to crappy foods - good for you both for managing to resist and keep to your goals - don't give in, as far as everyone says if you can keep away from them for about 21 days you break the habit cycle and no longer crave them - it has something to do with the sodium and preservatives they put in the foods which keep you wanting more

    Keep strong and resist
  • blacklillyisme
    blacklillyisme Posts: 7
    Chester, thanks for the reply,
    I fele the exact same way about people eating in front of me, so I do everything to avoid them, I dont want to see their food, or smell it because it triggers me really bad.
    I actually live at my parents house and my room is the closest to the kitchen.
    My family is pretty healthy, they are all thin except for myelf and can eat whatever they want without gaining any weight , so no need to say, junk food surrounds me. However, I've been able to convince myself just like you mention that If I eat this , I will gain this amount of weight and cancel all the efforts and good work I've done so far. It's been so hard this past weke that I can't imagine waisting it all on some crappy food, so am hanging there, thanks for the support and I wish you good luck on ur journey, just hang in there
  • blacklillyisme
    blacklillyisme Posts: 7
    Kathroot1973, thanks dear for you reply

    I really hope that by day 21, I wont have these crazy cravings and dreams anymore seriously . As far as sodium is concerned, this will be hard since am addicted to salt. for the first days of the diet, I kinda manage to eat without it but I've been craving salty food yesterday and ate couple of olives just to get over it. I really hope it will stop in the next week, thanks again
  • thebigcb
    thebigcb Posts: 2,210 Member
    Firstly well done, thats amazing work so far

    It sounds like you were addicted to junk food. When I quit smoking I would wake up, sweating having dreamt that I had "taken a smoke out of the packet, held it too my lips and sparked a lighter by it" thats when I would wake in a panic

    I think it just shows you how are bodies become so use to sugar, fat, salt etc

    Maybe someday we will both wake up in a panic after dreaming about eating a carrot

    Keep up the great work
  • blacklillyisme
    blacklillyisme Posts: 7
    Hello Pu_239

    Well it is not the end of the world but I have been binging since I was 8 and it ruined my life so far.

    I realized that I need to stop it in order to take control back over my life.

    Am 28 and , I've been in a very dark zone so far , believe it or not food addiction is a really bad one because you must eat everyday in order to survive whereas for other addiction you just cancel for good the addiction.

    Am scared because I know that I must stop binging to turn my life around.

    We are all different, you might succomb to your cravings for days and not gain a pound, well I have hypothyroidism,got my thyroid entirly removed and am taking medication. I am the kind of person who can diet for weeks, exercise and not lose a pound, so binging wont help me at all. I just pray i stay on track and keep eating healthy. thanks for the reply
  • blacklillyisme
    blacklillyisme Posts: 7
    thebigcb,

    "It sounds like you were addicted to junk food. When I quit smoking I would wake up, sweating having dreamt that I had "taken a smoke out of the packet, held it too my lips and sparked a lighter by it" thats when I would wake in a panic "

    Oh my God

    this is exactly how I felt, I woke up in sweat looool when I realized I was just dreaming , It was like somebody removed me from death row, I was so relieved what is scaring me is this is just about food, damn i Had no idea I was so addicted to it.

    Thanks for your reply, it made me laugh feel better ! and congrats on quitting smoking!
  • thebigcb
    thebigcb Posts: 2,210 Member
    You're welcome

    I happened over about 3 weeks I'd say, hasn;t happened since. I reckon thats all it is.

    Imagine what an alcoholic or recovery drug addict goes through. The DT's like a mo'fo. You think your dreams scare you lol
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    This happens to me ALL the time. Always. It doesn't matter if I'm eating healthy or not. I find that I have vivid dreams about things that I've worried about or have thought about a lot the previous few days. My most frequent dream is about binging on doughnuts. I'm not sure why, I'm not a frequent eater of doughnuts but its interesting.

    What I do to help with cravings is to find a substitute. If I'm craving sweets, I try to eat more fruit. If I'm craving fast food, ill cook my own healthy version at home. If I find I can't resist, I just find a smaller replacement (a mini chocolate bar, a regular taco instead of a huge burrito, or a low cal version). Every little bit helps and when you finall find your groove, you'll be rewarded with awesome weight loss.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Just enjoy the dream, then you won't need to eat fast food in real life. Also, don't deprive yourself to the point of misery as this might lead to failure. No one wants to be miserable all the time. Instead, maybe set mini goals and plan to reward yourself with the unhealthy things you've cut out of your diet when reach them. This gives you something to work for and will let you know that you can occasionally splurge and not ruin your diet. The key is keeping it occasional.
  • Barbellsandthimbles
    Barbellsandthimbles Posts: 205 Member
    HAHAHA....Thank goodness I'm not the only one dreaming of burying my face in chocolate cake then waking up with heart palpitations because I'd just blown it! In fact, last night I had a dream that my mother found my stash of cookies under the couch. These chocolate chip cookies were the size of a small pizza. While I've been sugar free for 60 days and gluten free for 45, I still crave the junk now and again and I still dream about it, albeit not as much. Don't let it scare you. It's just your body's way of dealing with the changes. Just be relieved that you're just dreaming and try to move on. Now, if you find a candy bar wrapper in your bed or think you're "sleep eating" (I've heard it happens but don't know anyone who has actually done this) then it may be cause for worry but I'm sure you're just fine!
  • jg627
    jg627 Posts: 1,221 Member
    If I go to bed hungry I have food dreams. Don't eat that burrito. Don't do it! I did it anyway.
  • thebigcb
    thebigcb Posts: 2,210 Member
    It could be a lot worse, you could keep dreamin that you are going to the toilet .......
  • blacklillyisme
    blacklillyisme Posts: 7
    loool you guys r so funny,

    Rachel0440, well the ame thing is happening to me, am actually dreaming about food I dont even eat, and before starting this diet, I'd actually never dream about food, like you say this might be a way my body is adjusting to the drastic change.
    I 've not have serious cravings tho, whenever I feel hungry I drink a liter of water or so . My hardest times are at night, I sleep very very late so taking my last meal at 7 doesn't really help because then am bored and I feel like binging. To avoid eating crappy food, I've been eating sunflower seeds, which have a great amount of fat 9i gues it is why i've gain 2 pounds back as of this monrning). I just need to find a way of not eating at night thanks again

    Bcattoes, thanks but the problem is am a food addict, I have been dieting my whole life and i figured that there is no half measure with me. Indulging from time to time to my addiction doesnt help because instead of just having 1 cookie, I'll eat the whole jar, so I decided not to eat it at all and so far it is ok because I tend to forget about all those junk til i started dreaming about it looool, I'll be fine hopefully

    Bellly, looool sleep eating won't happen to me hopefully , or I'll just kill myself ahaha. Don't worry I wont let it scare me anymore, am stronger than these nightmares. thanks.

    jg627 lmao, maybe you need to have a snack before bed , not to be hungry again, good luck

    The big cb loool thaat would be the worst of all
  • union410
    union410 Posts: 32
    My junk food cravings went away after a month of dieting. My key is just not eating any of it, because once I start I can't stop. I'm like you, one cookie is not enough, I need 8 of them. So I just don't have one. I know my limits, lol. But keep at it and if you have a bad day don't repeat it or feel sorry for yourself. Just go for a good walk or whatever else you do for exercise and pick your diet back up.
  • blacklillyisme
    blacklillyisme Posts: 7
    union410,

    Glad you got over those cravings, hopefully, I will too.

    Great advice, , never feel sorry for yourself on a bad day. thanks again
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