Hi all, I am addicted to junk food.. especially Fast Food. Pizza, burgers, chicken tenders, fries.. all of it! I went vegetarian for about a month or so, and felt so much better and had so much more energy! I got disappointed because I thought being vegetarian would mean I would lose weight, and that didn't happen so I gave up.. I know I need to eat healthier, but at the same time.. how do you just give up on everything "cold turkey"? And what do you do when you see those awful commercials, and you really want a cheeseburger or something..? Because I know once you've eaten a certain food for a certain amount of time... your body's become accustomed to it, and wants it again wondering why it hasn't been there.. or so it would seem. I've started going to the gym on a regular basis, by going after I get off work so I've got that covered finally. Now just getting my eating habits to change is the tricky part..
Ahh been there lol. What I just did was gradually replace meals with healthy options over-time and most importantly what I found helped me a lot is CHEWING GUM, while my mouth is busy I wasn't craving any of the junk food so it was easier to not think about them. You will have to be strict with yourself for a while and not just give in, be strong but seriously try chewing gum, it sounds silly I know but it helped me so much. On a side note: If you aren't craving any food don't just have some gum as your mouth will get very stiff otherwise, then it's generally easier to go back to old habbits.
The problem with fast food is that it has been enhanced with soy fillers, sugars and salt. Instead of going cold turkey, replace those good tasting but unhealthy foods with healthier options. Instead of buying a Big Mac, make a turkey burger at home. Instead of mayo, have mustard. Instead of fries, have half of a small sweet potato. Avoid soda- even diet soda. Commercial sodas are full of sugar and salt which make you crave more soda. Diets don't work. A lot of people do think that eliminating meat will make you lose weight. If you're eating vegetarian pizza, you're still consuming the same high carb bread that you were consuming when it had meat on it. It also doesn't help to deny yourself all the time. This just leads to binge behavior- where you're hungry and one piece of pizza turns into half a pizza, which has to be washed down with cola. Instead, plan on a day out with friends for a meal and take a look at the restaurant menu ahead of time so that you can decide on what you want instead of choosing on an impulse. What works is portion control, eating smaller meals on a schedule and exercising, exercising and exercising. Even little things help like taking the stairs instead of the elevator. And if you find yourself craving junk food, replace your walk to the refrigerator with a walk down the street. A suggestion that a nutritionist once told me is that when you have a food craving, have a small glass of water. We're not very good at distinguishing between hunger and thirst and the act of drinking water will often satisfy the craving or give you a little time to think more about whether you're eating because you're hungry or just because you can.
complete denial won't work. make better, smarter choices. avoid fast food. Its unhealthy for you and is pretty much entirely a burden on our society. If you crave a burger make a better burger than something you'd get at a fast food place. make a reasonable sized 3-4oz patty of 95% or 90% ground beef. use reduced fat cheese like cabot's , load it with lettuce and tomato and onions etc instead of bacon. use healthier condiments like mustard. or if you absolutely have to have something like mayo use it sparingly. eating less often will help too, especially as your body gets used to it. be consistent in when you eat and your body will be less hungry when it isnt the usual time. and as always, if you are looking to lose weight, follow up better eating with healthy exercise. ---------- Post added 30th Mar 2012 at 01:47 PM ---------- also the less you eat that junk food, especially the over processed, chemically altered to make you crave it stuff, the less you will desire it. I used to eat at fast food places on a regular basis. I haven't in more than 5 years and now I almost get disgusted when I smell the fake appetite-inducing chemically added scents...
You need to eat healthier for longer than a month. If going vegan isn't for you and you need to eat meat, then eat real meat. Not mcdonalds or fast food. Eating healthier costs more, but is so much more worth it. I ate healthy for a long time, still am, and after a while, the average fast food place/junk food tastes terrible. I went to taco bell the other day and simply couldn't stomach it because of how artificial and unhealthy it was. My body got used to eating real food that the empty calories were just not good anymore. So don't give up. It's so much more worth it in the end
Hey. I'm a vegetarian, so I get the not-losing-weight thing- that's probably because you're replacing your meat with dairy sources or something of that kind. Sadly, not everything that isn't meat has less calories! I'm also trying to lose weight, so I feel you on the junk food. Honestly? Start small. Swap one meal for another. I calorie-count because I know at the end of the day seeing the low balance on my myfitnesspal app will make me happier than a chocolate bar. But I had to start with baby steps first.
I recommend eating something healthy the earliest in your day as possible; I think that starting the day healthy insinuates your cravings towards more healthy foods if you start the day as such.
I got the same problem. Put on 2 pounds this week because of it. All I do is eat take aways and instant noodles. You might need to see a dietitian. I think I do. That's what my doc said anyway.
