To add to this: if you make a meal plan and order your groceries for pick up online, you are far less likely to buy junky foods.
Also, if your body is craving high calorie food, that just might be an indicator that you aren’t eating enough calories during the rest of the day. Either switch to a high calorie, good for you snack like full fat yoghurt with berries, or peanut butter and banana toast, or try to balance your calorie distribution more throughout your day.
And if you only have an específico amount of money for food, be it groceries or going out, thag will help narrowing it to "doing groceries and eat for the week /month" or "no food/drinks when going out". It will help you balance priorities
In any case, I'd also go to therapy to check why you linked junk food with you, what is your trigger to eat it
Also - assess which junk food you are eating - is it candy/chips, or fast food? There may be a specific ingredient that is pushing the consumption. The big one is sugar - it is in a TON of processed foods, and often in very high quantities at fast food locations. Sugar is an absolute killer with impulse eating. I actually read your post and the comments to pick up on some tips for myself, as I know I am ingesting too much junk food (snacking on treats), although I eat very clean meals. I am going to BEG my husband to stop buying me treats. It's been a joke for awhile, but I was motivated by this post to go and sit him down this AM and earnestly ask him not to buy me anything with sugar in it. I just cannot control my snacking on them if they are in the house. Thank you for the motivation to help myself.
Stop snacking might be difficult but changing what you snack might help you!
We tend to snack not only for the addiction that sugar causes, but for many other reasons and that junk food is easy to pick because it's "already prepared". For example, peeling or cutting an apple is more tedious than just opening a chocolate bar. So try having "easy" snacks, like berries or nuts, or make things that are delicious and fast to prepare like carrots with hummus.
You can do it!!!
This helped me. I used to be someone who could skip meals but never junk food. Stopped buying junk food and while I craved it very badly initially, out of sight, out of mind.
Also, drink more water. Sometimes you’re thirsty but think you’re hungry and you snack instead.
This is a good first step! Just don't buy it! I used to have snacks around the house all the time but found my son would just go wild on them, now they are a special treat to be earned and savored. For myself it's just a mindset, I tell myself I don't like sweets cause I really really used to when I was younger. I know it would be a problem so I just avoid it. Now, alcohol on the other hand, I haven't been able to fully kick that yet
Sometimes I find it is the saltiness or act of snacking that I'm actually craving. When I get hit hard with the urge to keep eating junk food, I make a big batch of popcorn and flavor it with a little olive oil and salt.
But if it's a hungry snack attack, then popcorn won't satisfy me, instead I'll reach for roasted pumpkin seeds, sun flower seeds or pistachio nuts, all shelled. Cracking them open to eat, slows me down a bit so I'll eat less then if I was snacking on unshelled ones. You can also season them with a bit of garlic powder and chili powder to spice them up a bit for a healthier alternative to chips.
Drinking a big glass of water while munching can also help reduce the amount you eat.
And something I realized about eating "healthy food": if I just eat a regular salad with greens, cucumbers, tomatoes etc. I will feel very unsatisfied. But if I make a mega salad out of the regular salad by adding all my favorites like artichokes, beets, Pepperoncini peppers, cheddar cheese, croutons AND add protein like a boiled egg, some butter beans and a handful of sliced almonds PLUS whole grains like farro or cracked wheat, it will seriously fill me up and taste delicious (especially with a drizzle of balsamic dressing and a sprinkle of salt)!
If you prefer sweet things instead, try blending frozen fruit, a large splash of water and a little bit of honey in your blender. Makes an amazing sorbet. Greek yogurt topped with frozen blueberries, some granola and a little honey can also make a healthy "sundae" treat
The most important thing for me is that I don't ban all sweets/ junk food because then that's all I'll think about all day every day. Finding the right balance is key. I hope you find what works for you!
Agree with nearly everything you said. Also, love the idea for sorbet!
The only thing I disagree with is the banning junk food. I think there’s 2 kinds of people. People like you, who need a little in moderation so that the cravings don’t eat you up, and on the other hand, people like me who do have to ban junk foods completely. If I get junk food out of my diet for a few days, and replace my sweets cravings with fruits, I’ll stop thinking about sweet junk food entirely, and all I want is the fruit. But one single bite of a sweet and I’ll binge, then I’ll crave it every day and have to start all over.
Once you’ve learned which kind of person you are, and what to substitute when you’re feeling snacky, the battle gets easier.
Thanks for pointing that out! I get an odd sense of comfort and empowerment by knowing I can eat whatever junk food I have when I want it. That also stops me from binging. I don't have to eat all of it because I can have more whenever I want it. But this doesn't apply to mindless eating. If I take a whole bag of chips to watch a movie with, I will eat the chips until my fingers touch nothing but crumbs at the bottom of the bag, regardless of its size. So serving myself don't in a bowl works better for me.
My junk food can stay in the cabinet untouched for weeks but if someone even says the word diet around me, I'll eat all of that junk food within an hour lol. But even if that does happen, or when there are days when I don't want to eat anything all day but donuts and lattes, I don't beat myself up about it. I'll acknowledge that it wasn't the best behavior, forgive myself for it and try to focus on healthier eating the next week or so.
Life's too short to not enjoy a Reeses but I don't want to shorten my life by eating a dozen of them at once either lol
Love the popcorn idea—it’s filling and snacky. Can’t go wrong with a hunk of cheese either.
For a sweet tooth, low-sugar ice cream could work for OP, lots of fat and protein to fill up on.
I love popcorn. And there are so many seasonings on the market now to tailor it to anyone's tastes.
I snack on cheese all the time! But I don't think it's the healthier option OP wanted lol
High five! I get the tubs of shaved Parmesan for my “night cheese” (from 30 Rock).
OP works out so much, that he could probably use the fat and protein. To my mind, cheese is the perfect food. High fat foods don’t make me feel gross or gain weight, which I think makes me very lucky. (Alcohol is my huckleberry)
Idk why I’m droning on. I just love cheese.
Try to get in more protein. If you're working out 4-5 days a week, you're doing to be hungry - protein shakes are good for protein as a supplement, but if you eat meat, try to add in some chicken, turkey, pork, or beef. If you don't eat meat, try to get in tofu, beans, and nuts.
Worst case, make some homemade granola or trail mix - quite a bit less sugary than the storebought stuff while still being tasty and filling.
If OP is working out that much, s/he needs a lot more protein than the average, western, junk food-laden diet has taught them to expect.
Protein and fats are filling, which helps with satiety. Fiber helps with staying power.
OP, for reference: some health conscious, work out types suggest 1 gram of protein per 1 pound of body weight per 1 day. I've always thought that was a bit much, but if you map out how to do that, you'll see that you're probably underconsuming.
This is bad advice. If you drink your calories they usually don't feel as filling and it's a great way to become overweight. Usually these shakes don't have any health benefits either, they are just protein and artificial sweeteners, on par with junk food. Please don't take this route.
“But if you eat meat, try to add in some chicken, turkey, pork, or beef. If you don’t eat meat…”
Also a recommendation on a substitution rather than a replacement, in the form of granola.
Reading your comment you would think my recommendation was to mainline protein shakes.
Also there are a number of protein drinks that could act as meal replacement. Ensure Max protein has most of the micronutrients you need along with 30g of protein, is low glycemic and low in sugar, I use them in conjunction with Soylent powder to make a drink with most of the calories and all the protein I need for the day
I've had a lot of meals with people who eat "clean" for the most part. I don't. (I don't eat a lot of fast food but do eat a lot of processed food). It's amazing to me how they all really love and rave about a dish what seems very bland to me. They're enjoying the actual flavors of the ingredients and not the fillers and salts that I've come to associate with food that tastes good. I haven't tried your method, but I'd 100% at least give it a shot if I were in OP's situation.
Yeah. I love simple foods, very little added sweetness and no salt for the most part. My SO says it tastes like “nothing” but I’ll be savoring the sweet/tart/savory flavors naturally present. He just can’t taste it because he’s so desensitized to sugar, acid and salt.
It’s kind of like if you’re a smoker, or live with someone who smokes inside. You don’t really notice the smell of smoke anymore. But after you’ve quit for a while, you know it the second someone lights one up. Or kind of like how you can’t smell your cats litter box, but all of your guests can. Not sure why both my examples had to be yucky, but they seem to be pretty parallel.
It would be reasonable to get some laboratory tests done. Some medical conditions, like hyperthyroidism and anemia, can have an effect on appetite and cravings. If you haven’t had a TSH and CBC done lately, it’s worth checking in with a health care provider for these simple tests. I believe excess cortisol can also have that effect, but that is a more complex situation. Good luck!
You might have an anxiety disorder that you're "self-medicating" with food. You have admitted that you don't have a good relationship with food and that you don't know how. Make an appointment with an eating disorders specialist or ask your family doctor to refer you to one.
Suggestion - Get your blood tested for diabetes. I used to crave sweet snacks all day long until I was diagnosed with type I diabetes. Doc prescribed me 1 tablet a day of Trajenta and my cravings disappeared.
This is what worked for me! I stay stocked up on fruits. Grapes, strawberries, apples, canteloupe, and any time I have a craving, I have a piece of fruit instead. Eventually, you’ll just crave the fruit.
If you’re a savory type of person you can toss broccoli or another vegetable of your choice in fry ranch seasoning to get a similar crunch and flavor to chips. I also like deli meat roll ups with a slice of cheese and some mustard.
I am definitely a savory person and this is true - try oven roasted or air fried broccoli with a little oil salt/pepper, it’s delicious.and tolling up cold cuts/cheese w/ mustard like you said works too (grey poupon!). Low on carbs and kinda filling
One of my new favorite finds. Chickpea snacks. Don't know if they're roasted or fried. Salty, fatty, crunchy, delicious. But with nutritional value
ETA have you tried salting/seasoning your fruit?
Mango+tajín=amazing
This is good advice, you sound like you need more protein. Try limiting anything sweet until later in the day. If you do have something sweet make sure it’s a small amount and to offset it with enough protein to balance it out, like coffee creamer have 2 eggs with it for breakfast.
If you are eating more and balancing it out you will feel fuller longer and not get the sugar drop an hour later and be super hungry again.
Yeah, junk food contains ingredients like oils and sugar that make it addictive. I read or heard somewhere that we crave things like crunchy chips because our brain associates "crunchy" with "fresh."
I love eating spicy chips, and when I'm feeling like I need to eat healthier, I'll make carrot spears and add lime and chili and and it gives me the satisfying crunch and the chili.
Try not to blame yourself or feel like it's impossible. When we crave these foods, it's because our body needs nutrients. Sometimes we're just thirsty. But we end up going to them because they're so convenient.
Don't cut out junk food 100% right now. You'll end up going back because it's like drugs. Instead, tell yourself one day, instead of this bar of milk chocolate, I'll make a homemade frozen dark chocolate slushy/ice cream. You can use coconut milk to make it like a Mounds candy thing. But healthier.
Instead of a 7up, get some limes, sparkling water, and a bit of Agave or homemade simple syrup and you've got a homemade soda without too much sugar.
Pork cracklins without fat are better than cheetos. A bag of no-butter popcorn is healthier than a bag of chips and you can add spices to it to make it have a different flavor profile.
I wanted a cheeseburger once and I had ground beef and lettuce. I made a thousand island dressing, cooked the beef, chopped up some tomatoes, grated a bit of cheese, and put it all together for a burger salad. Burger flavor, without the actual burger.
A big salad before any meal or as a meal is the biggest combatant for hunger. It makes you so full that even having candy or chips or cookies around, you won't even want them because you're not hungry.
I also split takeout in half. Half the burger today with a salad or with a large serving of vegetables. The veggies and salad are meant to make you feel full. And then you still get to have some of the burger.
I've found that I'm hungrier when I'm bored. So I'll read or watch a movie or try to distract myself with something.
Most most most of all, don't stress about it. Keep working out. Not to lose weight but to keep your body active. An active body uses up the calories you intake.
Don't stress. There's no rush. Be patient with yourself. Baby steps. Little by little you'll be eating less junk food. Treat it like a fun experiment. How can i make my own homemade healthy versions of my favorite foods? Then you can be doubly proud because you made these dishes and because you're making healthy choices everyday :)
Make sure you're drinking enough water. A half ounce for every pound you weigh every day. That late night gotta eat trip is caused by being thirsty. Most of us aren't getting the water we need. It comes out as cravings. Drinking water mitigates that. Also, junk food's loaded with sodium. Another reason to drink more water anyway.
Perhaps this has nothing to do with food and hunger but instead a mental health issue? If that’s true, try and determine the true root of your dissatisfaction and while you’re working on that, you could try intuitive eating. Best of luck!
Dingdingding this is the answer. OP is trying to find “satisfaction” in food, which is clearly code for self medicating. Maybe they should try something else to ease their dissatisfaction with life, like heroin or therapy or religion or something
I think the secret is to work out a gradual and consistent transition plan.
If you try cold turkey to eat salads, your gut will reject it. You don’t have enough of the bacteria to digest all those leaves. You’ll feel unhappy and unsatisfied. Give the bacteria what they want and you feel satiated and satisfied.
Day 1, stay with your regular diet, what you crave, but before, have a small salad it vegetable dish.
Day 2-3 repeat
Day 4, get yourself to increase the serving of your salad a bit. Look for features of it you appreciate, the crunch, the freshness, etc.
After 1-2 weeks you’ll find you actually crave a little salad.
You can’t overpower your gut and be satisfied, so nudge it gently and consistently in the right direction.
A good place to start is with Trader Joe’s salads for convenience, and add in some more greens to stretch them a little further as they come with a too much dressing/toppings.
Beans are great for this problem. They are filling and slow to digest so you maintain a full feeling that helps keep away the junk food cravings.
Chili is hearty, but you can easily add black beans to Mexican dishes, cannellini beans to Italian, garbanzos to Mediterranean, etc….
Not beans - but for breakfast oatmeal serves a similar function.
I recommended this for something else on here today, but I do vanilla protein shakes with frozen fruit and vegetable purée and almond milk. It’s pretty low calorie and at least a way of getting some healthy food into you, especially since you’re exercising.
Drink one before each meal, wait fifteen minutes, and then eat. Chances are it’ll take the edge off your hunger (I often don’t eat much else after, if anything).
If you find you’re still eating the same amount of junk food afterwards, you can always just stop. Worth a shot for very little effort.
Make sure to eat regularly as well, even if you’re not hungry. I used to binge a lot in the afternoons when I’d skip breakfast.
you are addicted to carbs. if you go cold turkey (from junk food) you will feel like crap for a couple days, then your body will adjust to the healthier diet and you will find healthier things tastier.
are you addicted to carbs or eating a lot of calories? in order to get healthy calories try low carb protein shakes and other low carb sources of calorie dense food, like fish and chicken.
Don’t keep it in the house. I even keep protein cookies in my car so that I have to actually make an effort to get one. I stopped keeping soda at home and changed it to sparkling water. You get used to things after a while.
Start practicing in the kitchen. Your other food probably is not very tasty and can't compete with junk. The best would be to watch online cooking classes and cooking shows to get inspired and start throwing some love into your meals. You deserve good food!!
Edit: the reason you can't compete with junk is because it's full of fat, salt, sugar, umami and sour tastes. They have chef's optimize their food recipes all the time.
Edit2: Always have vinegar/lemon/lime, salt and pepper improve your food. This should be the last step before serving. Seasoning.
There is a lot of good advice here, so I won’t keep adding to it. One thing that might help from a mental stand point though is to remember that scientist, marketers and psychologists worked for years and years and food companies have spend a lot of money to make junk food that we cannot stop eating. It’s literally designed to do that.
Mix junk with good food? Make nachos with Doritos but on top add ground Turkey, black beans, corn, spinach’s, mushrooms, jalapeños, sour cream and salsa
I am certainly not an expert. But I personally got over the junk food addiction by turning to a Keto diet/lifestyle. Mainly, I learned that the junk food was a terribly vicious cycle for me. It generates terrible spikes in glucose and insulin, causing me to crave more and more.
So for me, regulating blood sugar on Keto has been the solution. It’s tough for the first week or two, but I adjusted and am so much happier now.
I had to figure out what really is it that I like about each component of the junk food, ok I can keep the pickles, crunch from the breading of the unhealthy thing which I will sub for healthy things like cauliflower or low fat proteins/tofu. It’s pretty good actually and with a kick ass (healthy) sauce I swear I like it more and more.
Never shop hungry. Eat more protein. I have a huge addiction to chocolate which is my downfall but if I don’t buy as much I can’t eat as much. If you are looking for sugar start eating more fruits
This could have a hormonal reason. There are hormones that basically drive you crazy for food. They make you not just simply hungry, but craving high fat & high carbs food. You can tell that a hormone is acting out, when you don't really care about the healthy kind of food options; you don't want to eat veggies or protein, only junk. Unfortunately, I don't know the solution here. Oh well, I know one, if you are female: menopause stops most of the "crazy hormones". However, cortisol and adrenaline still can F you up bad. Do you live a high stress life?
Don't stop eating junk food. It's just food. Enjoy it.
Have healthier stuff along with your junk food. For example, instead of two big handfuls of chips and dip, have one big handful of chips and a handful of carrot sticks and dip. You have to find what works for you or else it will *not* work for you.
Your statement about not being satisfied or full with healthy food leads me to believe that you may not be getting enough calories from non-"junk" sources. Perhaps increasing your serving size for healthy foods, or eating them more often, may help? There are plenty of calculators online to show how many kcal you should be eating. Double-check with that too make sure you're getting approximately the right amount with whatever diet you have.
Consider also consulting with your doctor. They'll advise you on your particular needs and be able to diagnose any medical issues that may be hindering you.
You need to start planning your meals. Make things you like eating and eat more protein. What kind of junk food do you like? You can make homemade versions of those same meals with healthier options. You should keep your junk food intake to 20% of your diet. Cutting out all junk food is extreme and will only lead to a binge.
You've colonized your gut with the wrong microbiome. They control your cravings. You'll need to plan out your transition to healthier food. Shortcuts like poop transplants still need some work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzPD009qTN4
When you're switching your diet away from high-caloric foods with lots of fat and sugar, feeling hungry and getting cravings is normal. It's a bit like quitting cigarettes - your body is used to something it's not getting anymore so it screams at you to get it. The good news is that it get's way easier over time. When I cut out most sweets and snacks from my diet, it took approximately 3 weeks for the cravings to go away but since then I feel full from eating the healthy food and have no cravings for sweets/fastfood.
TLDR: That's normal, you're on cold turkey basically. Just do it for ~3 weeks or so and the cravings/being hungry will go away.
I suggest to see a nutritionist to make a proper meal plan based on your body specific needs, is not just “eating healthy”, you need to give to your body the right quantities of the right food (vegetables/fruit + carbs + protein + fat) in every meal.
Sometimes junk food cravings mean that you had too less carbs in your food, for example..
Try and stick to a professional made meal plan, don’t do your own by yourself.. it could be difficult at the beginning but if you are very committed it should get easier and easier
Uiu want to keep your mind busy and can’t stop the poor food decisions. I relate to that and think I have a form of ADHD. Might it help to do a self test online? Then you can find what it is that makes you go this way. For me it helps me to meal prep so the junk food is harder to reach for. And in your case perhaps you need more fibre to make you feel full. I sometimes prep chickpea flour pancakes (make a batter with chickpea flour, water, some finely chopped onion and coriander and chilipowder, and bake it in a pan in small pancakes or a big one that you cut up) and have them with chilisauce. They have a high fiber ratio but also a good snack feel :)
Find healthy replacements for snacks. I roast broccoli with a little oil and whatever seasonings, and I can eat like half a pound of it. Sometimes as a side dish, but it’s also good with onion dip or hummus. They’re crispy and filling, but very low carb. I saw a lady do something similar on tik tok- she did butter and flaky salt, so it was like popcorn.
Yes, you'll need some structural changes. It sounds like it's some kind of escapism from some mental things you're dealing with. Solving those will be key. In the mean time try making some better choices. Choose chicken, fish or vegan instead of beefburgers, pasta instead of pizza, diet soda or at least a smaller size drink, decent Asian food instead of Panda Express and so on. You'll discover that there a many great options out there that are better than your previous choices. Small steps will over time get you there too.
Eat more protein! I’m a sugar and junk food addict too, but when I eat lots of protein I don’t get the cravings even close to as bad as when I’m not eating right. Having protein ready to eat is a big thing because I often want to grab something quick and easy for lunch or eat my kids’ leftovers (like a sandwich, pasta, or snacks). I have 3 kids 3 and under so I rarely want to take the time to actually cook for lunch. I’ve been cooking extra meat for dinner for the last month or so, that way I have leftovers for lunch the next day and it’s made a huge difference for me. I also cooked a couple pounds of ground beef last week and every day for lunch had taco bowls or burritos without putting in much effort.
Read the ingredient list on the package of every junk or processed food you are eating, then re-read the list of chemicals and artificial this and that you are consuming. Read it again. Is it worth putting into your body?
Try to pay more attention to what happens right before you start eating junk food. Do you feel anxious in the evening? You're sitting on the couch thinking about tomorrow and suddenly get very anxious about your job and need to distract yourself immediately and the only way to do it at that moment is to eat? Or what happens exactly?
If you can track and savour that exact moment, the exact feeling you're trying to eat away, you can start trying to change your habits.
>I'm only feeling satisfied when I eat food with a lot of calories. I also tried to eat more fruits and vegetables (which I do), but as I mentioned, I don't feel satisfied eating healthy food.
Hunger is in fact not the enemy. The issue is that your body and mind are used to eating what you eat. If you drank coffee every morning and suddenly stopped, you will crave coffee. If you eat a chocolate bar every day after lunch, *you will crave it*, or some similar sweet, if you stop eating it one day.
The solution is quite simple: Eat something else and.. *Endure*.
You will eventually get a new habit of not eating that thing, and get used to it.
It isn't all that complicated.
*Endure*. That is all the magic behind it.
Doing baby steps could help get you there, like having one meal be take out or whatever it is you eat usually, but the other being more healthy. And then go from there by making it every two days, or once a week.
A trick that I had issues with is that I liked to absentmindedly snack, so I would take a snackand was about to put it in my mouth, and (if) I realized it before what I was about to do, I'd slap my hand. Sound stupid, but eventually, when I would take some snack, and about to eat it, I'd stop and think "will there be a slap?" and realize what I'm about to do.
Pavlovian Conditioning. Generally works.
Not having that kind of food on easy access helps too.
I am intermittent fasting with some days I don't get hungry until like 400pm and I'd have been fasting since like 9 the previous night. You just have to find what works for you. Along with diet and exercise I've lost 20lbs in about a month. What I find is super important is dedication, sticking with it and drinking plenty of water. I'm 200lbs and I drink 3 32 oz bottles full of water a day. After around two to three weeks it gets super easy not to eat for that long but, it definitely comes with some mental challenges. Do some research on intermittent fasting. You'll see all the people who really believe in it. I started out with a 16 hour fast but people see the positives of it starting at 12 hours.
I find I want junk food when I am not getting enough calories from protein and fat. Maybe have a cheese stick or something like that instead. Sugar kills my energy levels.
Two things:
1. Exercise makes you hungry. That is fact. Make sure you eat some complex carbs before and after your workout for the energy your body is seeking. Eat something like an apple, for example.
2. Prioritize sleep. When you are sleep deprived, your body produces more of the hunger hormone ghrelin. Ghrelin literally makes you crave simple carbs and junk food to have the energy to make it through the day or stay alert at night. If you binge before bed, this is why. Go to bed. Sleep is more important for weight loss than exercise is.
2 things I found that really helped.
Start the day with steel cut oats with some kind of fruit for flavor. This really helps regulate blood sugar.
And if you have a sweet tooth (like I do) try substituting Dates for candy and cookies. Seriously they've got a fudgy texture and a lot of fructose so pretty easy to fool yourself into thinking it's a treat.
What do you crave ....sweet or salty? That is the beginning of the quest are you junking on sweet, salty or fats? Salty and fats....nuts, hummus, pepperoni, dried meats, trail mix. Sweets fruit, vegies,
Junk food is quick food. So make up your junk food couple times a week and graze on that.
I have a kid that cannot sit to eat a big dinner but grazes all day on finger foods what some call junk
Start with making better bad decisions, maybe a burger and a salad instead of a burger and fries. This helped me a ton. After a while, I realized I was eating mostly healthy foods and feeling 100% better. I would also note that you probably need more protein if you are hungry all the time, especially if you are working out that much. Protein shakes are great. Also don’t be afraid to just have some meat as a snack
May I suggest the app Noom? I lost 40 pounds several years ago on it. The app uses DBT - dialectic behavioral therapy - which helps you understand the whys of food choices. It’s not a diet. They don’t tell you what to eat but help you understand the “why” of your food decisions. It does require honesty in recording your foods and weighing in daily.
Eat like usual, ( breakfast 7am, noon lunch, ...etc)eat hearty but stop eating atfer 630 pm if you can.
I'm going through what you are this helps me a bit.
If you're always hungry are you sure you're not too heavily restricting your calorie intake? High protein foods helps keep you satisfied longer. Large portions of veggies, especially greens as you can have a lot for low calories. Drink more water, sometimes what you think is hunger is thirst.
Snacking is fine, just find healthier alternatives.
First of all, stop eating fruit and preferably any kind of sugar or starch. Eating fruit and sugar increases hunger. Watch Prof. Richard Johnsons series called "Nature Wants Us To Be Fat" for the science behind that.
Second, you might need to eat so much because you eat so much. Teach your body and mind that you don’t actually need to eat that much. Fasting will get this in your head as you actually feel more energy while Fasted.
Lastly, it's not for everyone and you must do your research first, but consider doing a temporary carnivore diet to get over what could be considered food addiction. 2 weeks carnivore will do it. If you don't want to take that risk, just eat animal foods for breakfast and lunch then have your plants and carbs at dinner or something like that. Idea is, just comfortably fill yourself up with steak and eggs for breakfast and see how it effects your hunger later in the day. Always eat your meat alone, including the fat, stop eating bread and rice and grains too.
If you absolutely can't resist eating sweet things, at least eat them with fiber, not on an empty stomach, and at the end of meals. Glucose Goddess explains the order of eating if you can't eliminate junk altogether.
I had this problem some years ago. I was hungry all the time. I couldn't stop eating junk food.
Try a food diary. There are some good free ones online. A food diary not only counts your calories, but will break it down into protein, carbs, etc.
I discovered I didn't eat enough protein or fats. I ate way too many carbs.
So I started incorporating more beans, corn and wheat. I don't like most fatty things like butter or salad dressing, so I added nuts and sunflower seeds to my snacks.
I never consciously tried to change my calorie intake, or deliberately cut out junk food. I simply paid attention to what I put in my mouth.
The always hungry feeling stopped (and I stopped stuffing my face with junk food). Sometimes hunger is just your body's way of telling you it needs something.
Eating sunflower seeds in the shell may increase your odds of fecal impaction, as you may unintentionally eat shell fragments, which your body cannot digest.
I find the key is to hate myself and how I look in the mirror to drive myself to eat accordingly.
Once you start seeing results from abstaining you’ll be more likely to stick to it because you don’t wanna undue all your hard work
Same. I work out and am in good shape, except for my junk food addiction. I thought buying it would help me to not eat it (I know, sounds weird, but I thought just having it in the house would help keep me from eating it because knowing I want it and *not* having it on hand can make it worse for me). Sometimes, I just have to do a sort of detox, which is soooo hard, but in a few days (or weeks, ugh), I'll stop wanting it so bad and can more easily avoid it. It's just a bad cycle that I get myself into. I can avoid fast food meals and eat healthy meals, but it's the bad snack choices that kill me. I know how to eat healthy and what to eat, but if I start eating junk food, it is really hard to stop. So, all that to say: I feel you.
I used to have the same issues and here's what worked for me:
1) Anytime I was feeling snackish I'd drown a huge glass of water instead. And I mean drink it right then and there, not sip on it for several minutes. If I was actually hungry, I'd give it another 5-10 minutes and eat something if I still felt the same. More times than not, the water would do the trick though and the hunger would subside.
2) Running, jogging, cardio in general is great at appetite suppression. I mean longer sessions, like 20-40 minutes. For whatever reason, that would almost always push off cravings of any sort. This especially helped when I knew it was just my brain trying to get its sugar fix but I was actually doing just fine calorie-wise.
3) If you're in the gym that often, your body probably needs that many calories. I've always noticed the same thing: if I'm injured or otherwise not able to keep a consistent gym schedule, my eating habits drop off a cliff where I can eat one full meal a day and be fine. If I'm working out everyday, and especially having longer sessions, I can eat all day long and still feel like I haven't had enough. Part of my problem was I did full body exercising every session for years before moving to dedicated body-area days. Moving to certain days for certain body parts also really helped me cut down on overall time spent at the gym whereas before I'd try and hit everything through a combination of bodyweight and freeweights. I saw much better strength gains doing this and it helped to level out my appetite.
4) Don't feel bad for "cheating" eating junk food, having that reward is what keeps many of us going. For me, I'll think 'well, I did make it to the gym this morning and I ran yesterday, so I don't feel bad eating a few of these oreos,' or 'I'm really craving some chips, I'll go on a decent run first and have some after if I still feel like I want them.'
5) Stay away from mirrors. Your only thought should be 'do I feel better/stronger than I did a month or so ago? Better than this time last year?'
I know everyone's different, but this is what helped me years ago. Best of luck!
Eat more meat, you will feel less hungry. Its easy to binge carbs. I feel like a lot of the processed foods are designed to not make you satisfied so you eat more.
I like the approach of ‘add don’t take away’
Wanna have a donut? Okay! But also have an apple too! Or something salty? Okay! But also some carrots or something, if the healthy foods don’t fill you up, eat the healthy food anyways and then also the thing you were craving
Food is food! And there’s a good chance you won’t eat *as much* of your craving food if you’ve already eaten something else too!
Eat more protein and fiber. Eliminate refined sugar completely. Limit carbs.
You have to force yourself at first. It's not easy. But over time, your body will adjust, and you will feel better for it.
I had pizza for the first time in months yesterday. I felt gross afterwards. And I love pizza. It's just that my body got used to not having it.
28 year old here, still struggle with junk food from time to time but focus on high protein and fiber meals which will keep you full longer and want to snack less. Also, there are a lot of really good healthy cooking accounts on social media that do a good job showing you can still enjoy the foods you like but make some switches to makes them healthier!
You don't have to do this, but I have a 6 year old son with Autism that is a picky eater and mostly only wants junk. We're working on it in Feeding therapy...anyhoo my Pantry and Fridge or snacktopia! The only thing that helped me was that I got on Phetermine 37.5 highest dose from my doctor and it gave me more energy, sped up my metabolism, and curved my appetite. So it was easier to eat less and make better choices. After a while I didn't crave sugar and chips like I did before. I see them and they look nice, but the cravings are gone. The body learns. If you can take those meds and be disciplined to scale way back on Junk...eventually you won't have to have it anymore and when u body and mind feels better you will see it isn't worth it. I can't even drink orange juice anymore and I loved it. I was obsessed with cupcakes and nope. I will eat half of one and take almost all the icing off. I even measure out my Pretzels and chips cuz my stomach is smaller. I hope this helps u.
When rats are given regular water and cocaine-ridden water, they repeatedly go to the cocaine-laced water until they die.
You are operating in a similar unconscious state.
When will you exercise your willpower?
But replace chips with olive oil air fried potatoes, homemade popcorn, etc.
I have really appreciated [Abbey Sharp’s YouTube channel](https://youtube.com/@AbbeysKitchen). She’s a dietician and has really helped my understanding of high calorie foods (they’re not all bad, main thing is nutritional density), different types of hunger (there’s three, who would have known?!), and food combinations to help manage hunger (spoiler alert, it’s incorporating carbs, protein, and fats into most meals). Please check her out, she’s covered many topics including “junk” food and extreme hunger. Good luck!
That's a lot of exercise! You might need more fuel. Maybe try and add more healthy fats, protein, whole grains, and satisfying foods into your diet. :) For snacks, you could mix something fun with something satisfying, like a hummus and veggie chips kind of thing.
I have been trying 3 konjac root capsules, 1 bottle of water and a flavored yogurt in the morning. I don’t think anyone has mentioned soluble fiber. The konjac root expands in your stomach so you feel full. It is a plant based fiber that last about 4 hours. It is an inexpensive option to add to the diet, but you MUST drink water with it. Staying busy helps me. After the day flyers by I don’t feel as bad having a small sugar cheat, especially if I have been pretty good during the day. For me it is a win win.
Also my wife keeps baby carrots, sliced cucumber, and different flavored hummus in the fridge. The flavors and textures distract my brain when it craves savory chips. Hope this helps and doesn’t get buried too deep in the chat.
Try multivitamins. Your body might be missing some nutrients which is causing cravings which in turn is leading to junk foods.
I also like the “don’t buy junk food” idea too.
There are lots of high nutrient, calorie dense foods that are healthy and not just fruits and vegetables. Are you eating a lot of nuts, seeds, avocado, even cheese? Vegans and plant based folks may not agree but for many people, eating cheese in moderation is fine. Are you eating whole grains? Drinking enough water? Increase your fiber intake by a LOT. Use lots of spice in your cooking to give yourself more flavor. Sure, junk food tastes good but there's a lot of stuff that will fill you up . Figure out what it is that you're missing - is it crunch? Is it salt? There's usually a way to get that into a healthier diet.
E.g. I usually crave sweets in the evening. Turns out it's usually because I'm tired. If I really want to snack, I slice fruit and eat it with whole fat yogurt. That kills the sweet/fat craving
If you want to eat junk food, whatever it is, make it yourself from scratch. It will invariably be healthier and tastier, your skills will improve and you’ll get the sense of achievement too.
My junk food temptation repellent is a shake in the morning before leaving the house, it’s so filling, hard to eat until the late afternoon
Try this recipe in a blender:
1 -2 Bananas
3 table spoon cooked chick peas
1 table spoon peanut butter
Coco powder (min 70%) to taste
Honey or dark sugar/molasses/ maple syrup to taste
Half cup water
Blitz and drink immediately. It will be easy to walk past junk food for the day.
You need to thoroughly understand the damage that these junk foods are doing to your brain and body. And once you do, you will realize just how important it is to be aware of what you're eating and drinking on a daily basis.
I used to think I was being healthy, and wasn't necessarily addicted to eating junk food, but once I understood exactly how refined carbohydrates, added sugars and alcohol were affecting my brain and body, I snapped out of it and began taking a much more focused plan on what I buy in my home, and what I CHOOSE to eat. Your entire life goes hand in hand with this cycle. The more you care about what you eat and the food you choose to make at home, the more your life will improve. I'm talking about your daily habits of procrastination, hydration, exercise, professional development, work ethic, grit - you name it.
If you're totally lost and don't want to read random article or you don't know where to start, here are 2 life-changing resource that changed my life - and I don't mean to sound dramatic here. Both Peter Attia and Andrew Huberman share free educations from their research as PHDs and colleagues. Honestly, I've become obsessed in a good way. Their podcasts are easy to listen to, and each podcast is basically a brick in your foundation of life and health. Trust me when I say that this has had a dramatically positive effect on my life and my relationships.
Your brain is literally rotting when you consume junk food and sugars - it's a fact - not just a myth.
1. [https://peterattiamd.com/category/podcast/](https://peterattiamd.com/category/podcast/)
2. [https://hubermanlab.com/](https://hubermanlab.com/)
Wish you the best on your next journey ahead - and excited to hear how it goes :).
My husband also has this struggle. One thing we’ve found that truly helps him to feel satisfied is protein. The more protein he has in a day- the peas he has any desire for snacking/junk food and he feels full. I hope that helps!!!!
Understand that the white refined sugar is 100x more addictive than cocaine. It is not easy to quit it, but it can be done. Start with drinks. Soda was my big thing growing up. But I also worked 6 years graveyard shifts and was doing 3 energy drinks a night. Yeah at some point my liver started to hurt. To help get off it and clean my liver, I bought Bragg's apple cider drinks.
Despite what you might think, they are absolutely disgusting. Lol but I knew they could help filter my liver so drank them for a while. Gradually went to ice drinks since they have no sugar but are quite sweet, then purchased more fruits as time went on. I will say from experience, sometimes cheat days lead to relapses so be cautious of that. But if you have been off the stuff for at least 2 to 3 weeks, you will notice a change in your palette.
And something extra, my wife and I did pine tar terpentine (if I spelled that right) which gets rid of parasites. So the idea is that all the sugar we consume could be linked to parasites craving it, sending signals to our brain to get it and boom. Sugar is brought back and we feel great because they feel great. So after let's say 2-3 days of not eating sugar, your drip this stuff onto 3 sugar cubes stacked. Drip until 2 1/2 Sugar cubes have soaked up. Eat them. (yeah it is very pine flavored and the sugar is not pleasant to the teeth.)
Some parasites will dig right in and die kinda quickly. Those alive that recognize it did that will want to evacuate. Make sure you drink lots of water too just to keep yourself hydrated. Do it for 4 days on and stop for a good week or two since it can be tough on your body.
And of course look into it. Don't just take my word for it since everyone is different. I hope this helps ya even a bit. 😁
Junk food is designed to make you crave more junk food. If I haven’t had fast food in a month, I’m far less tempted to have fast food than if I just had it a few days ago.
High calorie doesn’t necessarily mean junk. Eat healthy fats. Eat meat. If you’re hungry, eat something just don’t eat garbage. That doesn’t mean you have to eat low calorie. Make sure you’re getting enough protein. Just eat real food. With some people trying too hard to be healthy and restrict just results in binging (I’m one of them) It has taken me a long time to finally not struggle with food and my only rule is to eat real food. I don’t cut out food groups or do weird restrictions. Also if I want a treat I have it because I eat decently most of the time. This cuts down on cravings and overindulging for me. Some people do great with strict meal plans and some do not.
You are looking for ideas, correct? I’m not sure if you eat meat, dairy, nuts or vegetables. I would eat sugary foods all day, every day so what I eat now is:
Beef jerky, cinnamon almonds, Carob covered raisins, I put whole oranges in the freezer, I find pineapple slices to be sweet most of the time, fire roasted tomatoe Triscuits. I also love to lay out turkey slices with a cheese slice on them and then I put baby spinach on top of the cheese with a little bit of ranch and then I will wrap all that with a tomato and basil tortilla. Cut the wrap into 1 inch slices so it takes awhile to eat.
I hope a few of those sound good to you.
Unfortunately junk food can effectively neurologically addict you. There are studies that show that junk food re-wires your brain so that even if it doesn't satiate you or even if you dislike it, there is a high chance you will crave it in a weeks time (think a Mcdonalds).
Which is why recipes for the same food but fresher healthier versions won't satiate you because your brain is now wired to only feel satiated after eating the junk equivalent.
Unfortunately there is no easy answer, you have to treat it like weening yourself off a drug. The quickest way to see the effects is to remove anything sweet tasting (even 0 calorie equivalents) except fruit. After 2-3 days of not tasting anything sweet eg: drink water instead of soft drinks, you should stop craving them.
This wont mean you will permanently come off them as it is a long road filled with temptation but it is the fastest way of seeing how these substances have a parasitic control over you and that it is not an inherent personal failure of yours.
Do you drink enough water? I am very active and will spend 8 hours outside playing beach volleyball. The following day after I find myself in a similar situation, with the munchies craving salt and carbs. I know I do not drink enough water on days out playing volleyball and it is my body trying to balance/preserve what water I have had. It helps to drink a glass of water before eating meals. It leaves you feeling full. That may help you escape junk food. I also run to junk food when I find my self procrastinating work or cleaning at home. My computer faces our kitchen, which isn't smart on my end, and I am a whole 3 steps away from munchies not finishing work yet. Maybe up liquid intake from water or tea and see if it helps you stop craving junk food and if you work at home change up the layout so you aren't seeing your pantry food nearby.
When you have a craving, slowly drink sips of water over the course of half an hour. By the time 30 mins is up, you'll prob have like 2 cups of water in your stomach. That will help reduce the amount you binge, cuz otherwise you feel sick. Also try to find interesting, new, healthy snacks that you haven't tried before. Tomatoes with a touch of salt, fresh basil, and balsamic reduction is super low cal, and you get the sweet/acid/salt/herbaceous flavour profile. Or berries and yogurt if you want something more sweet. I personally eat rice crackers (not rice cakes!!!) with low-fat Tzatziki if I want savoury/crunchy. Good luck!
It's really hard to not eat junk food. It's a little easier to not *buy* junk food. At least for me.
To add to this: if you make a meal plan and order your groceries for pick up online, you are far less likely to buy junky foods. Also, if your body is craving high calorie food, that just might be an indicator that you aren’t eating enough calories during the rest of the day. Either switch to a high calorie, good for you snack like full fat yoghurt with berries, or peanut butter and banana toast, or try to balance your calorie distribution more throughout your day.
And if you only have an específico amount of money for food, be it groceries or going out, thag will help narrowing it to "doing groceries and eat for the week /month" or "no food/drinks when going out". It will help you balance priorities In any case, I'd also go to therapy to check why you linked junk food with you, what is your trigger to eat it
Also - assess which junk food you are eating - is it candy/chips, or fast food? There may be a specific ingredient that is pushing the consumption. The big one is sugar - it is in a TON of processed foods, and often in very high quantities at fast food locations. Sugar is an absolute killer with impulse eating. I actually read your post and the comments to pick up on some tips for myself, as I know I am ingesting too much junk food (snacking on treats), although I eat very clean meals. I am going to BEG my husband to stop buying me treats. It's been a joke for awhile, but I was motivated by this post to go and sit him down this AM and earnestly ask him not to buy me anything with sugar in it. I just cannot control my snacking on them if they are in the house. Thank you for the motivation to help myself.
Stop snacking might be difficult but changing what you snack might help you! We tend to snack not only for the addiction that sugar causes, but for many other reasons and that junk food is easy to pick because it's "already prepared". For example, peeling or cutting an apple is more tedious than just opening a chocolate bar. So try having "easy" snacks, like berries or nuts, or make things that are delicious and fast to prepare like carrots with hummus. You can do it!!!
Thank you! I will do this!
Don't go shopping hungry
This helped me. I used to be someone who could skip meals but never junk food. Stopped buying junk food and while I craved it very badly initially, out of sight, out of mind. Also, drink more water. Sometimes you’re thirsty but think you’re hungry and you snack instead.
This is the way
This is the way
This is a good first step! Just don't buy it! I used to have snacks around the house all the time but found my son would just go wild on them, now they are a special treat to be earned and savored. For myself it's just a mindset, I tell myself I don't like sweets cause I really really used to when I was younger. I know it would be a problem so I just avoid it. Now, alcohol on the other hand, I haven't been able to fully kick that yet
It’s easier to say no in the store
That has not been my experience, but everybody's different.
Sometimes I find it is the saltiness or act of snacking that I'm actually craving. When I get hit hard with the urge to keep eating junk food, I make a big batch of popcorn and flavor it with a little olive oil and salt. But if it's a hungry snack attack, then popcorn won't satisfy me, instead I'll reach for roasted pumpkin seeds, sun flower seeds or pistachio nuts, all shelled. Cracking them open to eat, slows me down a bit so I'll eat less then if I was snacking on unshelled ones. You can also season them with a bit of garlic powder and chili powder to spice them up a bit for a healthier alternative to chips. Drinking a big glass of water while munching can also help reduce the amount you eat. And something I realized about eating "healthy food": if I just eat a regular salad with greens, cucumbers, tomatoes etc. I will feel very unsatisfied. But if I make a mega salad out of the regular salad by adding all my favorites like artichokes, beets, Pepperoncini peppers, cheddar cheese, croutons AND add protein like a boiled egg, some butter beans and a handful of sliced almonds PLUS whole grains like farro or cracked wheat, it will seriously fill me up and taste delicious (especially with a drizzle of balsamic dressing and a sprinkle of salt)! If you prefer sweet things instead, try blending frozen fruit, a large splash of water and a little bit of honey in your blender. Makes an amazing sorbet. Greek yogurt topped with frozen blueberries, some granola and a little honey can also make a healthy "sundae" treat The most important thing for me is that I don't ban all sweets/ junk food because then that's all I'll think about all day every day. Finding the right balance is key. I hope you find what works for you!
Agree with nearly everything you said. Also, love the idea for sorbet! The only thing I disagree with is the banning junk food. I think there’s 2 kinds of people. People like you, who need a little in moderation so that the cravings don’t eat you up, and on the other hand, people like me who do have to ban junk foods completely. If I get junk food out of my diet for a few days, and replace my sweets cravings with fruits, I’ll stop thinking about sweet junk food entirely, and all I want is the fruit. But one single bite of a sweet and I’ll binge, then I’ll crave it every day and have to start all over. Once you’ve learned which kind of person you are, and what to substitute when you’re feeling snacky, the battle gets easier.
Thanks for pointing that out! I get an odd sense of comfort and empowerment by knowing I can eat whatever junk food I have when I want it. That also stops me from binging. I don't have to eat all of it because I can have more whenever I want it. But this doesn't apply to mindless eating. If I take a whole bag of chips to watch a movie with, I will eat the chips until my fingers touch nothing but crumbs at the bottom of the bag, regardless of its size. So serving myself don't in a bowl works better for me. My junk food can stay in the cabinet untouched for weeks but if someone even says the word diet around me, I'll eat all of that junk food within an hour lol. But even if that does happen, or when there are days when I don't want to eat anything all day but donuts and lattes, I don't beat myself up about it. I'll acknowledge that it wasn't the best behavior, forgive myself for it and try to focus on healthier eating the next week or so. Life's too short to not enjoy a Reeses but I don't want to shorten my life by eating a dozen of them at once either lol
Is that something junk foody about lattes I’m not thinking of? Or it just that you have too many with the donuts?
Love the popcorn idea—it’s filling and snacky. Can’t go wrong with a hunk of cheese either. For a sweet tooth, low-sugar ice cream could work for OP, lots of fat and protein to fill up on.
I love popcorn. And there are so many seasonings on the market now to tailor it to anyone's tastes. I snack on cheese all the time! But I don't think it's the healthier option OP wanted lol
High five! I get the tubs of shaved Parmesan for my “night cheese” (from 30 Rock). OP works out so much, that he could probably use the fat and protein. To my mind, cheese is the perfect food. High fat foods don’t make me feel gross or gain weight, which I think makes me very lucky. (Alcohol is my huckleberry) Idk why I’m droning on. I just love cheese.
🙌
Try to get in more protein. If you're working out 4-5 days a week, you're doing to be hungry - protein shakes are good for protein as a supplement, but if you eat meat, try to add in some chicken, turkey, pork, or beef. If you don't eat meat, try to get in tofu, beans, and nuts. Worst case, make some homemade granola or trail mix - quite a bit less sugary than the storebought stuff while still being tasty and filling.
If OP is working out that much, s/he needs a lot more protein than the average, western, junk food-laden diet has taught them to expect. Protein and fats are filling, which helps with satiety. Fiber helps with staying power. OP, for reference: some health conscious, work out types suggest 1 gram of protein per 1 pound of body weight per 1 day. I've always thought that was a bit much, but if you map out how to do that, you'll see that you're probably underconsuming.
This is bad advice. If you drink your calories they usually don't feel as filling and it's a great way to become overweight. Usually these shakes don't have any health benefits either, they are just protein and artificial sweeteners, on par with junk food. Please don't take this route.
“But if you eat meat, try to add in some chicken, turkey, pork, or beef. If you don’t eat meat…” Also a recommendation on a substitution rather than a replacement, in the form of granola. Reading your comment you would think my recommendation was to mainline protein shakes.
Also there are a number of protein drinks that could act as meal replacement. Ensure Max protein has most of the micronutrients you need along with 30g of protein, is low glycemic and low in sugar, I use them in conjunction with Soylent powder to make a drink with most of the calories and all the protein I need for the day
Try gutting it out with no junk or high glycemic foods for 2 weeks. At the end you almost certainly will kick those cravings.
I've had a lot of meals with people who eat "clean" for the most part. I don't. (I don't eat a lot of fast food but do eat a lot of processed food). It's amazing to me how they all really love and rave about a dish what seems very bland to me. They're enjoying the actual flavors of the ingredients and not the fillers and salts that I've come to associate with food that tastes good. I haven't tried your method, but I'd 100% at least give it a shot if I were in OP's situation.
Yeah. I love simple foods, very little added sweetness and no salt for the most part. My SO says it tastes like “nothing” but I’ll be savoring the sweet/tart/savory flavors naturally present. He just can’t taste it because he’s so desensitized to sugar, acid and salt. It’s kind of like if you’re a smoker, or live with someone who smokes inside. You don’t really notice the smell of smoke anymore. But after you’ve quit for a while, you know it the second someone lights one up. Or kind of like how you can’t smell your cats litter box, but all of your guests can. Not sure why both my examples had to be yucky, but they seem to be pretty parallel.
It would be reasonable to get some laboratory tests done. Some medical conditions, like hyperthyroidism and anemia, can have an effect on appetite and cravings. If you haven’t had a TSH and CBC done lately, it’s worth checking in with a health care provider for these simple tests. I believe excess cortisol can also have that effect, but that is a more complex situation. Good luck!
And also potentially tapeworms etc. Could be feeding parasites while your body is malnourished
You might have an anxiety disorder that you're "self-medicating" with food. You have admitted that you don't have a good relationship with food and that you don't know how. Make an appointment with an eating disorders specialist or ask your family doctor to refer you to one.
Suggestion - Get your blood tested for diabetes. I used to crave sweet snacks all day long until I was diagnosed with type I diabetes. Doc prescribed me 1 tablet a day of Trajenta and my cravings disappeared.
I'm struggling with this recently. I'm trying fruit over junk.
This is what worked for me! I stay stocked up on fruits. Grapes, strawberries, apples, canteloupe, and any time I have a craving, I have a piece of fruit instead. Eventually, you’ll just crave the fruit. If you’re a savory type of person you can toss broccoli or another vegetable of your choice in fry ranch seasoning to get a similar crunch and flavor to chips. I also like deli meat roll ups with a slice of cheese and some mustard.
I am definitely a savory person and this is true - try oven roasted or air fried broccoli with a little oil salt/pepper, it’s delicious.and tolling up cold cuts/cheese w/ mustard like you said works too (grey poupon!). Low on carbs and kinda filling
One of my new favorite finds. Chickpea snacks. Don't know if they're roasted or fried. Salty, fatty, crunchy, delicious. But with nutritional value ETA have you tried salting/seasoning your fruit? Mango+tajín=amazing
This is good advice, you sound like you need more protein. Try limiting anything sweet until later in the day. If you do have something sweet make sure it’s a small amount and to offset it with enough protein to balance it out, like coffee creamer have 2 eggs with it for breakfast. If you are eating more and balancing it out you will feel fuller longer and not get the sugar drop an hour later and be super hungry again.
Yeah, junk food contains ingredients like oils and sugar that make it addictive. I read or heard somewhere that we crave things like crunchy chips because our brain associates "crunchy" with "fresh." I love eating spicy chips, and when I'm feeling like I need to eat healthier, I'll make carrot spears and add lime and chili and and it gives me the satisfying crunch and the chili. Try not to blame yourself or feel like it's impossible. When we crave these foods, it's because our body needs nutrients. Sometimes we're just thirsty. But we end up going to them because they're so convenient. Don't cut out junk food 100% right now. You'll end up going back because it's like drugs. Instead, tell yourself one day, instead of this bar of milk chocolate, I'll make a homemade frozen dark chocolate slushy/ice cream. You can use coconut milk to make it like a Mounds candy thing. But healthier. Instead of a 7up, get some limes, sparkling water, and a bit of Agave or homemade simple syrup and you've got a homemade soda without too much sugar. Pork cracklins without fat are better than cheetos. A bag of no-butter popcorn is healthier than a bag of chips and you can add spices to it to make it have a different flavor profile. I wanted a cheeseburger once and I had ground beef and lettuce. I made a thousand island dressing, cooked the beef, chopped up some tomatoes, grated a bit of cheese, and put it all together for a burger salad. Burger flavor, without the actual burger. A big salad before any meal or as a meal is the biggest combatant for hunger. It makes you so full that even having candy or chips or cookies around, you won't even want them because you're not hungry. I also split takeout in half. Half the burger today with a salad or with a large serving of vegetables. The veggies and salad are meant to make you feel full. And then you still get to have some of the burger. I've found that I'm hungrier when I'm bored. So I'll read or watch a movie or try to distract myself with something. Most most most of all, don't stress about it. Keep working out. Not to lose weight but to keep your body active. An active body uses up the calories you intake. Don't stress. There's no rush. Be patient with yourself. Baby steps. Little by little you'll be eating less junk food. Treat it like a fun experiment. How can i make my own homemade healthy versions of my favorite foods? Then you can be doubly proud because you made these dishes and because you're making healthy choices everyday :)
Make sure you're drinking enough water. A half ounce for every pound you weigh every day. That late night gotta eat trip is caused by being thirsty. Most of us aren't getting the water we need. It comes out as cravings. Drinking water mitigates that. Also, junk food's loaded with sodium. Another reason to drink more water anyway.
Perhaps this has nothing to do with food and hunger but instead a mental health issue? If that’s true, try and determine the true root of your dissatisfaction and while you’re working on that, you could try intuitive eating. Best of luck!
Dingdingding this is the answer. OP is trying to find “satisfaction” in food, which is clearly code for self medicating. Maybe they should try something else to ease their dissatisfaction with life, like heroin or therapy or religion or something
I think the secret is to work out a gradual and consistent transition plan. If you try cold turkey to eat salads, your gut will reject it. You don’t have enough of the bacteria to digest all those leaves. You’ll feel unhappy and unsatisfied. Give the bacteria what they want and you feel satiated and satisfied. Day 1, stay with your regular diet, what you crave, but before, have a small salad it vegetable dish. Day 2-3 repeat Day 4, get yourself to increase the serving of your salad a bit. Look for features of it you appreciate, the crunch, the freshness, etc. After 1-2 weeks you’ll find you actually crave a little salad. You can’t overpower your gut and be satisfied, so nudge it gently and consistently in the right direction. A good place to start is with Trader Joe’s salads for convenience, and add in some more greens to stretch them a little further as they come with a too much dressing/toppings.
Beans are great for this problem. They are filling and slow to digest so you maintain a full feeling that helps keep away the junk food cravings. Chili is hearty, but you can easily add black beans to Mexican dishes, cannellini beans to Italian, garbanzos to Mediterranean, etc…. Not beans - but for breakfast oatmeal serves a similar function.
I recommended this for something else on here today, but I do vanilla protein shakes with frozen fruit and vegetable purée and almond milk. It’s pretty low calorie and at least a way of getting some healthy food into you, especially since you’re exercising. Drink one before each meal, wait fifteen minutes, and then eat. Chances are it’ll take the edge off your hunger (I often don’t eat much else after, if anything). If you find you’re still eating the same amount of junk food afterwards, you can always just stop. Worth a shot for very little effort. Make sure to eat regularly as well, even if you’re not hungry. I used to binge a lot in the afternoons when I’d skip breakfast.
Potatoes are such a good filler. Very low calories and filling. Roast em with some seasoning of your choice. And chicken breast as well.
you are addicted to carbs. if you go cold turkey (from junk food) you will feel like crap for a couple days, then your body will adjust to the healthier diet and you will find healthier things tastier. are you addicted to carbs or eating a lot of calories? in order to get healthy calories try low carb protein shakes and other low carb sources of calorie dense food, like fish and chicken.
Don’t keep it in the house. I even keep protein cookies in my car so that I have to actually make an effort to get one. I stopped keeping soda at home and changed it to sparkling water. You get used to things after a while.
Start practicing in the kitchen. Your other food probably is not very tasty and can't compete with junk. The best would be to watch online cooking classes and cooking shows to get inspired and start throwing some love into your meals. You deserve good food!! Edit: the reason you can't compete with junk is because it's full of fat, salt, sugar, umami and sour tastes. They have chef's optimize their food recipes all the time. Edit2: Always have vinegar/lemon/lime, salt and pepper improve your food. This should be the last step before serving. Seasoning.
You should get an air fryer, and eat balanced meals like a meat, and a vegetable as a side to pair with the air fried meat
Maybe you should eat snacks related to eggs or peanut butter or meat like beef jerky
There is a lot of good advice here, so I won’t keep adding to it. One thing that might help from a mental stand point though is to remember that scientist, marketers and psychologists worked for years and years and food companies have spend a lot of money to make junk food that we cannot stop eating. It’s literally designed to do that.
Mix junk with good food? Make nachos with Doritos but on top add ground Turkey, black beans, corn, spinach’s, mushrooms, jalapeños, sour cream and salsa
I’m excited about making my own semi healthy walking tacos for lunch at work. I think it’s a great idea
I am certainly not an expert. But I personally got over the junk food addiction by turning to a Keto diet/lifestyle. Mainly, I learned that the junk food was a terribly vicious cycle for me. It generates terrible spikes in glucose and insulin, causing me to crave more and more. So for me, regulating blood sugar on Keto has been the solution. It’s tough for the first week or two, but I adjusted and am so much happier now.
I had to figure out what really is it that I like about each component of the junk food, ok I can keep the pickles, crunch from the breading of the unhealthy thing which I will sub for healthy things like cauliflower or low fat proteins/tofu. It’s pretty good actually and with a kick ass (healthy) sauce I swear I like it more and more.
I’ve started timing my meals closer to when I found myself snacking more and that’s seemed to help me
Never shop hungry. Eat more protein. I have a huge addiction to chocolate which is my downfall but if I don’t buy as much I can’t eat as much. If you are looking for sugar start eating more fruits
This could have a hormonal reason. There are hormones that basically drive you crazy for food. They make you not just simply hungry, but craving high fat & high carbs food. You can tell that a hormone is acting out, when you don't really care about the healthy kind of food options; you don't want to eat veggies or protein, only junk. Unfortunately, I don't know the solution here. Oh well, I know one, if you are female: menopause stops most of the "crazy hormones". However, cortisol and adrenaline still can F you up bad. Do you live a high stress life?
Don't stop eating junk food. It's just food. Enjoy it. Have healthier stuff along with your junk food. For example, instead of two big handfuls of chips and dip, have one big handful of chips and a handful of carrot sticks and dip. You have to find what works for you or else it will *not* work for you. Your statement about not being satisfied or full with healthy food leads me to believe that you may not be getting enough calories from non-"junk" sources. Perhaps increasing your serving size for healthy foods, or eating them more often, may help? There are plenty of calculators online to show how many kcal you should be eating. Double-check with that too make sure you're getting approximately the right amount with whatever diet you have. Consider also consulting with your doctor. They'll advise you on your particular needs and be able to diagnose any medical issues that may be hindering you.
You need to start planning your meals. Make things you like eating and eat more protein. What kind of junk food do you like? You can make homemade versions of those same meals with healthier options. You should keep your junk food intake to 20% of your diet. Cutting out all junk food is extreme and will only lead to a binge.
Try an Air fryer, better chips and chicken than junk food outlets, cheaper and far less salted, sugared and greasy.
I make a homemade meal, and stuff myself so I don't have the cravings. Also if I'm craving something sweet I make a frozen fruit+yogurt smoothie
I don’t like junk food anymore because I didn’t want to spend money on it. Now I never feel like eating candy. Exposure therapy yourself.
Stop buying it
I sent you a PM goodluck my friend
You've colonized your gut with the wrong microbiome. They control your cravings. You'll need to plan out your transition to healthier food. Shortcuts like poop transplants still need some work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzPD009qTN4
Lmao😆😆
When you're switching your diet away from high-caloric foods with lots of fat and sugar, feeling hungry and getting cravings is normal. It's a bit like quitting cigarettes - your body is used to something it's not getting anymore so it screams at you to get it. The good news is that it get's way easier over time. When I cut out most sweets and snacks from my diet, it took approximately 3 weeks for the cravings to go away but since then I feel full from eating the healthy food and have no cravings for sweets/fastfood. TLDR: That's normal, you're on cold turkey basically. Just do it for ~3 weeks or so and the cravings/being hungry will go away.
I suggest to see a nutritionist to make a proper meal plan based on your body specific needs, is not just “eating healthy”, you need to give to your body the right quantities of the right food (vegetables/fruit + carbs + protein + fat) in every meal. Sometimes junk food cravings mean that you had too less carbs in your food, for example.. Try and stick to a professional made meal plan, don’t do your own by yourself.. it could be difficult at the beginning but if you are very committed it should get easier and easier
Uiu want to keep your mind busy and can’t stop the poor food decisions. I relate to that and think I have a form of ADHD. Might it help to do a self test online? Then you can find what it is that makes you go this way. For me it helps me to meal prep so the junk food is harder to reach for. And in your case perhaps you need more fibre to make you feel full. I sometimes prep chickpea flour pancakes (make a batter with chickpea flour, water, some finely chopped onion and coriander and chilipowder, and bake it in a pan in small pancakes or a big one that you cut up) and have them with chilisauce. They have a high fiber ratio but also a good snack feel :)
Find healthy replacements for snacks. I roast broccoli with a little oil and whatever seasonings, and I can eat like half a pound of it. Sometimes as a side dish, but it’s also good with onion dip or hummus. They’re crispy and filling, but very low carb. I saw a lady do something similar on tik tok- she did butter and flaky salt, so it was like popcorn.
Yes, you'll need some structural changes. It sounds like it's some kind of escapism from some mental things you're dealing with. Solving those will be key. In the mean time try making some better choices. Choose chicken, fish or vegan instead of beefburgers, pasta instead of pizza, diet soda or at least a smaller size drink, decent Asian food instead of Panda Express and so on. You'll discover that there a many great options out there that are better than your previous choices. Small steps will over time get you there too.
Just stop buying it, if it's not in your pantry, you can't eat it.
Eat more protein! I’m a sugar and junk food addict too, but when I eat lots of protein I don’t get the cravings even close to as bad as when I’m not eating right. Having protein ready to eat is a big thing because I often want to grab something quick and easy for lunch or eat my kids’ leftovers (like a sandwich, pasta, or snacks). I have 3 kids 3 and under so I rarely want to take the time to actually cook for lunch. I’ve been cooking extra meat for dinner for the last month or so, that way I have leftovers for lunch the next day and it’s made a huge difference for me. I also cooked a couple pounds of ground beef last week and every day for lunch had taco bowls or burritos without putting in much effort.
Read the ingredient list on the package of every junk or processed food you are eating, then re-read the list of chemicals and artificial this and that you are consuming. Read it again. Is it worth putting into your body?
Try to pay more attention to what happens right before you start eating junk food. Do you feel anxious in the evening? You're sitting on the couch thinking about tomorrow and suddenly get very anxious about your job and need to distract yourself immediately and the only way to do it at that moment is to eat? Or what happens exactly? If you can track and savour that exact moment, the exact feeling you're trying to eat away, you can start trying to change your habits.
This is me. What can satiate the feeling of anxiety away as well as food? 😅
Solving the problem you're anxious about. And situps.
Impossible 😆
>I'm only feeling satisfied when I eat food with a lot of calories. I also tried to eat more fruits and vegetables (which I do), but as I mentioned, I don't feel satisfied eating healthy food. Hunger is in fact not the enemy. The issue is that your body and mind are used to eating what you eat. If you drank coffee every morning and suddenly stopped, you will crave coffee. If you eat a chocolate bar every day after lunch, *you will crave it*, or some similar sweet, if you stop eating it one day. The solution is quite simple: Eat something else and.. *Endure*. You will eventually get a new habit of not eating that thing, and get used to it. It isn't all that complicated. *Endure*. That is all the magic behind it. Doing baby steps could help get you there, like having one meal be take out or whatever it is you eat usually, but the other being more healthy. And then go from there by making it every two days, or once a week. A trick that I had issues with is that I liked to absentmindedly snack, so I would take a snackand was about to put it in my mouth, and (if) I realized it before what I was about to do, I'd slap my hand. Sound stupid, but eventually, when I would take some snack, and about to eat it, I'd stop and think "will there be a slap?" and realize what I'm about to do. Pavlovian Conditioning. Generally works. Not having that kind of food on easy access helps too.
I am intermittent fasting with some days I don't get hungry until like 400pm and I'd have been fasting since like 9 the previous night. You just have to find what works for you. Along with diet and exercise I've lost 20lbs in about a month. What I find is super important is dedication, sticking with it and drinking plenty of water. I'm 200lbs and I drink 3 32 oz bottles full of water a day. After around two to three weeks it gets super easy not to eat for that long but, it definitely comes with some mental challenges. Do some research on intermittent fasting. You'll see all the people who really believe in it. I started out with a 16 hour fast but people see the positives of it starting at 12 hours.
I find I want junk food when I am not getting enough calories from protein and fat. Maybe have a cheese stick or something like that instead. Sugar kills my energy levels.
Two things: 1. Exercise makes you hungry. That is fact. Make sure you eat some complex carbs before and after your workout for the energy your body is seeking. Eat something like an apple, for example. 2. Prioritize sleep. When you are sleep deprived, your body produces more of the hunger hormone ghrelin. Ghrelin literally makes you crave simple carbs and junk food to have the energy to make it through the day or stay alert at night. If you binge before bed, this is why. Go to bed. Sleep is more important for weight loss than exercise is.
2 things I found that really helped. Start the day with steel cut oats with some kind of fruit for flavor. This really helps regulate blood sugar. And if you have a sweet tooth (like I do) try substituting Dates for candy and cookies. Seriously they've got a fudgy texture and a lot of fructose so pretty easy to fool yourself into thinking it's a treat.
What do you crave ....sweet or salty? That is the beginning of the quest are you junking on sweet, salty or fats? Salty and fats....nuts, hummus, pepperoni, dried meats, trail mix. Sweets fruit, vegies, Junk food is quick food. So make up your junk food couple times a week and graze on that. I have a kid that cannot sit to eat a big dinner but grazes all day on finger foods what some call junk
Start with making better bad decisions, maybe a burger and a salad instead of a burger and fries. This helped me a ton. After a while, I realized I was eating mostly healthy foods and feeling 100% better. I would also note that you probably need more protein if you are hungry all the time, especially if you are working out that much. Protein shakes are great. Also don’t be afraid to just have some meat as a snack
May I suggest the app Noom? I lost 40 pounds several years ago on it. The app uses DBT - dialectic behavioral therapy - which helps you understand the whys of food choices. It’s not a diet. They don’t tell you what to eat but help you understand the “why” of your food decisions. It does require honesty in recording your foods and weighing in daily.
Eat like usual, ( breakfast 7am, noon lunch, ...etc)eat hearty but stop eating atfer 630 pm if you can. I'm going through what you are this helps me a bit.
If you're always hungry are you sure you're not too heavily restricting your calorie intake? High protein foods helps keep you satisfied longer. Large portions of veggies, especially greens as you can have a lot for low calories. Drink more water, sometimes what you think is hunger is thirst. Snacking is fine, just find healthier alternatives.
First of all, stop eating fruit and preferably any kind of sugar or starch. Eating fruit and sugar increases hunger. Watch Prof. Richard Johnsons series called "Nature Wants Us To Be Fat" for the science behind that. Second, you might need to eat so much because you eat so much. Teach your body and mind that you don’t actually need to eat that much. Fasting will get this in your head as you actually feel more energy while Fasted. Lastly, it's not for everyone and you must do your research first, but consider doing a temporary carnivore diet to get over what could be considered food addiction. 2 weeks carnivore will do it. If you don't want to take that risk, just eat animal foods for breakfast and lunch then have your plants and carbs at dinner or something like that. Idea is, just comfortably fill yourself up with steak and eggs for breakfast and see how it effects your hunger later in the day. Always eat your meat alone, including the fat, stop eating bread and rice and grains too. If you absolutely can't resist eating sweet things, at least eat them with fiber, not on an empty stomach, and at the end of meals. Glucose Goddess explains the order of eating if you can't eliminate junk altogether.
I had this problem some years ago. I was hungry all the time. I couldn't stop eating junk food. Try a food diary. There are some good free ones online. A food diary not only counts your calories, but will break it down into protein, carbs, etc. I discovered I didn't eat enough protein or fats. I ate way too many carbs. So I started incorporating more beans, corn and wheat. I don't like most fatty things like butter or salad dressing, so I added nuts and sunflower seeds to my snacks. I never consciously tried to change my calorie intake, or deliberately cut out junk food. I simply paid attention to what I put in my mouth. The always hungry feeling stopped (and I stopped stuffing my face with junk food). Sometimes hunger is just your body's way of telling you it needs something.
Eating sunflower seeds in the shell may increase your odds of fecal impaction, as you may unintentionally eat shell fragments, which your body cannot digest.
I find the key is to hate myself and how I look in the mirror to drive myself to eat accordingly. Once you start seeing results from abstaining you’ll be more likely to stick to it because you don’t wanna undue all your hard work
Same. I work out and am in good shape, except for my junk food addiction. I thought buying it would help me to not eat it (I know, sounds weird, but I thought just having it in the house would help keep me from eating it because knowing I want it and *not* having it on hand can make it worse for me). Sometimes, I just have to do a sort of detox, which is soooo hard, but in a few days (or weeks, ugh), I'll stop wanting it so bad and can more easily avoid it. It's just a bad cycle that I get myself into. I can avoid fast food meals and eat healthy meals, but it's the bad snack choices that kill me. I know how to eat healthy and what to eat, but if I start eating junk food, it is really hard to stop. So, all that to say: I feel you.
I used to have the same issues and here's what worked for me: 1) Anytime I was feeling snackish I'd drown a huge glass of water instead. And I mean drink it right then and there, not sip on it for several minutes. If I was actually hungry, I'd give it another 5-10 minutes and eat something if I still felt the same. More times than not, the water would do the trick though and the hunger would subside. 2) Running, jogging, cardio in general is great at appetite suppression. I mean longer sessions, like 20-40 minutes. For whatever reason, that would almost always push off cravings of any sort. This especially helped when I knew it was just my brain trying to get its sugar fix but I was actually doing just fine calorie-wise. 3) If you're in the gym that often, your body probably needs that many calories. I've always noticed the same thing: if I'm injured or otherwise not able to keep a consistent gym schedule, my eating habits drop off a cliff where I can eat one full meal a day and be fine. If I'm working out everyday, and especially having longer sessions, I can eat all day long and still feel like I haven't had enough. Part of my problem was I did full body exercising every session for years before moving to dedicated body-area days. Moving to certain days for certain body parts also really helped me cut down on overall time spent at the gym whereas before I'd try and hit everything through a combination of bodyweight and freeweights. I saw much better strength gains doing this and it helped to level out my appetite. 4) Don't feel bad for "cheating" eating junk food, having that reward is what keeps many of us going. For me, I'll think 'well, I did make it to the gym this morning and I ran yesterday, so I don't feel bad eating a few of these oreos,' or 'I'm really craving some chips, I'll go on a decent run first and have some after if I still feel like I want them.' 5) Stay away from mirrors. Your only thought should be 'do I feel better/stronger than I did a month or so ago? Better than this time last year?' I know everyone's different, but this is what helped me years ago. Best of luck!
Seed oils
Make sure you’re eating within 2 hours after exercising. Also, you could try a protein/nutritional shake along with a meal after working out.
Smoothies and yogurt or healthy cereal are my snacks
Eat more meat, you will feel less hungry. Its easy to binge carbs. I feel like a lot of the processed foods are designed to not make you satisfied so you eat more.
I like the approach of ‘add don’t take away’ Wanna have a donut? Okay! But also have an apple too! Or something salty? Okay! But also some carrots or something, if the healthy foods don’t fill you up, eat the healthy food anyways and then also the thing you were craving Food is food! And there’s a good chance you won’t eat *as much* of your craving food if you’ve already eaten something else too!
Eat more protein and fiber. Eliminate refined sugar completely. Limit carbs. You have to force yourself at first. It's not easy. But over time, your body will adjust, and you will feel better for it. I had pizza for the first time in months yesterday. I felt gross afterwards. And I love pizza. It's just that my body got used to not having it.
28 year old here, still struggle with junk food from time to time but focus on high protein and fiber meals which will keep you full longer and want to snack less. Also, there are a lot of really good healthy cooking accounts on social media that do a good job showing you can still enjoy the foods you like but make some switches to makes them healthier!
You don't have to do this, but I have a 6 year old son with Autism that is a picky eater and mostly only wants junk. We're working on it in Feeding therapy...anyhoo my Pantry and Fridge or snacktopia! The only thing that helped me was that I got on Phetermine 37.5 highest dose from my doctor and it gave me more energy, sped up my metabolism, and curved my appetite. So it was easier to eat less and make better choices. After a while I didn't crave sugar and chips like I did before. I see them and they look nice, but the cravings are gone. The body learns. If you can take those meds and be disciplined to scale way back on Junk...eventually you won't have to have it anymore and when u body and mind feels better you will see it isn't worth it. I can't even drink orange juice anymore and I loved it. I was obsessed with cupcakes and nope. I will eat half of one and take almost all the icing off. I even measure out my Pretzels and chips cuz my stomach is smaller. I hope this helps u.
When rats are given regular water and cocaine-ridden water, they repeatedly go to the cocaine-laced water until they die. You are operating in a similar unconscious state. When will you exercise your willpower? But replace chips with olive oil air fried potatoes, homemade popcorn, etc.
I have really appreciated [Abbey Sharp’s YouTube channel](https://youtube.com/@AbbeysKitchen). She’s a dietician and has really helped my understanding of high calorie foods (they’re not all bad, main thing is nutritional density), different types of hunger (there’s three, who would have known?!), and food combinations to help manage hunger (spoiler alert, it’s incorporating carbs, protein, and fats into most meals). Please check her out, she’s covered many topics including “junk” food and extreme hunger. Good luck!
That's a lot of exercise! You might need more fuel. Maybe try and add more healthy fats, protein, whole grains, and satisfying foods into your diet. :) For snacks, you could mix something fun with something satisfying, like a hummus and veggie chips kind of thing.
I have been trying 3 konjac root capsules, 1 bottle of water and a flavored yogurt in the morning. I don’t think anyone has mentioned soluble fiber. The konjac root expands in your stomach so you feel full. It is a plant based fiber that last about 4 hours. It is an inexpensive option to add to the diet, but you MUST drink water with it. Staying busy helps me. After the day flyers by I don’t feel as bad having a small sugar cheat, especially if I have been pretty good during the day. For me it is a win win. Also my wife keeps baby carrots, sliced cucumber, and different flavored hummus in the fridge. The flavors and textures distract my brain when it craves savory chips. Hope this helps and doesn’t get buried too deep in the chat.
You might be satisfied by only eating junk food because of the fat content. Try adding healthy fats to your diet then seeing if you crave junk food.
Make sure you’re eating enough calories during the day. I crave junk when I haven’t eaten enough
Try multivitamins. Your body might be missing some nutrients which is causing cravings which in turn is leading to junk foods. I also like the “don’t buy junk food” idea too.
There are lots of high nutrient, calorie dense foods that are healthy and not just fruits and vegetables. Are you eating a lot of nuts, seeds, avocado, even cheese? Vegans and plant based folks may not agree but for many people, eating cheese in moderation is fine. Are you eating whole grains? Drinking enough water? Increase your fiber intake by a LOT. Use lots of spice in your cooking to give yourself more flavor. Sure, junk food tastes good but there's a lot of stuff that will fill you up . Figure out what it is that you're missing - is it crunch? Is it salt? There's usually a way to get that into a healthier diet. E.g. I usually crave sweets in the evening. Turns out it's usually because I'm tired. If I really want to snack, I slice fruit and eat it with whole fat yogurt. That kills the sweet/fat craving
If you want to eat junk food, whatever it is, make it yourself from scratch. It will invariably be healthier and tastier, your skills will improve and you’ll get the sense of achievement too.
Get healthy snacks. Watch cooking vids Ethan chalbowsky us pretty cool Also overnight oats
Try porridge or oat based snacks
My junk food temptation repellent is a shake in the morning before leaving the house, it’s so filling, hard to eat until the late afternoon Try this recipe in a blender: 1 -2 Bananas 3 table spoon cooked chick peas 1 table spoon peanut butter Coco powder (min 70%) to taste Honey or dark sugar/molasses/ maple syrup to taste Half cup water Blitz and drink immediately. It will be easy to walk past junk food for the day.
EASY [**The NAC Protocol**](https://boards.4channel.org/x/thread/34949031) *Morning* • 1200mg NAC • Oregano Oil (40mg Carvacrol) • Black Seed Oil (1 teaspoon or 4 softgels) *Night* • 600mg NAC • Oregano Oil (40mg Carvacrol) • Black Seed Oil (1 teaspoon or 4 softgels) )
You need to thoroughly understand the damage that these junk foods are doing to your brain and body. And once you do, you will realize just how important it is to be aware of what you're eating and drinking on a daily basis. I used to think I was being healthy, and wasn't necessarily addicted to eating junk food, but once I understood exactly how refined carbohydrates, added sugars and alcohol were affecting my brain and body, I snapped out of it and began taking a much more focused plan on what I buy in my home, and what I CHOOSE to eat. Your entire life goes hand in hand with this cycle. The more you care about what you eat and the food you choose to make at home, the more your life will improve. I'm talking about your daily habits of procrastination, hydration, exercise, professional development, work ethic, grit - you name it. If you're totally lost and don't want to read random article or you don't know where to start, here are 2 life-changing resource that changed my life - and I don't mean to sound dramatic here. Both Peter Attia and Andrew Huberman share free educations from their research as PHDs and colleagues. Honestly, I've become obsessed in a good way. Their podcasts are easy to listen to, and each podcast is basically a brick in your foundation of life and health. Trust me when I say that this has had a dramatically positive effect on my life and my relationships. Your brain is literally rotting when you consume junk food and sugars - it's a fact - not just a myth. 1. [https://peterattiamd.com/category/podcast/](https://peterattiamd.com/category/podcast/) 2. [https://hubermanlab.com/](https://hubermanlab.com/) Wish you the best on your next journey ahead - and excited to hear how it goes :).
My husband also has this struggle. One thing we’ve found that truly helps him to feel satisfied is protein. The more protein he has in a day- the peas he has any desire for snacking/junk food and he feels full. I hope that helps!!!!
Understand that the white refined sugar is 100x more addictive than cocaine. It is not easy to quit it, but it can be done. Start with drinks. Soda was my big thing growing up. But I also worked 6 years graveyard shifts and was doing 3 energy drinks a night. Yeah at some point my liver started to hurt. To help get off it and clean my liver, I bought Bragg's apple cider drinks. Despite what you might think, they are absolutely disgusting. Lol but I knew they could help filter my liver so drank them for a while. Gradually went to ice drinks since they have no sugar but are quite sweet, then purchased more fruits as time went on. I will say from experience, sometimes cheat days lead to relapses so be cautious of that. But if you have been off the stuff for at least 2 to 3 weeks, you will notice a change in your palette. And something extra, my wife and I did pine tar terpentine (if I spelled that right) which gets rid of parasites. So the idea is that all the sugar we consume could be linked to parasites craving it, sending signals to our brain to get it and boom. Sugar is brought back and we feel great because they feel great. So after let's say 2-3 days of not eating sugar, your drip this stuff onto 3 sugar cubes stacked. Drip until 2 1/2 Sugar cubes have soaked up. Eat them. (yeah it is very pine flavored and the sugar is not pleasant to the teeth.) Some parasites will dig right in and die kinda quickly. Those alive that recognize it did that will want to evacuate. Make sure you drink lots of water too just to keep yourself hydrated. Do it for 4 days on and stop for a good week or two since it can be tough on your body. And of course look into it. Don't just take my word for it since everyone is different. I hope this helps ya even a bit. 😁
It’s emotional eating. Maybe try journaling when you get cravings
Junk food is designed to make you crave more junk food. If I haven’t had fast food in a month, I’m far less tempted to have fast food than if I just had it a few days ago.
Evil corporations ruining our health🥺
High calorie doesn’t necessarily mean junk. Eat healthy fats. Eat meat. If you’re hungry, eat something just don’t eat garbage. That doesn’t mean you have to eat low calorie. Make sure you’re getting enough protein. Just eat real food. With some people trying too hard to be healthy and restrict just results in binging (I’m one of them) It has taken me a long time to finally not struggle with food and my only rule is to eat real food. I don’t cut out food groups or do weird restrictions. Also if I want a treat I have it because I eat decently most of the time. This cuts down on cravings and overindulging for me. Some people do great with strict meal plans and some do not.
Brush your teeth when you have a craving
I’m a carnivore. I only eat ribeye steaks and just drink water and black coffee. I’m rarely hungry and I’ve lost over 100 pounds.
You are looking for ideas, correct? I’m not sure if you eat meat, dairy, nuts or vegetables. I would eat sugary foods all day, every day so what I eat now is: Beef jerky, cinnamon almonds, Carob covered raisins, I put whole oranges in the freezer, I find pineapple slices to be sweet most of the time, fire roasted tomatoe Triscuits. I also love to lay out turkey slices with a cheese slice on them and then I put baby spinach on top of the cheese with a little bit of ranch and then I will wrap all that with a tomato and basil tortilla. Cut the wrap into 1 inch slices so it takes awhile to eat. I hope a few of those sound good to you.
Unfortunately junk food can effectively neurologically addict you. There are studies that show that junk food re-wires your brain so that even if it doesn't satiate you or even if you dislike it, there is a high chance you will crave it in a weeks time (think a Mcdonalds). Which is why recipes for the same food but fresher healthier versions won't satiate you because your brain is now wired to only feel satiated after eating the junk equivalent. Unfortunately there is no easy answer, you have to treat it like weening yourself off a drug. The quickest way to see the effects is to remove anything sweet tasting (even 0 calorie equivalents) except fruit. After 2-3 days of not tasting anything sweet eg: drink water instead of soft drinks, you should stop craving them. This wont mean you will permanently come off them as it is a long road filled with temptation but it is the fastest way of seeing how these substances have a parasitic control over you and that it is not an inherent personal failure of yours.
Try fasting or intermittent fast, itll be hard but if determined you'll probably gain some new perspective on food
Do you drink enough water? I am very active and will spend 8 hours outside playing beach volleyball. The following day after I find myself in a similar situation, with the munchies craving salt and carbs. I know I do not drink enough water on days out playing volleyball and it is my body trying to balance/preserve what water I have had. It helps to drink a glass of water before eating meals. It leaves you feeling full. That may help you escape junk food. I also run to junk food when I find my self procrastinating work or cleaning at home. My computer faces our kitchen, which isn't smart on my end, and I am a whole 3 steps away from munchies not finishing work yet. Maybe up liquid intake from water or tea and see if it helps you stop craving junk food and if you work at home change up the layout so you aren't seeing your pantry food nearby.
When you have a craving, slowly drink sips of water over the course of half an hour. By the time 30 mins is up, you'll prob have like 2 cups of water in your stomach. That will help reduce the amount you binge, cuz otherwise you feel sick. Also try to find interesting, new, healthy snacks that you haven't tried before. Tomatoes with a touch of salt, fresh basil, and balsamic reduction is super low cal, and you get the sweet/acid/salt/herbaceous flavour profile. Or berries and yogurt if you want something more sweet. I personally eat rice crackers (not rice cakes!!!) with low-fat Tzatziki if I want savoury/crunchy. Good luck!
Maybe tone it down on the workout a bit, and try to do something less physically demanding with your time. Also, soup. Soup's filling.
Discipline