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Thread: Struggle with junk food addiction...

  1. #21
    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gimmethesimplelife View Post
    Think of how much more energy you would likely have if you ate better....seriously - it doesn't have to be expensive.

    I get that in your case you don't have this particular incentive but is there something you could do or accomplish with more energy/better health/less weight? Rob
    If UL has a true food addiction, reasoning might help but it's generally not that effective in fighting cravings. It's like telling a cigarette smoker that they'll get lung cancer in 30 years--studies have shown that those types of messages are completely ineffective. I think if UL is craving a greasy burger or fries or a pie, telling him to think of the joys of a salad isn't really going to help. To be honest, I'm a healthy eater and rarely eat junk food, and thinking about more energy isn't going to stop me from eating a piece of fried chicken if I'm in that mindset, which usually happens when my body is telling me I need more fat.

    One good book to read (did someone mention it on this forum recently? I thought I saw it, maybe in the What Are You Reading forum) is The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. In it he explains the brain's process from cue to reward (or stimulus to response). Some self-defeating behaviors may simply be a function of learned responses that can be unlearned.

    When I first read it I thought the idea that addiction is just a matter of breaking the habit loop was a bit simplistic, but it's certainly worth trying.
    "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
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  2. #22
    Senior Member Ultralight's Avatar
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    When I get to craving and wanting to go on a rampage my new plan is to tell myself: "Think about the important things. Think about Harlan and his dental care. Think about reading books. Think about sketching. Think about the important things!"

    Last night this worked. I fought off the yearning to rampage.

  3. #23
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    Good job, i know all the bargaining and negotiating did not help when i was quitting smoking. I think the physical aspect was worse smoking, food you can't avoid which is difficult.

    I just was thinking that when you are craving that eating something else may backfire because it is not satisfying, so avoiding snacking in general when you are craving may be a good response. Just scheduled snacks and meals. When we practice mindful eating on retreat we put the fork or spoon down between each bite as well, slows down and allows for better focus

  4. #24
    Senior Member SteveinMN's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by lmerullo View Post
    I don't know a whole lot about bariatric surgery, but I have a friend who rebounded after. Apparently you CAN restretch the volume of food one can consume.
    DW had bariatric surgery more than a decade ago. It does not appear to have slowed down cravings at all, though I have never seen her on a "rampage". She cannot eat a large quantity of any food -- and sometimes only tiny portions of very rich foods (steak, cream sauces, etc.) or very fibrous foods -- without an immediate "bathroom" reaction.

    I just was thinking that when you are craving that eating something else may backfire because it is not satisfying, so avoiding snacking in general when you are craving may be a good response.
    That was my thought -- and my experience, both with myself and others. Craving potato chips? Celery or carrot sticks are no substitute unless you dress them with the fat and sodium that brings them nutritionally closer to chips. And if your craving is that specific, you need to address what's being craved (saltiness, fat, chewiness, whatever) or you just consume calories without satisfying the craving anyway.
    Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. - Booker T. Washington

  5. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chicken lady View Post
    A couple of thoughts - if one of the grocery stores near you has the service where they pack your groceries and you pick them up, use that to avoid temptation.

    the second suggestion requires buying things - i’m Sorry. Buy several nesting boxes with combination locks. Put your car keys inside the innermost box every time you come home, and on each lid write your best ideas for alternate snacks/meals or actions to junk food or other messages you find motivating. The time it takes to get to your keys may help you get through the craving. Also, the annoyance might make you choose to take your bike more often.
    That' a great Idea. Going to the grocery store and seeing all these stuff are really tempting. So I think, buying online will help or order via phone call and ask to deliver would be great.

  6. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ultralight View Post
    As some of you know or suspect from other threads and discussions on here, I have a junk food addiction. This addiction negatively impacts my simple living goals and lifestyle.

    -It has caused me to waste a lot of money, which has led to some more debt (about $2,000 in medical bills I should have been able to pay right away).

    -It has caused me to put on some elbeez. And didn't Flylady call that "body clutter?" An apt name, that is.

    -It has caused me to drive too much, because I will go driving all over the city to get just the right "fix."

    There are other problems it caused, but those are fairly illustrative.

    Perhaps more than anything, this addiction has intercepted my very purpose for simply living: Doing the things that are most important to me.

    By this I mean, I practice simple living (in the minimalist style) so I can focus on spending time with my dog, reading books, traveling to other countries, and engaging in hobbies/lifestyle experiments that I enjoy.

    But the junk food addiction pulls me away from all of those and compromises the resources (time and money and, to a perhaps lesser degree, health) needed.

    I am actively trying to find a way of eating that does not lead me to binges (or as I call them "junk food rampages"). I'd like to use this thread partially to document this, but also as a sounding board for constructive criticism and ideas.

    While I have been clean for about a week (no rampages) I have been purely white-knuckling it. And I have not been eating 100% healthy. Like I had some chips with dinner for the past two nights and I have also eaten a half of a watermelon both yesterday and the day before.

    So the struggle continues.
    I know how you feel LOL. What has helped me, and keep in mind I live about 2 miles from lots of fast food, is too limit my binges.

    Just cut back to once a week, maintain it.

    Them maybe twice a month?

    Once a month?

    I drive thru all these places on the way home everyday and honestly, it is cheaper to eat the fast food specials.

    Good luck

  7. #27
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    Back when I was a smoker trying to quit, the old rubber band on the wrist helped me get through cravings which were actually just very ingrained habits. One snap of the band and I would delay the urge for another five minutes until the time between smokes got wider and wider. I finally quit cold turkey when I got very sick and the very thought of smoking no longer appealed. Perhaps it takes a physical/spiritual awakening/loss to make big changes for some people.

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ultralight View Post
    As some of you know or suspect from other threads and discussions on here, I have a junk food addiction. This addiction negatively impacts my simple living goals and lifestyle.

    -It has caused me to waste a lot of money, which has led to some more debt (about $2,000 in medical bills I should have been able to pay right away).

    -It has caused me to put on some elbeez. And didn't Flylady call that "body clutter?" An apt name, that is.

    -It has caused me to drive too much, because I will go driving all over the city to get just the right "fix."

    There are other problems it caused, but those are fairly illustrative.

    Perhaps more than anything, this addiction has intercepted my very purpose for simply living: Doing the things that are most important to me.

    By this I mean, I practice simple living (in the minimalist style) so I can focus on spending time with my dog, reading books, traveling to other countries, and engaging in hobbies/lifestyle experiments that I enjoy.

    But the junk food addiction pulls me away from all of those and compromises the resources (time and money and, to a perhaps lesser degree, health) needed.

    I am actively trying to find a way of eating that does not lead me to binges (or as I call them "junk food rampages"). I'd like to use this thread partially to document this, but also as a sounding board for constructive criticism and ideas.

    While I have been clean for about a week (no rampages) I have been purely white-knuckling it. And I have not been eating 100% healthy. Like I had some chips with dinner for the past two nights and I have also eaten a half of a watermelon both yesterday and the day before.

    So the struggle continues.
    Me too and I'm looking for a better and healthy meal plan.

  9. #29
    Senior Member Ultralight's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by luna92 View Post
    Me too and I'm looking for a better and healthy meal plan.
    Tell me more.

  10. #30
    Senior Member lhamo's Avatar
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    Do you enjoy doing puzzles of any kind -- jigsaw, crossword, sudoku, etc? I find I am most inclined to mindlessly eat empty calories when I am doing something that doesn't fully engage my brain, like surfing the web or watching TV. If I engage myself in a puzzle or a stack of sudokus, I can go for hours without having any munchie cravings arise.
    "Seek out habits that help you overcome fear or inertia. Destroy those that do the opposite." Seth Godin

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