Tips for Keeping Cravings and Bad Habits @ Bay

[sarita75]

:icecream
:thinkingo

All right. My biggest downfall are sweets and "fast food". I am working on ways to make sure that I don't eat them. Any suggestions or tips that you all would like to share with me/us. Thanks y'all!

(PS: Sorry for the gun up there, but I was trying to be somewhat comical).

 

[Karibelle]

Here's what worked for me: Don't have them in the house. I love potato chips. so I don't buy them anymore... and replace them with something you also like, but that is good for you. Buy lots of veggies, and when you get them home, cut them up and store them that way. When I'm hungry and want a snack (like right now, for example) I can go and get a cut up pepper with some tzitiki sauce. Mmmm... and low fat, and lots o' vitamins, and no processed sugar. Or carrot sticks, mushrooms, or cauliflour. For some reason, I've developed a love for cauliflour.

I know I'm not part of your challenge - yet - but I do lurk in your fitness threads. I hope it's okay to pipe in.

kari

 

[Karibelle]

Oh and wrt fast food, read "fast food nation." Or "harvest for hope" or "diet for a small planet." IMO, all of these will turn you off of fast food - maybe forever.

kari

 

[PaulSmithTek]

Yeah I need to loose some weight. I sit behind a desk all day and when i get home I clean take care of the kids and go to bed. No excersise for me. It is hard. I have gained almost 45 lbs in two years. Sucks Sucks Sucks

 

[Teamcasa]

Here is what a reformed cookie fiend does. I don’t buy them anymore.
When I feel the need for a snack, I slice and eat an apple.
For fast-food, when I need to use it, I get a chicken snack wrap from McDs” or Subway. Plenty of regular mustard.
Funny thing, since I cut the hamburgers and fries out, I found I need only a small lunch.
Normal dinners, only smaller portions. A Skinny Cow low fat ice cream sandwich works great for dessert.

Since November, I’ve lost 28lbs.

Dave

 

[Cacia]

:icecream
:thinkingo

All right. My biggest downfall are sweets and "fast food". I am working on ways to make sure that I don't eat them. Any suggestions or tips that you all would like to share with me/us. Thanks y'all!

(PS: Sorry for the gun up there, but I was trying to be somewhat comical).

Watch "Supersize me" and then read Fast Food Nation. What works for me is "aversion therapy"...just keep loading your mind up with information about the untoward effects on your body, it's like brainwashing yourself. I even brainwashed my kids and they won't eat it anymore.

Another trick is to have raw almonds handy all the time, they kill cravings for me.
Encourage yourself with the knowledge that fast food is addictive and once you kick it, it will be easier for you, as you will no longer crave it!

Eat enough protein for the "slow burn" and you will not bottom out and need to eat fast food. Try switching to grape juice mixed with sparkling water for a "soda-like" drink.

Don't skip breakfast. Start taking a break halfway through a meal, and let your brain have time to catch up, the Okinawans have a method of stopping while still a bit hungry.

You might enjoy the book "Chasing Life" as it gives some basic advice. I also liked certain concepts in "You On A Diet"...I read as much as I can, even material I already know just to keep myself "brainwashed"

Feed your mind the right stuff and the body follows. I don't like rules, myself, so this works for me.

It is hard. I have gained almost 45 lbs in two years. Sucks Sucks Sucks
__________________

I saw this guy on TV that had a treadmill in his office and actually worked from it. I walk on an incline on mine, it's harder than it sounds but I can talk on the phone at the same time because I am not bouncing. Several 20 minute sessions a day of getting your HR up to the low side of your target zone might jump start your metabolism. (shrug...just an idea, I like painless plans, myself)

The trick for me is to have something so easy, I can stick to it.

ha ha, Keri just saw your post...couldn't agree more!

 

[SoCalMike]

Supersize Me, Fast Food Nation.....Blah Blah Blah. There are challenges that people did where they lost weight eating only at Mc Donalds. I call those fils Michael Moore films, where the maker twists the project to suit his desired outcome. Its a simple combination of what and how much you eat. During my 25 pound loss in the past 45 days, I have eaten sausage mc muffins on a couple of occasions. All I did was take the muffin, and thro it in the trash. That was a low carb meal.

Vegetables? Lots of them have carbs, and carbs = weight gain for the most part. Same with salad and fruits. A no or low carb diet is not the healtiest way to loose weight, but its ok for a tempoary diet.

Do you like those fried pork rinds? They are carb free. Beef Jearky? Most non-sweet varieties are low carb. Peperoni? Those along with most sandwich meats are carb free. Steak? Carb free.

Walk around the grocery store, and buy anything that looks good thats carb free, or less than 5 grams. Do a web search for no carb diets. We arent rabbits, so why eat like one?

 

[Teamcasa]

.... We arent rabbits, so why eat like one?

Funny!

Dave

 

[Cacia]

I call those fils Michael Moore films, where the maker twists the project to suit his desired outcome.

Michael Moore did not have anything to do with those, I don't think. I hope that I have never put a dollar in his pocket.

Do you like those fried pork rinds?

I have always wondered what that **** actually IS. What is a Pork Rind? Oh no, Peperoni is really bad for you---unless you like colon cancer.

 

[merxlin]

Supersize Me, Fast Food Nation.....Blah Blah Blah. There are challenges that people did where they lost weight eating only at Mc Donalds. I call those fils Michael Moore films, where the maker twists the project to suit his desired outcome. Its a simple combination of what and how much you eat. During my 25 pound loss in the past 45 days, I have eaten sausage mc muffins on a couple of occasions. All I did was take the muffin, and thro it in the trash. That was a low carb meal.

Vegetables? Lots of them have carbs, and carbs = weight gain for the most part. Same with salad and fruits. A no or low carb diet is not the healthiest way to loose weight, but its ok for a tempoary diet.

Do you like those fried pork rinds? They are carb free. Beef Jearky? Most non-sweet varieties are low carb. Peperoni? Those along with most sandwich meats are carb free. Steak? Carb free.

Walk around the grocery store, and buy anything that looks good thats carb free, or less than 5 grams. Do a web search for no carb diets. We arent rabbits, so why eat like one?

Wow, I couldn't disagree with your position more Mike. The no carb/low carb diets do work initially, but not long term. And not paying attention to fat content in food is a recipe for disaster. You must control your fat intake. The best method for losing weight and keeping it off is a good balanced diet. Vegetables and fruits are important to your overall health and contain a great amount of vitamins and fiber. The body needs some carbs to convert quickly for energy. What you can avoid is the carbs from processed sugars and starches, which is most breads. Pasta's and brown rice are OK, or any whole grain product, just limit your intake. Just make sure they actually contain the grain. Several products say "whole grain' but have only whole grain flour, which loses all the good fiber. It is important to get enough protein as well, but you can do so without the fat and chemicals of snacks like pork rinds.

And 25 pounds in 45 days may sound impressive but unless you weigh about 400 lbs you will have trouble keeping it off and sustaining that kind of loss. 2lbs a week is a good, healthy sustainable rate of loss. I lost 45 lbs in about 8 months, and have kept it off for almost 2 years. My cholesterol dropped 40 points, and my BP went from a normal 120/80 to 90/60.

All right. My biggest downfall are sweets and "fast food". I am working on ways to make sure that I don't eat them. Any suggestions or tips that you all would like to share with me/us. Thanks y'all!

My best suggestion is to plan- Plan your meals and have good choices available so you can avoid the drive thru. Most of the time we eat fast food because we just don't have anything else. If you do have to drive thru, try to stay away from the breads and deep fried stuff. You even have to watch the so-called healthy chicken meals. Lots of them pile calories into the sauces. And the salads are fine if you avoid the dressings. Have alternative snacks available, especially when you know you usually like to snack (watching TV etc). As long as you have a good healthy choice available and are committed to a plan, you will usually make a good choice. But if your only choice is the Oreo's or nothing, most people will go for the Oreo's. And drink lots of water. Many times when you look for snacks, a glass of water will fill you up.