How do you get rid of cravings for fast food/fattening food?

Question

I am on a diet now because i need to lose about 10-15 pounds because i was eating really bad and gained weight. I still crave fast food and fried fattening bad foods. I know they are bad and fattening so I only want to eat like grilled chicken, fish, and veggies and fruit. It's so hard though when I want french fries and chocolate milkshakes. How do you stop craving those bad foods when you used to love them and eat them everyday??

Answer 1

I bought a bag of baby carrot sticks and crewed on them.

they helped stop my craving for fast food.

Answer 2

just limit to one small serving of each once a week,that cant fatten you

Answer 3

control yourself (the hardest step)

Answer 4

There are a lot of theories and gimmicks dealing with this problem, but ultimately the only effective tactic is to conquer these urges through will. It is only by working hard to change your mental image of a fast food meal from, a satisfying catharsis to an understanding of the reality of what these sorts of foods are, what they do, and why you really crave them that can lead you to respond to the prospect of eating them with disgust.  

Answer 5

I never, ever succeeded at that.

The only "diet" I ever managed was what I call the "add diet."  Instead of subtracting bad things, I found the most delicious health food I possibly could, and ate all I wanted.  By the time I finally got around to the dessert, I only had room for a bite or two!

Good nutrition shouldn't be a punishment.  Charcoal grilled chicken, fish, and veggies are delicious.  Carrot sticks are a good munchie.  Fresh cherries taste better than candy.  Sushi is divine.

Find healthy foods that you looooove, and focus on eating those instead of spending your time thinking about what you shouldn't eat.

Good luck!  I used to love McD's and the like, but I've been off of the fast food for so long that I can't stand it any more.  If I do fast food now, it's usually chipotle or subway.  Yum!

Also, you shouldn't have it all the time, but hershey's syrup in skim milk might be a decent substitute for your milk shakes.  

Answer 6

ur body will get used to not eating those things after awhile.

also, when i worked out at the gym regularly, i found that i didnt crave that stuff b/c i didnt want to blow my workout.

drink a lot of water, take fiber pills and eat lots of lean protein and high fiber foods to feel full. go to bed early so you dont eat a lot late at night. try to eat 3-5 small meals a day.

eat natural sugar products instead of refined and processed sugar items.

fruit is the best natural sugar, but be careful...it does still have sugar and a lot of fruit is not good.

it all comes down to will power, if you think about how bad you want to look good, then it can make you have the strength to not eat junk food.

u can also ask someon close to you to get onto you if you eat that stuff, ask them to go out to eat at healthier places and encourage you to choose wisely off the menu.

also, NEVER go to a fast food place by YOURSELF....Ive found when Im by myself I tend to eat more and eat bad b/c no one is watching then when i go out to eat with others watching where I tend to be healthier.

also, i keep a picture of myself when I had been working out a lot when I was younger and my legs looked awesome as a incentive on my fridge to not eat junk.

also, if you dont buy it, you cant eat it!!!!!! So, when you go to the grocery store, keep that in mind. Its usually going out to eat that is a lot harder. My old trainer used to tell us that as long as you ate right all week and worked out, you could have 1 special night on the weekend to eat what you wanted but as long as it was still portioned controlled. I thought that was cool so you didnt feel deprived.

I cant give up Thai and Japanese food...haha Its my weakness oh yea, and mashed potatoes and gravy....LOL

Answer 7

watch the movie "super size me"

Answer 8

well, i eat till i obsess with it then i will stop as long as 6 months! later~

Answer 9

Well find some healthy foods that you like a lot, and get use to other more healthy foods. Maybe having fast food once a week will be alright, but having to much will make you go back to your unhealthy lifestyle.

Whenever you see someone with fast/bad food, think about what you will end up at if you don't stop. See yourself as a skinnier you, and then walk away. Just fight it mentally, and it will show physically.

Answer 10

I read that it's actually like an addiction. It supposedly takes around 2 weeks for it to get out of your system. Just stay tough and hang in there for a couple of weeks, and hopefully your cravings will go away!

Answer 11

if you keep on eating you will look like this :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v421/d...

always look at this picture when you feel like eating junk food..

you can also print it out...

turn bulimic.  

Answer 12

It is really hard but it does work...if you do not eat them for an extended amount of time AT ALL...about a month or more...the food will actually taste bad to you and your body will give you signals that it is bad for you. Trust me....eating a Mcdonald's cheeseburger after not having one for over a month will change your perspective.

Answer 13

well just think about it this way, your body gets used to any routine you have, u just have 2 be consistent, obviously ur body is "intoxicated" with al the junk food you used 2 eat before, so ur gonna have 2 stick to your diet even if you crave something else, think that ur body is going though withdraw. The longer you keep ur healthy routing, the easier it will get, ur in the right track so GO ON!

Answer 14

to prevent cravings, there are two ways:

1. the reason you crave in the first place, is because something is missing in your diet. so do eat carbs, protein in moderation along with and vegetables (900gms a day being the ideal) . Have a full meal with all the good stuff, so you wont have space or inclination for junk.

2. My dietician swears by Glutamine powder for reducing cravings and also improving nutrient absorption.  

Answer 15

I struggled for a very long time to lose weight because of the addiction.  It is easy to go that first day when you are full of determination, but when day 2 or 3 hits and you have a huge craving for a hamburger, watch out.

The best thing I did for myself was talk to my friends and let them know I needed some help.  I asked them to stop asking me out for lunch and dinner.  When they came over and brought drinks, I asked them to not offer them to me.  It took some time, but it became easier and easier to be around the food and not crave it, as long as they were not overtly tempting me with it.

Someone mentioned this above, but do not go to fast food restaurants.  There is rarely anything healthy there, even the prepared salads are horrible.  Remove the temptation, and eventually the temptation removes itself.