I have a serious eating out/junk food addiction!

[tinyblackdot]

I cant help it! I dont know what to do!

It doesn't help that i battle with depression, or that i work nights so cooking can be difficult, or that my dd is on a strict diet, and i just do not feel like cooking 2 different meals every night.

UGH! I need tips and help and encouragement mamas!

Im gaining so much weight! I was 115 prior to having dd and was about 15 lbs over my goal weight and now im 135! But i just cant stop!

I crave crap! I think i might join OEA.....

[crunchy_mama]

Why not just eat with your daughter. We have food restrictions here and I just cook us all(including hubby who is not restricted at all) the same meals. Currently I have my own diet a bit more restricted then theirs as I am grain free but I do the same base meals- like they might get noodles w/ spaghetti and I just eat mine as a soup or over veggie noodles- I had curry over cauliflower last night and they had theirs over rice. FWIW we are gluten, dairy and soy free here. I do grainfree and low sugar.

[USAmma]

Is there a charity you really like? Make a goal to donate so much to that charity, and every time you don't succumb to the temptation of fast food, pay the charity the money you would have spent.

We are having a no-spend year (or trying to!) and we put our loose pocket change into a fund for the Smile Train. I figure a child needs the cleft lip/palate surgery a lot more than I need whatever it is I'm tempted to buy. We have already saved up over $50 just with pocket change. The kids and I rolled the coins last week. There's a photo ad of the Smile Train taped to our fridge with photos of the kids waiting for surgeries. It's very good motivation.

When we do go to McD's to play (it's way too hot right now for outdoor playgrounds during the day!) I decide ahead of time what I'm getting and I stick with it. It's a big treat once a week. My kids can literally eat nothing at McD's (dd1 has Celiac Disease, dd2 has EE and can eat exactly 14 foods, none of which they serve there) except dd1 can have ice cream, dd2 can have a kid sized soft drink. I get a coffee and ask for an extra cup with it. I put it over ice, add cream and sugar and have a cheap iced coffee drink. It costs less than $4. My "junk food" is either a gogurt or a small mug of Cheerios.

[rainer.sullivan]

Try substituting fruits! they're deliciously yummy and nutritious as well

[Alyantavid]

Find some copykat recipes for restaurant food you enjoy and make it at home.

[ErinBird]

What is it that makes eating at home difficult?

My personal experience has been that I need to spend more time and energy planning food for home to eat food at home. I have basic cooking skills and can keep a stocked pantry, but for a long time we ate out (and wasted tons of food at home) because I wasn't planning meals or snacks for the week and wasn't allowing for enough time for meals and cleaning of the kitchen to take place. I ultimately started forcing a schedule for cooking onto my daily life and it helped a lot. Now its second nature.

[sinsaratea]

I do too. What is helping this summer for me is that I am trying to really support local farmers and by doing so am helping not only my waistline but my wallet. I've just had to make myself cook at home. No fun tricks to to give you, just making myself do it! However, I am off for the summer [teacher] and I am trying to go ahead and think about how to deal with this in August.

[Carley]

Originally Posted by tinyblackdot

It doesn't help that i battle with depression

Im gaining so much weight! I was 115 prior to having dd and was about 15 lbs over my goal weight and now im 135! But i just cant stop!

So when I was anorexic (not saying you are) my body went into crazy food mode because it thought it was starving. When the body thinks it's starving it craves fat and carbs, hence junkfood/fastfood/etc. It was a really hard recovery for me, but focusing on fitness helped me a lot.

Eating well is and probably always will be walking a tight rope. The best thing I ever did was cut out pretty much anything processed for a while. I focused on vegetables, protein then fruit & pretty much stayed away from eating grains unless I was slugish a couple hours before a workout.

I have moderation now & also allow myself to have "F-it" days that I usually plan for (e.g. friend's birthday dinner at fabulous restaurant where our friend is the pastry chef.. cmon!). That keeps me focus on food as fuel and nutrition most of the time.

Anyway, that's just me. You're at a great weight right now. If I were you I'd just focus on fitness & clean foods. Try not to freak out about it.

[Carley]

Originally Posted by Alyantavid

Find some copykat recipes for restaurant food you enjoy and make it at home.

For me - I had to give that up too. I had to take those tastes completely out for a while so I could get back to focusing on nutrition and health instead of the ever maddening "weight game." Replacing my compulsions with something that resembled my vice was just as unhealthy for me. I could down a healthy burger just as fast & with such little satiety & as much guilt as a fast food burger. Didn't matter.

More nutritious? Yes. Healthier? No.

Now sometimes I'll have a special breakfast/lunch/dinner whatever simply because it's delicious, but most of the time I try to focus on fuel. Nutritious "fun foods" are still treats!

That is NOT to say I don't appreciate the awesomeness of a doughnut, this is all the result of my pretty serious problem with food (both eating it and not eating it).

Anyway, not saying this is anything anyone else is going through or should do, just my experience.

Hope you feel better!

[LoBleusMama]

junk food junkie here! It is ridiculous. I go through stages, last year I was eating mostly whole vegan foods, this year I still cook alright at home (even though i love eating out) and I am strict about what the children eat, but I want sugar and lots of it. The hardest part (which I need to get back to) is starting with small little steps and sticking to it, I had to make myself my own meal plans separate from the family, pack lunch and breakfast for work ( I work at a restaurant that serves deliciously fatty food) Get you and your friends going to the gym together or start a weight lost challenge group with $ incentives

[2boyzmama]

Watch the movie "Super Size Me", hubby and I didn't eat fast food for a year after watching that!! Hmm...maybe we need to watch it again actually

I've found that it's too hard to stick to an overarching statement like "I won't eat out anymore" so instead I do simpler ones like "I will not eat at X restaurant, and I will choose only the low-fat options from the other restaurants."

Or, I focus on particular foods...for example, last summer I was training for a marathon and I made myself some "rules" like "no red meat" and "at least 80 ounces of non-caffeinated fluids a day". So not a diet, per se, but rules I could follow no matter where I ate. I also forced myself to leave some of my dinner so that I could pack it as my lunch the next day at work.

[mamatoablessing]

Originally Posted by Carley

So when I was anorexic (not saying you are) my body went into crazy food mode because it thought it was starving. When the body thinks it's starving it craves fat and carbs, hence junkfood/fastfood/etc. It was a really hard recovery for me, but focusing on fitness helped me a lot.

Well, I'm A LOT heavier than the OP and have the same exact issue. I crave junk food and eating out. Part of my problem is that I can't/don't have time to meal plan and cook at home. DH and I own our own business and spend a lot of time there. When I'm home, I have no desire to ditch the kids and whip up a great meal in the kitchen, much less shop for it.

I do go in phases though. When I get into a good routine, I'm a really healthy cook, plan meals well and stop myself from hitting a restaurant. But when my routine is rocked (like a vacation, extra hours at work, etc.) it's so hard to get back into it. All I want is the awesome guac at our local mexican restaurant (and about 100 chips) or the fabulous cheese fries at our favorite diner. The thought of cooking and subsequently cleaning up can be an exhausting thought and I think that's my problem.

I'm looking forward to seeing other responses!

[tinyblackdot]

Thanks for all of the tips!

I think what i need to do is to go back to being pesca vegi. DH and i where for 6 years, and then with my dds allergies, it just want going to be possible for us.

I totally agree with the "little steps" approach, i think instead of going on a strict diet, i just need to say "ok, today im cutting out McDonalds for now and forever...and then every week make a new step.

**i just wanted to add that i know that 135 doesn't sound like alot, but im only 5ft tall (give or take a little) so for my frame its starting to takes it toll.**

[Carley]

Mamatoablessing, there's a difference between choosing to constantly overindulge in food and being 115 pounds and "15 pounds over your goal weight" (= 100 pounds = underweight-anorexic for average female heights and frames). There's also a difference between binging yourself to a healthy weight & regular daily overindulgance.

As I mentioned, a really clean diet helped me. I even had to curb concocting "healthy" versions of treats for a while to reattune my taste & strengthen my psychological will. I am much more lax now, living a normal life with exercise. It's a choice to resist or give in - you have to be honest with yourself.

I just had a cupcake at a friend's birthday, however most of the time I'm eating fat, meat and vegetables with fruit as the indulgance. My husband & daughter require more carbs, so I have a cooked grain or breads on hand along with some starchy vegetables like potatos, yams etc. PMS is particularly rough. If I resist I feel better, but sometimes food is just that tasty. It's a choice to get back on track.

You can use your eating out budget to invest in high quality grass fed meat, organic fresh vegetables & raw cheese. You can then stock your fridge at work and home with raw and some precooked vegetables, precooked proteins & keep a little fruit and raw cheeses for snacking. Eating simple, nutritious clean meals easier, healthier & takes less time then going out.

You can allow yourself indulgances in moderation or you can be an all out hedonist, but the latter is by far the most difficult road. I don't know how long it took you to become "heavy," but you're going to become that much heavier in about the same amount of time unless you put your eating habits and your health as a priority.

It's a choice. There's no easy way & the longer you procrastinate the harder it's going to be.

Good luck!

[Carley]

Originally Posted by tinyblackdot

Thanks for all of the tips!

I think what i need to do is to go back to being pesca vegi. DH and i where for 6 years, and then with my dds allergies, it just want going to be possible for us.

I totally agree with the "little steps" approach, i think instead of going on a strict diet, i just need to say "ok, today im cutting out McDonalds for now and forever...and then every week make a new step.

**i just wanted to add that i know that 135 doesn't sound like alot, but im only 5ft tall (give or take a little) so for my frame its starting to takes it toll.**

"Little Steps" that are all or nothing, like "I'll never have <x> again" are pretty dangerous moves. If you do ever have <x> again you feel as though you've "fallen off the wagon." If you use positive goals instead like "This week I'm going to eat clean meals" then you either accomplish your goal or try again. There's no negative reprucution & you're more likely to try again.

This is totally controversial & everyone's bodies are different, but I have to eat meat to get enough protein and keep carbs from killing my blood sugar. To each their own, but unless you have a really good reason to limit your protein sources, don't. Protein feeds your muscles, makes you feel fuller, thus you'll probably keep your daily calorie count lower.

[babycarrier]

watching fast food nation really helped on the fast food front. your post hit close to home. I also looked at a lot of commercial farming info and try to remember that when fast food sounds good.

it doesn't help the wallet as much but i will stop out at the grocery store instead of a restaurant and get a sushi roll.

also a good article in Mother Jones or Mother Earth News about all the names of MSG and what the chemical does and why we crave foods. Serious chemistry goes into fast food and I still have to verbally walk myself through why it is not a good choice when I'm stressed.

[Aiti]

Originally Posted by ErinBird

My personal experience has been that I need to spend more time and energy planning food for home to eat food at home. I have basic cooking skills and can keep a stocked pantry, but for a long time we ate out (and wasted tons of food at home) because I wasn't planning meals or snacks for the week and wasn't allowing for enough time for meals and cleaning of the kitchen to take place. I ultimately started forcing a schedule for cooking onto my daily life and it helped a lot. Now its second nature.

Yes, this!
I find that if I don't plan ahead, I just don't end up cooking. There is no way I can plan and execute dinner at 5:00 p.m. when I'm tired and the kids are cranky. I know some people can do this (and I'm in awe of them), but I just can't. So I prep as much as I can on the weekends or in the mornings. That would include chopping and measuring ingredients, preparing side dishes to reheat at dinner time, stuff like that. I also try to wash and chop my produce as soon as I get it home so that it's ready to grab for snacks or cooking. I sometimes make extra of things and put it in the freezer to reheat later. You can do this!
Oh - and I understand the addiction to junk food. I try to focus on how much better I FEEL physically when I'm eating well. You can do it! Good luck mama.

[claddaghmom]

Originally Posted by tinyblackdot

I cant help it! I dont know what to do!

It doesn't help that i battle with depression, or that i work nights so cooking can be difficult, or that my dd is on a strict diet, and i just do not feel like cooking 2 different meals every night.

UGH! I need tips and help and encouragement mamas!

Im gaining so much weight! I was 115 prior to having dd and was about 15 lbs over my goal weight and now im 135! But i just cant stop!

I crave crap! I think i might join OEA.....

DH works overnights during the summers. In fact he is starting tomorrow night. I've found the only way to keep him from eating random junk is to have the meals completely planned and stocked. And they have to be packaged for convenience.

I don't know how it is for you, but the only reason we eat out/eat junk is for convenience. And when you toss in a painful work schedule, convenience means not only is the junk in the right place at the right time, but we're too tired and foggy to care.

So I tried to switch to a super healthy diet with organics, food from scratch, a fresh meal 3xs a day...HA! Epic Fail.

Now I am just trying to choose the healthiest foods and package them for easy taking. So for example I will get a box of organic or healthy-ish cereal (not reese's puffs for example) and divide it up into little snack bags so DH can grab one on the go. I also squeeze orange juice and divide it into little cups. Any veggies I buy now get cut up all at once and divided for snacking.

It's hard to stick to healthy foods when you are hungry right NOW and tired right NOW. If you open the fridge and see little snack bags of carrot sticks, tomatoes, peppers etc you are more likely to eat them, KWIM?

And remember: if you don't buy it you don't eat it.

[claddaghmom]

Originally Posted by 2boyzmama

Watch the movie "Super Size Me", hubby and I didn't eat fast food for a year after watching that!! Hmm...maybe we need to watch it again actually

I've found that it's too hard to stick to an overarching statement like "I won't eat out anymore" so instead I do simpler ones like "I will not eat at X restaurant, and I will choose only the low-fat options from the other restaurants."

Or, I focus on particular foods...for example, last summer I was training for a marathon and I made myself some "rules" like "no red meat" and "at least 80 ounces of non-caffeinated fluids a day". So not a diet, per se, but rules I could follow no matter where I ate. I also forced myself to leave some of my dinner so that I could pack it as my lunch the next day at work.

There's a youtube video that walks you through the meat processing plant for McD's....did you know they need a metal detector for the meat patties.

I watched that for the 1st time and was like, WTH do they need a metal detector for meat patties....HN LOL

[tanyam926]

I know this can be hard. I don't have an addiction to fast food but I def understand being tired and not wanting to cook dinner every night.

I get tired of meal planning, food shopping, coming up w/what to prepare, cooking while dealing w/my kids, serving everyone while still trying to entertain baby (daddy tries but he just follows me around), then picking up, packing up leftovers, it just gets exhausting. Picking something up is so much easier. I am often tempted.

We don't eat out a lot and here's what helps me:

-planning as much as possible (not my strong pt)
-having dh grill atleast 1-2 times/wk (takes stress off of me, I just prepare sides)
-trying to get something kind of healthy when we do p/u something (whole grilled chicken) or making a salad to go w/pizza.

Lastly, I have found that I feel really blue when I have been eating crap. It affects my mood so much that it is a major incentive to eat clean. I was starting to think I was depressed but then noticed that when I am eating well (for me it's good fats, minimal grains, lots of fruit and veggies) I feel great. I don't know if it would help you but it's something to consider.

GL, I know it's hard to get motivated when you just feel so well, unmotivated and craptastic.