Addicted to bad foods
August 15, 2013 8:39 PM   Subscribe

Please anyone with any knowledge or experience in binge eating with junk food please help me. I am a 27 yr old male who has been struggling with binging on fast food and junk for the past 15 years. I am tired of it, but my brain is not. IF that makes any sense. I just crave this trash constantly. I love it, but I hate it. I try to quit everyday. I wake up go running. Try to imagine how sweet my life would be fit and healthy. And by the end of the day I am attacking the vending machine at work or hitting up some fast food. This has truly ruined my life. I quit hanging out with friends, feel disgusting when I talk to girls. Feel disgusting in my own clothes. I am tired of it, but still I manage to attack every bad food in sight. I have been addicted to painkillers, and trust me these cravings are 10x worse. I quit painkillers, but I cannot quit eating bad. ANybody with any advice please help.
posted by Truts83 to Health & Fitness (33 answers total) 27 users marked this as a favorite
 
You can't do it all at once; you've got make small sustainable changes. You've also got to make it easy to be successful by planning for when you're hungry by bringing healthy snacks, and also be forgiving of yourself when you go off plan.

But seriously, tho, try counseling because this anxiety, fear, feeling a lack of control... That is not about food. No life style change will stick if you don't start digging into why this is such a major trigger issue for you.
posted by spunweb at 8:50 PM on August 15, 2013 [4 favorites]


Yeah, you can't change a huge amount of your diet overnight and expect it to stick or last more than a day or two. Start small, maybe just cut out sugary sodas and do everything else you do. If you can stick to it for a couple weeks to a month, then add in a rule for no vending machine food, and so on.

Last year I spent the year changing my diet by just sticking to a no bread, no pasta, and no potatoes, and no sodas rule. It took a month for each of those to kick in but by the end I lost about 20lbs and felt better than I ever had before.
posted by mathowie at 8:56 PM on August 15, 2013 [3 favorites]


One thing that is immensely helpful to know is that how you feel now in terms of your craving for that kind of food, it doesn't last forever. Sometimes making life changes is difficult because we feel as if we'll have to grit our teeth and simply bear those cravings until you die. The reality is that you'll feel pretty crappy for about a week, but as you start making changes, your body will actually start to prefer the better food. And there will be a day when you try to remember why you liked all that junk it the first place. You'll take a drink of Coke, and realize it's not nearly as good as you remember, because it's too sweet. Hang in there for that day, trust that it is coming, and it will help carry you for awhile. If you slip up, it's not all back to ground zero, either. Just get back on the horse and keep moving, knowing that you are already closer to that line where you will start feeling like it's real healthy living.
posted by SpacemanStix at 9:01 PM on August 15, 2013 [4 favorites]


I have this exact problem. The only thing that has worked for me is a low carb way of eating. The uncontrollable cravings quieted and I was able to make sane decisions about food.

I recommend exploring the keto subreddit, and reading Gary Taubes' book Why We Get Fat.

Eating low carb, high fat, medium protein got me to a place where I could start tackling all the emotional things that accompany this problem. For me, and many others, it IS an addiction. Our bodies just don't process carbohydrates the "normal" way.

Low carb doesn't solve all the problems overnight, but it gives you a huge leg up.
posted by batonthefueltank at 9:06 PM on August 15, 2013 [16 favorites]


One good way to think of your initial food goals is to think about how they are SMARTER goals.

S pecific -- like, Monday morning I'm not eating a doughnut for breakfast. Instead I am eating a to go cup of oatmeal.

M easurable. -- you have a clear thing to define immediate success. Lo! The oatmeal is gone!

A cheivable. -- you got oatmeal last week, and this is one leeeeetle change.

R elevant. --- this fits into your happy breakfast plan!

T imely. -- this is a good first step goal and is one that fits into your schedule. Hooray!

E valuate -- Christ, I didn't know you hate oatmeal. Let's try a healthy cereal and low fat milk instead.

R e-evaluate. -- this is where you'd journal about what worked, what didn't, why, and start making new goals. This sounds corny as hell but getting to that why is key in making it possible for you to stick to this change.
posted by spunweb at 9:09 PM on August 15, 2013 [10 favorites]


Is it possible you actually aren't eating enough (non-junk) food? If you are running, you need more calories than the average person, and a man in his 20s needs a lot to start with. If you are trying to e.g. eat mainly veges and lean protein, you probably aren't getting enough calories to survive. Then late in the day your willpower can't overcome your body's actual needs anymore, and you cope by binging on a quick source of fuel.

Better to eat more calories earlier in the day and make sure you are actually full. An easy way to do that relatively healthily is to add more sources of fat like avocados, nuts, olive oil, etc.
posted by lollusc at 9:09 PM on August 15, 2013 [6 favorites]


Look, there's this myth that it's all about willpower and JUST DON'T EAT IT but it's really not that simple and you're not a bad person because you can't fight one of your fundamental biological urges forever.

Cravings are usually indicative of something lacking in your diet even independent of the emotional stuff and your body isn't smart enough to go "Hey feed me some really good fats like olive oil," it just goes ME WANT FAT SHOVE FATTY THINGS IN MY GAPING MAW. So what are you eating and how could you replace that with something better that'd meet whatever you're lacking? If it's really fatty things, maybe you need to eat more, but healthier fat, something like nuts or avocado or a glass of milk or something. If it's crunchy/salty things, maybe you can replace it with something like Cheerios or celery for the crunch or some salted nuts. Or maybe you need more healthy fats so something like a flaxseed oil or fish oil supplement would be worth taking. Seriously, I craved ALL THE THINGS and then I started taking a flaxseed supplement once a day and that totally took the edge off because I was eating an otherwise low fat diet and my body was all ME WANT FAT EAT ALL THE BUTTER.

Do what you need to do to help yourself succeed. Don't carry small bills/coins that'd work in the vending machine. That makes it less a battle of willpower than a battle of "oh I don't have any money anyway, welp". Don't take the route home past the McDonald's that leaves you smelling their French fries at the stop light for five minutes.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 9:17 PM on August 15, 2013 [6 favorites]


I have trouble with this too and it's worse on days when I haven't eaten enough. Sometimes eating a sugary muffin early in the morning can curb my cravings for sweets.
posted by 4bulafia at 9:22 PM on August 15, 2013


Are you getting enough sleep? Research has shown that we are more impulsive (i.e., more prone to capitulate to cravings) when we're tired. Try going to bed earlier and seeing how that affects your overall mood and behavior.
posted by hapax_legomenon at 9:27 PM on August 15, 2013


I have struggled with the some same things (prescription drugs and food and others). I am not sure if you are the same way, but I feel like I struggle with anything that can be vaguely addicting.

I am not sure if I would say you should make small, sustainable changes first. I know that with myself, it is really either all or nothing. I say throw as much healthy stuff in your diet as you can possible bear. Clear out all the horrible things you eat from your fridge and cupboards; throw them away (or donate them?) and so you have to penalize your bank account if you want to start eating that junk again. Once you haven't had all that excess salt and fat coursing through your body for maybe two or three weeks, it seems unbelievable, but you won't crave it like you used to.

It does really help to have healthy snacks on hand at all times. Like no preparation required foods, such as bananas or granola bars. And also, have some ready-made options for dinner. Like cook one big meal so you can eat it over a few days or freeze the rest. When hunger strikes, it's so easy to fall back on junk.

I agree with the person above who said you need to find out why you are so addicted to bad foods. It sounds like you may have replaced your addiction to painkillers with your addiction to junk food. It sounds like you may be using food to cope (or de-stress. I know I did.). I could be wrong, but in the event I'm not: why? You have to ask yourself this.

If this is really an addiction to bad foods, you have to reach that point where you want to change for you, not because of what anyone thinks of your dietary choices, but because you know you're doing yourself harm by making these choices and you don't want to hurt yourself anymore. That realization is the one that has kept me going many times when it got tough to maintain my new habits. Maybe it would be helpful to think about what helped you break free of your painkiller addiction. What attitudes and techniques to prevent cravings have you used that could possibly be helpful here?

And, though it may sound counterintuitive, but give yourself a break when you slip up. It happens/probably will happen.

Of course, YMMV. I am no expert. I wish you the best of luck in becoming a healthier you.
posted by sevenofspades at 9:30 PM on August 15, 2013 [2 favorites]


Two things stick out to me:
1. You sound like this could be a symptom of depression or some underlying unhappiness. I get this idea because you say you've stopped spending time with friends and you feel "disgusting" around women. You sound very unhappy with yourself and I think this could be a bit of a vicious cycle. Focusing on self-care (as silly as that term sounds to me) might really help. Be kind to yourself. This is hard, and that is ok.

2. Small changes are the most sustaining. When you describe your typical day as starting out running and ending at the vending machine I worry that you might be too hard on yourself. Setting unrealistic goals is hard to stay away from because when we want change we want it immediately. Still, it is more likely for change to stick if we initiate it slowly. The "smarter" initialism outlined above is so true. Do tiny, incremental things to help you break this addiction. Wean yourself from fast food. Don't try to turn yourself into a perfect paragon of healthiness in one day. Make a tiny change and stick with it. Then make another. And another.

Good luck. You can do it! Desire and recognition are a huge piece of the puzzle, and you have both.
posted by k8lin at 9:36 PM on August 15, 2013 [4 favorites]


Have you considered trying Overeaters Anonymous? It seems like this is a pretty emotional issue for you and maybe having a bunch of structure and social support to kick it would be a useful thing.

Also, I agree with one of the above commenters that you might be deficient in something. Are you taking a good multivitamin with minerals? Is it possible that the cravings are signs that you're missing some other kind of food?

I also agree with the idea of adding in a bunch of good foods. What are some healthy things you like? See how much broccoli, etc. you can add in, and then after you're eating large quantities of good food every day you won't be quite as hungry for the bad stuff.
posted by feets at 9:36 PM on August 15, 2013 [4 favorites]


I am not a health professional of any stripe. This is just based on my personal experience with therapy for an eating disorder, and research I've done on similar problems. I think all the advice you have gotten so far is good, but that your problem is beyond 'make gradual changes', etc. I really think you need professional help with this.

You were addicted to painkillers and now you're addicted to high-sugar foods. This is not about willpower, even remotely. You're eating to numb the pain/fill an (emotional) hole. Or at least, you probably were at the start - and now it's partly that, partly a psychological compulsion, and partly your body being physically addicted to sugar highs.

This is something that is so worth getting therapy for. Don't wait until you're in your late thirties, like I did. This is affecting your entire quality of life. It's chipping away at your self-esteem.

You probably can't 'quit' this without attacking the underlying issues. I quit smoking cold-turkey, years ago, after smoking heavily for years. I have never touched another cigarette since; never even wanted to. My latent eating disorder kicked in with a vengeance, to fill the gap. Fixing that was 400 times harder than quitting smoking. Seriously.

Please be kind to yourself. This is not your fault; you're in the grip of something, I think, and you need some good, holistic health care to beat it. Start by going to your doctor and getting a full check-up and blood workup to check that you don't have nutritional deficiencies, and that everything is working correctly. Then ask for a referral to a therapist (or however it works in your health system). I'd suggest a therapist who is a specialist in eating disorders. It made the world of difference for me.

Being at the mercy of food cravings is like being in the grip of a monster. I really, really feel for you on this. Memail me if you want support. I'm cheering for you.
posted by Salamander at 9:40 PM on August 15, 2013 [18 favorites]


I am in the same boat, and know exactly how you feel. I found that for me, the only thing that got me off of the fast food kick was to go crazy extreme, and eliminate all solid food for a solid 10 days. I watched "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead", and that inspired me to do a 10 day juice diet.

The reason I was able to stick with it was because there was no wiggle room. I couldn't say to myself "well, I need dinner, and I don't have any food at home, so I'll just get a big mac". I didn't eat any solid food at all, instead I bought a juicer for $5 at the Good Will, and then went shopping for fresh fruits and veggies every couple of days. I drank about 4 large (16oz) juices a day. My favorite was beet, kale, carrot, apple, ginger, lime.

Because there was a hard line (only juice), it was harder for me to cheat and justify it. Because I was drinking fresh vegetable and fruit juice every day, my body was getting all of the vitamins it needed, and I never felt like I was nutritionally deprived.

The first few days were really really hard. By day 4 it started to get a little easier. At the end of day 10, those cravings you talk about, which used to control my life, had pretty much disappeared. I was able to walk by the vending machine without buying anything, avoided fast food completely for over a month, and happily ate salads for meals.

Unfortunately, life stresses slowly got me back to where I was before, but for a while I really had changed the way I was eating, and things were much better for me.

Hearing your situation, I'd say doing a juice diet/fast would be worth doing. It will likely help you to get over those cravings, and once you can reduce those, all of your other decisions become so much easier. Once you're there, than you can put your energy into refining your diet to be more healthy.
posted by markblasco at 10:32 PM on August 15, 2013 [2 favorites]


Make it so junk food is less accessible. Look for the good foods. I started eating healthier foods about 8 years ago when I moved to a house whose nearest grocery stores were health food stores. And there was a farmer's market nearby, too. Later, I realized that I'd stopped buying candy because the places I was getting my food didn't sell much of it and/or junk food was too expensive.

For me, changing my food habits has been a gradual process, one I'm still working on. Getting a CSA box so you have tons of produce around could help, too. Start with your grocery store.
posted by aniola at 11:10 PM on August 15, 2013


Careful if you put yourself on a diet that consists of a lot of juice because that could mean very high sugar consumption, and if you are pre-diabetic or diabetic you could get yourself into some health troubles.
posted by Dansaman at 11:13 PM on August 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


The only thing that tends to work for me, having a similar if less extreme problem, is to try to remove opportunity. Try to ensure you don't have change for the vending machine, have healthier things you like to snack on. Do not buy junk food while at the supermarket: shop after a meal ideally. If you still find yourself wanting things, eat a huuuge meal before shopping, so you feel slightly unwell. This should hopefully kill your junky appetite.

Try to envisiage what it feels like after you've eaten junk food (in my experience the actual experience is pleasent, the aftermath often isn't) when you contemplate eating it. Eat slowly. Chew lots of times. Make snacking less pleasent for yourself. If you want to buy junk food, collect it from the takeaway, or walk to the shop further away where its cheaper. Try to associate these kind of emotions with eating junk food.
posted by Cannon Fodder at 11:23 PM on August 15, 2013


When I was like you, OP, I did Atkins. Starting and staying on Atkins initially was very easy -- I could get bacon cheeseburgers from Wendy's and eat them without the bun and still be on a "diet." Eventually though (and confirming I was limiting enough carbs via ketosis sticks), it started to work -- I was losing weight, quickly. As if that wasn't enough motivation to stick with it, the low-carb diet for whatever reason (I assume avoiding high glycemic foods) also really tamped down my appetite. I did it long enough to lose my weight and then I just started eating low calorie to maintain. I started off obese and got to a normal size in less than a year. I also exercised twice a day.

You actually don't indicate if you are overweight or how overweight you are. I would think a goof 45-minute session of cardio would make you feel good and confident. Sometimes, I find I feel even better when I do high intensity interval training because it makes me sweat a lot, but I try to limit that to just a couple times a week.
posted by AppleTurnover at 12:35 AM on August 16, 2013 [1 favorite]


I agree with Matt. Give up one thing. One thing is easy. Make up your mind that you will no longer eat X type fast food (McDonalds or whatever your poison of choice is) or that you will no longer drink soda, or no longer eat french fries. One thing. When you no longer even consider that thing (for me, giving up soda, it was about two weeks) give up another. That way it's not an all or nothing situation. If you slip up, it's only one soda, you still have the ten or so you didn't drink to feel good about. When you try to make really big changes all at once (like forswearing fats, or carbs) you're much more likely to view one slip up as the complete and total failure of everything you're trying to do. Good luck, you can do it!
posted by alltomorrowsparties at 12:46 AM on August 16, 2013


Is therapy an option? Because that would be the easiest way to go. Talking to someone who knows what they're doing would be able to work with you to figure out what triggers these binges (is it because you're tired at the end of the day? do you automatically react to seeing food? are you doing something or thinking something when you react by eating? does the thought of cooking or eating healthy stress you out? or the thought of NOT eating healthy? etc.) Otherwise it's kind of all on you to figure it out and likely flounder for a while, while we're all sitting here making guesses as to what your situation is and what's likely to help.
posted by Busoni at 1:03 AM on August 16, 2013 [1 favorite]


I have to disagree with the people above who are suggesting making gradual diet changes. In my experience, that simply doesn't work to break a sugar addiction. The only thing that finally worked for me was adopting a NO-carb diet (Atkins Phase One) for a couple of weeks until the cravings disappeared. It was rough couple of weeks but after that my body seemed to forget that it was ever addicted to sugar.

I don't know if it was psychological or my gut flora changed or what, but going cold turkey broke the addiction. I was able to reintroduce carbs (even sweets) to my diet without the overwhelming cravings for junk food ever returning.
posted by Jacqueline at 1:31 AM on August 16, 2013 [4 favorites]


I read recently in the Israeli Times or something that eating a big breakfast, even if it's kind of shitty, will curb your eating for the rest of the day and stop cravings. So you can have a big stack of pancakes with syrup or a muffin or a danish or whatever, and maybe it's not as good as completely breaking the sugar addiction-- which I have only been able to do on and off all my life-- but it might help with overeating throughout the day, and jumpstart your metabolism.
posted by stoneandstar at 2:01 AM on August 16, 2013


When you say binging, are you talking about getting a couple things out of the vending machine, vs. enormous amounts of food? I feel like we in learned society have acquired some orthorexic tendencies in the last few years, and if you're having anxiety from eating normal amounts of "bad" food, it might be from comparing yourself to people who say, "When I'm starving after a long day of work, I treat myself to a nice kale salad!" Since you are putting yourself through the wringer over this, you should talk to a professional, and maybe that will include a consultation with a nutritionist who could help you calmly calculate how a pack of Oreos every day can fit in to the generally balanced diet of an active young man. Now, if you are literally binging, that's a different deal.
posted by lakeroon at 2:49 AM on August 16, 2013 [3 favorites]


1. Eat and buy more produce.
2. Don't go to fast food restaurants.
3. See a therapist.
posted by oceanjesse at 3:41 AM on August 16, 2013


Keep some healthier snacks that have a long shelf life with you or at work. Maybe it's not practical to keep fruit or a salad handy, but you can have Cliff Bars instead of candy bars, or even one miniature candy bar instead of one from the vending machine. Dried fruit, nuts, etc.

If you can manage to stay away from sugary stuff for a week or two, you'll find it has much less pull on you. If you crave chocolate in particular, get some of the super dark chocolate that has 70%+ cocoa, you'll want less of it and the vending machine stuff will loose it's appeal.

Make a plan for something to do after work other than getting fast food, if you are hungry after work plan how you will handle that, where and how you will get some food that isn't fast food.
posted by yohko at 4:22 AM on August 16, 2013


Hi. I have only skimmed the answers so apologies if someone has mentioned this already. When people try to change their eating habits sometimes they approach it from a self-deprivation point of view, which is hard and will usually end in pain. It's better if from the start you tell yourself you are going to eat, and you're going to eat well.

Don't deprive yourself. Have fat, make it good fat - fish, avocado, nuts, olive oil. Keep eating salt - make it unrefined sea salt. Have carbs, but make them unrefined carbs and try and have less of them. Eat lots of protein.

You will find pretty quickly that you feel better and will start to feel icky just thinking about eating the trash.
posted by inkypinky at 4:49 AM on August 16, 2013 [1 favorite]


You need professional help. You're describing your problem as extremely serious.

Asking a bunch of people most of whom are also struggling with their own diets, is going to get you more different answers than you know what to do with.

Also, you talk about what you don't want to eat, but you say nothing about what you do eat each day right up until you hit the junk food. From what you said, you could be eating absolutely nothing at all until the end of the day because you literally don't mention any other foods.

I also think that advice that tells you to give up or drastically reduce certain food groups is likely to do more harm than good and might just send you off on a cycle of crazed dieting that always brings you back to the same place.

I have a diet book that I recommend often, but I think it would be destructive to make any suggestions to you when you're in this state of mind. I really think that none of us is qualified to help you and that you really need to print your question and show it to your doctor.
posted by tel3path at 5:37 AM on August 16, 2013 [2 favorites]


Speaking as someone who has wrestled with the demons of shame and feeling disgusting over various things for so many years, they so get in the way of productive action, don't they? Maybe they can be a motivator for some people, but they either paralyze me or send me into a vicious downward spiral. And I've known a lot more people they affect like me than people they affect in any kind of positive way.

So, it's possible some therapy could be beneficial. I know it helped me. feets's suggestion of Overeaters Anonymous could also be a good one; even if you don't feel like sharing, it might help to find a meeting and listen to some others share their struggles.

And if you haven't, and if you have the proper medical coverage, get a complete physical with bloodwork. Talk to the doctor about your concerns. Maybe your body is craving fat and salt for a reason!

If everything checks out OK at the doctor's, and it's within your means, a consultation with a trainer and a nutritionist could help you adjust your workouts and the timing and content of your regular meals to ease up the cravings.

tl;dr - 1. Shame unproductive; 2. Body may be telling you something
posted by The Underpants Monster at 5:56 AM on August 16, 2013


As a big dude, I had tried everything.

The one thing that really has worked for me* has been low carb. Atkins specifically.

Please please please don't invent your own low/no carb "ATKINS!" diet based on what you have heard or saw on the Today Show 10 years ago.

I recommend this version of the book: http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Atkins-New-Diet-Revolution/dp/B0027N65ZW

This is a good Forum: http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/main-atkins-diet-forum/

Here are good recipes: http://genaw.com/lowcarb/recipes.html

Also nthing the reddit keto and Gary Taubes

Weight loss and healthy living is very individual. But low carb will help you break the sugar addiction. I feel better than I ever have in my entire life. I am strong, clean and focused.

But in the end it really is about a life style change. Asking for help is the first step!

YOU CAN DO THIS!

Memail me if you have any questions or need any help.

*Worked for me = 150 pounds gone and still going.
posted by PlutoniumX at 7:57 AM on August 16, 2013 [3 favorites]


I think you should see a therapist about this. What you're describing sounds like it's passed a lack of willpower and a bad diet, and is something that's controlling your life and causing you a significant amount of anxiety. I took a peek at your past questions, and it seems like you have struggled with a lot in the past few years, and I wonder if you've managed to get yourself into some kind of therapy like you've asked about in the past.

I don't want to offer any sort of diet or eating advice, because I do think what you need right now is professional help.

However, if it's any comfort, when you cut out the junk from your diet, it's likely that slowly, over time, the food won't taste the same to you any more. I cut out regular soda, fast food, and most junk food a long time ago, and I loved that stuff. Now it tastes gross to me.
posted by inertia at 8:07 AM on August 16, 2013 [1 favorite]


You're addicted. As such you need to combat it the way you would any other addiction.

My suggestions:

1. Minimize the chances that you'd be tempted
2. Maximize your ability to resist if it slips through and you're tempted.

Those two play hand in hand.
A couple of examples:
1. Throw out ALL the junk food in the house. At the same time stock up on good snacks.
2. Do not get yourself be hungry. People have asked you this - you run. Do you eat enough? In case you do get hungry - do you have meals planned?
3. You use vending machine a lot you say? Throw away all your coins/have minimal cash on you. And have snacks handy all the time.
4. Trigger food? There are some food that are very addictive. If you find you belong in this group, I'd recommend you follow people's suggestions to go cold turkey and avoid them at all cost. Low carb is incredibly good at curbing your sugar craving. If you don't have it, one thing at a time strategy can work.
5. Identifying trigger behavior. You get hungry when you're idle for example -Eating mindlessly in front of a TV? Then don't watch TV. Or have a bowl of grapes in front of you as you watch TV as opposed to buttered popcorn.

This is not a game of willpower. This is a game of strategy and planning. Professional help might be extremely helpful.
posted by 7life at 9:47 AM on August 16, 2013 [1 favorite]


Are you getting enough calories? Are you getting enough salt? Are you getting enough animal saturated fat (milk, eggs, butter, cream, fatty meat)?

If you don't, you will have uncontrollable cravings for junk food. You need the above in your diet.
posted by zeek321 at 11:13 AM on August 16, 2013 [1 favorite]


This book, Fat Chance, will help you understand WHY your body is doing this to you (spoiler: it's not just lack of willpower), and also has some good tactics for making changes.
posted by jrichards at 12:21 PM on August 16, 2013


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