Help me conquer my fast food addiction!

[Kiddo]

It seems that I have become addicted to Jack in the Box. I get terrible cravings for their ultimate cheese burger with curly fries. I've already gained ten pounds and spent a sizable portion of my food budget on their less than nutritious food. I tried to quit cold turkey but the cravings got me.

Does anyone else have a fast food addiction? Has anyone beaten one before? Any suggestions to save me before I end up looking like this guy?

http://img.metro.co.uk/i/pix/2007/03...pp_450x653.jpg

[Ender]

I dunno, I pretty much live off fast food.. I usually get picked on for being too skinny :/

[cafe]

Is there anything you love that is easy to prepare that you could kind of stockpile at home? Sometimes the hassle of leaving the house is enough to keep me from hitting a drive-through. Maybe also keep some tasty snackage in your car so when you get a craving, you can eat that instead and hopefully the craving will pass.

I had a bad thing going for vegetable lo mein there for awhile. And those cheesy potatoes or pintos and cheese at Taco Bell. Yum!

[Seanan]

I really sympathize. As a diabetic, I had to give up all starchy/naturally sweet foods and its hard to live that way... eating out and cravings. I don't really have much advice because the consequences for eating "wrong" are pretty grave for me and that pretty much took care of it. I love JIB burgers too and McD's double cheese but I bring it home, remove the bun and put it on my own low-carb bread (Aunt Hatties) so I don't have to give those up but pass on the fries. One thing you might try is getting the burger and fries, bring them home, split into two meals, eat one half with an apple maybe? and heat the other up in the micro wave the second day. That should cut calorie intake by half or so.

[disregard]

Putting on weight, if you eat like that, should not be your biggest concern. I am skinny and in shape, but I am suffering the consequences of eating high-fat food because now I have health problems to deal with.

[Uberfuhrer]

It's interesting to note that most people I know who regularly eat fast food are skinny or average at most. I also know a lot of people who are overweight and never even touch fast food. I really don't think that fast food is a cause of obesity in of itself as much as genetics. I think the conceptions of fast food necessarily causing obesity is skewed by the media which is largely anti-corporation.

[Seanan]

Originally Posted by Uberfuhrer

It's interesting to note that most people I know who regularly eat fast food are skinny or average at most. I also know a lot of people who are overweight and never even touch fast food. I really don't think that fast food is a cause of obesity in of itself as much as genetics. I think the conceptions of fast food necessarily causing obesity is skewed by the media which is largely anti-corporation.

What about the 10 pound weight gain? Yes, could be genetic but does it really matter when the change in weight came after fast food?

[Metamorphosis]

I'm going to go ahead and guess that you only eat like 2 times a day. Maybe 3 (unless you're an ectomorph). If you eat more often, before you become really hungry, you're cravings will subside dramatically.

[Santtu]

There can be depression, anxiety and uncontrollable urge to stuff your mouth full of food after 1-7 days of healthy living, and then it'll pass. Count in some 3 weeks more of irritation from a changed diet .. especially from lack of fats, sugar and salt. Then you'll be fine. Just bite the tongue for the time it takes.

[Kiddo]

Originally Posted by cafe

Is there anything you love that is easy to prepare that you could kind of stockpile at home? Sometimes the hassle of leaving the house is enough to keep me from hitting a drive-through. Maybe also keep some tasty snackage in your car so when you get a craving, you can eat that instead and hopefully the craving will pass.

I had a bad thing going for vegetable lo mein there for awhile. And those cheesy potatoes or pintos and cheese at Taco Bell. Yum!

I do love mashed potatoes. I guess I could stock pile up on those frozen ones because they are real easy to make and that would probably give me my starch fix instead of deep fried curly fries.

Originally Posted by Seanan

What about the 10 pound weight gain? Yes, could be genetic but does it really matter when the change in weight came after fast food?

Indeed. Most of my family is fat, but it seems fast food and junk food seem to have an especially bad effect on us. I once gave up soda for 6 weeks and lost around 20 pounds. But the cravings for that nearly killed me.

Originally Posted by Metamorphosis

I'm going to go ahead and guess that you only eat like 2 times a day. Maybe 3 (unless you're an ectomorph). If you eat more often, before you become really hungry, you're cravings will subside dramatically.

Actually I tend to snack throughout the day. I usually only have one big meal a day and that is usually in the evening.