How to stop craving fast food, sweets, junk food, etc?

[runner234512]

I know this has been answered before on this forum, but looking to see how people curb their fast food, sweets, junk food cravings? Went on a diet and had an "end date" for my diet and have gained back about 10 pounds. Also, how do you settle with being okay with eating 2 slices of pizza instead of the whole box? 2 cookies instead of the whole pack? etc.

[AdamWW]

Simple: I eat other sweet and delicious things that are just less processed... and I make sure I have enough veggies, fruit, and lean protein sources such that I’m just not hungry enough to ever want to kill a whole pizza.

I get plenty of taste pleasure from a big bowl of protein oatmeal with berries and peanut butter, or a nice fillet of salmon with roasted sweet potatoes and asparagus with some tangy Asian sauce as I do loading up on 2000 calories of ice cream.

But also, I never tell myself “you can’t have that”.

I eat to hunger firstly with Whole Foods, and if I still crave something after all my needs are met, I’ll have it.

By the time I’ve had all my common foods, I never desire more than 1-2 cookies, a little bit of ice cream, etc, so again I just don’t want to go crazy. But that rarely happens anyway because my energy levels are always topped off.

If you’re having issues with crazy cravings, you aren’t doing enough to make your frequent/go-to meals tasty and satisfying enough.

That, or you dieted too fast, to far, or with too many food restrictions.

[CommitmentRulz]

From another post of yours:

Before break:
5'8'' 132 pounds, visible 4-pack (I know people will tell me to bulk, but I'm a cross-country runner so I'd like to stay lighter and lean)

After break:
5'8'' 142 pounds, barely visible 2-pack & significantly more belly fat

Don't under eat and over exercise. That'll go a long way towards controlling your body's demand for adequate nutrition.

[AdamWW]

From another post of yours: Don't under eat and over exercise. That'll go a long way towards controlling your body's demand for adequate nutrition.

Nevermind...

OP is starving himself.

Stop it OP.

[EliKoehn]

^^ EDIT: @original response by Adam

That's actually great advice IMO.

Also, I think you might find as you go along that your appetite naturally reduces somewhat as you reform healthier eating habits and accustom yourself to smaller portions, generally.

[faithbrah]

Also, how do you settle with being okay with eating 2 slices of pizza instead of the whole box? 2 cookies instead of the whole pack?

i don't

that's why i go "all or nothing" with these foods, and make sure they fit in my macros

[xsquid99]

I don't crave fast food, sweets, or junk. I do love pizza and my wife and I usually make our own pizza at home, but not that often since we make everything from scratch.

The other stuff (cookies, chips, etc) we just don't buy it and therefore I never see it. I can't remember the last time I went to a fast food restaurant since we live in Japan now and there is so much better food to eat for cheap.

Like was mentioned above, I'm also perfectly satisfied eating generally whole foods and filling up on that stuff. If I want a snack I grab some fresh fruit from the fridge, or a couple hard boiled eggs, or a quest bar (my go-to snack if I need to feel like I'm eating something sweet).

[AdamWW]

I don't crave fast food, sweets, or junk. I do love pizza and my wife and I usually make our own pizza at home, but not that often since we make everything from scratch.

The other stuff (cookies, chips, etc) we just don't buy it and therefore I never see it. I can't remember the last time I went to a fast food restaurant since we live in Japan now and there is so much better food to eat for cheap.

Like was mentioned above, I'm also perfectly satisfied eating generally whole foods and filling up on that stuff. If I want a snack I grab some fresh fruit from the fridge, or a couple hard boiled eggs, or a quest bar (my go-to snack if I need to feel like I'm eating something sweet).

This is actually a good point to...

If a sweet protein bar doesn't give someone enough satisfaction these days.. something is wrong.

Food science has come such a long way in creating tasty options for a fraction of the calories that you almost need to seek out things that are calorie-dense and intentionally eat them if you want to go overboard.

[Strawng]

This is actually a good point to...

If a sweet protein bar doesn't give someone enough satisfaction these days.. something is wrong.

Food science has come such a long way in creating tasty options for a fraction of the calories that you almost need to seek out things that are calorie-dense and intentionally eat them if you want to go overboard.

In addition to everything else said ITT, I completely agree with this. I actually had a cookies n creme quest bar just a couple hours ago & thought to myself how little interest I had in actual oreos compared to my bar. Matter of fact, I actually prefer protein bars to candy bars & most desserts. If you base your diet mostly around whole foods, things like protein bars taste exceptionally sweet. Not only that, but they’re also far more satisfying.

[AdamWW]

In addition to everything else said ITT, I completely agree with this. I actually had a cookies n creme quest bar just a couple hours ago & thought to myself how little interest I had in actual oreos compared to my bar. Matter of fact, I actually prefer protein bars to candy bars & most desserts. If you base your diet mostly around whole foods, things like protein bars taste exceptionally sweet. Not only that, but they’re also far more satisfying.

This is precisely what my afternoon protein bar and yogurt snack does for me.

I think that over time I just learned that I don't need more than a certain amount of sweet, or salty, or savory things before i've had enough... after that taste factor is satisfied, it's purely about getting enough food volume etc to quell the physical hunger.

[EliKoehn]

^^ I think the "sweet" hankering is a little easier to sate this way than someone who wants a heaping portion of hot brown to chow on if they're hungry, since it's more of a plenitude than a specific flavor that's being sought after, but that could just be my experience. Either way, sampling something rich and tasty and then filling up on less calorically dense whole foods seems to be the best way to go.

[AdamWW]

heaping portion of hot brown

Im confused...

[Strawng]

heaping portion of hot brown

Im confused...

Me too. That's not typically what I'd eat when I'm craving junk food, but that's certainly what it turns into.

Edit*: Apparently it's this sandwich:https://www.brownhotel.com/dining/hot-brown. Whew! It's extremely savory, meaty, salty, and all-around heavy.

I agree that sweet cravings probably are easier to satisfy with other foods than savory ones. If you want something like this sandwich or even a cheeseburger or a heavy pizza, I don't think the healthier alternatives substitute out as well as say a protein bar for sweet or candy cravings.

[AdamWW]

Me too. That's not typically what I'd eat when I'm craving junk food, but that's certainly what it turns into.

Edit*: Apparently it's this sandwich:https://www.brownhotel.com/dining/hot-brown. Whew! It's extremely savory, meaty, salty, and all-around heavy.

I agree that sweet cravings probably are easier to satisfy with other foods than savory ones. If you want something like this sandwich or even a cheeseburger or a heavy pizza, I don't think the healthier alternatives substitute out as well as say a protein bar for sweet or candy cravings.

LOL touche'

I was actually thinking about this last night, and I think sometimes people conflate food-specific cravings with simply craving a particular taste category.

When people say "Im craving pizza", I feel it's probably more they're craving salt and fat, etc, but over time we learn to associate pizza as the fastest, most concentrated remedy/solution to that craving.

Who knows, it's perfectly possible that if, instead of pizza, they had something less easy to over-consume that ticked all the same flavor category boxes (like perhaps a whole wheat wrap containing tomatoes, feta cheese, some lean protein, olives, etc...) they'd still quell those cravings.

I think it's human nature to seek out what we know is the most calorie and flavor-packed options, and years/decades of conditioning to simply go for pizza, candy, cake, etc makes opting for a less hyper-palatable seem very difficult when all you have to do is order a pizza for delivery or unwrap another candy bar.

[siberianrockyy]

For me, it is the same way as not doing a line of coke. Some people are able to do coke just occasionally and limit themselves. I know myself, I would destroy my life so it has to be 100% restriction.

Really no difference with junk food for me. The more I eat the more I want to eat so the only solution is to not eat junk at all.

[AdamWW]

For me, it is the same way as not doing a line of coke. Some people are able to do coke just occasionally and limit themselves. I know myself, I would destroy my life so it has to be 100% restriction.

Really no difference with junk food for me. The more I eat the more I want to eat so the only solution is to not eat junk at all.

I mean I kind of see where you're going with this but... there's definitely a difference.

[EliKoehn]

Im confused...

Me too. That's not typically what I'd eat when I'm craving junk food, but that's certainly what it turns into.

Edit*: Apparently it's this sandwich:https://www.brownhotel.com/dining/hot-brown. Whew! It's extremely savory, meaty, salty, and all-around heavy.

I agree that sweet cravings probably are easier to satisfy with other foods than savory ones. If you want something like this sandwich or even a cheeseburger or a heavy pizza, I don't think the healthier alternatives substitute out as well as say a protein bar for sweet or candy cravings.

My bad, thought this was more of a general colloquialism. "Hot brown" is a catch-all phrase for relatively simple bulk food like chili or stroganoff, usually prepared to serve large groups easily. Might be a middle America thing, because those foods obviously have their own names individually.

That sandwich does look delicious though.

[AdamWW]

My bad, thought this was more of a general colloquialism. "Hot brown" is a catch-all phrase for relatively simple bulk food like chili or stroganoff, usually prepared to serve large groups easily. Might be a middle America thing, because those foods obviously have their own names individually.

That sandwich does look delicious though.

Well I just learned something new

[MrCarrot]

I think for me, whether cutting or bulking, it's a case of consuming enough volume of food that I can settle for one donut, rather than a whole pack.

When I wasn't lifting, and my diet was lousy, I'd often eat 6 donuts or 6 bags of potato chips for lunch, because I was hungry and they were easy options.

However, now if throughout the day I've eaten a couple of bowls of oats, chicken breasts, potatoes, vegetables, milk, fruit, rice cakes, yogurt, etc, etc I don't really feel like eating 6 donuts.

[AdamWW]

I think for me, whether cutting or bulking, it's a case of consuming enough volume of food that I can settle for one donut, rather than a whole pack.

When I wasn't lifting, and my diet was lousy, I'd often eat 6 donuts or 6 bags of potato chips for lunch, because I was hungry and they were easy options.

However, now if throughout the day I've eaten a couple of bowls of oats, chicken breasts, potatoes, vegetables, milk, fruit, rice cakes, yogurt, etc, etc I don't really feel like eating 6 donuts.

Exactly my thoughts

[anthonynathan]

What works for me whenever I have cravings is filling my belly before with some low-calorie food; usually, it's some vegetables. After that, I will be satisfied with just one slice of pizza or whatever I crave.