Junk Food. I am an addict.

[carum carvi]

I am addicted to junk food (chips, hamburgers, fries, greasy sauces). I love it, but I know I shouldnt eat it. It's comfort food. It's useless, health wise, but the moment I start eating it I have difficulty stopping, until the moment I blow up like a balloon and I realise I have to stop.

The thing about addictions (although junkfood isnt often mentioned or taken seriously as an ADDICTiON) is that once I start eating them, chemicals or other factors seem to take over my logical thinking. I feel I NEED to keep using junkfood, ONCE I have started to eat it. It feels good, so why stop eating it?

I am now eating junkfood in large quantities once a week. Many wont see that as a problem. I do though,because for years (10 years) I have been able to live / eat without. The corona crisis triggered me into starting eating junkfood again. Anyone else recognizes this behaviour?

[MartyMint]

I started to cut junk food out of my diet about 15 years ago. Not because of any hysterical concern for the health effects on my body...I just convinced myself through sheer force of will that it actually tasted gross.
Whenever someone opens a bag of hamburgers around me now, I'm just overwhelmed by the rancid grease smell and the idea of the unsanitary chain of preparations it went through.
I still have a sweet tooth, though...

[trytip]

did you happen to finish your junk food crisis with an ice cold brew of Corona beer? seems only fitting would you not agree?

[rene]

[ ... ] once I start eating them, chemicals or other factors seem to take over my logical thinking.

They do. Given an evolutionary history in which getting too much sustenance was not often a problem, high caloric foods, junk food included, trigger our brain's reward circuits, i.e., release the brain-chemical dopamine. If you can't resist this it is often the case that you don't experience enough such reward naturally, either as a social or a dietary matter. I believe the latter can be foregone by e.g. taking in more proteins; former many may feel less easily dealt with generally.

[lsemmens]

It could well be the sugar in the junk food that is causing the cravings. When I (for a short time) worked in a Fast food franchise, I was told that they add sugar to just about everything to increase the body's dopamine response. It seems to work better on some individuals than others, though because I can take or leave Fast food.

[ZakGordon]

Take a small amount of time to learn a few good healthy recipes (the internet is full of the info you could use, if you wanted), ditch junk food and make some proper nice food. See the small amount of preparation as part of the fun, it won't be as quick as throwing a box of chips in a microwave, but you can easily prep a great stir-fry in 5-10mins, and have a healthy meal to enjoy (etc).

Life is all about the choices we choose to make, if you are not 'happy' in yours, make some different, positive, choices

[lexon]

Not me. I have lost weight ever since this stay at home thing has started.
Stepson and I have an exercise bike. I do not have junk food. Graduate of a VA MOVE program for a healthy life style in 2012. Lost about 45 lbs over three years.
I weighed 165.5.
153 now 150 is my goal. Turned 79 in April.
Life is great. Pacemaker keeps me going after heart failure. Called heart block. Look it up.

I live in the USA. Massachusetts, sometimes called the Colonies.

Cheers

L

[kelevra]

I truly believe that many people are addicted to sugar, myself included. I get these urges sometimes, and the only thing that seems to quell them is a good dose of something sweetened. I have cut back severely on the amount of processed sugar and iodized salt I consume. But I still need a 'fix' now and then.
My father stopped eating all things white and dropped down to his doctor's prescribed weight in no time. I myself think he looks sickly but I guess I have never seen him without a belly. I am also of the doctrine that people should have a little meat on their bones. I think something as severe as stopping the consumption of all things white is far too extreme, IMHO.
Hello my name is kelevra and I am a sugar addict.

[Niazi3011]

Everyone now a days addicted to junk food and i'm also one of those

[MurphCID]

I stress eat, the more stressed I am, the more I graze. Not a good thing for me. I am attempting to make sure that if I do start stress eating, it is things like celery, or healthy foods. I am slowly succeeding.

[Pepi]

This winter and the COVID lockdown has made me FAT I really am out of shape and gained 20lbs. Come on Spring.

[AZgl1800]

With this Covid thing going on, we have almost stopped going to restaurants.

My daughter is a terrific cook, makes up new meals on the fly, open pantry door to see what is there, "oh, dad, how would you like have ?? or YY"

My usual reply is what is easier for you.....
after a hard day at work, I want to make it easy for her to live with a 78 y/o dad....
her mom left us 2/2017

a year ago, my doctor wanted to put me on insulin meds.... uh, think I will quit sugar and try to loose weight.

so far, I am down 25 lbs and do NOT add sugar to anything.
My daughter buys only Sugar Free stuff for my junk food cravings.

Post Shredded Wheat w/o the frosting takes a while to get used to, but it isn't too bad now.

[Moem]

uh, think I will quit sugar and try to loose weight.

Wow, that is great for your health. Well done!

[Termy]

I'm struggling with this, too. Not long after COVID came around, my relationship with my then-fiancee went irreparably kaput. It's been difficult, to say the least. Programming, Linux stuff, YouTube, and helping out here and on GitHub, has helped me stay somewhat-sane through these lockdowns and unsurprising depression; that and my awesome but pain-in-the-arse cat.

As of two days ago, I've just started donning my mask and going out for walks (not strolls) again, and fully intend to get back into shape. I use to work out quite a lot, via things like weights, long walks, and jogging, until life happened. I'm so ready for a fresh start, but that's difficult when you're stuck at home! If I were on the ground floor of this flat, I could at least get a treadmill, but I'm not, so I can't.

Funnily and embarrassingly enough, when I went for a walk the day before yesterday, I fell, landing hard on my knees and hands. Like a typical bloke, I got up, brushed myself down, grumbled at the tear in the jeans and grazed knee, then carried on with an exhausting countryside(-ish) walk that lasted just over an hour. Since then I've had a pretty swollen and sore left wrist and left knee. The reason I tripped? Because I couldn't freaking see! Between it being late and not wearing glasses (because the mask gets them steamed up), I couldn't determine the depth of the curb.

[SMG]

not wearing glasses (because the mask gets them steamed up)

Tape across the top.

I saw a tip on Twitter quite a while back from a doctor who said they use band-aids across the bridge of the nose in the operating room to keep the mask from leaking to fog the eyeglasses. I had some leftover athletic tape from some injury of years ago and decided to use it instead of a band-aid. It not only keeps the mask from slipping around, it also stops the fogging. I use the tape across most of the top of the disposable mask. It's so comfortable (from not slipping around), I often forget I'm wearing a mask. I remember quick enough when I go to eat and realize I still have it on.

My eyeglasses tend to keep the cloth masks I have in place so they tend to not have as much of a fogging problem. I mainly use those on colder days (which are just about gone in Florida for this season).

[t42]

I found a useful supplement to a diet in Google Fit: Health and Activity Tracking.
A goal is 10000 steps per day, today it was twice of that and about 2200 Cal burned:

[Termy]

...

Nice! Thanks. Only problem is, when I'm on a long walk, getting all exhausted, I'll end up sweating, which I'm guessing will loosen the tape pretty quickly. I might just uncover my nose and just breathe through my mouth when I'm near people, but I'm kinda paranoid. When I went for the walk mentioned in the post to which you're replying, I passed a jogger or two, who frustratingly weren't wearing a mask, so all that sweat and breathing could've wound up in my lungs if I'd not worn a mask.

[SMG]

Only problem is, when I'm on a long walk, getting all exhausted, I'll end up sweating, which I'm guessing will loosen the tape pretty quickly.

With the tape I'm using, that's actually a good thing. I've had to remove the mask not long after putting it on and the tape seemed to be taking some skin cells with it. Owwweeeeee.

I do not wear my mask while exercising and just give wide berth to anyone I might see. If for some reason I can not give space, I put my mask on until I am in the clear.

[francisbaud]

disclaimer: I'm not a doctor so everything I'm saying is to be taken with a grain of salt, based on personal experience only

It can be really hard to break and addiction, especially if it's deeply rooted (as it is with food, sex, etc.). It often comes as a recompense for stressful activities (like work, social interactions, driving the car in the traffic, etc.). I think the most effective approach is to slowly try to change habits. For example with food, let's take a normal meal, trying to first start eating rice, mashed potatoes (without too much butter/salt) or couscous as they're filling type of food while low-calorie, and then eating what you prefer, so overall the amount of fat/sugar/calories is less than eating fast-food alone.

[gittiest personITW]

Carum, good luck mate.

The way I kicked weed in my youth, and more recently cigarettes and chocolate was the following - but you'll have to judge for yourself whether this will kill or cure you before doing it.

With cigarettes - I used to smoke upto 30 a day occassionally.
So, I got 80, and chain smoked.
Even when I was having to force them down. I know nicotine is very poisonous but it was going to keeeellll me one way or another.
It took me a week to recover.
For a few years after, any cigarette smoke coming my way would revolt me. It still does, but not to the same degree.

With chocolate - yes, you guessed it.
I'd stuff the chocolate down, one after the other till I couldn't eat anymore, then I'd eat some more and more till it, again, revolted me to such a degree it made me retch.

Don't do this at home with alcohol or drugs kids. It'll be the last thing you do.
However, with burgers, I reckon it will work but obviously do your own research and I would say speak to a doctor first though.
If you get a few days worth and eat them all in a day - do you think that will work. The first few will be great. After that........ not so much.


EDIT
I just read FrancisBaud's post and that sounds a more healthy way to go.