Is there any such thing called "bad food eaters anonymous"? I want to stop eating and craving all the things that are bad for me...

cheeseburgers
pizza
sub sandwiches
chocolate (most nobly Godiva )
apple turnovers
chimichangas
nachos
ice cream
coconut bars
loaded baked potato with shredded cheese and sour cream
sausage and cheese biscuits
hash browns
blueberry pancakes
potato chips
etc.

How do I go from that to eating:
tuna
salmon
salad
celery sticks (without ranch dip)
baby carrots
apples
?????

Does anybody have any suggestions or would to tell how they started eating more healthier?

give yourself pass once or twice a week to eat bad foods you love.

I try to stay on course during the week but then I'll give in a bit on the weekends. I call it "Free for all Friday". Not that I binge, but if I want to eat some pizza or have some chocolate cake, then I do it on Friday, get it out of my system and then go back to eating healthy.


Afer eating healthy for a while, you'll notice that the number of bad foods that you crave will decrease. I used to crave fast food burger and not the thought of them makes me kinda ill. The only really "bad food" cravings that I get now usually have to do with chocolate, pizza, and breakfast pastries.

JasmineFire said:

Okay, i'll keep this in mind. Thanks for the tips, i appreciate it.

missfee said:

your welcome.

good luck with making a healthy change. Eating bad food can definitely be an addiction but it can be okay in moderation.

missfee said:

I eat everything on that list, INCLUDING the healthy stuff not celery though. {Yes I'm greedy like that } I LOVE salad...if I could eat it everyday I would but it doesn't fill me up, so what do I do...go back to the cheeseburgers.

I think it's helpful to be really strict for a few months. Really don't eat anything super salty, greasy, or sugary. You couldn't do it if you thought it was forever, but if you know it's temporary, it's easier.

At the end of that time, your tastes will have changed, and it's easier to eat those not-good things in moderation. I did this with sugar a couple of years ago, and now I truly don't crave starchy/sugary stuff nearly as often. When I do eat sweets, they seem extremely rich and I don't eat very much of them.

Also, I think a lot of people get most of their pleasure in life from food. You have to find other things that are pleasurable and shift the focus. Food is, first and foremost, fuel. Americans have lost sight of that. But if you only keep healthy stuff around, even if you don't like it all that much. . . well, if you get hungry enough, it'll start to look appealing. I know that's not what people want to hear, but I think some of it is just a matter of putting on your big-girl panties and having some discipline.

tackam said:

Excellent advice. You'd be surprised how quickly your overall tastes can change.

tackam said:

That's totally true It's a lot harder to eat something bad if you have to get dressed & go out to get it I try not to bring a gang of bad stuff in the house so I'll be less tempted, but you have to allow yourself to cheat every now & again so you don't go nuts. Do healthy for the most part but do give into the occasional craving, otherwise you'll binge out like it's crack!

CalhounSq said:

Yup!

Some other tricks I've found - I ALWAYS keep baby carrots on hand. If I'm freaking out with hunger pains and I know it's not time to "eat" yet I can crunch away and feel full without gaining lots of yucky calories. I also keep frozen fruit on hand for when I NEED something sweet NOW.

cut the bad stuff out completely, and strangely enough you'll loose a taste for it....but I know that's easier said than done

I was practically addicted to sweets during the 5 years I worked at Starbucks (even though I ate pretty healthfully outside of work). Free sweets were my weakness
Since I've quite last year though, I hardly ever eat their cookies and crap any more (I'm too cheap to buy it anyway!)

JasmineFire said:

Yes, it's all about kicking the sugar and saturated fat habits. It gets easier just like you say, it's murder sometimes but it pays off in the end.

Is it just me or are we agreeing with each other a lot recently?

Also try, "making over" the foods you like...For instance

CarrieMpls said:

Yea, I like the dried fruits from TJ's, they're ALWAYS in my work bag & @ home. Right now it's all about dried blueberries, & the orange flavored cranberries

Teacher said:

Lock a couple of people in the same room for a decade, and they'll either become friends or kill each other. C'mere, friend!

tackam said:

Awwwww... Too true. I've missed you! I said that in another thread, did you see? Don't ask me which though cos I can't remember.

thekidsgirl said:

There's so many ways to modify the things you love - I pretty much eat what I want BUT w/ all the whole wheat/whole grain modifications. So I'll only buy that kind of bread/pasta... I use the spray margarine b/c it has no calories... non-fat milk... I tend to stay away from potatoes, they get me in trouble... & I do buy regular cheese most often, but if I'm strong I'll do light versions... It's much easier now to eat healthy than it used to be

CalhounSq said:

so true! and with store like Wegman's and TJ's it is easy to eat healthy... I'm with you on buying regular cheese.I'd rather use a little real cheddar and get the full flavor than mounds of the 'low-fat' variety and not even be able to taste it
same goes for chocolate

Teacher said:

I do believe I saw a warm 'welcome back!' from you recently. Thank you!

missfee said:

I need to find this organization myself .. I've been eatting entirely too much junk lately, all extending from the holiday eatting... salmon and tuna fish I've been on that kick lately ..

missfee said:

This is actually a really huge statement and good luck in changing! It will require an entire shift in your life and you'll feel so much better for it.



There's nothing there I would never eat, but I probably won't eat any of those things more than once every 3 months (except chocolate). I'll watch the hash browns and potato chips though because I can literally feel my skin oil up when I eat them (which is )



I love sashimi, so I love fresh sliced salmon and tuna. Yum!
Salad is soooo broad, there has to be something for you.
I'd really recommend finding a local farmers market or a good local fruit and vegetable seller and buying delicious in season fresh produce as much as you can because that is when they are at their most delicious and usually at their cheapest. Win-win!

I got this recipe off Greggavedon.com and it was yummy the few times I tried it. Might have to make it again soon.

Drain a can of Tuna in water (not oil) and flake into a bowl. Add a tbsp of balsamic vinegar, dice up a crisp granny smith apple, finely slice up a celery stick, mix with tuna. Toast some yummy whole grain or rye bread. Spread half the tuna mix and reserve half in the fridge for a later snack and enjoy with a little cracked pepper. Really simple and quick.

I love bread and potatoes and rice and pasta so no carbs will never work for me. I feel like if you completely eliminate something, your body REALLY craves it, which is the problem with most diets. They are about sacrifice. Look for healthy recipes that you LOVE. It's easier to move towards health if it's pleasureable rather than a sacrifice.



Drink nice chilled fresh water and lots of it. Sometimes thirst is disguised as hunger. I like Green Tea but it's not for everyone. I rarely have soda or juice anymore (usually as a mixer but I don't drink alcohol so much anymore either)

I think nuts are a good fat replacement (pumpkin seeds are yum, almonds/cashews/raw peanuts/walnuts are a tasty snack)

If you haven't already, watch the doco Super Size Me about a guy who only eats McDs for 30 days. If you have been constantly conditioned through advertising since childhood, your restaurant options are McDs, Burger King, KFC, etc in every strip mall it's no surprise food choices aren't optimal.

I really liked the book French Women Don't Get Fat because it talks about the pleasure of food. Most pleasure in food is really the first 3 or 4 bites. It's why I still eat chocolate. I just don't eat the whole big block, I just break off a bit and put the rest back. If you start to pay attention to that you'll realise that it can just become shovelling food in your face instead of savouring the pleasure of food. What you might also find is that there is really not a lot of pleasure in fast processed food and your taste for that will wane.

Again, good luck!
[Edited 1/10/09 15:13pm]

For me, I started really small - years ago I couldn't imagine not eating white bread & fried foods, but now I automatically stay the hell away from them. You just have to start actively thinking of smarter ways to cook/eat.

Saute or bake instead of frying...

No white anything! There's a whole wheat/whole grain alternative for everything...

Beware of anything creamy/cheesy - fattening! If it's pasta sauce, go for something thinner or tomato based...

Veggies are SO YUMMY when done right! Experiment & find things you love - I can get on a kick of sauteed eggplant or zuchinni for WEEKS, even plain old sauteed carrots. & when I'm strong I'll have those as my late-night meal instead of something carb heavy...

lean proteins, limit red meat...

Cut down juice consumption, Jamba & any fattening coffee drinks. NO REGULAR SODA, there's diet ones that taste great...

Like someone already said, switch from crappy sweets to dark chocolate - it's good for you in moderation!



There's all kinds of stuff. The more you think on it, the more aware you'll become & the better choices will build & build