Author:
Monica Porter
Date Of Creation:
13 March 2021
Update Date:
1 July 2024
Content
Fast food has been gaining popularity in many people's diets. With the recent controversy over the unhealthy effects of fast food, many people have started looking for effective ways to change these eating habits and move to healthier choices.Regardless of why you choose fast food, you need to understand that habits can change. Use the tips below to reduce your fast food consumption and to form healthier eating habits.
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Understanding Food Addiction
Gather information about food addiction. If you really feel like you have an addiction, it can be helpful to have a clear understanding of what an addiction is and how it affects your life.
- Addiction can be a serious problem. Foods high in fat and sugar are especially delicious. When eaten, they stimulate the production of dopamine to the reward center of the brain, making you want to eat more to experience that euphoria again.
- People with mania feel compelled to take in larger than normal amounts of food in a short time. Even though they may be disgusted with their own eating habits, they still cannot control them. If you feel the need to eat large amounts of fast food, even after it does feel bad, consider seeing a mental health professional to discuss possible mania. This is a highly treatable disease.
- Spend time learning about online food addiction. There are many online resources to help you better understand your eating habits.
- Buy or borrow from the library a book about addiction. Take some time to read and research.
Write down the problem with your food. Thanks to that, they become more real. Write down the frequency of fast food consumption, your feelings or cravings for fast foods, and in your opinion how difficult it will be to give them up.- To understand the severity of your food addiction, ask yourself if you can't control yourself around fast food or what emotions or situations lead you to seek them out.
- Also, rate your grindness from 1 to 10 (1 being low and 10 being exceptionally high). The rating can vary depending on your mood, but it allows you to get to know when, the event, or the people that might affect your rating.
- Write down specific foods that you are addicted to. Is that just fast food? Or are you addicted to "junk food" like candy, chips, and soda?
Don't start a diet, make changes to your lifestyle. Traditional diets often don't have long-term effects, especially with addiction to food.- You will give up, stop buying diet products or feel depressed and stop. Make lifestyle changes related to food addiction and don't go on a diet.
- Menu preparation does not include fast food or junk food. Make sure the serving sizes and snacks are right so you don't get hungry at any time of the day.
- Eliminate any "sparkling" foods from your home if your food addiction includes junk food. If you still eat a lot of grease and sugar (the main ingredient of fast food) at home, it will become more difficult to change your fast food habits.
Method 2 of 5: Eliminate Fast Food
Have healthy meals and snacks ready. It's a great way to reduce your fast food intake. Instead of going out, you have healthy meals prepared and ready for consumption.- Buy a lunch box or a small thermos bag if needed. This way, you can avoid crashing into fast food stores. Filling them with healthy options like yogurt, fresh fruit or carrots and hummus can help you stick to your meal plan or hunger control until you get home and eat your meal.
- Keep a convenient, healthy snack like a piece of fruit or park it in your bag, briefcase or car.
- Eat throughout the day. Don't skip meals. Have a healthy snack if you feel hungry. When you are extremely hungry, you are more likely to make worse choices.
Stop drinking soda. This will probably be the biggest challenge for many people. Avoid all sodas. Even diet soda needs to be minimized in your diet. Diet soda can confuse the body and feel hungry even without eating it.
- Aim for 2 liters of clear, sugar-free drinks every day. These can be filtered water, flavored water with fruits and herbs, unsweetened iced tea or unsweetened decaffeinated coffee.
- If you find it difficult, proceed slowly. Start reducing your soda intake by using a healthier option (like plain water or unsweetened tea) instead at one time or another. Continue to gradually replace soda with other drinks until the soda is completely eliminated.
Use a different route. Sometimes, just passing (or knowing that you're going to pass) your favorite fast food store is enough to pull you back. Using other routes to work or home can help you get rid of the habit of dropping into the fast food store.
- Check online map. Many programs allow you to set the starting point, the end of the journey and give many directions.
- If there is no other way, try putting up an encouraging note in the car. "You can do it!" or "Focus on a target!" are great sentences to get you straight home.
List the benefits of eliminating fast food. Giving up fast food may not be easy. However, a list of positive things to refer to every time you feel tempted can help you overcome temptation.
- Take an hour (this might be part of your journal activity) and make a list of all the benefits of giving up fast food. These can include weight loss, saving money, boosting energy and health.
- Keep a copy in your bag or purse, car or at work. Review each time you want a quick meal.
- As you continue to abstain from fast food, write about your history and notable positive events in lifestyle, health, and diet. Thanks to that, your list will be expanded.
Dine at healthier restaurants. Eating out is a common activity in the workplace. You can rest and leave your desk for 30 to 60 minutes. If you often visit a fast food restaurant with a colleague, make a healthier recommendation.
- Look for places to eat and drink near work. Check out the menus and see if they're a better choice for you and your coworkers.
- Let a colleague know that you are trying to get rid of the fast food habit. Who knows, maybe they want to join you too! Let those around you know your goals so that, instead of having a negative impact, they will support you.
- Agree to have lunch outside only once a week. If the gang doesn't want to change places, eat out only once a week. Thanks to that, the temptations are minimized.
Method 3 of 5: Building Strategy
Set realistic goals. Setting a long-term goal to work towards may help you get over the fast food habit more easily. Make sure your goals are realistic, specific, and achievable.
- Divide your long-term goals into smaller goals. You can start by changing routes on a Monday or planning breakfast at home. Trying to achieve multiple goals at the same time can be difficult.
- Reality in goal setting is very important. If it feels impossible to never touch fast food again, work towards limiting the amount of fast food you eat. You can allow yourself to have one quick meal per month.
- Keep track of the performance over time. This will help keep you motivated and keep going for the long term.
Buy a notebook or diary. Use a journal to keep track of meals and snacks over a few days (ideally a few days a week and a few weekends). This allows you to better understand the amount and frequency of your fast food intake.
- Also, write down situations that often lead to making fast food choices. For example, do you drop by a fast food store and buy breakfast on your way to work? Or do you have to travel a long time to get home and decide to drop in for a quick and convenient dinner?
- Write down any moods or emotions that might motivate you to eat or want to eat fast food. You may find that many days you don't eat any fast food.Fast foods are often picked at times of stress, anger or frustration. Knowing the relationship between foods and moods can help you better understand your own eating habits.
- Don't have time for your diary? Download the food journal software for a convenient version. A software that is accessible on the phone at any time will be easier for you.
- Think about why you are eating fast food. Trying to pinpoint the underlying cause of fast food addiction is an important step towards changing this eating habit.
- Write down how you feel after eating a snack. You may feel regret, guilt, or shame. When you note and write down your negative emotions, you can then refer back to them later before deciding to commit again. Remembering how badly you felt after eating can help you stop.
Calorie calculation. If you have never tried calorie count when using fast food, you may be amazed by your actual consumption. Take a day and inventory all of the calories in your typical snack. The number will probably be big enough to motivate you to stop.
- Try calculating the length of distance you have to run or cycle to burn all the calories that that meal brings. Usually, a quick meal requires a substantial amount of exercise to burn all calories. For example, you would have to cycle for an hour at high speed to burn 800 calories, equivalent to half a pizza ...
- Compare the calories from a similar meal prepared at home to a snack. That will help you discern the calorie difference that comes from a snack.
Track expenses for your fast food habits. One of the benefits of fast food is that they are quite cheap - especially with menu items that cost 20,000 VND or less. Even with these dishes, costs can add up and become significant.
- Keep bills and add them up to see how much money you spent on fast food in one week. It could be more than you think.
- Keep between 200,000 and 400,000 VND in cash and keep track of how long that money will last for a week. Swiping makes spending easy. Cash will sometimes give you some weight.
Make a weekly menu. Having a week's menu can help you stay focused and on top of the situation throughout the week. You won't have to worry about cooking for lunch or dinner - they're already decided!
- Spend an hour or two in your spare time planning a menu. Make sure to include each day's breakfast and snacks as well.
- Include recipes or ideas for quick, easy-to-make meals that will help your busy life.
- After the menu has been prepared, list the relevant ingredients. As a result, you can buy nothing but essentials.
Go to the market / supermarket. Having healthy food available is the key to giving up fast food. Go to the grocery / supermarket every week to prepare meals and snacks. As a result, healthier options are always ready to use.
- Store fat-free protein, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products.
- Buy ready-to-use products that require little or no cooking and you can use them on the go. For example, whole fruit (like apples or bananas), yogurt, sliced and washed salads, cooked fat-free vegetables or proteins (like grilled chicken).
Method 4 of 5: Executing the Strategy
Build a support network. Any change in your diet can be difficult - especially when you have to give up the habit of eating addiction. A support group can give you more motivation and courage to make difficult changes. Research shows that many people maintain positive changes longer thanks to support groups.
- Ask a family member, friend or co-worker to help you. Besides, try to find out if someone would like to join you on a fast food elimination journey.
- Find out which online support groups or forums you can log into during the day. It's a great way to get support at any given moment.
Talk to a registered dietitian and specialist. These health and nutrition experts can play a key role in helping you understand and overcome the fast food habits. They are trained to help you give up fast food, plan healthy eating and provide you with food addiction.
- Ask a registered dietitian for help with menu planning, cooking skills or basic nutritional knowledge to get the skills needed to give up the fast food habit.
- Talk to a licensed therapist about your food addiction and any emotional eating problems.
- Check with your primary care physician or other doctor for referral to a registered dietitian or specialist. They may know or work with some people in the area.
- If in the US, go to EatRight.org and use the "Find an Expert" button to find a nutritionist in your area.
Make a list of activities that make your body feel good. When stressed or strongly motivated by fast food, it is important to have a list of activities that can distract you and calm you down. Keep them within reach whenever tempted by fast food.
- Try engaging in physical and mental activities. For example: take a walk, clean the closet, call friends and family, journal or enjoy a good book.
- Sleeping or burying your head in the TV probably won't make you feel better. You don't take the problem off at all, but choose to ignore or fall asleep.
- Try to say no to alcoholic drinks. Alcohol is never the right choice to deal with addiction.
- Write down your comments. Use a notebook or journal and write down your feelings, how they affect your hunger or cravings.
- Keeping a diary can help you discern situations and distinguish between emotional eating and physical hunger.
- Journaling can also help calm your mind, allowing you to pour your feelings and emotions into the pages.
Meditate. Research shows that just a few minutes of meditation can bring concentration and calmness, helping you to overcome temptation. It can also help you to have inner peace of mind more easily.
- Start with just 5 to 10 minutes a day - especially if you've never practiced meditation.
- Find free recordings of the guided meditation online. They can make meditation easier for you by following the gentle commands of the tutorial.
- Try motion meditation, which allows you to focus on a small subject - a rock, fruit, or jewelry. Thanks to that, the mind is filled as you try to be in reality.
Fill your pantry, fridge and freezer with healthy foods. Always keep healthy items at home. As a result, you can cook nutritious meals without visiting a store on your way home.
- Stocking up plenty of food at home will help reduce the stress of cooking or preparing meals. You have got the basics.
- Key ingredients in the food compartment can include beans, unsalted canned vegetables, canned fish, whole grains (such as whole grain brown rice or pasta), and nuts.
- The freezer can include frozen protein (such as chicken or fish), frozen vegetables, frozen cooked cereals (such as brown rice or quinoa) and frozen low-calorie meals (for evenings where cooking is impossible).
- Key ingredients in the refrigerator can include pre-cut vegetables and fruits, low-fat sauces, eggs, low-fat yogurt, cheese and cooked protein (like grilled chicken breast).
Prepare new dishes. Whether you feel bored in cooking or need help getting a healthy meal, trying a new recipe is a great way to discover the variety of healthy foods. Try a new one or two every week.
- Need ideas for cooking? Try buying a cookbook for healthy food, reading healthy food sites online, or consulting recipes from friends and family.
- If you don't have time, look for a recipe that requires little preparation and cooking. In many cases, you can simply mix the ingredients instead of starting to prepare them one by one.
Recycle your favorite fast food at home. Sandwiches and french fries or chicken nuggets are both delicious - that's why it's so hard to give up the habit of fast food. Try to create your favorite taste at home with healthier cooking techniques. As a result, you can "enjoy" a healthier way.
- If you love french fries, try baking at home. Sliced sweet potatoes can also be a great substitute for potato chips. At the same time, they also contain many vitamins and minerals!
- Chicken breaded with cornstarch or grilled crispy crackers is a crisp, low calorie version of a fried chicken or chicken ball.
- Search online for a few alternative recipes to your favorites. You will get great ideas for healthier versions of popular fast meals. Try searching for "fast food alternatives" to get better options for your favorite fast food.
Method 5 of 5: Eat Healthy at a Fast Food Restaurant
Read the menu online. In the US alone, by law, any restaurant with more than 20 branches must have an online menu and an in-store menu that displays nutritional information. Take a look at the menu, identify lower calorie and fat options.
- Choose before you go. This will help you avoid the temptation of reviewing menus or listening to someone else's order.
- Some even have "meal calculators", which allow you to choose from a variety of dishes and provide calorie and other nutritional information.
Choose baking over frying. Fried foods usually contain more calories and fat.
- Choose grilled chicken sandwiches or grilled chicken balls over fried chicken.
Avoid all-inclusive meals. Calories count can be very high when you eat a combination meal - french fries, sandwiches and drinks. Instead, order only sandwiches for a lower calorie intake.
- Choose from an "à la carte" menu (single order menu) to avoid all-inclusive meals.
- Refuse to upgrade to "large size" or larger servings.
Choose healthy meals. Many fast food restaurants are reacting to consumers' desire for healthier options. They even offer "healthier" menus, directing you to lower calorie meals.
- Try a salad with grilled chicken or grilled chicken. Use small portions with a little sauce or sauce to keep calories low.
- If you stop for breakfast, try oatmeal, fruit yogurt, or a sandwich with egg white and cheese.
- Choose sandwiches with veggies or fruits over traditional French fries.
Advice
- Gradually eliminating unhealthy foods is a way to gently cut junk food out of your diet. Rushing to cut down on any unhealthy foods at once can lead to unpleasant symptoms like headaches, irritability and discouragement easily.
- Consider setting a rule that makes fast food less convenient. For example, if you are far away, just allow yourself to walk to the store. As a result, you not only get a healthy walk, but also make cooking seem easier than the quick and greasy option.
- Linking numbers to eating habits can help make reality more apparent. Estimate or track your fast food consumption and calories for the week or month — you'll be shocked at the results.
- Make slow, step-by-step adjustments (for example, start by quitting the food court at noon or avoiding snacking between meals). Make small but practical changes and then go on with the more ambitious ones. Remember that you want a completely different lifestyle.
- If you and someone you know are addicted to fast food, you need to quit it together. As a result, you're less likely to be tempted to see someone using a sandwich right in front of you.
- Find groups or networks of people with healthy lifestyles for support through this critical stage in life.
- Read "Eat This, Not That" to compare fast food and get suggestions for "better" options for you.
