What do you tell yourself...

ekimberl

I just went to Burger King and got a double cheeseburger and fries.  Ugh.  Now I feel disgusting and disappointed in myself.  What do you tell yourself when you're tempted to eat badly?  How do you convince yourself that the Lean Cuisine in the freezer would be just as good?

MarriedInAFever

Find healthier substitutes. Try a veggie or turkey burger with sweet potato fries. Not much more effort needed and still very tasty.

jabeckner

I have been doing this calorie counting thing for almost a year now, and have tracked the calories in just about everyone of my favorite fast food items. So I am really familiar with how scary the stats are. Your lunch today for example had 900 calories and 49 grams of fat. For me 900 calories is about 2/3 of my daily calorie intake, so I have to ask myself is it really worth it? And truthfully sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't.

One of my favorite things in the world is this half baked cookie topped with vanilla bean ice cream they have at an itallian restaraunt around here, and last night at a friends birthday party, I had to explain to myself that it just wasn't worth it, I looked up the calories before I went and it had over 1000 calories, even if you split that with 3/4 people you are looking at 250-330 calories in just dessert.

So I would say look up the nutrition facts before you head out the door and then after you see them if it is really worth it to you then go ahead, you probably need to get the mini splurge out of your system, but if it is not then head to the freezer.

lobsterhug

I don't beat myself up about it. Some nights cooking dinner is just not in the cards. Maybe a burger and fries weren't the best choice, but it's what I ate. I make sure to drink lots of water to counteract the sodium and get back to healthier choices with my next meal/snack.

I think of my eating plan in terms of moderation and not restrictions. Yes I only have so many calories in a day, but if I want fries or a sweet once in a while, I will have it. I will get what I'm craving in a small size and really enjoy it. I find this helps me avoid binging on bad food since I'm not depriving myself for weeks on end.

grrrace

I suggest taking a look at the book "Eat This Not That" - it has some good options for fast food so you can still satisfy your cravings without sacrificing too many calories!

for instance, a whopper jr. from BK with no cheese is 360 calories, while that's not great, its not too terrible either. And getting small onion rings instead of fries also saves some calories. 

But today at work I just could NOT stop thinking about the damn starbursts that were just sitting there watching me! Every time I thought I was gonna cave I just got up and drank more water or ate some grapes to satisfy my sweet tooth, eventually though, I had to have just one. After I ate it I was disappointed, I thought it was gonna taste better... next time I'm gonna remind myself that sometimes it just isn't worth it! 

jenb1205

Watch Food Inc, read Fast Food Nation and/or In Defense of Food.  

I haven't had a burger since November because I honestly don't want one but I know that when I do have one again, it will come from a gourmet burger place.  If I'm eating fast food, I try to make the best choice and use my splurges on quality "junk food" (if you consider pizza, haha). 

Eveanyn

My weakness is ice cream. I know how you feel. Whenever I want ice cream (which I don't keep in the freezer anymore), I pull out my Jell-o that I keep in the fridge. Even if I have to eat the entire (small) bowl of Jell-o, it's 80 calories. That's a lot more satisfying to me than the three bites of ice cream I'd be allowed otherwise.

Good luck!

raynes

I read the nutritional info.  And if that still doesn't scare me off, I'll get a smaller substitute (so, if we were at Wendy's a Jr Bacon Cheeseburger instead of, say, the Baconator).

Next time you feel like having a burger like that, recall how you felt after eating this one.  And then think about how you feel after eating a giant salad w/ chicken on it.  Kinda different, eh?  It helps if you learn to associate the crappy, slow, bogged down feeling with eating the crappy stuff, and the awesone, refueled, energetic feeling with eating the good stuff.

jonchrissy

I think everyone gave really great tips!
I haven't had fast food (BK, MickyDs, etc.) consistantly in over 8 years. I might have it once a year, but I get a REALLY upset stomach that doesn't make it worth it. I noticed it happening about a month after I stopped eating it.

msange727

ditto raynes - i always go on how i feel, because i know that i know the nutrition facts, and i know that i know they suck.  but... i rely on the fact that if i eat anything that's remotely crappy, i feel it. i get a food hangover, and just like a booze hangover makes you swear you'll never drink again, that feeling does it to me.

i would say that there are some great tips here, so if one isn't a surefire prevention method for you, try to combine a little bit of wisdom from a few of them, and in time, your willpower will be a lot stronger just from practice. :]

miguelhilary2010

As long as this was a cheat, and you dont do it regularly, I just tell myself "damn, that tasted good.  Now get back on track because you can't indulge all the time."  Sometimes you have to cheat to satisfy yourself, or when you're in a pinch.  Its not great to eat fast food, but dont beat yourself up.  And make sure that the cheats are not binges.  Eat a burger, fine.  Eat a burger, large fries, large soda and apple pie and you've just gorged yourself.

cmeyer3946

For me, it's alcohol.  I love to toss back some drinks on the weekends.  All of the sudden I've added 600 extra calories to my Friday night.  So I run my little butt off in the mornings on Friday and Saturday if I'm going to be consuming more.  It's real simple....calories in is in direct relation to calories out.  If you're going to splurge, you know what to do.  Tie your shoes tight and get ready to sweat.

ChelseaBunny

Burger King is not a sin.  Its just adding more to your exercise routine.  You can make choices like that every so often and it's totally no big, but use it as your motivation.  Dieting and exercise are so much fun for me because I eat what I really want to and just make sure I don't eat past "barely full", then I keep a schedule with all the outdoor, active activities I love.  I joined a soccer team, do yoga, ect.  Everyday I have some fun active something, even if it's small.  Make it a lifestyle that you enjoy, not a diet that you need to do to drop the pounds.

JenniferC2010

I tell myself that I'm not allowed to eat in the car. If it's that important I have to take it home and eat it. Once home the food tends to be not as appealing (either it's cold or just looks bad once at the table with it).

HKD817

I try not to totally deny myself so that I don't binge on things like Burger King. I keep saying to myself 5 months to go. If I do fall off my healthy diet then I make sure I workout harder. Currently I train with a personal trainer 3 times a week and I take cardio kickboxing 2 days a week for extreme cardio. I have to say I feel great so that also motivates me to keep up the hard work. My FI and I also have a huge garden in our yard so we both eat lots of veggies from it. It is also a nice thing we can do together that we really enjoy. Good Luck with everything and don't totally beat yourself up

damaless

If I am craving a burger from a fast food joint, but it would push me over my calorie/fat limit for the day, I don't eat it, but I tell myself that sometime in the next few days I will watch my other meals more carefully so that I can have a burger on that day instead.  Possibly it's still not healthy, but there are a few good things I've noticed about this strategy:

1) If you do follow up and eat the burger, at least you planned ahead and didn't break your restrictions for that day.

2) Maybe by the time it's been a day or two, the craving will have passed and you won't want it as badly, thereby avoiding eating the fast food altogether.  The thought that you can have it within the next few days can get you through today without eating the burger.

puokgirl

I'm often out and about and I don't always plan my meals in advance.  It's bad, I know...  especially when I suddenly realize that I'm starving and the only thing around is fast food.

So, I went to all of the websites for the fast food places around here and found things that will work with my diet.  Then I put that information on my blackberry so that I have something to refer to when I'm in dire straits.  I did the same thing for the sit down restaurants too.  It helps me not feel like a freak or like I'm high maintenance when I'm hanging out with my friends while knowing that I've made OK choices for the day.