I really need help with my junk food eating. I have an athletic build and I’m currently at a healthy weight. I run and workout so that is probably why I’m not fat. I eat pretty clean but too many times I give in to junk food. I live at college with my roommates and the dorm rooms or the dining hall has way too many situations where I can just gorge and binge on whatever cheat foods I want. I have a serious sweet tooth! I’m trying to incorporate more healthy carbs instead of eating so many empty ones (candy, sweets, etc).
I’m thinking that I’m probably not getting enough calories for the amount of exercise I’m doing. This is making my body want more healthy nutrient dense calories and carbs but instead I get these out of control cravings and give in to them way too many times. I think the cravings center around a lack of calories. What do you think I should do? It’s so hard not to eat the junk at the dinning hall or eat the left over pizza in the dorm room from my roommates.
My weight has been under control so far at 123 pounds. I lift weights 3 times per week and run 3-4 times a week. I think this really helps me keep my weight under control. However, the junk food messes up my workouts and leaves me sluggish and tired.
I hate this junk food battle! The only motivation I have for myself is me. I can’t find one girl on this campus who is as hardcore about diet and exercise as I am. I don’t have many guy friends. Can you help me with my junk food binges?
I have had the same type of junk food cravings in the past. My favorites were pizza, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and most of all, Butterfinger candy bars! Wow, those are good! The #1 thing that has helped me kick the habit of cheating on my diet was to replace these foods with healthier ones. I used to go about 3-4 weeks eating very clean and then I would breakdown and hit the junk foods (pizza, candy, ice cream, etc.). I decided to replace my 2 big cravings for salty & sweet foods with:
- Salty: 94% fat-free microwave popcorn
- Sweet: frozen grapes (red, green, black)
The popcorn is a nice treat and is way lower in calories than pizza, burgers, etc. Even healthier is to get a hot air popcorn popper and then add a few squirts of “I can’t believe it’s not butter” spray and some salt to it. By eating a big bowl of popcorn, it will fill you up and provide that crunchy and salty taste you want.
For sweets, frozen grapes can’t be beat. Put them in the freezer for about 24 hours and then give it a shot. They are like sweet little candies and are amazing for snacks. I honestly can say that frozen grapes have completely taken care of my sweet tooth and they are drastically lower in calories when compared to candy, ice cream and other fat filled items.
Give these tips a shot for a few weeks and see if your habits change. I know they did wonders for me and I had a serious junk food and sweets addiction. Here is a great article with more information about Ways To Control Binge Eating.
