I think im addicted to fastfood

This has really been bothering me.. I'm not overweight or fat.. This has nothing to do with me being American. I would love to eat home cooked meal's but I have many problems that make that not possible.

I go to College full time, both of my parents work, and i'm a very picky eater. I am at a community college for this year then next year I will be moving off to my University. I'm worried if I dont get this problem under control then I could have health risks come later in life.

I've been trying to limit my intake of it but its actually difficult, I use to eat it atleast 5 times a week but lately iv been limiting it to every other day. I would love to eat it more but I know I shouldnt.

Any ideas on how I can get this under control? Maybe some ideas of quick and easy meals for Breakfast/lunch/Dinner would be nice. As of right now i'm on day 2 of not having it but im sure for lunch tommorow I will be eating it as I simply have no time while im at college.

Also has anyone else experienced this?
Thanks.

 

I'm glad that you have acknowledged this problem ahead of time and recognized that it is not healthy.

Fast food is great, I'm sure we would all agree! But just like anything else, it needs to be consumed in moderation. Unfortunately, being a bachelor and/or College/University student means that you are probably very busy and constantly on the go, whether it is trying to get to class, getting to work, doing homework, or things you need to do around the house. This leaves you little time to sit down and cook a nice healthy meal and so fast food is obviously a quick and easy solution. Having your parents working all the time and not cooking regular meals doesn't help much either!

What I would suggest is to start packing lunches and snacks with you for when you are out and about the next day. In the evening before you go to bed, pack a lunch and some healthy snacks that you can toss in the fridge and grab when you are on your way out the door in the morning.

Try to pack things that you KNOW are healthy, like sandwiches, fruits, veggies & dip, yogurt packages, cheese and crackers, nuts or trailmix, granola bars or muffins etc. and snack on them throughout the day as you get hungry.

If you have these things prepared in advance and in your bag, then you have no excuse to tell yourself that you "don't have time" and therefore, have to go stop by the McDonald's on your way home for a quarter pounder and extra large fries. Unfortunately, if your a fast food junky like alot of people are, making the transition to healthy food might be a bit of a struggle at first. You are going to crave your junk food, and try to talk yourself into getting some but you need to ignore the cravings and stick to your new diet plan. Plan & pack all your meals ahead of time like I said, and make a point to ONLY eat healthy things, or atleast as much healthy food as possible, as often as you can!

Before you know it this will become second nature for you and you will find that you are feeling better, more energetic and alert, that you have more strength throughout the day etc. The changes that a proper diet can have on your daily life and school performance are enormous. Not to mention, you will stay in shape and that will help you to feel good about yourself. If you keep eating shitty food you will inevitably gain weight and become very overweight with acne and its kind of hard to have good self esteem when your a fat, pimply greaseball

Hope that helped!

 

Wow Zerkerfist I really appreciate the information, I'm going to try the packing my own lunch and see how it goes. The only problem is that sometimes the healthier meals never come close to filling me up like a big juicy hamburger would. And about being very crunched on time is very true. I wake up go to school all day then come home and am busy Agian. Then on my days off I'm very lazy and CBa to anything but sleep. I have Christmas break coming up and I'm going to try to make my change then and slowly discontinue this habit.

Thank you very much for some input.

 

No problem man, glad I could help

I have one more suggestion! About healthy meals not feeling that they "fill you up", you probably aren't eating the right kinds of foods Try going for something a bit 'heavier' like dairy products, or something with a bit more carbs in it. Or any sort of protein is great! You could literally just cook a chicken breast and eat that on some rice with some sesame sauce, or make something a bit lighter like a stick of celery with peanut butter. Fish or eggs are also good sources of protein and can be cooked in various different ways, or added to different meals. Some foods that contain lots of water - cucumbers, carrots, certain fruits etc. also help you to feel full.

This is all just off the top of my head so its all kind of random, but just some extra suggestions I thought I would throw in there! Try googling certain diets too, or looking in magazines or on the internet for ideas of things to make and easy snacks to prepare. There are tons of health food sites that offer free tips and articles on how to improve your diet. Good luck!

 

I agree packing a lunch would definitely be a good alternative.

Also remember even when eating out you can choose something healthy like a chicken salad that tastes good and is much more nutritious than your average burger in fries.

You can also consult your doctor about this and how it will effect your body

 

Make your own foods and cook for yourself is the simple solution. Zerker covers it though from what it looks like, as always

 

I suggest you stock up on fruit, and say food that can be cooked while you are doing homework and other things, such as pasta.

 

Going to McDonalds for a salad is like going to a prostitute for a hug.

 

Pasta is a great meal to help you feel "full", and is also very easy to cook and there are so many different types you can make. I make pastas all the time and its as simple as chopping up a bunch of vegetables and sauteing them up in a frying pan, and boiling your pasta seperately.

When the noodles are done, just toss them in the frying pan with some sauce and toss everything together and serve. The result is always delicious, and you can parmesan cheese the fuck out of it to make it even tastier.

Good idea Imagine This is also something you can save in your fridge if there is leftovers, and bring it to school/work in a container and heat it up for a quick meal.

 

Sugar is like Crack in the most simplest term possible. Shit is addictive. Eat less sugary foods but the main thing here is don't try and be a hero - u can't just give up. Simply reduce what you are consuming. For me i try to eat a rich protein and carb diet (healthy carbs) and maybe once or twice or week ill have a 'cheat' meal - somethin high in sugar to balance me out.

You're brain relies on glucose (sugar) to function but the bad sugar comes with alot more bang for your buck - fat etc so it is no good in large proportions.

The biggest mistake people make is tryin to go from zero to hero and cold turkey it 1-2 weeks later the craving is so bad they end up eating double the amount.

Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetes is a hectic crappy disease that affects mills so just control or limit yourself as a reward and BAM you will feel and look better - and not feel guilty eating crap as you have earnt it!

 

You can choose to do everyone says here but I'm going to go out on a limb.

I'm assuming yes, fast food is unhealthly, HOWEVER, another reason I'm assuming you are trying to stop is because the bill is piling up.

My suggestion, don't necessarily take this to your heart. Find a way to get more money/income and then be able to afford eating fast food everyday.

 

He didn't mention anything about bills, he mentioned his health

Like other people have mentioned though, pack your own lunch for college, you'll have to learn to cook your own meals otherwise like Dorian said, you will start having some cash troubles.
I am at university and I work part time as well, you will realise that you can't go out spending your cash all the time, you need to eat in. Just cook what you can in your home.

 

I had the same problem a year back. I just learned to make nice and quick chicken at home with some pasta, potatoes or rice and fresh veg and that eventually replaced my old habit! Giving up soda is another thing tho, still struggling with that, lol.

 

If you are overweight or not, Weight watchers is good. I am 16, and I tried going on a diet. I am not large. I just wasn't happy with what I was eating. It may seem like a small serving. But after a while, you become used to eating smaller portions.

 

There is something about cooking for yourself...it makes you apperciate what is in front of you and you dont eat as much.