I've been thinking about my current lifestyle of eating clean and excersizing and being consistent and how well i can work it to the point that it becomes my life. I realize there is a big difference between a diet and a lifestyle change.... most believe that a lifestyle change in terms of getting fit is better then just a diet.... i agree. I want a lifestyle change.... a change for the better so i can stay on it and not gain any weight or fat back... to be gone from my old me.

Though now im wondering if i can really do it. I mean... right now im pretty hardcore about eating right and working out. I dont mind the cardio and working out part.... fine with me (makes me feel good anyways)... but the eating.... damn im really missing my old foods of choice. I dont eat nearly the amount i use to eat before and i have successfully avoided a lot of the foods i use to eat a lot ... pizza, fried chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers etc.
Right now im really craving these foods... really bad but im avoiding them saving them for my cheat meals... but even then im tame compared to how i use to be. I used to go through 7 fried chicken pieces from KFC or Popeyes in one sitting.... often.... and 1 large papa johns pizza in one sitting regularly. A meal to me was a meal for a family of 3 or 4..... seriously. Im a big eater and thats how i got as big as i got plus the fact i was very sedentary.

I have made a complete 180 in my lifestyle comparatively speaking.... im amazed.... but im also scared because im afraid that i cant do this for the rest of my life.... i need that fried chicken and pizza when i crave it and i crave it often.... what do i do? Please any help or advice id appreciate it. I mean i can get down to a weight that is my ideal weight and a body fat percentage that im cool with but to keep with it or maintain it... thats another story.... you know sticking with clean eating habits and avoiding the bad foods.

You haven't found a good mental "groove" for yourself as yet. Give it time, the "uncomfortability factor" will pass.

As for foods? Man, this is where it separates the men from the boys... errr... women from the girls, to be fair? Eh. doesn't have the same ring to it. I digress... you're going to have to find healthy things that satisfy your palette. I've started experimenting with healthy recipes and stumbled on a few that are just incredible, and fit dead center into the macros I need for a particular meal and for the day. I'm trying to build up to having 5~10 good recipes that are easy to make and healthy - it's a struggle but damnit, if you're committed to it, you can do it.

The fact that you're "scared" is good... operating outside one's comfort zone is the best place to be. If you're just a little outside your comfort level, performing tasks that are just a little above your head at the time, you'll grow into that task, lifestyle, etc... and you'll learn to set the bar a little higher each time you shoot for something.

Trust me, there are healthy but really tasty alternatives out there that'll make you forget about your old staples. KFC will be a thing of the past and you'll realize how bad for you it actually is. That isn't to say that every now and again you can't hit the drive through and digress to your previous days for 15 minutes, but you may realize... you don't want to. At least, that's the way it is for me...

-R

Bluestreak's got GREAT advice and speaks LOTS of truth! Krosspyder, hang with all of us here - so many of us are going through EXACTLY what you're going through, physically and mentally. You are transforming at the same time that you are healing. There is no shame in using us, your comrades in transformation, as "crutches." It's like you're a baby bird all over again. You have to grow new feathers, test the new wings, and eventually, you'll fly solo. Only difference is, none of us other birds will push you out of the nest before you're ready.

Looking forward to reading about your conquest of fears, Krosspyder! :tu: -Martin

I have found that those cravings go down over time. As you find terrific foods that are healthy, you'll learn to love them. Then, when you eat half a pizza in one sitting some day, your body will react negatively. It won't taste as good anymore, and you'll feel bloated and sick. A couple times of that kind of negative reinforcement and the craving will definately go down. But, it may take a while. A new lifestyle is a new lifestyle. That's why it's not just a diet. Your tastes change to match your new life-style. Your preferences change. It takes a while -- but it will happen.

In the meantime, hang tough.

You know I saw that post the other day about giving up bad food being so easy and I though, "gee, it wasn't easy for me at all." I think it's really hard for most people, so you have lots of good company krosspyder. It's not easy at all, and sometimes you just have to hang onto having a cheat day to get you through. If you really have to have something, try having a huge glass of water before, or a big bowl of oatmeal and wait 20 minutes before indulging. At least then, you can eat some of the unhealthier foods and you'll hit fullness much quicker. Just some suggestions. Sometimes you just flat out fall off the wagon too, it happens, it happened to me several times for days at a stretch. You just have to pick yourself up, brush yourself off and continue where you left off. Those are the decisions that make it a lifestyle change. You're doing great, keep up the good work!

Look at this way, it's an addiction like anything else, I think i've struggled with just about all of them in the past, alcohol and food being the hardest to keep under control for me.

I don't think any recovering alcoholic or smoker will tell you that they absolutely never get the urge or craving to have one smoke or drink, it's the strength and resolve to not do it that makes all the world of difference.

Food is not much different, and although I think it's completely fine to cheat every now and then so long as it's done short term and in moderation, if you can't seem to handle it, perhaps it's time to take a stricter approach and cut it off entirely until your mind adapts and gets out of withdrawal.. :gl:

I don't think any recovering alcoholic or smoker will tell you that they absolutely never get the urge or craving to have one smoke or drink, it's the strength and resolve to not do it that makes all the world of difference.

Too true...One day in december i decided i couldnt keep running and smoking, i took a nearly full pack of cigarettes and dropped it in the trash can...ive had cravings since, ive given in two times...its a mental thing...physically you dont need these things to satisfy you...

The same holds true with food. Be strong, you'll get there...dont be afraid to indulge in moderation, the results will eventually be the motivation you seek.

thanks guys. im glad i posted this up. everything you all have said so far makes complete logical sense. i never thought of it as a withdraw mental thing. im shocked out how simple it is.


how can i reach that level in which i think of that "old food" i use to eat as nasty? do people have a certain method that they go about reaching this? i know people dont set out to do this it just happens as a byproduct of a clean food lifestyle. i'd love to reach that point.... a point in which im only satisfied with organic food ... or rather food thats closer to nature.


i think it would be an accomplishment to be able to take a bite of kfc fried chicken (original or crispy) and have to spit that shit out because i cant take it anymore.

how can i reach that level in which i think of that "old food" i use to eat as nasty? do people have a certain method that they go about reaching this? i know people dont set out to do this it just happens as a byproduct of a clean food lifestyle. i'd love to reach that point.... a point in which im only satisfied with organic food ... or rather food thats closer to nature.Once you start seeing real results, it just happens naturally. Sticking with the lifestyle long enough to see some real changes in your strength, endurance, and appearance really make you feel good about yourself. And that feels a lot better then eating a bucket of fried chicken.

Watch how other people eat; the foods they buy at the supermarket and their choices at resteraunts. Compair that to their bodys, and just try not to feel too superior. Of course you're no Charles Atlas yet, but you know you're headed in the right direction, and they're continuing on the slippery downhill slope.

It may sound kind of mean, but looking down on overweight people who are making poor dietary choices really hardens my resolve. Its shallow, but I'm not really a shallow person. Its just a motivating tool.

how can i reach that level in which i think of that "old food" i use to eat as nasty? do people have a certain method that they go about reaching this? i know people dont set out to do this it just happens as a byproduct of a clean food lifestyle. i'd love to reach that point.... a point in which im only satisfied with organic food ... or rather food thats closer to nature.

I don't know of a proven method in which a person who loves a specific food one day, can somehow find it utterly disgusting and repulsing the next.

I think what it really boils down to is this, you don't stop enjoying unhealthy foods just because you're in better shape, but you do begin to enjoy and appreciate the taste of healthier ones as you get used to the lifestyle and perhaps your improvements in appearance, strength and endurance.

It's a constant struggle for most people. In more than a decade of doing this I've gone from an almost two year long obsession (not in a bad way; it was actually a healthy dedication!) to not caring as much, and back and then not caring as much etc. Depending on what's going on in my life I have varying levels of caring about this stuff. I've never met anybody personally who didn't fall off the wagon from time to time. I know there are some people that do, but they're a scant and miniscule minority.

There are times when I don't want to work out and I don't. There are times when I'm sick of being hungry and I tame it with more food than you can shake a stick at. I'm honest with myself and try not to stress over it or consider myself a failure. No matter what I'm doing I always know it's simply a matter of balancing priorities and motivation. I KNOW that at any time I can lose weight. I never question it. The question is, do I care enough at this moment? Often the answer is yes and often it's no. I don't beat myself up over it. I KNOW I can increase muscle if I workout, but whether I'm going to work out five times a week or two depends upon how much I care at that phase in my life.

When I was 16 it was relatively easy finding the motivation. I had tons of free time and I wanted to look good to get some ladies. Now that I'm married with a job and a child it takes significantly more effort to workout. I wake up in the mornings to do it. That isn't fun, so I have to go to bed early to do that. That isn't fun because if I've been working until 6:30 the last thing I want to do is call it at night at 9:30.

I guess that's life; sometimes you care about this stuff and sometimes (like if you lose your job, for instance), it's the last thing on your mind. You'll never be perfect and shouldn't expect it of yourself.how can i reach that level in which i think of that "old food" i use to eat as nasty? Good question. Let me know when you find the answer. Referring back to when I was 16 and 17 I ate almost perfectly. For me it was not even a problem at all. I'd see somebody eating ice cream and think "Damn, what wasted calories!" To be fair I had a raging metabolism and was able to eat a lot - but, to gain muscle and keep fat reasonable, I made sure it was good food.

Over time I guess I got a bit burned out with it all. I loved junk food as a kid and I love it as an adult. Just last night we got some ridiculously unhealthy dessert at a restaurant and I loved it. Last friday I enjoyed some donuts. The fact of the matter is those foods have been designed to taste better than a plate of sauce-less pasta. Nobody yet has come out with a "healthY" food that tastes as good as a bigmac meal. The only place I've heard about people who eat cleanly, consistently, for years and years on end is reading; I've never met such a person.

When you fight the desire to eat crap you're righting years of evolutionary necessity that says you want to pack down high calorie foods.

The only place I've heard about people who eat cleanly, consistently, for years and years on end is reading; I've never met such a person.

When you fight the desire to eat crap you're righting years of evolutionary necessity that says you want to pack down high calorie foods.

I think you are mainly fighting a child-hood addiction. Believe me I know plenty of people that wouldn't eat donuts and junk food, but they grew up not eating that stuff. They are not American. In many other contries, where people, children, are not exposed to KFC, McD's etc.. they do not like the taste of that kind of food.

You might be able to get there, or you might not. Either way it will take years. After 5 years of a healthier lifestyle, I know I'll never go back. I might eat a donut again, sometime, or a desert at a restaurant, but regularly eat pizza or junk food burgers, no way. I'd actually rather have a plain yogurt with fruit than a donut, even if the donut were zero calories.

I remember my last junk burger vividly, 2 years ago.

You might also get to the stage where you crave that yogurt but you are trying to get to 7%BF and eat a can of tuna (again) instead. It is just a matter of 'degrees' of obsession (although 7%BF might not be too healthy). You will find the level of healthy vs. BF% vs foods that you are comfortable with. There is a vast array of BF% that are healthy. Some feel much betetr at 10% and it is worth the sacrifices, some prefer 15-20% wile being active and eating deserts. At least you will probably still be eating healthy food, like good fats, veggies and low GI carbs, even if you never give up junk food.

At the end of the day it had got to be worth it to you. If you want to eat junk, fine, no-one but yourself should judge you, but you know the consequences.

I think you are mainly fighting a child-hood addiction. Believe me I know plenty of people that wouldn't eat donuts and junk food, but they grew up not eating that stuff. They are not American. In many other contries, where people, children, are not exposed to KFC, McD's etc.. they do not like the taste of that kind of food.

You might be able to get there, or you might not. Either way it will take years. After 5 years of a healthier lifestyle, I know I'll never go back. I might eat a donut again, sometime, or a desert at a restaurant, but regularly eat pizza or junk food burgers, no way. I'd actually rather have a plain yogurt with fruit than a donut, even if the donut were zero calories.

I remember my last junk burger vividly, 2 years ago.

You might also get to the stage where you crave that yogurt but you are trying to get to 7%BF and eat a can of tuna (again) instead. It is just a matter of 'degrees' of obsession (although 7%BF might not be too healthy). You will find the level of healthy vs. BF% vs foods that you are comfortable with. There is a vast array of BF% that are healthy. Some feel much betetr at 10% and it is worth the sacrifices, some prefer 15-20% wile being active and eating deserts. At least you will probably still be eating healthy food, like good fats, veggies and low GI carbs, even if you never give up junk food.

At the end of the day it had got to be worth it to you. If you want to eat junk, fine, no-one but yourself should judge you, but you know the consequences.You're dead-on about the childhood addiction. I am from england, and all kids there eat crap (go buy sweets after school!). But really, everybody in north america eats it too. My parents were better than most, but my mother would still give in to our whining and keep us well stocked with coke and cookies and what not. My wife, on the other hand, was brought up in a better household for that and doesnt' have nearly the binging love that I do.

We keep no junk in the house, because I know I can't fight it. It's only at work/out to dinner that I eat like this. I'm better than a lot of people, but I'm deadset against our kids having the same pro-garbage diet that most people do, so the buck stops with me :) Plus I will not allow them to see my binge, when I do ;)

Your last sentence is also right on!

Threadstarter I AM WITH YOU. I am 22, 5'8 and about 20% bodyfat. I met with a trainer in July and am still trying to lose the rest of my weight. If I wouldn't cheat so much, I would have lost it months ago. I AGREE TOTALLY that it is a child-hood addiction. I have had a belly my whole life and hate it. I gianed about 15 lbs last year and am trying to lose it. My trainer put me on a diet and I'm not allowed any cheat meals. Early on I was cheating often, but Im trying to go 14 days now with no cheating. It's so hard and I'm SCARED just like you. Good thing is, a year ago, I was eating McD's twice to three times a week, and now if I even look at a cheeseburger I would throw up. I was there yesterday and ordered 2 grilled chix sandwiches minus mayo. I forgot my tuna for the day, and I just ate the chicken. Last year I would have had a quarter pounder and fries and a large pop. I am making progress, and sometimes I do eat shitty still, but the good thing is I would rather eat a grilled chix salad than a bowl of spaghetti. It's so hard living at home too, my parents are always thinking im crazy and trying to get me to eat shitty food. I'm 22 and young and good looking and I go to the bar everyweekend and I turn down shots and beers and late night shit food all month long. I think all this stems from my parents letting me grow up on shit food. I CRAVE it still. And prolly always will. But I hate being even 20lbs overweight, and I am starting to enjoy chicken and tuna. Oatmeal tastes great with Splenda. As good as McD's tastes, I know how bloated and shitty I would feel after I ate it. THis is a lifestyle change, and it will be hard forvever, but I want a GOOD BODY and to be able to fit into my 34's comfortably that are tight now. I hate being fat and cant wait to feel GOOD in my own skin for the first time in my life. I dont know what has taken me so long to get motivated, cause I've been eating right since July, but my cardio and weights wern't serious. Now i'm serious. I want to be 'skinny by spring'....So, dude, hang in there man. This is SO hard on me too. My trainer is a bodybuilder and told me he went 16 weeks without a cheat meal. He can do that, easy, and it's really hard for me and i dont think he understands it. I've been eating a certain way for 22 years, and it's really hard to stop cold turkey with no cheat meals. I feel like a recovering alcholic or like a heroin addict. That's how addicting food is to me. Good thing, I really dont enjoy the taste of regular foods anymore except pizza and maybe movie popcorn and chili cheese fries. Nothing will taste as good as being thin.

It's all about finding foods you really like that are healthy! I never was a fast food junkie, but I did like my sweets. Now that I am making interesting concoctions with Oatmeal/Splenda/Peanut butter/Whey and having high protein French Toast and Pancakes plus chocolate shakes and homemade protein bars I'm happy as a clam and probably eating more 'sweet' stuff than when I was overweight. :)

We had frosted cupcakes yesterday for V-day and I wasn't even tempted. Had just had a big protein pancake w/SF syrup and I could easily pass those cupcakes by.

Also, I do take one cheat day a week (which has been getting less and less cheaty as the months go by) where if there's something I have a hankerin' for I go ahead and have it. Keeps me good the rest of the time.

wow great responses guys!

im contemplating and soaking in all you have said and i appreciate the responses.


someone mentioned "childhood addiction" which i think is correct.... sounds like it to me. my parents also let me eat anything i wanted... and i usually gravitated towards fried chicken, burgers and pizza..... i was never really into sweets but i ate them occasionally. plus the fact that i had bad eating habbits... i would not eat breakfast and load up at lunch time... wait till dinner and load up again.... then eat again before i went to bed. when i felt hungry often times i couldnt eat so i would let myself starve.

that went on for a long time... until recently.


so this makes sense that im struggling between my new life and my old life.

im very young at this and so its ineviatable that im going to go through some serious issues that dont really affect those who are more mature in this lifestyle. the point is not to give up and give in to continue trying and working at it and eventually i will reach that mature level... hopefully.

my gut is going down and my gut is the main thing i want off my body right now... but most imporantly i need to start working on developing a comfort zone of healthy eating so i can stay on it once i reach my cutting goal.

everyones info here has broadend my knowledge and real life understanding in this area just a little bit more... deepend my understanding and to that im grateful. :tucool:

how can i reach that level in which i think of that "old food" i use to eat as nasty?

By giving yourself time to adjust. The time you need is the amount that's right for you. Others might help you find that right amount. But ultimately, you have to find it for yourself. There's no reason to feel more fear or anxiety if you have not yet reached a point of confidence about when you can look back and say to yourself, "Yeah, I've nailed it, I've got these new habits down pat now, and now I can just cruise at this new level, maybe even try to get to yet another new level." It's a different discovery for everyone. Like so many ads say, "Results vary."

I am hoping that citing my plan as an example might help...

My plan (since 1st week of '05) is to assess week by week first, then month by month, after some number of weeks. I'm not talking about some long, sit-down-and-ponder time to set aside. Just allowing or "seizing" a few thoughtful moments each weekend to think back, to use the past week as a history lesson. I don't know how long I am going to have to assess week by week. I'm not worried. However, based on progress to date, I'll "probably" be able to assess month by month, starting sometime later this year. If I catch myself slipping, I'll go back to week by week.

I have never been "dedicated" longer than a full year - actually, memory is fuzzy but I don't think I've ever kept a steady fitness regimen for even a full year. So, my plan is to aim for "major" or "more intensely focused" assessment at the beginning of year 2006, then again at start of '07. From there, I intend to follow a variation of "the cancer survivors' plan." If, by the time I hit age 55 (God Willing), I have continued with all the new habits I started (and later added to) on that flabby, cranky, groggy morning in early January '05, then I'll permit myself to express confidently, but humbly not boastfully, that I have succeeded in changing my physical health's destiny.

Again, all the best to you Krosspyder! :tu: -Martin

Personally, I don't think you will ever fully let go of those foods you love. The thing is, they likely hold some good memories too. In addition to that, they are drowning in fats, sugars, etc. Things that give you that "feel good, sleep now, everything is ok" feeling.

When you are stress eating, you don't reach for a carrot, you go for those, because of what they represent to you as well as how they make you feel. And then the side issue is that you also feel as if everyone around you is able to indulge or is indulging (regardless of the reality of their health) and somehow you are left out of the dominating culture. Feeling excluded on top of craving those foods isn't any fun, and is dangerous territory unless you are aware of yourself doing it - and you can give yourself an internal slap.

I think the real key is eating healthy long enough that when you do indulge, it doesn't taste as good anymore (because you are used to the healthier diet - so suddenly choking back 50 g of fat isn't a thrill any longer) and you realize it is more the memory that is calling to you.

You also need to learn to make healthier versions of the types of food you really love. A healthy lifestyle isn't about deprivation. it's about change. So - instead of feeling deprived, list the foods you really love and see what you can do to make them in a healthy manner. It's true, they won't be exactly what you are used to tasting, but they are darn good in their own right. For example, Pizza : look at having a pita pizza instead, with a home made sauce (I use tomato paste and spices 1 pkt splenda and a dash of salt) chicken sauteed with garlic, vegies, and a tiny sprinkle of part skim moz. I bake it in the oven, and voila - along with a rare diet pepsi, I suddenly have my pizza fix.

You will hit some foods that are impossible to change over - but in general almost everything else has a healthier version, from french fries to fried chicken, there ARE alternatives.

And lastly, you have to ask yourself what you are really giving up about your old lifestyle. I'm not talking about food. There was something else you gained from eating and being that way. Once you know what it is you were getting from that lifestyle, you can then look to your new one and see what you will be trading up for. You have to know what you have in order to let it go and aquire something better.

You can look forward to the sense of power this will instill over you. There is no greater power trip than realizing you truly have complete control over this and yourself. It's something too many people have fooled themselves into either giving away or thinking that they have - as an excuse.

And since a lifestyle is a choice - that old one will always remain one in your mind because you were there. But that doesn't mean you STAY that way. You are the same person at your core back then and now, you are simply changing your care-tactics, and making a better environment for yourself inside and out. That takes hard work (that does get easier) and a daily (sometimes hourly) choice to choose for the better.

And then the side issue is that you also feel as if everyone around you is able to indulge or is indulging (regardless of the reality of their health) and somehow you are left out of the dominating culture.Big time. It's a constant stuggle to eat properly when everybody around you eats like crap, since most people do eat like crap.

I think anybody reading this thread would be well aware of how important it is for parents to monitor their children's eating. More often than not kids just follow and eat what their parents do. If a parent is allowing their children to dictate what they eat (and it tends, as it normally will with kids, towards garbage), then the parent is being neglectful. I won't make excuses for my eating patterns, but I can't pretend that my parent's allowing us to frequently indulge in crap has not had a long lasting effect. Like I said, they were not _tooo_ bad, but they were bad enough. I've seen, and know, parents who let their kids eat processed crap for every single meal. As a result the kids are chubby, and will almost definitely be fat for the rest of their lives.