Write your reason or reasons for stopping on a sticky note and place it somewhere you’ll see it when you feel tempted to eat fast food (e. g. , in your car) to maximize its effectiveness. By being more intentional and mindful about why you want to stop eating fast food, you can hopefully address the root cause of why you tend towards fast food in the first place. [2] X Expert Source Adrienne Youdim, MDBoard Certified Internist Expert Interview. 11 September 2020.
You may want to institute a complete ban on your trigger foods, at least until you feel like you’ve gotten your fast food habit under control. If you’re out with others who want to eat your trigger foods, be willing to tell them that that would make you feel uncomfortable. They will probably understand and be willing to eat something else to accommodate you.
Do as much of the prep work for your meals as you can. If the meals include multi-step preparations, such as marinating meat before cooking it, do these preparations at the start of the week and freeze or refrigerate the ingredients until it’s time to cook. Bring healthy snacks you can eat at school or work during your meal breaks to avoid falling back on fast food when you’re hungry. If the snacks are non-perishable, leave some in your office for future use.
Some healthy ways of dealing with stress include doing yoga, meditating, or speaking to a therapist. If you’re stressed out about work or some other task, remind yourself before doing anything else that eating fast food won’t reduce the amount of work you need to do. Emotions like fear, sadness, grief, and boredom can hijack your hunger hormones, so try to distinguish feeling apathetic from true physiological hunger. [7] X Expert Source Adrienne Youdim, MDBoard Certified Internist Expert Interview. 11 September 2020.
Try to go to bed at a reasonable hour every night. This will not only help you to get enough sleep each night but will also help prevent late-night cravings for fast food.
Good examples of healthy means of dealing with your emotions include journaling, exercising, or expressing yourself creatively. If you’re experiencing serious emotional issues, you may need to seek professional help to treat them.
Examples of exciting but healthy foods might include BBQ chicken chopped salad, sriracha fish tacos, or cinnamon baked sweet potatoes. There are a lot of cookbooks and websites dedicated to healthy cooking, such as EatingWell and Whole Heartedly Healthy, that you can use to find new recipes to try out in the kitchen. For even more excitement, try adding new spices and sauces to recipes you’ve cooked before. For example, add sriracha sauce to fried rice or Asian noodles for a spicy kick.
Eating fruits like apples and bananas will also help to satisfy your sweet tooth if you ever crave fast food desserts. Consider carrying around nuts in a plastic jar or small baggie wherever you go so you can have them with you at all times. A well-stocked house and readily available/accessible food from advance food prep can make you less likely to go out and get fast food. [12] X Expert Source Adrienne Youdim, MDBoard Certified Internist Expert Interview. 11 September 2020.
You should avoid diet sodas as well, if possible. Although they don’t contain sugar, evidence suggests they can still reinforce an addiction to sugar. Carry a refillable water bottle with you wherever you go to be able to drink water no matter where you are.
Limit yourself to 1-2 cheat meals each week, eating small portions at each meal. You should try to limit your intake of fast food as much as possible. Try cooking healthier versions of your favorite fast foods at home. You may find this allows you to still get the taste of fast food without suffering the health consequences of eating it!
If you choose salad, be wary of putting a lot of dressing or cheese on it, as these can add a lot of hidden calories and sugar to your otherwise healthy meal. If you don’t see any healthy options on the menu, don’t be afraid to ask for healthier options or substitutions. Restaurant staff may be willing to accommodate you if you ask nicely.
