As I've become busy and distracted with study and work, I've had to rely on packaged prepared food to stay on track. Even these diet foods are full of sugar, salt and MSG, and have stimulated my appetite.

I went on a diet break a few days ago and now can't stop eating all the "bad" foods I denied myself.

It's going to be really tough to achieve my goal, living surrounded with highly addictive foods that will keep me fat. It's a toxic food environment we're struggling with - together with a lack of time, and a lack of truly healthy diet foods ready made, it's a recipe for disaster.

This goes far beyond calories in and out. Our environment shapes us far more than our individualistic culture likes to admit.

Has anyone else overcome this double bind to succeed in losing and keeping weight off whilst being too busy to cook?!

Just wanted to say I so agree with you.

All the processed food and sugar are killing us and keeping us fat.

I have no solution if you find it let me know.

The only I have found is not to eat any sugar or white products that turn to sugar. White bread, white rice etc.

My dr. told me that if you are strong and stay away from it for 21 days it makes it easier to abstain from eating sugar.

It does work I have done it but once you have one bite it is all down hill from there.

I've had that experience too Mam1958!
I've been fine once I stay away for about a fortnight.
But eating out, eating at family's house, 'just have one', 'would you like this' and it's just shoved in my face. They also think white rice is ok. (NOT!)

Must try again tomorrow. I was doing so well!
:'(

So true. The bad foods are so addictive. One day I gave myself some slack because I was sick and that was 2 months ago which has resulted in a 2 mos plateau because for everyday I eat really well the next I eat crap. I am trying to break that cycle but junk food is so addictive The best thing we can do is be aware. I've been keeping lots of veggies on hand. When I want a snack I think, "this banana is not going to help me out. I want fries" It does though and its quite tastey and I know its actually fueling my body. Its a hard cycle to break. Im only in the beginning of breaking this, but we can all make it happen
Good luck

Yes we can brake this cycle.

Sometimes I feel like an addict that needs their next fix it gets so bad.

If I don't eat what I want I will eat all around it unsatisfied, full, bloated and angry at myself.

YUG!!! and the cycle begins again.

LG

I heard the a term for it which is 'obesegenic environment'

I live and work in a city and sometimes it feels that the only food options available are junk! The worst thing is when you are eating it it tastes good but afterward you feel terrible....for me anyway.

I think advertising also has a part to play. It's so easy to pick up a ready meal but it's just as easy to pick up some fresh fruit (nature's fast food ) or yoghurt, scramble some eggs, toast some bread etc. Usually the foods that are best for us are not heavily advertised so sometimes we forget about them.

The vicious cycle is tough to break out of. Prepping meals for your work week on Sunday could be really beneficial to you. A crockpot may help.

Since I am basically lazy, I admit, I keep some of the following on hand for snacking, quick lunches:
Low Fat Cheese sticks
Turkey pepperoni
Pre-packed salad mix
Low fat low sugar yogurt
Celery sticks
Baby carrots
Thin sliced turkey/ham/beef for rollups with no bread
Swiss cheese slices for rollups
Deli mustard for rollups
No sugar added Fudgesickles
Sugar free jello
Sugar free pudding
Nuts - Almonds, peanuts, mixed nuts (just a few at a time)
High fiber cereal with low fat milk

Yes it is absolutely about planning ahead and keeping fruits on hand bc when you can't plan ahead a hodge podge of an apple a banana, some carrot sticks, a yogurt can make a great lunch.
To Mam1958, it is a total addiction. The chemicals in food work on our brain the same way chemicals in drugs do. Of course the crap food has more addictive qualities because they have so much preservatives. I used to be a big fast food junkie. I still am. One of my friends jokes and calls me "Drive-thru Kira." Im trying to jst be Kira again. Sometimes when I pass a McDonald's or wendy's my mouth starts to water and I can feel my heart rate increasing because of the anxiety of wanting "that fix." Unfortunately living in the suburbs of a city there is some fast food on every corner that I have to pass everyday. Sometimes I fail, but when I am really feeling like I need to stop in for nuggets or fries, but I dont and I drive pass it, I am annoyed for a little bit but the anxious feeling goes away and then I am able to say in that moment, " I won." Don't act like you don't talk to yourself when you are alone in the car sometimes...lol

Kiwi

I always talk to myself. Sometime I win sometimes I lose.

Thankfully I never got into the fast food. Growing up in the country there were no fast food restaurants. Actually there was only 2 restaurants bars in town. Family style.

So I have never gotten addicted to that TG. But everyday after work, I go by a great Country Farm store fruits veggies and BAKERY. That also has a great candy department the kind that is fresh not packaged ones. "Sigh" sometimes I win sometimes I don't.

I just need to NOT have it.(sugar).

LG

I know exactly what you mean! I first started by eliminating obvious sugars, e.g. cookies, muffins, candy, etc. I let that sink in for a few weeks and then I went after other refined carbs, e.g. pretzels, pasta, white bread (and bread in general). My body has detoxed enough that I'll eat any of those things once in a while, but definitely NEVER more than twice a week total (from any of them). I actually keep my indulging to the weekends because I don't think I have the discipline to intersperse them throughout the week. This way, I wake up Monday morning knowing that there won't be any M&M's in my day.

Having allowable easy snacks is probably the way to go. Here are a few that I allow myself.

1) wholly guacamole 100 calorie single servings. These are great. The high fat content helps stave off my hunger. In the beginning I had to eat two in a sitting. Now 1 satisfies me.

2) Cashews - I wish I liked almonds more, but I don't. So cashews it is.

3) Apples - I don't eat a ton of these, but if I really want a cookie, an apple will fill me up and give me the sugar I'm craving.

4) I also keep lots of frozen veggies in my fridge. No, you can't really take them on the go, but they're great if you come home and are hungry and need something fast. Just throw them in the microwave.

5) Purdue Shortcuts - these are great! I sometimes will dip them in my guac. That way I get protein and fat in a tasty combination.

Our culture and society perpetuates the do more, be more productive, achieve more mentality that can make cooking, and making healthy choices so difficult.
America is a fast paced society, that prides itself on quick fixes, especially stuff that relates to the body. In no other country is there such a focus on productivity at the exclusion of health.

Being at least aware of this is half the battle. Mindfulness is a growing trend and helpful in intentionally slowing things down and making you think about what you are doing, how you are feeling and what you need.

I know going unprepared for work is a recipe to hit the cafeteria where some of my favorite junk foods lie. I used to think I didn't have time to cook either, but I learned to re-arrange some of my off time to do meal prep for the week and have found this immensely helpful.

Now, if your so busy you can't squeeze out 4 or so hours a week for meal prep, then your probably riding the "immediacy wave" that is the core problem of this country and the reason we have the highest obesity rate. Part of taking care of yourself is looking at your life and occasionally re-prioritizing things and intentionally making time for your health.

That being said, some "quicker" meal fixes are:
Protein smoothies (just add fruit/veggies)
hard boiled eggs (my afternoon snack)
pre-cooked frozen diced chicken and frozen veggies
pre-packed salads for lunches (I suggest making your own dressing)
yogurt
sugar free desserts (popsicles, pudding)

My FI is also addicted to his pressure cooker, and makes brown rice and chicken or pork in under 30 min. He makes enough for lunches for a week.

I don't have much to say about the addiction bit other than I don't believe in it. For me it's a state of mind and learning to have a peaceful relationship with food. Back when I did think that I was addicted to "white food" I would try to abstain and as you all have pointed out the key to abstaining is abstaining forever because if you eat just one bite of something it leads to a downward spiral. Abstaining from any food causes me that so I abstain from abstaining.

Learning how to eat in moderation does take a lot of practice and requires a lot of internal work such as letting go of guilt, letting go of labeling food as good or bad, and allowing yourself to eat foods that make you feel guilty - as much as it takes to get the guilt out of your system. Can't say it was easy but it was necessary because I can be around any food now without feeling like it's calling my name and dragging me into a binge.

Making war with food causes an internal war that eventually does lead back to eating those very foods you try to abstain from. I don't know anyone who has been through that war and won.

What a great conversation happening here!

@Sonickel77, I wonder if you've ever read The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by Dr. David Kessler? Kessler's research confirms your insight that it is far more than calories in and out. This book was a real eye-opener for me and provided me with a much better understanding of why I couldn't/can't seem to break with processed food. He does a great job teasing out the sugar, fat, and salt connection as it relates to food desire.

@kiwi1222: Your description of how your body responds when you drive by a McDonald's or Wendy's could have come from Kessler's book. You describe this perfectly!


For anyone interested I've included the Amazon blurb and link:
http://www.amazon.com/The-End-Overea.../dp/1605294578

"In The End of Overeating, Dr. Kessler shows us how our brain chemistry has been hijacked by the foods we most love to eat: those that contain stimulating combinations of fat, sugar, and salt.


Drawn from the latest brain science as well as interviews with top physicians and food industry insiders, The End of Overeating exposes the food industry's aggressive marketing tactics and reveals shocking facts about how we lost control over food--and what we can do to get it back. For the millions of people struggling with their weight as well as those of us who simply can't seem to eat our favorite foods in moderation, Dr. Kessler's cutting-edge investigation offers valuable insights and practical answers for America's largest-ever public health crisis. There has never been a more thorough, compelling, or in-depth analysis of why we eat the way we do.
"In The End of Overeating, Dr. Kessler shows us how our brain chemistry has been hijacked by the foods we most love to eat: those that contain stimulating combinations of fat, sugar, and salt."

I love your profile photo. It is quite inspirational because it used to be me. In high school although I was very insecure about my body I was strong, flexible and en pointe. I guess always being in a leotard can make you feel uncomfortable