Is it possible to be addicted to junk food?

[LonesomeTriZ]

I am wondering if junk food can be addictive like the other really bad stuff like alcohol, tobacco, and reality TV. I have a bad heart and I know I have to eat healthy but every day I find myself in the chow hall being pulled in by the bacon cheese burgers like a fly to a bug zapper. I feel like one of those smokers that had a traciodomy saying “I have been smoking for years and I am just fine”. Is there any hope for me? :wondering

[ATC-Eric]

Heck no man, bacon is delicious!

[LonesomeTriZ]

And sex with hookers feels good, but is not good for you.

[firehart]

I'm suppose to take my heart medicine everyday too, but I don't. I was fine before they found the irregular beat. I had every test in the book and they still could not find out why I have it. I was probably born with it.

[LonesomeTriZ]

Oh I know very well where mine came from. I cannot get enough bad for me food. I am wondering if it is a slow form of suicide.

[firehart]

I love junk food too. But I did cut back on soda after the kidney stone.

[SYKO]

I barely touch that stuff, my health prevents me as well. If im being extremely active I will becouse I know im going to burn away most of the badness in it... but most of the time I stop for a snack I grab a banana.... (make jokes) an apple and a low cal drink.

[LonesomeTriZ]

I use to be that way. Now I cannot help myself. I use to be hard core against and junk food. Now, well I am weak.

DO you cup the apples while eating the banna?

[SYKO]

not any more I let melisa do it....:)

[LonesomeTriZ]

She does not like bannas.

[Dammit!]

but most of the time I stop for a snack I grab a banana....

:lol:



DO you cup the apples while eating the banna?

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[firehart]

Do you fantisize about the food and not Racheal Ray when watching the food network?

[SYKO]

She does not like bannas.

I know she likes plantains....:naughty:

:w00t:

[atctim]

Lonesome,

I am in your same boat- heart conditions - but love the bad foods - it is so hard to eat healthy all the time - or even 1/2 the time for that matter!

I would have to assume there are certain chemicals in the "taste good" but bad for you foods that make your brain want more more more - just like nicotine!

I believe if studies were done for obesity - like they are for tobacco and cancer - something along those lines would surface.

I think that - YES - you can be addicted to unhealthy junk foods!

[tecat-z]

I agree Tim... That's why we have such strong cravings for certain foods. And most of the strong cravings are for foods that are downright terrible for us. Just like cravings for tobacco, alcohol, etc. Instant satisfaction, but at what price? :wondering

[Triple B!]

YES, there have been studies, though I can't quote any at the moment about how addicting bad foods are, and the effect they have on our bodies in making us wants more of them.:drool:

http://addiction-dirkh.blogspot.com/2009/04/how-junk-food-works.html

this one is a short read, but kinda starts to shed some light on it.

[harryredtrike]

just take an asprin a day,should equal out:drool: bacon

[LonesomeTriZ]

I cannot help but wonder with today's technology, what can they not make healthy food tast like junk food? I use to be very dtronf when it came to avoiding it, but now it is my greatess weakness. how do smokers and alcoholics get over thier addictions? Maybe I should take some lessons.

[Triple B!]

Yeah TriZ, you need meetings...... acceptance is the first step towards recovery :)
We can skip the intervention because you already know you have a problem....

Seriously though I think you should find something other than junk food that's just as satisfying, maybe another kind of food or simply something else all together to take it's place.

[LonesomeTriZ]

I have been trying. I have found that other healthier stuff also tastes good on a hamburger bun.

[factoryX]

you can eat it, as long as your able to burn the extra fat. Also, it is okay if you have it, but make sure you eat other items like salads or chicken sandwhiches, etc...

Fact: Mc. Donalds is the most healthy fast food establishment in the U.S.A. with almost everything on there menu have 400mg of fat or less (however
if you live in a major city(portland, LA, new york, etc., I would not touch it, 2 words: food poisoning).



Fact: Out Back Steak House is one of the most unhealthy places to eat with almost everything on the menu having 1000mg of salt and having nothing under 1400mg of fat.

[Triple B!]

I have been trying. I have found that other healthier stuff also tastes good on a hamburger bun.

That's definitely a start, but I mean something else altogether... I know I am trying to take off some weight but it's really hard especially in the winter. I feel like I just mindless find things to snack on. I.E. if you do the same and munch on junk food because you're bored, find something different you can be doing to take your mind off of it...

...

...

like maybe another ATC project, perhaps... shens

[factoryX]

he is over seas...

[300rman]

i think my excessive snacking occurs when i am bored. whenever i have nothing to do, i find myself on a see-food diet.

i only think junk food is addictive when its around. if the bag of doritos is MIA, then you dont eat it. if its there, then you probably will eat half the bag.

now, if you sit around feigning for a dorito, then you may be addicted to junk food.

[factoryX]

now I want doritos...lame..

[outtaline]

can't tell me nothin I smoked my last smoke yesterday junkfood is the only safety net I have smoked for 15 years I swear I have spent $25 on junk food in the last 24hrs I'm tryin but my whole family smokes my wife quit a year ago and I'm pullin my hair out after 24hrs I don't see how people drop it over night

[300rman]

can't tell me nothin I smoked my last smoke yesterday junkfood is the only safety net I have smoked for 15 years I swear I have spent $25 on junk food in the last 24hrs I'm tryin but my whole family smokes my wife quit a year ago and I'm pullin my hair out after 24hrs I don't see how people drop it over night

my dad did it.....2 packs a day to nothing overnight.

he said the first week or so is the worst.

[Dirtcrasher]

Hmmm.......

I wake up wanting a bacon egg and cheese sandwhich.

Around noon I want a beer.

At about 8PM I'm STARVING and usually enjoy something with cheese and extra cheese and bacon :lol:

I love to wash it all down with little debbies, take 5 bars and or swiss cake rolls.

Then and only then have I had a craving filled day.

I think I'm pregnant......... Nah, I'm just a glutton and I should be 305 instead of 205 :lol:

But yes, I think junk food is absolutely addictive and makes you feel great in lieu of whatever else it is that may be bugging you.

[piroguedog]

The simple sugars and carbohydrates cause your body to crave more due to the short lived "up" that it gives you followed by a "down". Kinda like crack! With all the "swine flu" scares, i was reading where Sugar also causes an immediate decrease in immunity to germs in general. Very addicting. Try to stop eating sugar and carbs all at once if you are acustomed to a steady diet of it.

[LonesomeTriZ]

WHen I am not working on a investigation or some other duty that requires m attention I am thinking about snacking. I open the fridge in m office repeatidly thinking some how something I want to eat poped up in the last five minutes. I told Melissa that becuase I cannot do anthing else I want to do I may as well eat what I want. I think I have taken ot too far now. I doubt I can pass the physical requirements most law enforcement agancies have back home.

[factoryX]

whats your wieght? and what did you wiegh at around your early 20's?

[LonesomeTriZ]

I was a buck 80 of solid muscle in my ealry 20's. Now, um well I am solid no muscle now. I think I weigh 212.

[factoryX]

well your doing better than some people, are you active over there or do you sit behind a desk?

[LonesomeTriZ]

My new job require me to spend a lot of time behind my desk. I use to runn around a lot.

GOOD NEWS!!!! They now have a healthy bar at the chow hall. The have wraps, yogert and other good stuff. I noticed it on my way back from the pizza bar.

[Triple B!]

Great!! Hopefully you can snack on some things that are better for you instead. I know where I work it sucks because there's a lot of dessert foods like cakes, pies and ice cream [which makes it harder to make good chioces!] I think it should be easier to try now to instill better eating habits than when we get older and metabolism slows down.

Try to do something that can get you moving, if even for a little bit. It sucks being behind a desk probably, because you're probably not as active as you'd like. But maybe on some down-time or something you could lift some weights or do some cardio?:wondering

[LonesomeTriZ]

I was hitting the gym in the middle of my shift (Hey I am the boss who is going to say anything?) But stuff started coming up that required my attention.

By the way, I just had a chicken wrap for breakfast. It was quite tasty.

[firehart]

I need to cut back on coffee. By the end of the day I'm dragging.

[LonesomeTriZ]

I had to cut out RipIts for that very same reason.

[YAMA-MAMA]

I was a buck 80 of solid muscle in my ealry 20's. Now, um well I am solid no muscle now. I think I weigh 212.

Oh yes you were........... sorry for the late post to your thread dear. If youre having a craving drink a glass of water first, chances are you could be dehydrated. Drink a full glass of water before a meal as well if will fill you up some so youre not feeling as hungry after your first trip to the pizza bar you wont have to go back a 2nd time.

[LonesomeTriZ]

Yes dear...

[The Goat]

i don't know about junk food...but good food. good god.

shrimp and bacon pasta
triple chocolate banana pudding
jalepeno cheese bread

I swear cooking everyday rather than just buying fast food is killing me.

[LonesomeTriZ]

Shrimp and bacon?

[The Goat]

...I know what your'e thinking... but trust me on this one. lol

None of that storebought bacon, this was just thick cuts of fatty pork...cooked till almost done. set some oil aside, do your shrimp in this, half covered in black pepper and half in allspice. cook your onion and peppers in the leftover fat...smother it down. Make a roux...mix it all together and dump it over some pasta.

TRUST ME. lol

I'll post up the recipes we've been doing later this week. Good god we've been cooking like demons.

[LonesomeTriZ]

Maybe I can try some on my next R&R.