Okay, so I have something to tell you.
So you guys know how I’ve been doing this no soda thing. I haven’t cheated, not once–I swear!
But, well…
TheybuiltaMcDonald’srightdownthestreetfromworkandI’vebeengoingalmosteveryday.
There, I said it!
It’s seriously a rock throw a way from my job and I just can’t help it 😦
Last week I was going over paragraph structure with my students and I wrote an example to model what I wanted them to do. Here’s my example:
Yes, my paragraph was about how I’m and unhealthy person. And at least the first part isn’t true right this second. But the latter part of the paragraph is. I’ve gone to McDonald’s at least 3 times a week since work has started. I order lemonade instead of a soda but I know when my 100 days are up, I’ll be going back to getting my Coca-cola and addtional 300 calories.
Why can’t I just not eat there!?! Seriously, I’ve watched Super Size Me, Fast Food Nation. I’ve watched those YouTube videos where soda cleans a sink drain. I’ve seen pictures of how much sugar is in soda. I’ve seen pictures of how much I’d have to work out to burn the calories from my quarter pounder with cheese.
It’s done nothing.
HALP!!!!
–How do you control bad food cravings?
I know it’s okay to give yourself a break sometimes. But I’m beyond the occasional cheat day. Every day is cheat day. 😦
–Tips on ways to eat healthier??
–Confess something. Make me feel better.
LOL. Helly!!! I usually try and find a healthier substitution that is just as delicious – like you did with the lemonade. My current face is this: http://harvestsnaps.com/products/snapea-crisps-lightly-salted They’re amazing! And when I get sick of them, I’ll find something else. You can do it!! Kick that McDonalds habit!! 🙂
I’ll have to try that!
Hmm… that is a lot of fast food but it’s so tough to get out of a food craving rut, especially since you’re back to work in a new routine AND the mcdonalds is so close. My weakness is bagels, specifically an everything bagel with veggie cream cheese, which I go out for almost every single morning before work. I have perfectly good, healthy cereal at home but when I roll out of bed in the morning I just feel like I “deserve” to go out for breakfast and get my delicious bagel and coffee. I’ve been going almost every weekday this entire summer, so much so that the people in the bagel shop get my order started when they see my car pull into the lot!!
Have you thought about bringing your breakfast/lunch/snack to school so that you have to eat that instead of McDs? Sometimes the only thing that can get me to eat breakfast at home is if I buy something perishable that I HAVE to eat that week or else it will go bad and be a waste of $$. Sometimes that works, sometimes the bagel is still worth the waste! 🙂
Also, I think this is the first time in a while that I’ve had your blog open in a normal computer browser window so I just noticed your top “cover photo.” I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! What an epic shot of you at the grand canyon!!!
The perishable idea is AWESOME! I’m totally going to try that.
And thanks! It’s def one of my all time faves 😀
I also have no control over my food cravings! How do you control them?! I have no idea. One thing that helps me is that I bring a variety of food from home to keep at work so even if I am craving something funky I can curb it without having to run out and get it! (Laziness trumps food cravings) Here is my confession: I had mocha machiatto and chocolate doughnut for breakfast : ) and that was my 3rd mocha machiatto and 2nd doughnut of the week. and its only Wednesday.
Totally get the laziness! That’s one of the only things that keeps me from going–even with the new McDonald’s so close by–sometimes I just don’t want to leave my classroom! I have a mini fridge in my room that I should really stock with good, yummy food. I’m going grocery shopping today. Thanks for the inspiration!
Aaah food cravings. If I avoid something long enough the craving goes away – then the minute I decide to “treat myself” that first bite pulls me right back in. I’ve had to just decide which treats I enjoy more and stick to those. I like pizza and beer / wine. I’d rather have my favorite pizza than a Big Mac, so I “save myself” for pizza later in the week. I think if McDonald’s is your thing, let it be your thing on occasion and pack your lunch!!!
Confession? I ate a whole bag of Veggie Straws while watching Real Housewives of New Jersey last week. (Double Confession)
See, because there’s Veggie in the title, I’d totally think it’d be okay to eat the whole bag!
You know how people ask you “if you were stranded on an island and could only eat one food for the rest of you life, what would it be?” Yep McDonalds is my answer. Every.single.time. I’m a regular in my mcdonalds and my kids won’t even eat it. (They like the happy meal toys though). So I am in no position to help you out in this category. You are on your own…or in company however you want to look at it. 😉
You know, it does make me feel better knowing I’m not alone. ❤
Oh Poodle. I don’t judge. {Because I drink Diet Coke with Mt. Gay Rum like it’s water AND I AIN’T STOPPING.} Maybe try this: Don’t cut it out all together. Clearly, you enjoy it. And if you remove it entirely, we’ll find you in a dirty ball pit in McD’s bingeing on grub and Coke. You’ll also be covered in pink eye, but I digress. How about limiting it? Try once per week. Then every other. No bueno?
I def think limiting would help. I always do this though. I’m good for like a month at going once a week only but then I’ll treat myself for second day and then the next week I’ll treat myself again and then the next week….yeah…. 😦 I think having this blog helps though. Like writing it makes me sound like a crazy person and if I confess to everyone it’ll guilt me into not eating it as much lol! I’m a mess!
Be careful with the lemonade, it can have just as much sugar! As you know, I haven’t had soda since 1993. It was hard at first, but now I have ZERO desire for it. Stick with it! I actually gave up fast food joints about 7 years ago. I do miss egg mcmuffins though. Been thinking about getting one after a long run recently. Confessions though – lately my cheat meal/day has turned into a cheat weekend! I also have a weakness for sour cream onion dips. Can’t resist!
A part of me wants to continue the streak but I just lack the mental fortitude. I do think that I’ll be better at moderating my soda intake–I hope so anyway lol!
I was going to say, other drinks have just as much sugar as soda, if not more so be careful on the lemonade. I think it’s a mind game at this point. You know you are avoiding it so have found a substitute. And you just said when 100 days is up you’re going right back to Coke. So I guess I ask, why bother? Are you really trying to break your bad habits? I think you need to figure out why you feel it’s cheating and what you want to do about it versus cutting it all together. I’m not a soda drinker so don’t have much advice except everything in moderation!
I def do want to break my bad habits but it’s tough finding something that works long term. I feel like it’s cheating because I know I want to stop but don’t. I think cutting it all together would be “easier” because I feel like if I allowed myself to eat there even occasionally, I’d just keep doing it on the regular since I lack the discipline to only eat there “once in a while”. I’m bothering with trying to cut back/eliminate because I know it’s bad for me and I also want to prove to myself that I’m stronger than the “need” to drink soda and eat fast food. I think I really want to work on the moderation thing–it’s like I have an obsessive tie to fast food and soda.
I love your post! And I’m not kidding this was me 5 Years ago! I still drink soda and I love it! I try to only have it sometimes, but there are weeks where I have a coke everyday! To kick the habit of mcdonalds try a “cash on.y diet” give yourself $10 a week, leave your debit card at home and then when your out of money… No more mcdonalds! Its amazing to me how much I wanted my cash more than my fries, and I LOVE mcdonalds fries!! Good luck I know you can do it! It’s not even real meat anyway, have you seen the pink slime video?! That helped me 😜
I’ll have to check out this pink slime video!
Paying for McDonald’s is definitely something that does affect me. I totally feel guilty every time I pay because I know I spend so much money there. I think if anything, the money aspect is probably what would help the most in stopping me from going so much. I like your idea!
I want to know what it is about the soda that you like? The bubbles? The sugar? That might help you figure out how to avoid it.
Def the bubbles (carbonation), the sugar, and the caffeine. I’ve tried teas but don’t like them (or the ones I’ve tried). I’ve tried other carbonated drinks that aren’t soda but I somehow always revert back
You. are. such. a. teacher. You are hilarious. But I understand. Is it the calories, the habit, the sugar, the ritual? what is it that you are trying to stay away from, and what are you trying to replace? (haha I just realized other Sue said something similar). Because, if it is, you could try an alternative at first, and then wean back. Because, as we all know, cutting things out just makes you more likely to binge later, as is happening now. Good luck dear!
Habit, sugar, ritual. For a while I thought it was just holding a drink that I “needed” so I’d replace it with water but then it’s really the caffeine kick I crave. I’ve tried teas but don’t like them. I do like coffee and drink that in the morning but then I switch to sodas for caffeine in the afteroon.
Girl, THIS IS MY LIFE. Except without the McDonalds, thank god I don’t like it! My weakness is morning snacks. In Seward we don’t have fast food but we have tons of restaurants and we have discovered the yummiest food from all of them! My coworkers and I have eaten cheesecake at 10:00 am, breakfast sandwiches from the bakery, cinnamon rolls, day-old cookies left over from the boat tours, and so many sugary coffee drinks. I wish I had advice for you, but I don’t because this happens to me on a daily basis. Here is what I will say: you will eventually get sick of the food there, or have a stomach ache from eating it (this happened with me last week with cinnamon rolls). At that point you won’t want to eat it again because you know it hurt you. And that does help you stay away for a while. Sometimes I like to use mind tricks – like “I’ll be so proud of myself if I don’t go there” or “I will start blogging about all the food I ate this week and then I’ll have to stop because I can’t post that I ate that every day” but those only work when I’m feeling motivated. I’m going to creep on this post later and see what other people suggested! But I think if you’re anything like me you’ll have to cut it out for good. I can’t cut back on stuff – it never works! Good luck and maybe we can both stop being crazy eaters at work together!
Helly! You surprise me yet again! Mcdonalds is not so good and neither is soda! I do have to confess that I have a love for ice cream and eat it almost every day. I control bad cravings by drinking a lot of water and use greatist for lots of healthy tips!
We moved this summer and a McD’s is suddenly RIGHT near my house. A McFlurry after school every day?! Don’t mind if I do. I’m sure I’ll mind in a couple weeks when they catch up with me!
While reading this I was eating Lay’s. I hit McDonalds every day for a Diet Soda. My breakfasts and my lunches are all home packed and decent but I have a serious snack problem. Mostly Lay’s, it’s a problem. 🙂
Let’s talk. Hahaha You and Shane can BOTH be in my upcoming Clean Eating group. It’s 3 weeks long and will provide support, recipes, helpful tips, nutritional facts about the good for you foods etc. It starts the 1st and it’s $30. Check out the shop page on my blog for more details. Email me or message me on FB with questions! I’d love to help you tackle this!
I bought a bag of bite sized Reese’s Oreos at the ASU cafe the other day. I’ve only had 5 tiny oreos though, mainly because I felt regret immediately after I bought them.
Girl, I was the same way about a month ago! I don’t drink soda, but I loved the Hi-c orange drink from McDonalds. And I was craving Big Macs and chicken nuggets with sweet and sour sauce like they were the most precious foods on earth. Don’t get me started on the fries because I would eat a large and then the fries my kids didn’t eat.
I can safely say that I’m past all that now. I’m on day 25 of the Whole30 and my brain is completely rewired about food now. I was completely skeptical at first since it’s paleo to the extreme, and it’s hard, but I needed the structure to break my habits. I’m not having fast food cravings anymore. Do the zucchini runner’s clean eating challenge or something along those lines. Your body and mind will thank you.
Confession: During the Whole30 you can drink coconut water. I started using the Coconut water with Pineapple juice as my crutch for sweet drinks and I love my 2 yr olds stinky feet.
I hear ya on the craving something not good for you!! I crave salty snacks like popcorn and pretzels all the time!! I do try to buy the most clean, organic kind I can though without crazy artificial ingredients! You can probably do the same with soda! I’ve seen soda sweetened with cane sugar or even stevia. Or, what if you try sparkling water and add fruit to it or squeeze lemon or lime into it?
All I need to see is crackhead looking teeth and I don;t miss it. I’ve been soda free for years now and I honestly don’t miss it. JUST SAY NO! Ice cream? Well, that’s a whole other story……
Soda was the hardest thing for me to stop having so much, so I can definitely relate to this. Now, I’m able to go without it with the exceptions of holidays and sometimes at birthdays. I would try something along those lines. I know some people would probably shake their heads if they read that I thought it was okay to still have it, but I feel like its more realistic that way and it’s still making progress because your going from having it daily to maybe once or twice a month and you’ll be able to make it through the days without it by looking forward to when you can have it. Maybe one day we’ll both stop having it altogether…:) Good luck!! As for confessions, I am addicted to pastries. Scones, buttery muffins, donuts…haha my goal has definitely been to improve upon my post-race nutrition because I always feel like I deserve a treat…and really I still do think that so now I just make sure to at least have something nutritious afterward..along with my pastry lol..:)
Are you getting enough sodium after you run? I find after long, sweaty workouts or races, I crave McDonald’s Big Macs & fries (or worse, after running 3 races in 2 days, all I could think of was KFC) and I think it’s when I don’t get enough salt back into my system. I’m a pretty salty sweater.