How to Give Up That Bad Eating Habit
Updated November 2023
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No one can say that they eat perfectly. I know I can’t. But I am at least aware now of what is both good and bad for my body. I can identify when I am craving bad food because I am bored, my sweet tooth is kicking in, or I just mentally think it is acceptable because of the occasion.
It is hard to tell yourself no when you really are craving that donut or drive by a Sonic, and the rest of the ride home, you can only think about burgers. But today, I want to give you a little guide on how to train your brain and taste buds to not give in.
Identifying the Problem
What is your weakness? What do you crave? Are you a stress eater? Do you reach for a bag of chips every time you are bored? Do you start to get a headache after a couple of hours without a soda? The amount of questions I could ask you is endless. But what is your worst eating habit that you don’t want to experience anymore?
The Most Common Weaknesses
Soda
Sugary drinks
Fast food
Fried food
Unhealthy snacks like chips
Bakery foods and ice cream
Sweets
Let’s Address Why You Are Doing It
There are multiple reasons why people eat unhealthy, and there are two sides to it: physical and mental. What I mean by physical is that your body has been trained to need that source. Your taste buds can be trained, and if you eat a lot of sugar regularly, then foods that are more healthy are going to taste blander than they actually are. This will lead you to need the sugar more because other things just won’t taste as good. With both caffeine and sugar, the body develops an addiction. You know that it is an addiction when you start to get headaches and intense cravings if you go one day without it.
As for mental, some people rely on food as a comfort. A lot of people who are severely obese today are so because they were in bad situations as a child, and food was their escape. They developed an addiction to this escape, and that is why the amount of food consumed increases over time and feels normal. There is also stress eating and eating when you are bored. To avoid these habits, you can find something else to occupy your time, go ahead and eat, but make sure that it is healthy food, or wait 30 minutes and really analyze if you need that food.
NOTE: If you are struggling with anorexia, binge eating, or another eating disorder, please reach out to your doctor or a specialist for professional help.
How Do You Stop Eating These Bad Foods?
I am going to use soda as an example because this is a common problem among Americans. Let’s say that I drink four sodas a day and cannot go a couple of hours without one before I start to get a headache, can’t concentrate, and can only think about how much I crave one. I grew up in a household where soda was consumed more than water, and it was normal to me.
The key is to not go cold turkey. The odds of going back to the old habit are a lot greater if you go cold turkey rather than easing off. You do not need to be a hero. Just take your time so that you can develop a new good habit that will last the rest of your life. It is a marathon, not a sprint.
Here is an example of how you could help yourself stop drinking soda:
WEEK 1
Day 1: 3 sodas
Day 2: 4 sodas
Day 3: 3 sodas
Day 4: 4 sodas
Day 5: 3 sodas
Day 6: 4 sodas
Day 7: 3 sodas
WEEK 2
Day 1: 2 sodas
Day 2: 3 sodas
Day 3: 2 sodas
Day 4: 3 sodas
Day 5: 2 sodas
Day 6: 3 sodas
Day 7: 2 sodas
WEEK 3
Day 1: 1 soda
Day 2: 2 sodas
Day 3: 1 soda
Day 4: 2 sodas
Day 5: 1 soda
Day 6: 2 sodas
Day 7: 1 soda
WEEK 4
Day 1: no soda
Day 2: 1 soda
Day 3: no soda
Day 4: 1 soda
Day 5: no soda
Day 6: 1 soda
Day 7: no soda
WEEK 5
Day 1: no soda
Day 2: healthy soda replacement
Day 3: no soda
Day 4: 1 soda
Day 5: no soda
Day 6: healthy soda replacement
Day 7: no soda
And then week 6, you can determine whether you want to continue with the healthy soda replacements or simply just go without. Yes, it would take five weeks, but that is not long compared to how long I would have been drinking soda beforehand. It is a simple process but you can follow this outline with anything you want to cut out of your diet!
