Should you compleatly quit junk food?

Redchip26

Should you permanently quit junk food, or just have it every now and again? How often should you eat something unhealthy like some chocolate or something?

Kruite

Chocolate itself isn't unhealthy. It's the sugar added to it to make the final product sweet.

I would try to limit junk food to once a week

Sleep

Also it depends on your workout levels and schedules.

Goumindong

Yes, yes you should.

Yes I should as well.

You can get away with eating sweets but that is getting away with it. Exceptions are during intense activiety where the energy can immediately be used

Donovan Puppyfucker

No. Fuck it. Junk food is delicious. I have so few things in life that make me happy, how dare you tell me to eat less chocolate?!?

Styrofoam Sammich

You should give it all to me

Donkey Kong

We could all probably live a long heathy life eating low carb, low meat, no alcohol, very low sugar, mostly plant based diet. And exercising every day.

But at some point, and I say this with complete seriousness, not as a pithy jokey thing, at some point in this routine, what are you living for?

I say eat what you want as much as you are able without affecting your health more than you are willing. Understand the health effects of what you eat and make a conscious choice.

For most people, that means targeting a lifespan of 80-90 years. Keeping their saturated fat intake low enough so they don’t die of heart disease in their 50s, keeping their sugar intake low enough that they don’t develop type II diabetes, drinking a small enough amount that liver function stays normal. Working out and staying active so they can do all the a the activities they’d like to do. Visiting the doctor regularly enough to monitor all these things.

And otherwise indulging in all the great things life has to offer, like chocolate and chips and candy and cake and beer.

Enc

All things in moderation.

Except when you have a Pizza Party, then gorge as god intended.

Styrofoam Sammich

Styrofoam Sammich wrote: »

You should give it all to me

You might think this is dangerous, but don't worry. I have it on good authority if I eat all the junk food myself I'll ascend into some kind of Chaos-god higher form. Like Slaanesh, with chips.

Anyway, life is short, shitty, and unfair. The only morality is net human happiness. Literally eat Arbys.

Doobh

it's your life, your body

tyrannus

Not all things are good in moderation. If you are addicted to something maintaining a level of exposure could just lead to it getting worse. It's nice to enjoy a snack every now and then but it tends to ruin other healthier snacks. Like peanut butter and apples are a pretty filling snack and it can be pretty sweet but it's not nearly as sweet as a KitKat.

Viskod

There's nothing inherently wrong with "junk food" as a yummy means to just treat yourself now and then. How dangerous or addictive it can be depends on the individual as with many of humanities pleasure based vices. You can be in shape and perfectly healthy and still eat junk food on occasion.

RT800

I have this problem where if I eliminate all junk food from my diet I don't have any food left.

Polaritie

Unhealthy food tends to be cheaper iirc, which has societal impacts.

On a personal level yeah it's absolutely should but won't (completely), because I'm going to indulge.

Also chocolate.

Mild Confusion

There’s nothing wrong with just a little bit of junk food, you should definitely never binge on it or have meals revolve around it.

It’s actually really hard to quit for some people as the salt and sugar are very addictive. Humans evolved to crave the sugars and carbs since they are calorie heavy and our ancestors didn’t have a guaranteed meal like we do.

If you find it hard to stop cold turkey, it’s okay to have small amounts, just avoid the binge. Don’t stress if you fall back.

Heffling

Donkey Kong wrote: »

We could all probably live a long heathy life eating low carb, low meat, no alcohol, very low sugar, mostly plant based diet. And exercising every day.

But at some point, and I say this with complete seriousness, not as a pithy jokey thing, at some point in this routine, what are you living for?

I say eat what you want as much as you are able without affecting your health more than you are willing. Understand the health effects of what you eat and make a conscious choice.

For most people, that means targeting a lifespan of 80-90 years. Keeping their saturated fat intake low enough so they don’t die of heart disease in their 50s, keeping their sugar intake low enough that they don’t develop type II diabetes, drinking a small enough amount that liver function stays normal. Working out and staying active so they can do all the a the activities they’d like to do. Visiting the doctor regularly enough to monitor all these things.

And otherwise indulging in all the great things life has to offer, like chocolate and chips and candy and cake and beer.

I'm 41 and by the time I'm 67 I expect the retirement age to be pushed back to 75 or more, and by the time I'm 75 it will be 80. So my retirement plan is to have a heart attack in my mid 70's and I feel that both the junk food and stress at work are well on their way to making that happen.

shryke

Donkey Kong wrote: »

We could all probably live a long heathy life eating low carb, low meat, no alcohol, very low sugar, mostly plant based diet. And exercising every day.

But at some point, and I say this with complete seriousness, not as a pithy jokey thing, at some point in this routine, what are you living for?

I say eat what you want as much as you are able without affecting your health more than you are willing. Understand the health effects of what you eat and make a conscious choice.

For most people, that means targeting a lifespan of 80-90 years. Keeping their saturated fat intake low enough so they don’t die of heart disease in their 50s, keeping their sugar intake low enough that they don’t develop type II diabetes, drinking a small enough amount that liver function stays normal. Working out and staying active so they can do all the a the activities they’d like to do. Visiting the doctor regularly enough to monitor all these things.

And otherwise indulging in all the great things life has to offer, like chocolate and chips and candy and cake and beer.

My approach has been "Less but better quality junk". Low-fat and low-sugar and any of that bullshit in desserts and the like are just you fooling yourself. Get something you can really enjoy and just have less or have it less often.

Zek

There's nothing wrong with it if you can eat it in moderation, same with sugar. But for some people it's addictive to the point you're better off going cold turkey and retraining your taste buds not to crave it anymore. Everyone is different.

CelestialBadger

Heffling wrote: »

Donkey Kong wrote: »

We could all probably live a long heathy life eating low carb, low meat, no alcohol, very low sugar, mostly plant based diet. And exercising every day.

But at some point, and I say this with complete seriousness, not as a pithy jokey thing, at some point in this routine, what are you living for?

I say eat what you want as much as you are able without affecting your health more than you are willing. Understand the health effects of what you eat and make a conscious choice.

For most people, that means targeting a lifespan of 80-90 years. Keeping their saturated fat intake low enough so they don’t die of heart disease in their 50s, keeping their sugar intake low enough that they don’t develop type II diabetes, drinking a small enough amount that liver function stays normal. Working out and staying active so they can do all the a the activities they’d like to do. Visiting the doctor regularly enough to monitor all these things.

And otherwise indulging in all the great things life has to offer, like chocolate and chips and candy and cake and beer.

I'm 41 and by the time I'm 67 I expect the retirement age to be pushed back to 75 or more, and by the time I'm 75 it will be 80. So my retirement plan is to have a heart attack in my mid 70's and I feel that both the junk food and stress at work are well on their way to making that happen.

The problem with that plan is that heart attacks tend to be survivable these days due to advances in medicine, but they leave you weakened and needing to take it easy.

fRAWRst

I have cut down junk food almost completely in the last year or so

ill go to town on a bag of pretzels now and then

but im down 30 pounds so hey

RT800

I cut out a lot of sugar in my diet.

And replaced it with artificial sweeteners that are probably worse.

Mortious

Donkey Kong wrote: »

We could all probably live a long heathy life eating low carb, low meat, no alcohol, very low sugar, mostly plant based diet. And exercising every day.

But at some point, and I say this with complete seriousness, not as a pithy jokey thing, at some point in this routine, what are you living for?

I say eat what you want as much as you are able without affecting your health more than you are willing. Understand the health effects of what you eat and make a conscious choice.

For most people, that means targeting a lifespan of 80-90 years. Keeping their saturated fat intake low enough so they don’t die of heart disease in their 50s, keeping their sugar intake low enough that they don’t develop type II diabetes, drinking a small enough amount that liver function stays normal. Working out and staying active so they can do all the a the activities they’d like to do. Visiting the doctor regularly enough to monitor all these things.

And otherwise indulging in all the great things life has to offer, like chocolate and chips and candy and cake and beer.

My method, at least with snacks/cakes etc, was to stop buying them at the store, and to make them myself.

While not the main reason, it does allow me to more finely control the amounts of sugar/fats in them. Also tastes better to be honest.

Khraul

I recently decided to make some changes. I'm already in pretty good shape, but maaaaaan have I got a sweet tooth.

I've cut way back on carbs, cut out sugar as much as humanly possible (steak sauce = yes / gummy bears = no), and sticking to a diet that's full of meat and veggies.

I feel a lot better than a couple months ago. It takes monstrous willpower to cut down on fast food, as it's convenient and delicious, but I've lost a few extra pounds without really trying which is nice.

I get a cheat day every week where I eat something less than healthy in moderate proportions. Usually pizza, because it's the best food on earth.

wandering

Based on this thread and your previous thread I recommend doing some research into, and talking to a medical professional about, eating disorders

Behavioral symptoms of anorexia may include attempts to lose weight by:

-Severely restricting food intake through dieting or fasting
-Exercising excessively
-Bingeing and self-induced vomiting to get rid of food, which may include the use of laxatives, enemas, diet aids or herbal products

Emotional and behavioral signs and symptoms may include:

-Preoccupation with food, which sometimes includes cooking elaborate meals for others but not eating them
-Frequently skipping meals or refusing to eat
-Denial of hunger or making excuses for not eating
-Eating only a few certain "safe" foods, usually those low in fat and calories
-Adopting rigid meal or eating rituals, such as spitting food out after chewing
-Not wanting to eat in public
-Lying about how much food has been eaten
-Fear of gaining weight that may include repeated weighing or measuring the body
-Frequent checking in the mirror for perceived flaws
-Complaining about being fat or having parts of the body that are fat
-Covering up in layers of clothing
-Flat mood (lack of emotion)
-Social withdrawal
-Irritability
-Insomnia
-Reduced interest in sex

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anorexia-nervosa/symptoms-causes/syc-20353591

ElJeffe

I've made it a habit of letting myself eat whatever crazy ass foods I want, but just moderating how much I consume of them. Like, I'm not going to eat sugar free, fat free ice cream, screw that, it's gross. I'll eat Haagen Dazs, but I'll have a small scoop and I'm not having that every day. If I want a burger, I'll eat a real burger, but mostly I'll eat lean meats and vegetables.

I find it easier to meet my cravings half way. I'm never jonesing for something unhealthy, because i'm never at a point where i'm like OMIGOD I HAVEN'T EATEN A FRENCH FRY IN SIX MONTHS, MUST EAT ALL THE FRIES EVER.

Like was said above, if the only way to live to 100 is to give up everything good, fuck it, I'll just live to 80 and die with a reasonably sized ice cream cone in my hand.

Calica

I have depression. I treat it with therapy and medication; but some days it still kicks my ass to such a degree that I barely have energy to eat, let alone cook. On those days I often eat junk food because at that point, any calories are better than no calories. (I do mostly stick to "real" food, though, as opposed to processed. I'd rather eat a cheeseburger whose ingredients I can recognize than an inscrutable sandwich meat.)

silence1186

I'd like to, but I don't have the money to buy good food or the time to prepare it.

Nobeard

I agree with what's been said so far. Moderation is the best approach. A reason I've not seen mentioned is that it has the highest rate of success if your goal is to lose weight and get healthy. Stopping cold turkey (mmmm, cold deli sliced turkey) is just setting yourself up for a backslide binge.

There is one thing for which there is a good argument to cut out entirely: soda. It's heavily processed, the most empty of calories, and is poison for your teeth. On top of being flavored sugar, many kinds have a straight up addictive drug added. I drastically reduced my soda intake a few years ago, and my weight gradually dropped about 10 pounds. Note this is a stable loss. It's not tremendously hard to lose weight, but it's nearly impossible to stabilize and maintain a lower weight longterm.

MrVyngaard

Cut it out entirely and break free of the addictive amounts of sugar/fat/salt in it.

Exercise in moderation and make sure to consult a credible nutritionist to help you build a good meal plan.

Eventually you'll wonder what the appeal was and find yourself avoiding it for being too sweet or too salty or just plain shitty.

surrealitycheck

you should completely quit junk food, as it has poor nutritional value and uninspired taste.

since giving up lettuce, broccoli and courgette in 2017 i have gained the ability to see through walls and

Dronus86

There are a great many things I should do.

I do very few of them, because I am spoiled and free to make mistakes.

Actually, most the things I do are mistakes anyway.

electricitylikesme

Yes.

Stop going to fast food entirely.

Limit eating out (restaurants love to add tons of oil to things to get the taste).

Don't keep biscuits or sweets in your house.

Don't add sugar to coffee or tea.

Cut the sugar in recipes for things by about at least a third up to a half.

If you enjoy peanut butter, switch to a sugar-free/salt-free one and get through 2 weeks till you stop noticing the difference.

EDIT: You'll basically not notice any of these once you do them. Turns out (in my experience) our diet is so saturated with added sugars that eliminating some major sources makes anything with any amount of sweetness taste incredibly sweet (without drowning the flavor profile entirely).

Bliss 101

I'm not sure "quitting" is the right approach though. Just try to eat less junk food. Steering yourself in a preferred direction works better than denying yourself things you like.

Some years ago, I realized I was about to become a fat, middle aged gay man with aching joints, constant heartburn, nasty sleep apnea, and no prospects of romance. So I decided to start exercising a little and eat a little healthier food. I also wanted to reduce my meat consumption for environmental and animal welfare reasons, so I focused more on eating veggies, fish, and free-range poultry. I do love cooking, and I quickly discovered that you can easily make really delicious food that's both healthy and inexpensive. I still eat junk food occasionally, mostly when it happens to be the only convenient option at airports or wherever, but I find that my tastes have changed. These days, if I go to a fast food chain, what used to taste fantastic is now greasy and gross, so I find myself avoiding those places as much as possible. So it's been kind of a natural process.

lazegamer

Polaritie wrote: »

Unhealthy food tends to be cheaper iirc, which has societal impacts.

On a personal level yeah it's absolutely should but won't (completely), because I'm going to indulge.

Also chocolate.

https://efficiencyiseverything.com/calorie-per-dollar-list/

Plenty of healthy foods that are cheaper than junk/fast food that require very few tools, time, or skill.

A days worth of calories in white rice is roughly $0.41.
A days worth of calories in peanut butter is roughly $1.25.
A days worth of calories in milk is roughly $1.37.

It's just a lot more fun to eat ramen, soda, mac & cheese, and take out.

Calica

lazegamer wrote: »

Polaritie wrote: »

Unhealthy food tends to be cheaper iirc, which has societal impacts.

On a personal level yeah it's absolutely should but won't (completely), because I'm going to indulge.

Also chocolate.

https://efficiencyiseverything.com/calorie-per-dollar-list/

Plenty of healthy foods that are cheaper than junk/fast food that require very few tools, time, or skill.

A days worth of calories in white rice is roughly $0.41.
A days worth of calories in peanut butter is roughly $1.25.
A days worth of calories in milk is roughly $1.37.

It's just a lot more fun to eat ramen, soda, mac & cheese, and take out.

Homemade mac & cheese doesn't have to be bad for you.

lazegamer

Calica wrote: »

lazegamer wrote: »

Polaritie wrote: »

Unhealthy food tends to be cheaper iirc, which has societal impacts.

On a personal level yeah it's absolutely should but won't (completely), because I'm going to indulge.

Also chocolate.

https://efficiencyiseverything.com/calorie-per-dollar-list/

Plenty of healthy foods that are cheaper than junk/fast food that require very few tools, time, or skill.

A days worth of calories in white rice is roughly $0.41.
A days worth of calories in peanut butter is roughly $1.25.
A days worth of calories in milk is roughly $1.37.

It's just a lot more fun to eat ramen, soda, mac & cheese, and take out.

Homemade mac & cheese doesn't have to be bad for you.

That's true! However, when I eat mac & cheese I'm going to revel in the indulgence of it. The cheap stuff from the box is my favorite; we were pretty poor when I was a child so we ate a lot of kraft and hotdogs and it definitely hits the nostalgia button pretty hard.

CelestialBadger

Calica wrote: »

lazegamer wrote: »

Polaritie wrote: »

Unhealthy food tends to be cheaper iirc, which has societal impacts.

On a personal level yeah it's absolutely should but won't (completely), because I'm going to indulge.

Also chocolate.

https://efficiencyiseverything.com/calorie-per-dollar-list/

Plenty of healthy foods that are cheaper than junk/fast food that require very few tools, time, or skill.

A days worth of calories in white rice is roughly $0.41.
A days worth of calories in peanut butter is roughly $1.25.
A days worth of calories in milk is roughly $1.37.

It's just a lot more fun to eat ramen, soda, mac & cheese, and take out.

Homemade mac & cheese doesn't have to be bad for you.

I dunno, I make that sometimes and it's mostly pasta and cheese - not health foods by any means. Less chemicals I guess.

Inkstain82

God help me I’m gonna try. I made it through 2017 without a single soda, then backslid in 2018.

For 2019 I’m doubling down with no soda and no sweets

Inkstain82

The cheapness of healthy food is highly situational.

If you have access to a good grocery store, a well-equipped kitchen and adequate storage, it can be more frugal to eat healthy. But not everyone has that situation.

Metzger Meister

we're here for a good time, not a long one. eat that fried clam basket. eat that king sized candy bar.

eat at arby's.

edit: you know what, i'm not even having a good time! all i have is just a time now. so i might as well get the free breadsticks with my pizza because at least that'll probably be good relative to literally the rest of everything in the world right now.

Styrofoam Sammich

Inkstain82 wrote: »

The cheapness of healthy food is highly situational.

If you have access to a good grocery store, a well-equipped kitchen and adequate storage, it can be more frugal to eat healthy. But not everyone has that situation.

A lot of places where the dollar store is the closest thing to a grocery store