
Ask HN: Food hacks for eating well? - haliax
I keep getting cravings for foods (chocolate, nachos, soda, you name it) that I'm trying to avoid because I know they're unhealthy, and their more nutritional replacements aren't hitting the spot. I know that junk food is engineered to be craved, so I'm wondering if anyone has managed to make the good stuff crave-inducing.
======
mattmaroon
My wife has dealt with this problem. I did some research and here's what I
found.

Carbohydrates (and pretty much anything else addictive) are "crave-inducing"
because of a physiological reaction they cause. It triggers chemicals in your
body and brain, not at all unlike cigarettes or other drugs. For refined
carbs, it's insulin in the blood, which is followed by serotonin in the brain.
The serotonin creates a relaxing effect.

It would be easy to engineer any food to have this effect by adding some sort
of drug to it. Sprinkle some heroin on broccoli and you'll probably start
craving that pretty quickly. Obviously though, you don't want that. What you
want is to have no craving at all.

There's a good chance that your brain is not producing enough serotonin
without the carbohydrates. This could be due to a number of things, lack of
sleep, exercise, or even sunlight, too much stress, chronic depression. Sadly
eating carbs produces bursts of serotonin followed by a deficit, so it becomes
a self-perpetuating cycle. Once some other factor gets you into the cycle, the
carbs themselves will keep you there.

Assuming there aren't deeper factors at play, the following may help:

1\. Don't eat any refined carbs for a month. Keep unrefined ones to a minimum
as well.

2\. Get exercise, sleep, and spend time outside where possible.

As for #1, it's much easier to accomplish this at the grocery store than at
home. A Snickers bar is a lot less difficult to ignore on a shelf at the store
than on a shelf in your pantry. Never go to the store when hungry.

All of this assumes that you don't have some deeper mental health issue at
play. Overeating is often a method of self-sabotage employed by people who are
depressed, in which case you may need professional help. But I'd at least try
cutting out carbs first because it's free and can't really hurt.

~~~
mitjak
I've been curious about this for a while: how would one cut out carbs? They're
the most easily absorbable form of energy available. Without carbs you would
have to bring in energy in the form of fats which can't be good in the long
run.

~~~
nrs
You don't have to cut out carbohydrates; just REFINED carbohydrates.

Refined carbohydrates cause an unhealthy "spike" in blood insulin levels. It's
the insulin drop that is felt as a "craving." The body "craves" an insulin
spike.

And fats aren't bad for you. You need them to live. In general, your diet
should be around 40/30/30 Carb/Fat/Protein.

There are tons of articles out there on how to eat properly but I've been
paying a lot of attention to Robb Wolf lately. He has been getting some pretty
impressive results with his recommendations.

------
edw519
Your cravings are a signal from your body that something is wrong. You need to
address the cause (whatever it is) and not the effect (the cravings).

Unfortunately, the cause may be difficult to determine.

Fortunately, there is a great hack that probably addresses the cause: fruit.
Lots of fruit. Always raw. Preferably on an empty stomach. Not too much
variety.

Fruit is loaded with just about every nutrient your body wants, many of them
difficult to get any other way. Chances are that if you're not eating enough
fruit, your body needs nutrition and these needs manifest themselves in your
cravings.

It works for me. I've been eating lots of fruit for years, and the only time I
crave junk food is when I haven't eaten enough fruit earlier in the day. For
long coding sessions, I always keep plenty of the hacker's perfect snack,
bananas, on hand: the almost perfect food, self-contained, needs no
refrigeration or preparation.

[Written while munching on some delicious fresh sweet watermelon. No junk food
could compare to this.]

~~~
evo_9
The problem with this advice is it doesn't take onto count the Glycemic index
of the fruit. Case in point - Watermelon and Pineapple. While it seems
reasonable to say eat as much fruit as you want, both these items very high
glycemic values - above 85 out of a 100 point scale.

Why does this matter? High glycemic foods cause a spike in your blood sugar -
this causes hunger, among other things.

The best 'hack' to controlling your hunger is to manage your blood sugar
level. By avoiding high glycemic value foods you will curb your hungry. By
eating low GI foods you will eliminate your hungry whenever you want. low
glycemic value foods have the opposite effect - this is the way to completely
control your hunger as I do.

For example, I eat a handful (about 8-12) Almonds when I'm hungry (esp. at
night). Almonds have a very low glycemic index, and just eating a small amount
will stop your hungry/craving. But it's not just almonds - any low GI value
food will have this effect.

Some other suggestions on great low GI snacks:

Apples, Cherries, Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Grapes, Peaches

Non-Fruit low GI:

Almonds (but not all nuts), Yogurt, Lean Chicken/Turkey, Tuna, Black Beans,
Brown Rice (much better than White Rice),

High Glycemic Foods:

Refined sugars (aka anything baked), Watermelon, Pineapple, Jams, Bananas

Keep in mind you shouldn't try to eliminate these foods, but if you are
cutting weight then it's good to avoid eating too much of a high GI item to
manage your hungry. Personally I try to avoid them still (after losing/getting
back into shape), because I never have a desire to binge out anymore.

Incidentally, I recently lost over 24 pounds in 6.5 weeks using these food
hacks. I also started playing hockey again (one of the hardest, most thorough
workouts out there it turns out), and that caused me to want to be in better
shape, so now I'm working out a lot more too. I'd suggest adding in activities
you love, hiking, mountain biking - whatever it is just be more active.

Anyway, I discovered this GI 'hack' from my biz partner who is a gym owner and
a nationally ranked crossfit athlete, hope that helps!

Good luck!

~~~
illumin8
Best comment I've read the entire thread - people don't realize that the GI of
carbs is the most important factor to weight loss. Managing blood sugar and
keeping a steady, non-spiking blood sugar level will result in pretty much
automatic weight loss, without even having to diet.

My snacks are usually a small handful of almonds and a piece of fruit. Also,
you can combine a somewhat high GI fruit like an apple with a handful of nuts,
and the fat content will end up lowering the speed at which your body will
absorb the sugar from the fruit, which evens out your blood sugar level. There
are other fibrous foods that will do this as well.

~~~
Jake541
Yet you contradicted him. Are apples low or high GI?

Thanks for both of your comments. They were enlightening.

~~~
Gonsalu
<http://nutritiondata.self.com/topics/glycemic-index#values>

I'd say average. Bananas don't have an high GI either, it seems.

------
sprout
Only eat food at meals. Eat as much as you like at first, just do not eat
except at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You may have to start taking a little
more time for breakfast.

Within a couple weeks your body will be very acclimated to this schedule, and
you will not want to eat except at meals. Once the cravings have stopped,
focus on improving the quality of what you're eating. When you're cooking for
yourself (and you should) play with how little oil and salt you can use and
still enjoy your meal. Reduce portion sizes.

If the cravings return, maybe you eat a little more at your next meal. Maybe
they're small enough (and you used enough to your new schedule) that you just
don't. Habit is a very powerful thing. Right now, you're habitually snacking.
Turn that on its head.

Oh, and it helps if you're eating with other people, especially if they eat
quickly, because you will feel social pressure to wrap it up.

------
noelwelsh
From the foods you describe I'm guessing you are used to eating quite a large
amount of sugar. You don't mention, for example, craving steak. (Mmmm....steak
:)

If "nutritional replacements aren't hitting the spot" it might just be that
you're ingesting fewer calories and are hence hungry. Junk food tends to be
very energy dense so you have to eat a larger volume to maintain the same
amount of energy coming in.

One way to blunt sugar cravings is to exercise. Particularly if you're a lard
arse your insulin response can go out of wack. Exercising depletes muscle
glycogen which can help bring things back to normal. You can find out a whole
lot more here: [http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/training-the-
obese...](http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/training-the-obese-
beginner.html)

Another way to blunt sugar cravings is to fast. You'll find various people
promoting "intermittent fasting". Basically, don't eat for about 12 hours.
Fairly simple to say; may not be simple to do.

Also, make sure you're eating plenty of protein and fat. Don't just replace
one pile of carbohydrates with another (e.g. nachos with bread). If you do
this you'll stay on the sugar treadmill.

I hope that is useful.

------
extension
I think what makes food so difficult for hackers, in general, is having to
_think_ about it all the time. We hate anything that constantly demands our
attention and isn't a core interest. Such things will always seem impossibly
difficult and ultimately be neglected.

Thus, the general strategy is to form _mindless_ habits that are healthy.
Supplements are made for this kind of habitual consumption. They are simple to
prepare, come in bulk, and are so boring that after a while, you don't even
think of them as food; but you _do_ crave them every day due to the healthy
feedback loop.

In your case, you probably want some kind of meal replacement shake that gives
your body whatever it is craving with maximal collateral healthiness. I don't
know what that is though, so you'll have to turn to science.

IMHO exercising more is always going to be easier than eating less, and the
trick to that is the same: form monotonous habits. Repetition, obsession, and
ultimately sweet oblivion.

------
paulsb
Hmmm, where to start:

\- Switch out junk food for healthier snacks (dark chocolate, nuts, (dried)
fruit). Over time your tolerance for junk food will go down and you will want
less of it;

\- If you really want a hit of junk food, just have it. There is no point
dwelling on it. I will have one piece of sugary food with my coffee at around
10:00, which keeps me satisfied. Sometimes I binge out after not having a lot
for so long (months), but when your tolerance for processed food goes down you
will stop much sooner (through a mixture of guilt and physiological
repulsion);

\- If you want sugar, eat 'good' sugar, i.e. fruit;

\- Have a bowl of healthy nibbles lying around to munch on when walking past.
I always have grapes and nuts in the kitchen that I pick at;

\- Always eat breakfast. I have mine as soon as wake-up;

\- Cook your own meals and don't eat processed food;

\- Drink water rather than carbonated drinks;

\- Eat smaller meals more often. I try to eat something every three hours;

\- Follow the Japanese (I think) philosophy of eating until only 80% full, not
bursting at the seams. For me the ideal amount of food is a cereal bowl worth
of food;

\- Have a drink about 30 - 60 mins after you have eaten, not during a meal.
This helps to top-up the fullness feeling and also allows food to be digested
more efficiently before the digestive enzymes get diluted by a drink;

\- Don't try and justify eating rubbish by doing exercise. You are what you
eat.

The end result is that people always tell me I am too skinny even though I eat
a lot. I don't need to do that much exercise because my diet is good. When I
do go out for dinner and/or drinks I can indulge without guilt.

~~~
mian2zi3
> Have a drink about 30 - 60 mins after you have eaten, not during a meal.
> This ... allows food to be digested more efficiently before the digestive
> enzymes get diluted by a drink

I hear this claim a lot and it always sounds simplistic. The most reliable
refutation a quick google turned up was:

<http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/digestion/AN01776/>

from a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic. I quote:

"There's no concern that water will dilute the digestive juices or interfere
with digestion. In fact, drinking water during or after a meal can actually
improve digestion. Water and other liquids help break down the food in your
stomach and keep your digestive system on track."

Food stays in your stomach as long as 5 hours. Water must get absorbed/passed
on much more quickly. (I couldn't find numbers.) I imagine your stomach is
pretty smart about maintaining a proper environment for digestion.

~~~
paulsb
I am not sure if it's 100% true or not. I was told to do this by a
nutritionist because I was drinking a pint at a time. I would drink this all
in one go, but I imagine sipping would be fine. But drinking later ensures
that I don't feel uncomfortably full.

But surely a large, sudden, water intake will dilute the stomach (not
intestine where most of the nutrients are absorbed) juices and pH?

~~~
niels_olson
doc here: anything remotely close to normal water intake will not effect the
efficacy of the digestive process. A big slug of cold water might be a skosh
uncomfortable, but I've never heard of water intake causing diarrhea.

~~~
dctoedt
> A skosh uncomfortable

Are you military or ex-military, by any chance? They're the only other people
I've ever heard use "skosh" (from the Japanese _skoshi_ , a small space or
time). (I'm an Air Force brat and Navy vet.) EDIT: Looks like you might be a
Navy doc?

------
santry
I've been able to eliminate cravings for the bad stuff which, for me, has had
the same benefit as making the good stuff crave-inducing.

To do this I:

1\. Eliminated all artificial sweeteners. This meant quitting Diet Coke and
using delicious local honey instead of Splenda in my tea.

2\. After 2 or 3 weeks of no artificial sweeteners I stopped eating sugary
foods. No more candy, doughnuts, cakes, or other sweet baked goods. I still
allow myself honey in tea and whole fruit, but no fruit juices.

Four months later—and without further dietary changes or the addition of
exercise—I've lost more than 30 pounds. I still eat bread, pasta,
cheeseburgers, fried chicken, etc. But I eat less because I have less
appetite, and I never have a craving for sweet things. A month after quitting
sugar I took a bite of crème brûlée to see if my tastes had changed. This
dessert, which I had always loved, now seemed so cloying I could barely
swallow it. Interestingly, whole fruit now tastes so much better than it ever
has, with just the right amount of natural sweetness.

More importantly, this relatively slow rate of weight loss feels sustainable.
The dietary changes also feel permanent. I'm not on a weight-loss diet, I've
made my diet more healthy.

My untested hypothesis is that I had been so used to the overwhelming
sweetness of artificial sweeteners that my tastes were altered such that I
always craved sweet. By eliminating the hyper-sweet stuff, my tastes changed
enough that I could more easily take the further step of eliminating refined
sugar. I imagine this has resulted in more stable blood sugar levels and a
corresponding decrease in cravings and overall appetite.

I'd love to hear about others' experiences.

~~~
niels_olson
> My untested hypothesis is that I had been so used to the overwhelming
> sweetness of artificial sweeteners that my tastes were altered such that I
> always craved sweet.

Not likely, though backing off on the sweets probably did improve your ability
to appreciate the broader range of normal sweet. The reduction of cravings is
probably more related to stable blood sugar.

------
Sukotto
Personally, I have to have clear, simple, and hard-edged rules when it comes
to my eating diet. If I give myself any wiggle room, I find myself wiggling
more and more until I'm back where I started.

I've had great success cutting back on junk by following Reinhard Engels' "No
S" diet. <http://nosdiet.com/>

    
    
      No Snacks
      No Sweets
      No Seconds
      Except, sometimes, on "S" days
    

(Where "S Day" is defined as "Saturday, Sunday, or special cultural or
religious event)

\--

If that doesn't work for you, here are some other hacks I or people I know
have used with success.

\- remove all junk food from your home

\- don't buy any when you go grocery shopping

\- stop hanging out places where there are a lot of snacks

\- Set up a Seinfeld chain [http://lifehacker.com/281626/jerry-seinfelds-
productivity-se...](http://lifehacker.com/281626/jerry-seinfelds-productivity-
secret) (Personally I use <http://joesgoals.com> and keep a chart widget on my
igoogle page)

\- if you simply _must_ snack... then figure out what snacks are compatible
with your diet and put them on the top shelf of your fridge and in the deli
drawer... the first place you look for a snack when you open the door.

\- tell all your friends that if they catch you eating junk food then you will
give them $1,000 (or some other painfully large amount). (Just remember
Inspector Clouseau and make sure you have a halting condition)

\- if your friends try to sabotage you then drop those jerks. It's not funny,
it's not "a joke"... it's getting backstabbed by someone you thought you could
trust. Life's too short to put up with that shit

~~~
niels_olson
As a doc, glad to see some people in the community thinking right about this.
This is overall pretty good advice. I would add the best snacks are nuts and
cheese, or other high-fat, high-protein, low carbohydrate foods.

I like the idea of a chart widget.

I would avoid most bread, including flat breads and crackers. The occasional
tortilla for a wrap is ok. I would definitely avoid rice, pasta, and potatoes.
If you eat sushi, consider sashimi.

Don't ask your spouse to provide the negative feedback, ambivalent co-workers
might be best.

~~~
gaoshan
>I would definitely avoid rice...

Ever live in a Chinese household? If rice is so bad why do so many of the
hundreds of millions of people who eat it 2 or even 3 times a day remain
skinny and trim (Rice. Not the things that can go with it, not the ways it can
be prepared or abused... just rice)? This is such a non-starter I don't even
know where to... start.

~~~
larsberg
Because Chinese people (at least the skinny+trim ones) have a single, small
bowl of rice and eat tons of veggies and then a few pieces of meat.

Not the Amero-Chinese style half-plate of rice with a heaping of fatty meat
cut, slathered in some sauce composed of half-salt half-cooking oil, with a
few veggies thrown in for "color."

~~~
gaoshan
If the problem is fatty meat or oil and salt or other junk people eat with
rice then why tell people "Don't eat rice"?

It isn't the rice that's bad, it's the stuff people eat with it yet I
repeatedly see people say "don't eat rice" and frankly, I think that's a load
of bull. Don't blame rice for bad American eating habits.

~~~
kareemm
The problem isn't rice. If you're asking about optimal nutrition, rice is
_one_ of the things to cut out, in addition to processed foods, sodium, sugar
(the biggest problem), grains, etc.

More here:

[http://crossfitoptimumperformance.com/index.php?view=article...](http://crossfitoptimumperformance.com/index.php?view=article&id=317:paleolithic-
nutrition&format=pdf)

------
tomwalker
A good place to start is to remove "junk" from your diet. In the past,
chocolate/candy etc was considered a treat and we should all go back to
thinking that way.

Next up is hydration. If you are dehydrated, evenly slightly, it is easy to
think you are hungry.

I also echo the views of those saying that sugar is worse than fat. Very
refined carbs, such as white bread, are terrible due to the speed at which you
metabolise it. Look into the GI of various foods and you may be surprised.

When you do have a meal, consider timing. The old saying "Breakfast like a
king, lunch like a prince and have a paupers dinner" is apt.

Also eat plenty of low carb, bulky foods such as onions, carrots, mushrooms
etc. This will fill you up for longer, as well as giving numerous health
benefits

------
HiroshiSan
When I was about 10 until the time I was about 15 or 16 I would have 2 big
cups of chocolate milk with extra sugar. I woke up one morning and decided I
couldn't continue doing that or I would have some serious health issues down
the road. The next morning I stopped drinking my milk that way, every couple
of days I would cheat and have 1 glass, but then I would feel guilty and stop
again. I'm 19 now and I drink one glass of 1% milk every breakfast, work out 3
times a week and I stick to a healthy diet that fits my goals.

Perhaps what you need is a lifestyle change and a new way of thinking about
those cravings. I firmly believe in the saying "healthy body, healthy mind",
and that shy's me away from anything unhealthy.

Of course I'm no saint so I choose 1 cheat day a week and I eat as much junk
food as possible, after the day's over I don't want to look or eat any junk
food until the next cheat day.

\--

I should also mention that at around 16 I became very interested in fitness
and nutrition so I spent most hours reading up on it. It made me more aware
that our bodies are just really REALLY beautiful machines, in order for it to
run at full throttle you want to feed it the proper nutrients or else it will
just chug a long.

------
kiruri
My method is to cook well. A large variability of dishes of different national
cuisines can help you to avoid junk food. Eg for today's dinner I had a nice
rizotto with fried onion, sweet pepper, aubergines and semi-milled rice (don't
forget soy sauce though). It's tasty, it gives energy and after eating dishes
like that it's hard to call nachos/soda 'cravings'. They really taste like
junk.

------
AmberShah
I agree with other posters that carbs and sweets are physically addictive. So
when you try to cut back a little bit, you crave them. The good news is that
the less you have them, the less you crave them.

1) Make it convenient to eat healthy

I keep the fridge stocked with pre-cut fruit front and center. It costs
slightly more this way but makes it way more likely that I will actually eat
it (and reduces waste). You can also do this with prepared baby carrots or
celery if that floats your boat.

2) Don't keep junk food in the house

I don't keep soda in the house. I tried variations like keeping soda in the
pantry so it would be harder to drink, but it didn't really work. What works
is just not keeping it.

3) Workout right before going grocery shopping

Whenever I workout I feel fit and more like eating healthy food. If I go
grocery shopping when I feel like a bum, I am more likely to grab unhealthy
snacks. When I just worked out, my body starts craving fruit and healthy
things so that's what I'm more likely to buy. Actually in general the more I
work out, the more weight I lose and not just from the workout - I eat
healthier because I don't want to waste all my hard work.

4) Find healthier options that you enjoy

Instead of eating straight bran cereal that I don't like, I found a semi-
healthy cereal with dates and raisins. Not as good as the bran but not as bad
as lucky charms. I got this mint chocolate chip ice cream from whole foods
made out of coconut milk - it is amazing and way healthier than regular ice
cream. For soda, you can try going natural or switch to something like
unsweetened tea (still flavorful).

5) Meet your nutritional needs at meals

If you aren't meeting your nutritional needs at meals you will feel hungry for
snacks. Try eating way more veggies and adding lots of protein (lentils,
beans, spinach, tofu - I'm a vegetarian). Then at least when you start craving
you'll know that it's not necessary.

6) Distract yourself

Sometimes I eat out of boredom or habit. I haven't really mastered this one,
but turns out even if you're eating pretty healthy foot a lot you still gain
weight, or don't lose it. I try to engross myself in my work or something with
varying degrees of success.

Good luck!

------
hristov
I often get cravings when I am nervous/stressed out and this is what I do.

I buy those large heads of lettuce. You can get three of them in a pack for
2.99 in Trader Joe's. Then I open the pack put one head on a plate and
whenever I get a craving I peel off leaves one by one wash the leaves and eat
them. I eat as much lettuce as I feel like, I do not try to hold my self. But
I just leave the washed leaves, there's absolutely no dressing allowed.

This is great, because peeling and washing each leaf individually satisfies
the nervous desire to do something. As somebody else said this cravings are
usually mental, they have little to do with you being hungry, but mostly mean
you are nervous about something so you need a distraction. And washing leaves
one by one before you eat them provides sufficient activity to distract you
and relax you a bit.

The other great thing about lettuce, is that they are good for you, and yet
when you eat them without dressing they effectively provide no calories. The
human stomach is not very efficient at breaking down raw greens so eating raw
lettuce pretty much takes up as much calories as it gains. So you get
necessary fiber and a bunch of other nutrients, but you get no extra calories.

And this means that you can eat as much as you would like without feeling any
guilt. Also if you eat a lot, you will get a feeling of being full. The
feeling will not last for long, but you can use this technique to last you
until the time you get a regular meal and can satisfy your hunger with regular
food and not junk food.

------
dinkumator
I've been slowly trying to make myself eat healthier (ok, I lied, my wife
is)...

Some of the things I've started eating regularly (and craving) that aren't all
that bad: \- carrots and hummus. super cheap, filling, hummus makes it a
little more exciting than plain carrots, but not as unhealthy as ranch. \- a
jar of nuts. I prefer the lower-salt dry roasted peanuts to help satisfy my
salty cravings. \- goldfish crackers. this is my splurge item. I usually get
the whole grain ones to feel better about myself. \- i've also snacked on
grapes, bananas, and other fruit as well. \- for "chocolate" cravings
sometimes I'll have a fiber one/fiber plus bar. nutrition-wise, they're not
all that good for you, but its better than a candy bar. and the repercussions
of the fiber will at least make you think twice before eating it in the
office...

Bottom line: Figure out what you actually _need_ and not just what you're
craving. Your body is smarter than you think about knowing what you need. I
can typically classify my cravings as either "protein" (hummus/nuts), "salty"
(nuts/goldfish), "sweet" (fruit), or just empty (ie lunchtime and/or
carrots/fruit). I don't need a whole lot of variety, so as you can see, my
short list of regulars double-covers most of these which is just fine for me
(and easy to keep handy at work).

~~~
rphlx
Carrots + Hummus = Awesome. I discovered that a few weeks ago.

------
krmmalik
At what time do you get the food cravings? I've struggled with food cravings
at night all my life, and i see many go through it. I've tried lots of
different things, but in the end a chinese lady told me that, it was because i
wasnt eating enough for breakfast.

She told me to fill breakfast with protein and carbs and to eat like a king at
breakfast time and like a prince at lunch.

Since i started doing that, my cravings at night have dissapeared, and i
haven't had to come up with some formula to avoid junk food.

Try it ;-)

------
mian2zi3
I've always eaten reasonably well (comes from having grown up on a subsistence
farm), so I have never radically changed my own diet, but I have a few
(untested) thoughts:

1\. Get some food culture. It is easier to make good decisions when they are
made in a larger context than "nachos bad vs. carrots good". Learn something
about: where food comes from, diet and health (particularly in America: I'm
assuming you're American), traditional food cultures, basics of cooking. For
me this has meant reading the likes of Fast Food Nation and Michael Pollan,
learning to cook some French, Italian and Asian dishes, lots of cookbooks,
Alice Waters, Julia Child and other chefs, reading about diet/health studies
like The China Study and the Nurses' Health Study, getting myself out to the
local farmer's market, but those are by no means the only options.

2\. Practice what I like to call "meta-discipline". It is hard to control
yourself when you're at home with some junk food. It is easy to control
yourself when you're shopping at the grocery store. So don't buy junk and
don't have it at home. Before you go shopping, be thoughtful about what you
want to buy/eat, make a shopping list, and stick to it. (Usually I think of
this in the context of work: it is easy to goof off at home. It is easy to
walk to the library. It is hard not to work when you're at the library with a
stack of math books.)

3\. The biggest improvement to my diet has come from cooking more. Mostly,
this happened because I moved from a big city with a bunch of awesome
restaurants to a little town with no good ones. I wish I had enacted the
change sooner.

Good luck.

------
AlexC04
As has been said, LOW GI is one way to limit cravings. Another good one is to
add protein to your diet.

Protein stimulates the production or release of a hormone in your body called
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghrelin>. Which suppresses appetite.

Another food "HACK" is soup.

To that end, it appears that taking your meal and blending it with a good
amount of water (thick soup is best) will trap moisture around the solids,
take longer for your digestive system to work through and keep you feeling
fuller for longer.

A couple of years back, there was a great show on the BBC called "10 things
you need to know about losing weight", where both of those concepts were
detailed with scientifical experiements. (a torrent existed last time i
checked)

Oh. Another one that I just thought of is to make sure you never let yourself
get hungry. When you're hungry, your body goes into a sort of "starvation
mode" and sends signals to your brain that tell it to seek out foods of very
high calorie density. Sugars and Fats. MRI tests have found that if you look
at pictures of those foods when you're hungry they'll light up the pleasure
centers of your brain. If you look when satiated, all food registers at about
the same level of pleasure.

When you're starving, doughnuts are like sex.

------
qjz
Try to buy foods with only one ingredient, avoid packaged foods with more than
five ingredients, and don't buy anything with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
Those three tips alone will have a profound effect on what ends up in your
shopping cart if you currently buy a lot of unhealthy processed foods.

------
rwhitman
I grew up in a household with unlimited junk food & dessert supply, and when I
was 20, decided to rebel.

The trick is simply: don't buy junk food. Don't _buy_ it for at least 3
months, possibly forever. Keep it out of your house. Its easier to not buy it
at the store, than not eat it when its around.

Once you've lived without sugar, salt & bad fats for a while, you stop craving
them and its much easier to manage. If you need to snack, eat something with
no flavoring - raw almonds or carrots for instance. Drink only water.

When I first made this change I actually went totally cold turkey on a 'no
flavor' diet, where I intentionally only ate rice, boiled chicken, string
beans, raw nuts and dried fruit for a month and only drank tap water. No joke.
It worked for sure.

(Also chewing gum works wonders as well. You may just have an oral fixation)

------
mark_l_watson
A simple tip: add fresh locally grown veggies to processed foods. For example,
before making a can of soup or some HN-friendly Ramen noodles, chop up and
cook veggies for a few minutes in very little water and then add the soup or
noodles. Same with heating up a frozen dinner.

In my personal experience, when I go for long periods eating lots of healthy
food, it is easy to fight off any cravings for crap-foods. Then if I am
traveling and not eating so well, I find myself buying a occasional candy bar,
etc.

------
aaronblohowiak
You will continue to have cravings for about a month after you give up shitty
food. Your body associates a level of sweetness and/or saltiness with the
amount of calories that it is getting. Modern foods mess up that calibration
(disrupting grehlin and so on, watch "The Bitter Truth About Sugar" on youtube
for the biochem explanation.) Anyway, you will eventually relent.

The hack for your motivation and behavior is an attitude adjustment. When you
get the craving, you are feeling the craving and you are really getting a
signal from your body. It takes some effort, but you can try to actively look
at the signal as saying "this is the pain of detoxxing, no pain, no gain." If
you take the craving as a signal that you are doing something right, then it
can help motivate you to continue on the right path.

You can also look into recording the foods that YOU find are healthy and
induce satiety disproportionate to their caloric load. Or, for some research
about people in general, you can look here:
<http://www.mendosa.com/satiety.htm>

My go-to satisfying things are frozen grapes and yogurt.

Edit: interesting research by Nutrition Data in estimating the "fullness
factor" of foods: <http://nutritiondata.self.com/topics/fullness-factor>

------
lionhearted
Eat slow-burn carbs at the start of the day. Plain oatmeal works best. Plain
oatmeal sucks when you first start eating it, suck it up and use willpower for
a month and then your taste buds adapt and it tastes good. Alternatively, mix
fruit into the oatmeal and then it just takes on the taste of the fruit.

Fast burn carbs (sugary drinks with no fiber are the fastest) cause a spike in
energy level followed by a crash, then you want more. If you've eaten slower
burning carbs, then even if you have the sugary fast burn stuff later, you get
less of a boost (because you've already got energy slowly releasing) and less
of a crash (because you've still got some energy releasing). Thus it smooths
out the addiction a little bit.

Also, for chocolate - if you're going to eat it, switch to dark chocolate.
Again, it'll take you about a month to adapt if you're not used to it, but
it's actually _much_ more rich and textured and flavorful and delicious than
milk chocolate once you've adapted. It's really, really nice. Chocolate
covered peanuts also give you some protein and a tiny bit of fiber so they're
more filling if you have them. When I was training heavily, I'd eat one pack
of dark chocolate peanut M&M's per day as a snack. No candy is healthy, but
that's probably one of the healthier candies that's mainstream available.

------
kareemm
I used to have terrible cravings for crappy foods. I got rid by making two
changes:

1\. Exercise _hard_ 5 times a week. I go to a local Crossfit gym which
combines high-intensity sprinting with lifting and gymnastics (squats,
pullups, etc). I've always been bored by gyms but at Crossfit you track your
performance over time so you see how you're improving, and the workouts they
give you are always varied. The reason Crossfit helped rid me of cravings is
because I knew that if I ate crap I'd feel it during the next workout.

2\. Controlled my insulin. I used to eat pancakes for breakfast and be hungry
/ crash two hours later. The cycle continued throughout the day, often
resulting in irritability, headaches, fatigue, loss of focus, etc.

The Glycemic Index ranks foods on a scale of 1-100, where 100 is pure glucose.
When you eat high-GI foods, it stimulates an insulin response in the body so
that glucose is removed from the blood and stored in the body as fat. When
insulin isn't present, it's a cue to your body to get energy by burning fat.

It's the insulin spikes and drops caused by eating high-GI foods that cause
you to binge on crappy foods and then crave them again when your insulin level
drops.

When you control it by eating good sources of protein, good fats (nuts, seeds,
olive and coconut oil, butter, etc), and low-GI foods instead of sugary
processed stuff (most, but not all fruits and veggies)your cravings will
disappear and you will lose weight since your body will be burning fat instead
of glucose.

I know it's hard to believe, but I've seen the effects myself. I have pretty
much no cravings (when I do have them, I'll eat some high-quality dark
chocolate) and I've leaned out big time.

What I do suggest, though, is experimenting and seeing what works for you. You
can read all you want about diet hacks, but while we do have the same systems,
our body chemistry often responds differently. Try experiments that resonate
with you and go with what works.

Also, here's a science-based PDF about changing your diet to reduce cravings,
lose weight, and be healthier.

[http://crossfitoptimumperformance.com/index.php?view=article...](http://crossfitoptimumperformance.com/index.php?view=article&id=317:paleolithic-
nutrition&format=pdf)

Good luck!

------
keeptrying
* Keep a stack of almonds or cashew nuts next to your desk. That way it'll always be there when you get even a little hungry. This way you can stave off getting really really hungry which is usually the main problem in eating bad.

* Eat many meals with smaller portions. How I started doing this was to just eat half of whatever sandwhich, burrito I had bought and eat the rest after 3 hours. This is a good way to start getting into the habit of eating 6 small meals instead of 3 big ones.

* Start cutting down on processed food. Stick to meat, veggies and fruit. You dont need to be strict about it - just keep decreasing how much processed food is in every meal.

* Stop drinking anything other than plain soda, water, near 0 calorie drinks. The easiest way to do this is to get flavored seltzer water. 0 calories but still more "fun" to drink than water.

This will get you into a healthy state and keep you there. Losing poundage
after this "state" is going to be harder but all it means is taking each of
these rules to the extreme:

Ie only meat, veggies(the weird thing is you can eat as much of this as you
want and you wont get fat) and fruits occasionally. Only water, seltzer. Eat
every 3 hours with a bunch load of protein in each meal. This plus weight
lifting will get you a six pack. Simple but not easy :).

------
kranner
Not about cravings directly, but what works for me to reduce hunger pangs is
to eat a spoonful of any kind of butter or milk fat. It gives me a nice base
level of satiety until the next meal.

Anything sugary is only good for 45 minutes at which point the hunger returns
in strength.

Now if only I can remember to do this every time.

edit: And no, my weight doesn't increase as a result of the fat-gobbling. It's
the sugary stuff that does the damage.

------
Unseelie
Prepare your fridge like a subway's counter: many ingredients ready to be
inserted into the meal.

A lot of foods that are 'junky' are at one end of a spectrum of foods, too.
Nachos, as per your examples, for instance, can be over-salted round chips
with 'cheese' poured over them, or they can be orders of magnitude healthier.

If you've money, then you can easily find this out by switching the shops you
eat in, but if you're not going out, then as has been suggested, buy things
which have only one ingredient(which makes them -the- ingredients). Fresh or
Canned, doesn't matter. Construct, rather than 'cheese'+chip nachos, real
cheese(try two or three different kinds of cheese, too), a bit of meat (red
meat or poultry..I would not suggest fish nachos) shredded lettuce, onions,
etc, etc, etc. Those nachos are rather good for you. Still nachos, likely much
more delicious, likely better for you.

The ingredients to that can be prepared in large quantities,and used in many
other things. Nachos can easily become tacos or burritos, and if you add some
loaf bread and leave some meats out, sandwiches.

------
wowik
Knowing food basics about carbs, fats and protein, basic vitamins and
minerals, calories and food digestion can help a lot. It seems like a miracle
but once you know of what consists your food your brain magically adapts and
doesn't sense any pleasure emotions once you eat something unhealthy. Food
Inc. movie changed in similar way my view on processed food in supermarkets.

I can also recommend South Beach Diet for you ([http://www.amazon.com/South-
Beach-Diet-Delicious-Doctor-Desi...](http://www.amazon.com/South-Beach-Diet-
Delicious-Doctor-
Designed/dp/B000FTWB1C/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1280157602&sr=8-2)). The
book explains in simple terms how cravings occur (it mainly has to do with
insulin levels and the digestion speed) and how to get rid of insulin (carb)
spikes by replacing bad carbs and fats with good ones and balancing your diet.
And exercise is my personal recommendation, don't know the physics but for
some reason it improves digestion and overall feeling.

------
joe_the_user
I think it's great to find an appealing "bridge" that makes the healthy stuff
appealing. I've personally always tried to make my diet as healthy and
appealing as possible. Some of what I do:

For chips: bake chunks of potatoes in the oven with a lot of olive oil, some
Tempeh and a bit of vinegar and salt.

Chocolate: get used to very dark chocolate, so dark it contains little sugar.
This is actually very healthy. It is the sugar and any unhealthy oils, that
makes a chocolate bar unhealthy.

Nachos: The beans in nachos are actually very healthy. Increasing your
consumption of beans any way you can is good thing. Take a corn tortilla, heat
it with olive oil, add lots of refried beans made with more olive oil, a
_small_ amount of real cheese, and _lot_ of fresh salsa (fresh tomatoes,
peppers, cilantro, etc). Quite healthy homemake nachos.

Sodas: I dilute fruit juice and add rose water, vanilla flavoring and vinegar
or limon juice to a get soda-like taste that's not at all sweet (I think that
even regular fruit juice is too sweet to be a soda substitute). Cafe
Gratitude, among other health food restaurants, has some appealing sodas.

\-- The oil in foods is often what can give one a feeling of satisfaction.
"Junks foods" exploit this along with the "sugar" rush. But oil isn't
necessarily bad at all. Rather, what's important is getting a good supply of
good oil (especially olive) and avoiding really bad oil like transfat.

Jeanne Calment lived to the oldest documented age ever - "She ascribed her
longevity and relatively youthful appearance for her age to _olive oil_ ,
which she said she poured on all her food and rubbed onto her skin, as well as
a diet of port wine, and ate nearly one kilo of _chocolate_ every week."

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanne_Calment>

I'm not sure about the port wine though.

------
eel
I switched to cooking or preparing all of my meals, and it has been a big help
against eating junk food for me. I think one reason is that there are two
checks for eating junk food; one, I have to decide to buy it at the store and,
two, decide to eat it from the kitchen once I have it.

Other things I've done which you might find useful:

\- replace soda with water: I drank a lot of soda in my teens and early
college, but this was one of the easier things to change

\- have a sugar replacement such as fresh fruit available: if I eat something
low in sugar (or maybe carbs in general?), particularly in the evening, then I
get cravings for sugar. Eating fruit or toast seems to help this.

\- go to the grocery store only after eating. I'm not sure if this is a myth
or real, but I do it in hopes that my immediate hunger won't drive my shopping
decisions.

\- get enough sleep. Without enough sleep, my resolve is weakened by the
afternoon, and I will want to snack rather than work.

------
CO-OP
I have a wonder soup which I make every week. I try to have a cup everyday. It
is designed for general health, but particularly it is infused with cancer
fighting foods. It's quite easy to make, just put the following ingredients in
a blender:

Half Head Cabbage ! Carrot 3 Onions 2 cans diced tomatoes (any tomatoes will
do) 1 red chilli 1 green chilli 3 cloves of garlic 4cm slice of ginger Some
Jalapenos Cloves Rosemary Parsley Salt Peppercorns Tumeric

Blend this heavily, for best results use a cheese grater for the carrot and
chilli beforehand.

Pop into a saucepan, add two (unchopped) sticks of celery (remove celery
before serving) to leech while boiling.

You will need to boil until the spices and chilli overwhelm the cabbage taste.
Play with spices as necessary.

Put in fridge and microwave a cup in the mornings or afternoons. The soup will
be quite hot, thanks to the chillis, but the whole mix is very good for you.

------
JaretManuel
There are some great tips here. I will stick to basics: -Refined Sugar is bad,
and even worse is fructose. Avoid it as much as possible. So avoid cola/pop (I
cut it out years ago) and stop adding sugar/sweeteners to your tea/coffee.
-Eat lots of fruit and don't worry which has a low GI or not. -Almost all
unsalted nuts will be good for you. Almonds, Peanuts, etc. -Unsalted/Sugar
Free trail mix will be good. -A blender, blueberries, banana (freeze it if you
have to), and all natural (non hydrogenated) peanut, almond or sunflower
butter should be your best friend. It is super quick to whip up a shake. Once
you make this a habit you will want to rid the other stuff. Exercise is
advisable as well as that will further lower your cravings. -Drink lots of
water as it will sate your appetite.

------
vitobcn
The way I look at it, you shouldn't try to remove individual food items from
your diet, but figure out what type of foods it should be based on and focus
on those. Let me explain.

I mostly follow a paleo diet ( <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic_diet>
) which simplifying a lot is based on having plenty of fruit / vegetables
accompanied by lean meats/fish.

If you go that route, whenever you're hungry, just have some more
fruit/veggies and soon there won't be any room for the type of foods you
mentioned nor cravings. Not only that, but there's no need to count calories
anymore.

btw, there's nothing wrong in having junk food, as long as that is the
exception and not the rule.

------
skm
Spending egregiously on fresh fruit, vegetables, and bread of the highest
quality. As soon as I had a little money as a grad student, I decided to
allocate an unlimited budget to spend on these particular items.

If you have unlimited budget to spend on fruit, you will find amazing
blueberries, mangoes, etc. Or vine-grown tomatoes with sea salt and italian
mozzarella. These healthy foods became for me such a great source of pleasure
that they effectively crowded out junk food.

Counterintuitively, even with an unlimited budget, it's really hard to spend
very much on these items, because there's a limit on how much you can eat. But
the feeling of being supposed to spend egregiously made a big difference for
me.

------
chipsy
A really "quick fix" for my cravings is to eat a low-carb protein bar or a
protein shake, then eat a salad with ample dressing. Protein will stop hunger
dead if you get the right kinds(each kind - whey, egg, soy, casein, etc. -
processes at a different speed, thus a lot of protein blends incorporate a
variety), the fiber of the salad helps you process everything else, and the
fats in the dressing(which you should probably make yourself - the
manufactured stuff is questionable) will hold most of the energy you need.

An alternative, if I don't have salad materials around, is to add a bit of
olive oil to the protein bar/shake. It actually improves the taste quite a
bit.

------
nudge
My best tip is to equate the foodstuff to exercise equivalent. Ask yourself:
How much exercise would I have to do to not gain weight by eating this junk?

A chocolate bar is roughly equivalent to, say, a 30 minute jog. If you think
that what you're about to eat is as bad for you as a 30 minute jog is good (or
that they basically cancel each other out), it doesn't seem quite so
appealing. Then if you choose the apple instead, you've done the equivalent of
a 30 minute jog better than the quantum-choice-alternative-less-disciplined-
and-slightly-fatter-you.

Before you eat any junk snack, take a long look at the nutritional information
and think about what it is going to do to your body.

~~~
jules
10 minutes of jogging burns an apple.

~~~
nudge
Okay, then you've done the equivalent of 20 minutes of jogging better. You
know what I mean.

~~~
nudge
Downvoted? I honestly don't understand - what was jules' observation supposed
to mean? I wasn't being snarky - I was trying to make sense of it!

------
tmsh
Eat healthy, sustainable, low GL foods, where possible. But that's not exactly
feasible 24/7. So...

I find that it all starts when you eat when you're not hungry. This may be the
product of a need to reassert control via some of the feedback loops described
below, but suffice it to say, it often starts there. However, very often it
begins via the fixed 'scheduling' of eating times in our society, despite the
fact that we may need a variable # of meals per day and it may vary based on
workout, stress, your mind, etc.

So here's the progression:

    
    
      (a) eat when you're not hungry
      (b) leads to not eating *enough* during a meal time
      (c) leads to feeling hungry in between meals. 
      (d) leads to cravings and short-term satisfactions 
      (e) further increases not eating *enough* during a meal time
      (f) goto (a) and (c)
    

Goto considered harmful. So the key to breaking the cycle is eating a large
meal and then not eating until you're hungry. Everything in moderation, of
course. But yeah -- older, wiser cultures, imho, eat one large meal a day. In
the U.S., we tend to eat two (either big breakfast and big dinner, or big
lunch and big dinner) or three. In Europe, sometimes they have just one
(sometimes lunch, sometimes dinner). But the key is to remember that nature
and evolution are in your favor. Listen to it -- i.e., listen to when you're
hungry and when you're _not_ hungry. Although, again, while the body is pretty
good at adapting to whatever the circumstance, where possible don't let social
conventions confuse you... Social conventions are young on the evolutionary
scale. Large meals, despite what people say, are as old as hunting/gathering
(and note, this doesn't apply to strength training where you may be trying to
gain weight, etc. -- or if you're a farmer, in which case a big breakfast is
critical as you're going to burn more calories than many professional athletes
-- but, imho, there is a confusion in the Midwest and a large part of our
society about too many large meals -- i.e., people are no longer farmers but
the social conventions haven't caught up).

Also, final caveat. I'm just a programmer trying to figure things out.
Probably I'm a hypodiscontinuist (i.e., I fear the discrete breaks in
otherwise continuous systems).

------
tayip9
I find exercizing regularly helps with cravings. After a good workout, I
usually crave healthier foods. If you have trouble keeping an exersize
routine, find an accoutability partner to keep you on track. Joining programs
and using social commitments works well. Keeping physically active is much
easier when you are doing it with friends, family, and coworkers. You can also
try eatting meals or snacks more often. Your energy level will be more
consistent and you will less inclined to eating foods that give you that quick
sugar boost. Keep those healthy snacks visible and within arms reach to make
this easier

------
freshfey
Basically nuts and fruits should be your choice, BUT if you work out regularly
I think you can get away with a PB&J sandwich, hack it like this: get some
dark bread (best would be self-made, otherwise check the bread from the store
for unnecessary sugars [gluctose, fructose] -> avoid these), then get some
organic all-natural peanut butter (no salt, no sugar, no extra fat, just
peanut) and organic honey, most jellys have stuuupid amounts of additional
sugar in it. Make some PB and honey sandwiches, eat them when your craving.
Try to avoid them in the evening (go for fruits and nuts in this case)

------
acconrad
Here's a couple of things I've done over the years to make seemingly boring
foods tasty:

-Make shakes. Almond milk, protein powder, berries and sugar free Jello. Buy like 5 different flavors and you can have strawberry cheesecake, dark chocolate, and butterscotch all for a snack without any of the guilt!

-Sauces will save your life. Pesto, hummus, sugar-free marinara, mustard, lemon, lime...mix and match all of these on various meats and vegetables for truly delicious meals.

-Lots of water. Water satiates you and is good for you. Always drink a ton of it to limit cravings. Green tea and mint tea are also shown to curb cravings.

------
gcanyon
When I went low-carb for awhile, I made a point of being full all the time.
It's hard to crave anything when you're already full. Of course this only
works because with a low-carb diet (in my case at least) I achieved the
desired effect (improved cholesterol counts) despite the fact that I was
seemingly eating more food. For the record I lost weight as well, although
that wasn't the goal. Here's more info if you like.
[http://gcanyon.posterous.com/?sort=&search=cholesterol](http://gcanyon.posterous.com/?sort=&search=cholesterol)

------
haliax
Wow! First off, thank you for all of the very well informed responses!

I had no idea there was so much to be known about eating better, and why we
eat the way we do, especially with regards to carbohydrates.

I should probably add that it's not just bad carbs I'm out to cut. I want
stuff like steak/bacon/pepperoni pizza/nachos/taco bell all the time, and I
know that with my genes it's only a matter of time before that sends me to the
hospital.

Also, I'm quite skinny at the moment, apparently regardless of what I eat...so
I'm not sure if that's a sign of a contributing factor

Again, Thank you so much for the information!

------
robryan
I have heard a lot about not having your biggest meal last in the day.
Something I do when I have late sleeping hours is get up in the afternoon,
have some coffee and toast. Then have dinner at the same time as the rest of
my household who have much more normal hours, so the biggest meal is halfway
through my day. Then later on I try to fit in some exercise and either have a
health shake or fruit, something light later on.

My biggest problem now is probably energy drinks, have cut back but still
enjoy them regularly.

------
Greg-Ord
I find herbal teas helpful in reducing my craving for sweets. A homemade
herbal iced tea (something with berries so it's somewhat sweet) is a good
alternative to water all the time too.

------
gaoshan
I have to keep it simple so here is what I do:

No soda. Ever. I drink unsweetened iced tea instead.

No unhealthy snacks on hand. Keep bananas, watermelon and apples instead.

Most important because I eat tons of them, roasted almonds. I keep boxes of
these on hand and roast them myself (15 minutes at 350 degrees).

For dinners, try to eat more fish.

For breakfast try to eat unsweetened things (I eat unsweetened oatmeal that I
make tasty by cooking in milk, not water, and adding raisins, blueberries,
cinnamon and cloves).

Combined with biking more this has helped me lose 30 pounds in three months.

------
amk
I just wanted to add something to the discussion here.. A lot of sugar is
definitely harmful to you, but is it sensible to complete avoid sugar
everywhere as if it is poison? Isn't all this a bit hyped up? Example: I don't
drink any processed juice or soda. But I do take sugar in coffee, and I eat
chocolates once in a while. Is there any good reason for me to cut down on
this sugar intake too? (and replace it with other so called "healthy
alternatives" like those with Aspartame?)

------
metamemetics
my diet is basically corn tortilla+black
beans+chicken\salmon\eggs+lettuce\avocado\tomato. DIY mexican is the most
efficient thing I've come up in terms of cost, time, health, & taste. I add
lime, cumin, and red pepper for more flavor.

If you have sugar cravings just eat fruit instead, mangos kiwis or clementines
are the best IMO. Any other effects junk food has besides a blood sugar spike
is simply a psychological association you automatically retrain over time.

------
brunnock
I replaced ice cream with soy smoothies. Frozen fruit, vanilla soy milk,
vanilla yogurt, and vanilla bean paste. I put all of the ingredients in a
large glass and mix them with a hand blender. Easy to make and clean. The bean
paste makes it taste more like an ice cream shake. I also combine peanut
butter, cocoa powder, chocolate syrup, soy milk and yogurt for a chocolate
alternative.

------
cwtann
Fat, sugar, and salt. The former head of the fda has been writing about how we
are biologically predisposed to get even hungrier and crave more when we eat
something with fat sugar and salt together. That's why applebees can serve a
1500 calorie appetizer that they know will make you even hungrier. So you can
make vegetables and fruits a crazy craving by following the same logic.

------
dotcoma
-always eat breakfast

-never eat too much

-never add sugar to anything

-don't use too much salt

-eat your salad with nothing but a little olive oil

-eat as little processed food as possible

-eat as little sugary food as possible

-never drink soda

-never go to mcdonalds etc

-never go to starbucks

-enjoy what you eat! :)

~~~
dkberktas
Why starbucks, what is wrong w/ coffee?

~~~
adnam
It's not the coffee, it's the gallon of milk they add to it

~~~
prototype56
What is wrong with milk ? .

~~~
dotcoma
nothing, imho. Imho the problem is all the sugar they add to their
frappuccinos etc, not milk.

------
marze
The most surprising hack I've heard about it from Seth Roberts, the self
experimenting UC Berkeley professor.

He says that drinking a glass of water with three spoonfuls of refined sugar
or refined oil midway between meals suppresses appetite. People say it works.

<http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/11/magazine/11FREAK.html>

------
drhodes
Pour a bowl full of frozen peas. Run hot water over them until the peas no
longer freeze together and the water stays hot. Let them sit like this for a
couple minutes. Dump the water off. At this point they will taste like they
just came out of the pod. Easy, quick, health, and tasty. I do this with
frozen corn too.

------
jules
Personally I eat as much junk food as I want, with one exception: don't eat
junk food when you're hungry. One piece of chocolate isn't bad but if you are
hungry it's more likely that you'll want to eat a whole bar. Just make sure
that you always have an alternative for when you're hungry (fruits for
example).

------
Dilpil
Keep a spreadsheet of everything you eat. Include the total calories. Pick a
max calories per day. This will make you start to think in terms of good taste
per calorie- "that snickers bar looks nice, but I'd rather have an entire
meal".

------
vnchr
I've sought out healthier substitutes so that I can 'bait-and-switch' my
cravings.

My best switches: \- PBJ with sliced strawberries instead of jelly and on
wheat bread (I actually like it better this way) \- Diet Dr. Pepper (best Diet
soda I've found)

------
rcavezza
I've been building a recommendation engine that takes what you eat and gives
healthier substitute recommendations. <http://foodmarkit.com>.

Still in alpha mode, any feedback would be appreciated.

------
bradshaw1965
The easiest rule of thumb is to only eat from the outside edges of the
grocery. All of the food that has limited shelf life is there for easy egress
and all of the long lasting processed stuff is on the interior.

~~~
cromulent
Good rule of thumb, but I would have to break it for tinned tuna. And muesli.

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mkr-hn
I eat a bowl of oatmeal with a little butter and brown sugar for breakfast if
I found myself having a lot of cravings the previous day. That usually covers
me for a few days.

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ochekurishvili
1) Eat in small "chunks" and often... about 5-6 times a day.

2) Take water often so that you never fill thirsty.

3) Say a big NO to eating unhealthy food whole days.

4) Get more than 25 grams of protein daily.

5) Enjoy the healthy life.

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Mz
Buy organic chips. Figure out WHY you are craving specific things and address
that underlying issue.

Some examples:

For me, drinking lots more sodas at work is usually due to an allergic
reaction to something at work that day. I have generally gotten myself
healthier and generally consume less caffeine because of it, which is
something chocolate and soda have in common. A craving for chips can be due to
a craving for salt which can suggest adrenal problems. A good quality sea salt
and other nutritional support for the adrenals and thyroid can help.

~~~
cromulent
> A good quality sea salt

Is there often a difference between various sources of NaCl? ;)

~~~
Unseelie
You don't exactly get pure substances in the world. Soo, very much so, there
are differences. Get a couple sorts of salt. Dead sea, Mediterranean, and the
generic stuff, and you can certainly tell. Whether or not they have health
benefits...

~~~
cromulent
So the body is craving for salt, or craving for impurities?

Feed it the one it needs. If the body needs impurity x, which is tastily
packaged with salt product y, advising to eat y seems like the sort of
behaviour the OP is trying to avoid.

------
dcotter
Learn how to cook and learn enough about nutrition that you can cook
relatively healthily. Goes a long way toward improving your diet.

------
jokull
Stop thinking about every meal like a treat. Sometimes you just gotta stuff
some fresh spinach in your face.

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jpspeno
paleo diet. start here:

<http://www.paleonu.com/get-started/>

~~~
fizz972
Any personal experience you can share?

~~~
jpspeno
I've been enjoying a paleo lifestyle for the past three years. I'm leaner,
stronger, and healthier than ever. I find it easy to fast for 18 hours, and do
so most days, then I eat my fill of meat, veggies, and a bit of fruit. While
fasting I have good concentration and energy. I tend towards a high fat, low
carb paleo diet, but in the summer I increase my fruit and veg intake. Given
that I don't eat out at work, I make the majority of my meals myself. My
mainstay protein is ground beef which is cheap and delicious. I don't follow
any fitness routine, but often go for lunchtime walks and sometimes I swim on
the weekends. The most understated benefit in my opinion is the freedom from
modern dietary dogma. Many of my family and friends are also doing amazing
with this way of eating. Feel free to me ask specific questions. Take care.

------
kochbeck
The answer to this question tends to greatly depend on whether you overeat /
eat in an otherwise unhealthy way such that it's causing you harm or if you
merely don't like the idea of eating junk, so you want to cut back.

For instance, I'm just finishing a medically supervised protein-sparing
modified fast where I lost 70 pounds in 5 months by eating only prescription
liquid foods and only about 800 calories a day. This has the effect of
"rebooting" your cravings. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to
some fresh vegetables and fruit right now, and I used to be a big junk food
craver. Having said that, you'd think 5 months of not eating anything except
protein pudding would be difficult, but it was incredibly easy, and I enjoyed
it a lot. And it mostly unscrambled the signals to my brain that said, "Eat
all the cookies you can find," that ran 24 hours a day.

If that sounds like you, and your weight or other stats like triglycerides /
cholesterol / liver enzymes / blood sugar are unhealthy, you should see a
doctor and ask about medical weight management right away. I can tell you from
experience that it's a lot easier to lose 20 pounds than it is to lose 70, so
you can't win by waiting. Also, a great book on the subject is David Kessler's
"The End of Overeating." He goes into great detail on the psychological and
chemical triggers that induce hypereating.

Now, on the other hand, if you're just prone to snacking on junk in fairly
moderate ways, you ought to exercise a little environmental control:

\- Shop at farmer's markets for veggies and corner grocers for milk and
staples.

\- Don't go to the supermarket. If you do go to the supermarket, only shop the
aisles with wholesome foods, and never buy anything on the eye-level shelves
(the worst, most processed stuff).

\- Don't bring junk home. If you buy something junky, buy only one serving. If
it only comes in multi-serving packs, take one serving out, then freeze the
rest. Make it harder to dig into.

It's also useful to keep records of your eating. If you have an iPhone, I had
a lot of success with the app LoseIt. Studies show that people keep off 50%
more weight when they keep records than when they don't. If you're mindful of
what you're eating and how you're eating it, you create brief openings in
which you actually have a choice to eat or not rather than to just eat
mindlessly. It also helps to know what macronutrients (fat, sugar, protein,
fiber, salt) you're consuming and in what balance. If it's out of balance,
shop in a way that balances it out.

Consider foods that induce satiety. Protein has the highest satiety value - if
you have to snack, try a protein pudding or shake first, let it settle in your
stomach, and see if you're still hungry. Add water on top of that, because
thirst often feels like hunger.

Finally, if you seem to be resolving your hunger, but you still feel an
overwhelming urge to eat in spite of not being physically hungry, see a doctor
or psychiatrist who specializes in eating behaviors. Most people who
compulsively eat have no idea they're doing it because A) it snuck up on them
over a number of years and B) everyone around them does it too (consider how
many startups we've seen full of thin young folks who turned into chunky folks
while they worked together).

Good luck!

------
ddustin
Your body craves what it is used too. It takes some length of time before your
body adjusts what it's used to. In my experience this is 1-2 months depending
on how radical the change. Every month you go on with a given diet seems to
amplify the effect.

So the real trick is to spend 1 month suffering (don't eat a single bit of
candy) and then make the much easier choice to limit yourself to some
reasonable amount (1 per week, for instance).

~~~
dazzawazza
A few years I cut out all processed/fast foods and at first it was hard. My
Body was used to easy to digest, high fat, high sugar, high salt foods. Now I
find those foods unpalatable. I'm sure over time I would get used to them
again.... and maybe even crave them.

BTW I'm not claiming I'm healthier now, I'm just saying it's easy to get
addicted to those foods but as you say a month or so of avoiding it helps to
break the cycle.

------
napierzaza
"Food hacks" nooooooo. Please, no more, I can't take it anymore. Let's all
"hack" our diets so we're healthier.

Y'know what I did last night? I hacked my eyes. That's right, these glasses
right here are hacking my eye-sight. Wicked.

When did hacking start meaning rational common sense? Or just the verb of
putting effort towards something? I'm not in love with the word hack, but it's
annoying when I want to figure out how to hack my home router and there are
articles about eating more fibre so you can hack your stool.

~~~
niels_olson
because the social norm is so deranged, the good advice could be repeated 1000
times without ill effect.

------
ahoyhere
The best thing you can start with is to always have simple-to-prepare, healthy
snacks on hand. See this excellent, free minimalist "cookbook" -
<http://thestonesoup.com/blog/2010/06/a-free-e-cookbook/>

Eat lots of vegetables. If you don't like them, there are ways to teach your
body to like them, with calorie signalling - if you persistently eat
something, along with a high calorie load, your body will be conditioned to
like it. (As a reward system.)

Also, seriously, try the Shangri-La diet. Despite the redonkulous name, it's
based on scientific research that _really_ strongly suggests that the body's
hunger/craving systems are controlled like a thermostat, that you can reset by
giving the body the right kind of "food cue" as to the environment around
it/food available. Research paper:

<http://www.sethroberts.net/science/>

You're not craving chocolate, nachos & soda because your body needs something
- you're craving them because sugar creates an addictive cycle in some people.
(Not all - SOME.)

You should also see a doctor and get your fasting blood sugar checked because
it's entirely possible that you have a blood sugar-related disorder, aka
Syndrome X, insulinimia/insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and so on.

------
alnayyir
Use real butter, in moderation.

It gives you the fats and nutrients your bodies crave, and in moderation, it
won't harm you.

It also makes virtually anything tasty, including terrible bodega mac n
cheese.

