The Psychology of Giving Up Junk Food
It’s probably the biggest thing that makes some people hesitate in going Primal. Sure, they appreciate the logic and sensibility of the Blueprint lifestyle. They value the chance to improve their health and effectively lose weight. They love the idea of having more energy. They salivate over the prospect of bacon. But then comes the proverbial wrench in the plan. “What about bread?” they ask. (Sometimes it’s diet soda, pasta, pancakes, pizza, Skittles, etc.; I’ve heard it all.) Against all powers of wisdom, self-interest, and rationality, how is it these isolated, deeply entrenched cravings hold such sway over our lifestyles – and diet decisions? Is a baguette really so enticing that it determines a person’s willingness to live a healthier, more vigorous existence? Is the de-grained life really not worth living?
It’s a common refrain I hear: “Oh, I’d love to go Primal, but I just couldn’t give up my breakfast cereal.” Okay. It’s got me thinking lately: what is it about the psychological power of (non-Primal) favorite foods?
Ever watched “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” (usually featuring the typical junk food categories)? Of course, the guests play it up for the camera, but the expression behind some of their descriptions parallel that famous When Harry Met Sally scene. Really? This level of enthusiasm for a hamburger? (I won’t say it.) Even a few of the most diehard PB converts I know still hold the torch for some pre-Primal item. Some people get attached, I guess.
Yes, there are the obvious factors that apply to most people’s favorites: the ubiquity of these foods, the subsequent convenience, the cheap price (e.g. Pizza Hut’s “Feast for Five” bucks – feast being their word). For some of us, these favorite foods (past or present) are part and parcel of our social landscape or our work environs. Then there are the more complex influences: ethnic, family or community traditions right down to low and lowly marketing forces. Finally, there’s taste. Although, as I’ve said before, most people find these foods all taste the same once they give their taste buds a chance to recover on a Primal diet of naturally-occurring foods.
So, why are some things easier to give up than others? If you told most people tomorrow that the key to good health involved forgoing asparagus, I can’t imagine most folks would consider it a major impediment to their success. Why isn’t giving up bread, diet soda or cereal the same? How does it involve more than a simple switch of intention? Why does giving up a single favorite food feel like serious deprivation for so many people?
It’s true that our tastes are established earlier than we ever thought. Experts have found that a mother’s diet during pregnancy already begin to habituate a baby’s taste. Researchers believe this happens because the habituation early on helps teach children which tastes are “safe.” If the mother has survived eating foods with these flavors, they will, too. If you come from a family in which people routinely ate a lot of pasta, you likely developed the taste for it earlier than you can remember.
We also develop deep-seated emotional associations with certain foods through early and/or recurring memories surrounding them. On a timely note, holiday traditions tend to play into these associations in a big way. Any meaningful experience can create these connections, however. Was there a special dish you always made with a parent or grandparent? Did your extended family all go to the same pizzeria at every visit? Do you and your spouse have a routine from early in your relationship that influences how you enjoy time together today?
These associations can play out in unconscious ways, eliciting cravings or overshadowing your efforts to develop a taste for healthier, Primal fare. If you’re still carrying the torch for old favorites, it can be harder to fully enjoy newer Primal tastes.
Then there are the temptations of the present. Experts say mental imagery – that which we conjure ourselves and that which we’re presented with (in ads, etc.) – plays a sizeable role in our cravings. Have you ever found yourself victim to an ad’s suggestion? Even if you normally wouldn’t touch a particular food, those marketing folks have a fantastic way of making it look good.
Our moods, of course, can influence our vulnerability to old favorites. Many of us have indulged in emotional eating, and carbohydrates figure into this equation all too strongly. There’s a legitimate serotonin boost from a carb binge, but then comes the inevitable crash and then the ongoing habit. Our desire for comfort foods, researchers have found, only increases with additional stress. (On a side note, experts have even found trends of favorite comfort foods (PDF) in men and women and in older and younger folks. Men as a whole tend to crave warm and hearty foods. Women for their part had more of a penchant for sweeter snack foods. Younger groups also tended to choose more snack rather than meal type foods.)
In terms of strategies to lessen the feeling of deprivation and associated cravings, researchers confirm the out of sight, out of mind approach. Proximity matters in a big way. The more of a hassle it is to get to that favorite temptation, the less likely you’ll bother with it. Their study includes the old candy dish at the secretary’s desk scenario. Yet, battling those mental images matters, too. If your favorite food is all over the TV commercials, find something else to do on the days or evenings when you’re more prone to suggestion because of stress or a down mood.
When you do become taken in by a sudden urge to indulge, some research suggests that taking a brief walk can help. If the cravings are more than an occasional inconvenience, you might want to ask whether there’s something hormonal going on or if you have a nutritional deficiency. Particularly if you have a history of disordered eating, you might choose to explore some professional counseling. Finally, some research shows that acupuncture can be an effective complementary measure for reducing ongoing cravings.
You might ask where the 80/20 Principle is in all this. Well, it depends. If your favorite food can be adapted to fit a Primal profile or if you can indulge moderately on an occasional basis, then you might not have to forgo that favorite altogether. If one taste of a non-Primal favorite food sends you on a downward spiral, however, it’s another story. As people get further along in their Primal journey, the slippery slope phenomenon isn’t as powerful, but for some it remains so. Know yourself, first and foremost.
There’s a potential bit of a catch here, however. Even if you know you can always go back and have it, a lot of folks – having been fully Primal for a while – find that the side effects are too great to bother with. They realize that it’s not worth trying anymore, even for special occasions. Nonetheless, some feel a bit of grief with the acknowledgment. In these cases, however, know that the food was destroying your body long before you ever gave it up. You simply know what it feels like to live without the low-grade symptoms now.
That’s the final message here, I think. A favorite food offers momentary pleasure and maybe a meaningful bit of nostalgia. But what is your life without that favorite food? More energetic? Less congested? More restful? More even-keeled? Less medicated? Just as happily reminiscent. Just as meaningful. Your taste buds are but one small part of you. If your whole body could vote on each food you put in it, what would it tell you? Learning to live Primally is about learning to listen to your body, recognizing its story, and valuing how our physical habits feed the spirit as well as the body – the vitality – we bring to each day.
Now it’s your turn. Readers, have you had struggles with old favorite foods? Do they still have a hold on you? Does the lingering preference ever trip you up, or have you found your peace with it – maybe by indulging once in a while with moderation? What do you see as the major challenges behind giving up a favorite food?
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Posted By: Mark Sisson
Great post Mark! As a ‘primal’ nutritionist working with individuals and groups, this is the toughest bit of my job. Convincing people to eat more vegetables and bacon – easy. Giving up margarine & legumes – easy. No longer having breads, cereals, and sweets – bloody hard!
Along with all the points you made, people have to acknowledge that to give up those foods, they are dealing with an physiological addiction in many instances. It is getting shown time & again that substances such as gluten and sugar are hard-wiring themselves into people’s nervous systems. It can be hard going.
interested that you point out the “grief” that goes with giving up the foods you crave. I am a sugar addict, pure and simple. I find it HARD to give it up, it’s what i always “fall off the wagon” for. I feel enormously better when I don’t eat it – and I adore berries and thick cream as a treat instead. I doon’t even miss bread and pasta and rice. BUT – I do have a sense of loss, almost like a bereavement. Something I have clung to for comfort all my life turns out to have been a deceptive and deadly traitor. But I miss it. Bacon is great, butter on my veggies is fantastic, but they are not sources of emotional comfort on a bad day. I know sugar would kill me if I let it – but I so miss it!!
Almost every Friday for the past 15 years has been pizza night. Oh boy!
Make a Primal Pizza … recipes on this website.
For me it’s all about the family/childhood connections. My mother was a good cook, and there are definitely many great memories bound up for me with the foods she made or bought for us and the times of the year. I am especially susceptible to desserts; I really don’t miss or crave bread/rice/potatoes all that much.
Generally speaking, if I am “on” for a good while, my desire to eat most bad stuff goes away entirely. I am not even tempted by the junk food at work. But if I break for a favorite homemade food, suddenly those cheap Hershey bars become appealing again.
I don’t really struggle with any issues with weight or health, but I do notice my performance in CrossFit going down when I’m eating poorly. That said, while my commitment is to be more 80 than 20 next year than this year, I fully know that I will not be able to (nor want to) be 100%. Not everything we enjoy is good for us, but if we know the true impact of our choices that is the best we can ask, and it helps us make the right one more often than not.
This describes every experience we’ve had in telling people about eating Primal, “What about bread?” Great article.
My mantra – that has gotten me down 20 + pounds and still counting (2 lbs/week) is
“NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS THIN FEELS”!!!!
Pass it on!
You might want to be careful with the quote.
It was said by a woman who is 6 inches taller, and 10 sizes smaller than the average woman. I don’t think Kate Moss should be a good role model for going primal. I doubt she could even do one air squat without feeling faint!
Like I said, just because careful!
You might want to be careful with the quote.
It was said by a woman who is 6 inches taller, and 10 sizes smaller than the average woman. I don’t think Kate Moss should be a good role model for going primal. I doubt she could even do one air squat without feeling faint!
Like I said, just be careful!
Whoops, my bad for posting twice!
Sorry gang!
Hmm, how about “nothing tastes as good as HEALTHY feels” as a variation, then…
Watch out with that mantra….This is the rallying cry of any anorectic…and is well-known…Think health, not thin as the ultimate motor behind the Paleo lifestyle…Paleo HELPS me to turn my back on unhealthy food restrictions…to embrace taste, mouth-feel and nourishment…One can lose weight on any restrictive diet…only Paleo seems to propagate perpetual physical and mental health in very positive, life-affirming ways…
Some of this is about the very human tendency to ignore long term consequences in favor of short term pleasure. It’s the same reason why people smoke cigarettes, don’t wear seat belts, or don’t buy life insurance. We’d rather please the “Present Me” than take care of the “Future Me” since the future seems to never come. So you’re not just battling culture, advertising, your upbringing, prevalence, and habit. You’re also fighting your human nature a bit.
For me, I’ve been trying to place awareness in between my choice to eat something non-Primal and actually eating it. I’m trying to remind myself of just how sick I always feel afterward BEFORE I taste that slice of pizza. Nine times out of 10 that does the trick. I’ll chalk up that other one time to being human.
Before going primal/paleo in my eating, I loved bread in all of its forms. I had a bread machine, tons of recipes for breads, etc. I could never pass up the bread basket at my favorite Greek and Italian restaurants. I always ordered thick crust pizza. Bread had many happy memories for me since my grandmother and I often shared it when I was a child, especially her amazing homemade biscuits.
I now can’t stand the smell of bread baking. I used to love that smell and now it produces a slight nausea. Coupled with eating what’s right for humans and retraining my biochemical responses to food, knowing what eating all of those carbs does to my body’s chemistry killed the bread craving.
Feeling good and being stronger and lighter is powerful medicine and a message I can’t ever ignore. Over time, my desire for processed sugar and carbs has gone away. Eating primally has changed my taste buds for the better. For sure, there are stressful days when a big slice of chocolate cake looks good, but then I think about what that stuff was doing to my body. Thinking about old blood work results is enough to stop me.
It’s interesting to try to explain to family why I don’t eat this or that anymore.
I find that smells can trigger cravings for me more that the sight of food. Like today, one of the banks brought our office a tin of popcorn for the holidays. Inside the tin is a bag of plain, one of cheese, and one of caramel. I opened the tin, and was overwhelmed by the smell. Now, every time I look at the tin, I think about that popcorn. And it’s not even one of my favorite foods, it’s just that sweet smell of the caramel corn which triggered a craving. (I do not plan to eat any of it, either.) I heard one time that stores put duct work in so that the smell of the bakery wafts to the front doors of the store, to get you hungry, which means you’ll spend more money. There’s big bucks in food styling, making that hamburger or pizza look so tempting. They never look that good in reality!
For me it’s not really a “junk” food. It’s oatmeal. I’ve been eating it twice a day so it doesn’t really fit into the 80/20. I’m biting the bullet and giving it up, but boy it’s hard!
Nice mark. Definitely deserved some sharing!
I find that most cravings are really for something I can eat, at least under 80/20. If I crave pizza, it’s mostly for the toppings. The crust is wonderful, but I can live without it. Same with craving a triple burger with cheese and bacon. I wish I could eat the bun, but I have no trouble asking the waiter to leave it off.
I must admit that I had already fought the wheat battle a few years ago. But before Primal, I would sometimes indulge, mostly from laziness, e.g. not picking out the croutons from a salad.
I should also say that I eat some white potatoes, white rice and corn tortillas in moderation, i.e. a serving or two of one of them about 5 dinners per week. I am doing well and see no reason to give them up.
All of the no-no junk foods taste just as good as ever to me. They just don’t control me.
I’ve been rather successful in giving up the grains, but the hardest for me has been pasta, which I love in all its various guises. I try to limit my pasta intake to about once every 10 days, so perhaps it falls into the 80/20 category, but I’d love to be able to cut it out for good.
I made a delish lasagna yesterday using very thin layers of scrambled egg in place of noodles
I haven’t found it difficult to drop grains but I don’t live in my home culture which I think makes it much, much easier for me.
My husband who hates the fast food joints with a passion and vowed never to take our kids there would routinely take them to Krispy Kreme until I pointed out that it wasn’t healthy or in line with his beliefs.
It had never crossed his mind because Sunday morning doughnuts was what his family did.
I have also started to notice since going Primal that there are even primal foods that are like drugs for me – for example, grapes, nuts. I can’t stop eating them if I start. I’d never noticed this before.
Alison,
I share your feelings about Grape-Nuts cereal. One thing I’ve discovered is that even though it’s been touted as “healthy” and only has a few ingredients, it’s sweeter than many of the highly sugared kid’s cereals!!
Before I started the Primal diet, for 9 months I had been on a very healthful weight-loss diet. I ate more vegetables than I ever had before, and stopped eating anything made with white flour. I found that getting off white flour made the mid-afternoon slump go away, as well as the craving for sweets.
So by the time I discovered the Primal diet, I was half-way there in terms of weaning my self from my beloved bread and pasta. By that time, eliminating grains from my diet completely was not really a problem. After three weeks, my heartburn went away, and I felt clear-headed for the first time in memory.
That was enough to make me avoid grains on a daily basis. I eat organic produce, grass-fed beef and pasture-raised chicken and turkey(which I hadn’t before going primal. From day to day I don’t miss the old favorite foods, and I go by the 80/20 concept in regard to eating at restaurants and having holiday meals or going to parties.
Maybe giving up bread wasn’t hard for me because I had already given up one form of it. As someone who once considered bread an essential food, I am fine without it.
Agreed, Paula. My afternoon sleepiness went away completely when I gave up flour. I also had digestive “issues” that are also gone.
I gave up soda years ago back in college. I was drinking a few 20oz bottles a day and just decided to see if I could give it up cold turkey one Sunday night. Haven’t drank it since. Same thing with breakfast cereal (and I LOVED cereal). Chips, pretzels, Doritos, etc were never my thing, so they weren’t hard to give up. But now I’m still working on giving up the desserty sweets. That’s been a struggle, but I am getting away from them … just slower than I wanted.
I’m Sicilian, need I say more?? I always fending off the constant pasta and bread-i-licious dishes my family throws at me. It’s no big deal though when you learn some kick-ass recipes like primal pancakes and pizza! On the other hand homemade chocolate chip cookies are the devil.
It’s only that artisan wholegrain organic sourdough, toasted and slathered in butter… I can’t resist when it’s in our kitchen. Just one slice with a giant veggie omlette and a big rasher of bacon… and espresso. 80/20?
I still have issues with donuts. My husband loves them and buys them. They are always around the house. It SUCKS. I love them so much, and I don’t have any side effects when I fall off the wagon which makes it much more difficult. I think if i felt like i was going to throw up or had bad headaches after I would eat crap, then it would make it easier.
I have failed to fully convert, but one food that definitely gets me: Popcorn. And once I start eating it, I shovel mouthfuls as fast as I can eat them until suddenly the whole bowl is gone. What’s worse, is it really upsets my gut, and I know this while I’m eating it. Ugh. Evil popcorn!
I am totally Primal….18mths-also being a Type 1 diabetic and follow Dr Biernstiens food lists for Diabetics- no fruit………I MISS Fruit but I feel like crap when i eat it with BGs all over the place….lol…..So I dont indulge at all -not tempted- just accept that I miss it.
Three Words: Sour. Patch. Kids.
I have to literally put my hands in my pockets when I walk by them in the store.
Then again, I’ve only been primal for about 3 weeks.
Your sweet tooth does progressively dial down with a primal diet… That’ll help. If and when you do indulge, pay attention to that point where they don’t taste so good anymore, then toss the rest. My husband finds he hits a limit after just a couple sips of soda,for example.
I find that as long as I stay Primal, my blood glucose levels allow me to resist temptation very easily (although I have occasionally been known to SNIFF the Friday morning office doughnuts!) Was never really a sweet eater, but man, did I love me some pizza! Now, when a craving hits, I work out a substitute…the “meatza” is great; we make a fantastic (maybe not primal but definitely ultra low-carb) cheesecake, and although I’ve made satisfying parmesan/flax/sunflower crackers, GG’s Scaandinavian Crispbread is a daily staple.
My philosophy is to enjoy the food that is NATURALLY low carb & primal..don’t try to duplicate the high-carb tastes you THINK you want with poor imitations; you’ll be disappointed (well, other than the occasional hook-up w/Dreamfield’s spaghetti).
My Nesco dehydrator is my best friend (nothing beats home-made jerky) and I’ve lost over 70 #s in
2 years; 20 more to go, but that’s the wine I can’t seem to give up!
Lol!! I totally sniff the Friday donuts! I think they smell better than they taste, anyway.
Get a bad systematic and chronic candida infection! That stopped me!
quick recent experience –
for 2 months i’m 90%- 95% off (or more depending on item) wheat, white sugar (using xylitol and raw honey when necessary), off bread, off any oil but coconut or olive, off most of the no-no veggies, and off my life-long cookie munching (i’m a healthy 56).
few days ago during a incident-related stress, i did a poorly judged “self-medication” – chomped some sugary chocolate bar and 3 Rachels gluten-free BUT with lotsa **sugar** – immediately got nauseous, irritable and realized it
- on just 3 not so big cookies! i used to down a box of these no prob –
so – insulin sensitivity must be up, and i learned…
…the cookies will not be there on top of the fridge next time (they’ll be still on the store shelf…)
People use junk food as a replacement for sex – no doubt about it. Ever hear how people talk about certain foods? try it. The next time someone is talking about thier favorite food it sounds an aweful lot like….well, you know.
Sex everyday keeps the junk food away
Maybe we should revamp that Kate Moss quote into something more useful. I’d propose “Nothing tastes as good as *healthy* feels.” I get a lot of psychic benefit, not just enjoyment of taste, out of eating fresh veggies or salads, and knowing that I’m helping my body.
On the other hand, all of my family’s special occasion and ‘comfort’ foods were SAD, and speaking of SAD, I do suffer from inherited seasonal depression (Vitamin D helps, but it doesn’t cure, especially if life stress hits me at the same time). Given the family history of comfort eating, I do pretty well on Primal eating most of the time, but under stress I have a mixed track record of resisting the urge to splurge on definitively non-primal foods like donuts, pasta, burgers, etc.
On a brighter note, I’ve found a really good substitute for corn chips if you like them (or crispy fries) with chili. A good hearty helping of chili (sans beans, preferably), smothered in shredded cheese, goes down real nice if you use pork rinds in place of chips. Of course, it does help to really smother that chili on there, to make sure that the taste is, (ahem), consistent. But the little added crunch can’t be beat, and it’s an easy, hearty ‘snack’ for those cravings, to say nothing of convenience. Make a big pot, buy a big bag, and hit it for most of the week.
Parmesan Crisps. Ohhh yeeaaahhh… http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/parmesan-crisps-recipe/index.html
Someone posted about how her brother views food as a means to fuel your body… I’ve been saying that for years. Most people (in my opinion) view food as a means of entertainment. We grill, have family over, go to dinner, order takeout, etc…, all the while eating to their hearts content, without thinking what they’re ingesting is doing to their bodies. I’ve mananged to drop the entertainment thing for the most part, although I have to admit, earlier this year I injured myself in the gym, twice… and the second injury really put me down. I spent spring and summer recouperating and gaining weight (back to viewing food as entertainment)… that’s when I found this site. Thanks to everyone here, I’m back on my “warpath” to getting healthy, only this time, I’ll be even healthier. 7.3% body fat (again) is on the horizon.
Chaz
funny, I was craving big fluffy blueberry buttermilk pancakes this morning. Other than that oatmeal would be my weakness, I love it. I very rarely miss things like bread, cake, crackers or chips. There are so many great primal substitutes to most of the grain based foods, and I enjoy knowing that they won’t make me ill. I honestly think that I wouldn’t be able to even finish a plate of pancakes without feeling horribly ill later, its simply not worth it.
Great! Now, how do I get my beloved family members (and everyone else I care about) to read this post? I’m betting they’ll be as reluctant to read this as they are reluctant to give up their grains…