Food has always been my weakness and this was the reason my friends started to call me juicer – I would always be the one finishing every last morsel left in the plate – not only mine but even my friend’s (and family). That was the reason I hated it when someone would limit me from over ordering food – since it meant I could not indulge.
I would insist always on ordering a large size pizza because I knew it would always have more than I should eat. That post indulgence did make me feel extremely guilty every single time but the process of over eating gave me a high that was too good to resist.
Then one day my friend made me read a piece which said that people who overeat are dealing with emotional issues. I knew I wasn’t dealing with any and I took it in my stride to prove it to her.
So how did I suddenly ‘knock out all the
junk from my diet’? To start with, it wasn’t sudden. It was a gradual process where I realised I needed to devise some clever ways to keep them out...
The rule with junk food is simple – THE LESS JUNK YOU EAT, THE LESS YOU CRAVE FOR IT.
TRICK 1: IDENTIFY THE EVILS
Identifying junk that make you weak is half the battle won. This will help you know what you need to keep out of your house (and sight).
TRICK 2: PICK A SLICE AND CHALLENGE YOURSELF TO FINISH LAST
Do not try to give it up all together. The first day I ordered a medium pizza. I took the smallest slice and challenged myself to finish it last. I chewed every bite for at least 40-50 times, checking constantly on how much my friends had finished. Funnily enough, it made me feel excited.
TRICK 3: TRY TO GROSS YOURSELF OUT
I loved eating chips so one day I sat down with a pack of 4 of my favorite chips and forced myself to finish them all in one go. By second pack, I was so grossed out but I continued. Looking at them the next time made me feel sick – that was the end of my chips-story.
TRICK 4: PREPARE IN ADVANCE
I knew 11am and 4pm were the times I craved for junk. So I started packing healthy snacks for that time. Tip: always pack extra. There were times when I would finish my snacks during mid morning.
TRICK 5: KEEP 'EXOTIC' HEALTHY SNACKS IN HAND
Yes, going local is good but not if that bores you- and definitely not at the risk of your own health. Pack blueberries, exotic fruits, quinoa snacks and whatever excites you enough to stay away from junk.
By Namita Sharma
