How long to break a habit?

[lis1]

I'm a terrible eater! I'm 24 so I know my metabolism (and also my build) are helping me out a bit because I'm only about 5-8lbs heavier than I'd like to be. But I hate feeling so gross after eating junk!

Last week, I had a cold so I didn't eat much. When I started eating my usual foods like sweets, they tasted kinda weird. But I kept eating them until I got used to them again. How dumb is that??
So I'm assuming I keep eating these foods out of habit. I'll just sit down and eat raw cookie dough, chips, brownies or whatever...especially at night. Then I feel gross. It's a constant cycle.

Has anyone broken a similar habit? How long does it take?

Thanks!

 

[starbuck]

Hi Lis1

It really depends on things like willpower determination things like that but around 3-6 months for it to really stick. This doesn't mean you will completely lose the taste for such things but it will help you perhaps get them under control better.

As for the thing with sweets I do that all the time in April I went to New York for 4 days. When I got back every time I had tea or coffee I couldn't drink it they kept making me feel sick, but you guessed it I kept on trying and now I am back on drinking tea and coffee.

At the end of the day its what we are used to also plays a factor. I would suggest looking at some eating plans seeing if you can do them and adapt to your tastes and lifestyle. Give them a go for as 4 weeks like an video rotation.

Try www.firmyayas.com or Weight Watchers or Body for Life. Or any other balanced eating program which you like and give it a go. OH and give yourself time to adapt to it and allow yourself sweets and a cheat day.

Just my 2 cents suggestion not binding at all.

Babs

 

[honeybunch1]

I've always heard that it takes 21 days, or 3 weeks to break or start a habit. As far as retooling your eating, (here I go again!) I would suggest the book "Picture Perfect Weight Loss 30 Day Plan," which gradually gets you into better eating choices. And it's all about eating MORE and SMARTER! You will not starve on this plan, I promise.

Just Do It!

 

[getnfit@39]

I've found for me that with both quitting smoking and quitting certain "sweet treats" that 21 days/3 weeks was the magic time frame.

If I could go completely cold turkey, then I was craving free for whatever it was after 3 weeks.

Donna
Fitness~It's a journey, not a race!

 

[Connie1]

One thing that makes it easier is to add foods to your daily diet. For example, now I "have" to have an apple a day almost every day. When you "have" to have 1-2 pieces of whole wheat toast, "have" to have 3 significant sources of protein (cottage cheese is my fast food) every day, et cetera, pretty soon unwanted foods get crowded out.