One Month Challenge: Junk Food Free, Week 1

September 4, 2010 Posted in Reality

[Everyone’s got a vice, a bad habit, something they know they need to change. Unfortunately, everyone also has a million excuses why they just can’t do it. Not anymore. Every month we will be following a different CollegeCandy writer as she takes on a personal challenge. Last month we followed Ariel as she went a(n almost) full month sans Facebook. This month things are getting even crazier. Yes, Meredith is giving. up. junk food. Oy.]

I will be the first to admit that I put on some unwanted pounds this summer. Towards the end of August, I was having some boyfriend troubles and was coping with the fact that my dad was getting married in about a month. Because of this, I ate. To name a few favorite treats that I indulged in, I ate funfetti cake, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, fruit snacks, Cape Cod potato chips, Starbursts, Chili’s Chocolate Molton Lava Cake, and many other delicious things.

And it was good.
But no more. For the month of September, I am GIVING UP JUNK FOOD.

I Googled “junk food” just to see what I’m dealing with and the first definition that came up was, “food that tastes good but is high in calories having little nutritional value.” I’m going to stick to that for my definition. No more cake, ice cream, cookies, gummies, chips, pizza, cheeseburgers, frappuccinos…basically anything that contains empty calories. The idea is to do more than merely give up junk food, though; it’s to adopt a generally healthier lifestyle. I’m going to try to introduce more whole grains into my diet, drink more water rather than Coke Zero (one of my many horrible addictions), and work out more. Basically, I’m going to take every aspect of my life, then ask, “Would my hero, Jillian Michaels, approve?” God, I love her.

There are a lot of people out there who will give me a hard time for what I’m doing. They will say that I’m crash dieting and that every snack is okay to eat in moderation. I don’t disagree that food is great in moderation, but to me, that’s not what this is about. This is about finding a new way to cope with my problems that doesn’t involve eating sweets. I want to deal with issues by talking them out with my friends, going for a long run, or even immersing myself in schoolwork. I’m not doing this so that I never eat junk food ever again and I know that I’m never going to look like Jillian Michaels. Instead, I’m aiming for a journey more like Hayley Hoover’s (of YouTube fame). Although she didn’t opt to give up junk food as I am, she struggled with similar problems as I do. Months from now, I would love to be in the same state that she writes about in this inspiring blog.

It has already been a couple of days sans junk food and things have been going fairly well. The best thing so far has been enlisting the support of my friends. I have friends cutting down on junk food as well, friends who are giving me food recommendations, but most importantly, everyone is supporting my cause and telling me that it’s a fantastic idea. So far I really love it. I have eaten more vegetables and whole grains in the past couple of days than I would normally eat in a week, just because I’m counting on them to get the nutrients and the calories that I need. I’m not going to lie and say that it has been all easy so far, though. I definitely wanted to grab a slice of chocolate cake at the dining hall the first night. And the second night. Plus, I forgot how delicious the pastries in Starbucks look behind that glass case, especially after an early morning class.

So far, I’m staying strong and enjoying this process. Just as long as no one dares eat a bag of potato chips in front of me. Let’s hope things only get easier as this month goes on.

[If you’re curious, or looking to give up junk food yourself, you can check out my Twitter - @br8ybrunch - and track my progress...and the inevitable long list of my daily cravings.]

7153120 Comments2010-09-04+20%3A00%3A06Meredith+-+Boston+University on "One Month Challenge: Junk Food Free, Week 1"

Lindsay says:
Sat, 4th Sep 201012:04 pm

I'm almost doing the same..cutting out junk food (except on my birthday and major holidays like christmas and thanksgiving) and my mom gave me a recipe for a much healthier alternative pizza. It's super simple too, all you need is a very small amount of olive oil, pocketless pitas, a couple slices of fresh mozzarella (or any cheese of your choice, I usually prefer feta), a couple tomato slices and baby spinach.

Preheat oven to 375.

Use a small kitchen brush to coat only one side with a thin layer of olive oil (a little bit goes a longggg way)

Layer the tomato, cheese, and baby spinach on top of the pocketless pita, and then pop it directly on the middle rack for 5-8 minutes and, voila!

Lauren says:
Sat, 4th Sep 201012:40 pm

Meredith, I'm taking the challenge with you Well. Starting today. RIGHT NOW.

I'm not overweight; I'm classified as 'average' for my height and weight. But I've always carried around a few extra pounds; or twenty. I've never been "thin" or "athletic", and I've never been able to wear a bikini or tight shirts.

So, here's to cutting out some Diet Cokes (*tear*), alcohol (*double tear*), cookies, cakes and the free ice cream they sometimes give out on the quad.

Nikita says:
Sun, 5th Sep 20101:26 am

I'm doing the same thing starting on my bday, which is on the 9th. New year. New me. (Or so I tell myself). Luckily, we're throwing an early bday bash so I can eat all the cake and junk food I want to before my actual bday. XD

I've been looking up healthy recipes and such and I really hope it all works out. And I don't start Fall quarter until the 23rd, so I have plenty of time to figure out a game plan for when I'm stuck in the cafeteria trying to find some food.

Good luck to you and to everyone else who's doing this!!

Allison says:
Sun, 5th Sep 20104:35 am

OH MY GOSH, you mentioned Hayley Hoover. Let me just say that I read that blog post of her's about losing weight and it inspired me. I'm now doing a similar challenge and let me say, it is not easy! Good luck

Renee says:
Sun, 5th Sep 20106:13 am

Ahh I did this. Now on the occasion I'll have pizza. This weekend i had french fries and candy for the 1st time in MONTHS. It maybe be hard at first but it does get eaiser. And when it does it feel AWESOME. Before I couldnt walk pask a vanding machine and see starburst without buying them. The sugar cravings were so strong. Im sooo much healthier now and i feel SOO much better. Its an AMAZING feeling and I wish you luck as you proceed through this!! =)

Alison says:
Sun, 5th Sep 20103:46 pm

Starting tomorrow I am sans junk food.

I just ate a jar of peanut butter so tonight doesn't count. But I agree, I will cut out pizza, chocolate, and pastries. Dark chocolate is okay for only when I am on my periods. And even then, ONLY THE REALLY DARK KIND. People say it's okay in moderation, but it's all or none for me. I can't eat 5 chips in "moderation" and be perfectly satisfied. The only thing stopping me from devouring the whole damn bag is by not touching it in the first place.

But I don't have the strength to cut out alcohol just yet.

misnomer says:
Mon, 6th Sep 20105:58 am

Meredith, out of curiosity, are you cutting out alcohol too? Or just the really bad drinks?

From what I understand, once you start eating better, you have more energy, so working out will be less of a chore. Also, other healthier habits come more naturally. Good luck!

Allison Keough says:
Mon, 6th Sep 201011:12 am

I think this is a great idea! I'm going to come along on the journey too I know the best thing so far I've done is not having soda(which i've been failing at…miserably, this weekend.)

No MORE crappy food for me!

Meredith - Boston Un says:
Mon, 6th Sep 20102:07 pm

Good luck to everyone who is joining me for the challenge! Things have been going really great so far for me and I hope you all feel the same way.

misnomer – I am centering the challenge around food in particular. The definition that I have been using is “food that tastes good but is high in calories having little nutritional value.” That being said, I still am trying to choose healthier alternatives to soda, such as water – and if I WAS 21, which I am not, then that would include alcohol .

Alison says:
Tue, 7th Sep 20103:19 pm

I want to eat a muffin right now so BADLY and I don't know what to do. There are muffins in the kitchen and I can't stop thinking about them. It's like crushing on a guy, you know when you can't stop thinking about a person? That's how I feel about these muffins.

Rebekah says:
Wed, 8th Sep 20103:52 pm

I cut out sweets and sodas completely for about a month this last spring, and it was extremely hard. The cravings for a piece of cake or a cookie are so much stronger when you know you can't have one! I've since lightened up and occasionally eat sweets or have a soda but I noticed that my body reacts to the sugar and caffeine differently than it used to, especially the caffeine. So the negative effects after indulging are usually an incentive to not indulge too often. Good luck to everyone doing this challenge!

Mary says:
Sat, 11th Sep 20102:57 am

One other way to boost the nutritional value of food is to eat organic. These foods have been properly enriched when grown, not bloated by chemicals.

Linda says:
Sat, 11th Sep 20106:55 pm

I'm late on seeing this (just read the Week 2 post)…but I want to try it now too!

caseyhampton says:
Tue, 19th Jul 20112:57 am

Fine article. There's a lot of great info here, though I did want to let you know something – I am running Fedora with the current beta of Firefox, and the design of your blog is kind of flaky for me. I can read the articles, but the navigation doesn't function so great.

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