(re: avoiding junk food) Tell me about it! When I first started eating well, I didn't even want junk food after the first week or so. Then the cravings kicked in even harder than they ever did before. I still struggle with it constantly. Now if I buy a large chocolate bar I end up eating the whole thing in one day. Fortunately I don't do the same thing to a box of cookies
^ When you go off from junk food right away, it's expected for those cravings to kick in a little stronger. I know that's what happened with me when I had to cut out sugars this year. (I use honey, dates, and fruit as my sweeteners.) Now though I don't crave junk food or desserts all that much anymore. I kinda go in spurts, where I can go a long while not craving much of anything, and then out of the blue I feel like having chocolate, cookies, ice cream, pudding, pies, basically anything fattening, sugary, and full of carbs lol. I never cave in though, only because my health can't afford to. I'm not going to kill myself (aka put myself in a bunch of pain, not actually die from eating it although I think it might feel like I was killing myself slowly.
) all because of a craving. I either eat some fruit to satisfy my sweet tooth or I just deal with it.
In the past when I would buy chocolate bars, as much as I loved chocolate, it still took me 3 days or so to finish one. Mostly because I limited myself. I kinda got to the point where I was like, "Okay if I eat this [healthy food], then I can treat myself to a square of chocolate." or "If I finish doing this, then I can treat myself." Instead of making sweets a priority or caving in to the cravings where you insist you need it now, I think it's better to play the reward game while also keeping it in moderation.
You're taking a year off from college? What spurred this? What are you planning to do? Sorry if I'm prying, just curious
^ No need to apologize, you're not prying at all.
I decided on this a little while ago, before I started focusing on my health as much as I am now. I originally wanted to take off a year to focus on getting a job and I also needed time to research other schools and crunch some numbers. Then earlier this year, I ended up needing to see a nutritionist/specialist because my food allergies and health were just getting too difficult to handle and I kept getting really sick. So now I still have the same priorities, except with the bulk of my health thrown in. It's all for the best though, despite my parents being pretty unhappy about it. It was either, rush picking out a college to attend and then having to come home a few times a month throughout the semesters just to attend appointments while also keeping track of my diet and the natural medicines I'm taking, OR taking a year off at home where I can focus on my health much better and get to my appointments somewhat easier, try to get a job (no luck so far), research schools, and also pursue other little projects just to keep myself busy. The latter, imo, was the smartest choice and something I knew would be easier for me, even though my extra free time at the moment is kind of boring.
