The vicious cycle of "bad" food

Over the last year, I’ve been trying to actually put in some work on myself... both physically and mentally. I've been diving deep into healthy eating books, and honestly, out of everything I've read, the only thing that actually made sense was Montignac's whole deal with glycemic indices. Biology and chemistry were never really my thing, so I still struggle to wrap my head around blood glucose spikes, insulin, and the glycemic index 😵, but I did manage to grasp one thing: when we eat "bad" stuff—you know, refined sugar, processed grains, beer... it triggers this massive chain reaction in our bodies (fast absorption into the bloodstream, insulin surges, then a crash, which just makes you crave more sugar, or whatever... just Google 😬) that traps us in this endless loop where we're constantly hunting for more of the same crap.
I decided to test this theory on myself over the last few weeks. I basically purged all the trash from my diet. Now it's strictly whole grains, fish, lean protein, tons of veggies, olive oil... and if I have a sweet tooth, I go for fruit or make these killer strawberry frappes (yum). Coffee in the morning, herbal teas in the afternoon.
And man, things changed. I'm just... not hungry anymore. It used to be that I was thinking about food 24/7, just bouncing from an unstoppable sugar craving to a salt craving, then to pickles (any woman dealing with PMS will totally get what I mean 🙂).
I can barely believe it myself. Is it really that simple? Just cut out the garbage and break the cycle of obsessing over cookies, chips, popcorn, or those pickles that seem to multiply in the pantry... which then leads to gaining weight, feeling exhausted, getting depressed, and that heavy wave of guilt after you cave and eat something shitty.
And if it's actually this straightforward, why isn't this stuff taught in American schools? 😁
The whole thing starts raising questions... feels almost like a conspiracy theory? Why are we poisoning ourselves? Why is 90% of the aisles at Walmart stuffed with this unhealthy, refined, processed junk that just makes you fat? Why are we flooding our poor kids' lives with this filth and basically turning them into little junk food addicts from day one? But that's a whole different conversation.
Anyway, I'm curious if anyone else has gone through something similar?

Such a great topic! 😉

I have certainly experienced something quite similar myself. In fact, I was just reflecting yesterday on how it has become completely second nature to limit my sweets to once a week and generally stick to a more nutritious diet. It doesn't even require much conscious effort anymore. After a full year of this, it has truly just become a habit! 👍
Furthermore, I feel much better overall—I don't deal with that midday fatigue, nor any digestive issues... basically, all five of them!

However, I suppose it isn't always quite that straightforward. You know how former smokers sometimes have those intense dreams? For instance, someone might have quit twenty years ago and then suddenly wakes up one morning shouting, "I need a cigarette!" 🤣 It suggests that certain patterns are permanently etched into the brain. For me, every two or three weeks, something just snaps and I find myself giving in—it's inevitable! It feels stronger than my willpower, regardless of whether my blood sugar is low at the moment. I suppose I react much like a recovering addict would. 😁 I suspect this won't ever fully disappear, though I imagine these episodes will simply become increasingly rare over time!

Dana Miller2 said:Over the last year, I’ve really started focusing on self-improvement, both physically and mentally. I’ve been diving into a lot of books about nutrition, and honestly, the only thing that actually made sense to me was Montignac’s approach to glycemic indices. Biology and chemistry were never exactly my strong suits, so I still struggle to wrap my head around how things like blood glucose levels and insulin actually work. 😵If there’s one thing I’ve managed to figure out from all of this, it's that when we eat "junk" food—stuff like refined sugar, processed grains, or even beer—it triggers a whole chain reaction in our bodies. It hits the bloodstream fast, spikes your insulin, then causes your glucose levels to crash, which just leaves you craving more sugar. You might want to look that up. 😬It’s like being caught in a loop where we just can't help ourselves, constantly craving more and more of those exact same foods.
I’ve actually been testing all of this out on myself over the last few weeks. I've cut out almost all the junk and I'm sticking to whole grains, fish, lean proteins, and plenty of veggies. I also use olive oil for everything, and whenever I get a craving for something sweet, I just grab some fruit or whip up a delicious strawberry smoothie (so good!). I stick to coffee in the mornings and switch to herbal teas in the afternoon.
Things have finally shifted. I’m just not hungry all the time anymore. It used to be that food was constantly on my mind—one minute I’d be obsessing over sweets, then immediately pivoting to salty snacks, and then craving something sour. Any woman who deals with PMS will know exactly what I mean. 🙂).
I still can't quite wrap my head around it. Is it really that straightforward?

Yeah, pretty much. That insulin spike basically just shoves all that extra sugar straight into fat storage, leaving you with a blood sugar crash afterward—so you'll just end up feeling hungry all over again. It’s a cycle that works exactly like that; I've seen it happen to myself, I've seen it happen to you, and it happens to just about everyone.

All of this just raises so many questions—it almost feels like a conspiracy theory. Why are we constantly poisoning ourselves? Why is 90% of the shelves at Walmart packed with nothing but unhealthy, highly processed junk that’s just designed to make us gain weight?

A lot of junk food is actually pretty tasty, affordable, and easy to find. 😉

So, I was wondering if anyone else here has gone through something similar?

I deal with this every single day. If I eat something with a high glycemic index, I feel a massive energy crash and end up hungry again almost immediately. But if I stick to things like oatmeal or some veggies, I stay full for hours and my focus stays sharp. 🤷

Ethan Garcia8 said:Yeah, pretty much. That insulin spike just packs all that extra sugar away into fat cells, then leaves you crashing with hypoglycemia... so you end up starving all over again. It’s just how it works. I've seen it happen to me, I've seen it happen to you, and it happens to basically everyone else too.

It honestly feels like women take the brunt of this, especially during PMS when I get these totally irrational cravings. Like, I can't stand soda—never touch the stuff—but every few months during PMS, I'll go absolutely nuts for a Phantom. One of my coworkers went through something similar while she was pregnant. I'm guessing it's some weird hormonal thing, but I haven't found a real answer that actually makes sense yet. Everyone just treats it like it's some kind of joke...😢

Well... I’ve been attempting this whole "healthy eating" thing for several months now—though, let’s be honest, it’s more of a constant struggle against my own impulses—and every single day, my soul practically begs for something decadent... you know, something like a bar of dark chocolate, or maybe some Nutella, or a pint of premium ice cream, or even just a handful of those sugary wafers... and every single day, I find myself forced to manufacture some new, increasingly ridiculous excuse to avoid buying them and giving in to the temptation.

Hannah Stewart said:Nah, again, I don't think it’s really that black and white...

I get it, it's not simple. You've got the addiction factor, the fact that most of that junk tastes amazing and gives you that quick hit of dopamine right after you eat it; plus we can't ignore emotional eating—using food to mask how you actually feel. I'm definitely one of those people who reaches for snacks whenever things get heavy...
But honestly, I still think people overlook the fact that you can manage those hunger pangs just by sticking to actual healthy food. Just look at all these endless, pointless threads about every single diet under the sun that these poor women put themselves through... 🙂.

Elizabeth Patel67 said:Ugh... I've been sticking to this healthy eating thing (with varying levels of mental breakdowns) for months now... and honestly, every single day I’m craving something delicious... like chocolate, or Nutella, or ice cream, or those sugary snack bars... and every damn day I have to invent some new excuse for why I won't just buy it and eat it.

I get those cravings too, but it's way easier to keep them in check when I'm actually eating right. The urge just kind of sits there in the back of my mind, but if I give in even once, it turns into this unstoppable monster where I need more and more and I can't stop myself... it's a nightmare. But when I actually manage to fight it off, it gets a little easier every day... and if the sugar craving gets really bad, I'll just grab a bit of dark chocolate or whip up some healthy dessert instead.

Dana Miller2 said:All of this really makes you wonder—it almost feels like a conspiracy. Why are we constantly poisoning ourselves? Why is nearly 90% of the stuff at Walmart just unhealthy, highly processed junk that's designed to make us gain weight? And why are we feeding our poor kids this garbage, basically turning them into little junk food addicts before they even hit middle school? But that's a whole different conversation.

What she said above is actually pretty simple to explain. Most people just aren't informed, and honestly, a lot of folks are just willfully ignorant. For many, the idea of actually learning something new—especially about nutrition—is completely out of the question.

I remember when my old neighbor made a comment that her granddaughter might be carrying a bit too much extra weight (the kid was 75 lbs at 7 years old) and suggested maybe she shouldn't be spoiled with so many cookies, and the parents were absolutely livid. Sure, the neighbor probably should have kept her mouth shut, but still. They're setting that child up for a struggle right from the start. 🙄

Dana Miller2 said:I get those cravings too, but they're much easier to manage when I'm sticking to healthy eating. It’s mostly mental; if I give in just once, it turns into this unstoppable cycle where I can't stop eating it. Once I pull through those tough moments, though, it gets easier every day. If I really need a sugar fix, I’ll just have a bit of dark chocolate or whip up a healthy dessert.

I'm in the same boat. I definitely get cravings, but since I eat pretty clean most of the time, I allow myself some treats. Honestly, I actually prefer healthy food anyway—you can make it so delicious with just a little fat. Things like a good burger, pizza, or grilled food don't even tempt me that much compared to the nutritious stuff.

Ethan Garcia8 said:..I thought it was hilarious when my old neighbor piped up saying her granddaughter might be carrying a few too many pounds (the kid is 7 years old and already 165 lbs!) and that they shouldn't be constantly bribing her with cookies—well, everyone lost their minds. I mean, sure, the old lady should have minded her own business, but still. You don't just go ruining a kid's confidence right out of the gate. 🙄

Man, I did the exact same thing once with some people close to me—just mentioned that the little girl seemed a bit heavy for her age. Seriously, she’s like lead; you can barely pick her up! And then they turn around and tell me, "Oh, she doesn't eat anything..." except... well, they proceed to list every single piece of junk food in the local Walmart... It was one time she had an orange when she was 4, and they were acting all shocked, like, "Oh my god, she's eating fruit for the first time!" Like, excuse me? She hates fruit unless it's in a pudding cup or a sugary soda... I don't get it, do they think fruit pudding counts as actual fruit?? And don't even get me started when they tell me she won't touch veggies or fruit, she just wants more soda and snack cakes... how on earth was a baby knowing what she liked at six months old if you weren't letting her have it, for crying out loud!! It's way easier to just shovel junk into a kid than actually parent them.... Oh, and get this—one neighbor was dead set on convincing me that cereals are the best thing for kids, so she'd regularly buy up all the Cheetos, chips, and processed snacks, and then she'd mock *me* for "tormenting" the kids by giving them oatmeal in their soup or milk... She gained 65 pounds during her pregnancy while I only put on about 30, and she actually had the nerve to call me cheap because I wouldn't buy her kid a Kinder Egg..??

We’re constantly being bombarded by ads for junk food—you know the drill, "share these chips with a buddy," "milk chocolate packed with calcium for healthy growth," or some other pitch for quick, easy meals...
Nobody ever bothers to mention what’s actually inside that stuff nutritionally; they just make sure you see a picture of broccoli soup when there isn't a single trace of actual broccoli in the can. People genuinely seem to think they're serving up a nutritious meal if they just whip up some canned soup, or that their kids will grow up strong and healthy on nothing but Hershey bars and those sugary fruit yogurts. It’s all just dirty marketing tactics.😢

So true. Like, they push all these impossible body standards on us—especially on young girls and kids—but then their "healthy" food ads? Total garbage.
It’s hilarious how they promote a healthy lifestyle by pushing fitness cereals that are basically just sugar bombs, while actual oats don't even get a mention. But hey, at least we have this forum.🙂
Anyway, props to those of us actually doing the work to eat real food and figure things out ourselves.😁

They’re brainwashing us, plain and simple. While everyone stays miserable and unhealthy, they make it easy to control you by pushing retail therapy, junk food, and those fake, smiling faces on TV. It’s a cycle. There are studies out there showing that most types of diabetes could be managed easily just through diet—something I've mentioned here more times than I can count—but you won't see that reported in the news. People have been conditioned to be repulsed by actual nutrition. After years of being bombarded with nonsense through every media outlet imaginable, if you actually eat healthy, people look at you like you're an idiot. I have friends who aren't total morons; they appreciate good music and watch decent films, but the second you bring up real, nutritious food, they shut down. Even my own parents are like that. I can scarf down twenty sliders and nobody bats an eye, but the moment I eat five eggs, they start lecturing me about how I'm eating too much fat. It's ridiculous.

I'm right there with you. Ever since I started paying attention to what I eat, my mom acts like I've developed some kind of eating disorder. It’s constant questions: "Why aren't you eating pasta? Why skip dessert? Where on earth did those carrots come from?" People give you such strange looks when you opt for something healthy, yet they don't blink an eye if you're grabbing a meal at McDonald's. And get this—when I was visiting my niece, I nearly fell over seeing her Barbie doll. This thing had legs that went all the way up to its neck, skinny as toothpicks. Then she tells me how beautiful the Barbie is and how much she wants to look just like her. Honestly, that doll is completely malnourished... it's just awful.

Elizabeth Patel67 said:Well... I've been sticking to a healthy diet (with varying degrees of struggle) for several months now... and every single day, I find myself craving something delicious... something like chocolate, or Nutella, or ice cream, or even just some cookies... and every day I have to come up with a fresh excuse for why I shouldn't buy and eat it.

That is exactly it. Though, fortunately for me, those cravings don't hit me every single day anymore. It feels almost like we're rats in a maze with conditioned responses. I feel down—food! I'm tired—food! I'm bored—food!! Well... ☕

Dana Miller2 said:I get those cravings too, but it's easier for me to keep them under control when I'm eating healthy. The urge stays in the back of my mind, but if I give in just once, then it turns into this unstoppable need for more and more, and there's just no way I can resist it. However, when I manage to hold out, it gets easier every day, and if I really crave something sweet, I'll just have a little dark chocolate or make myself a healthy dessert.

I've established a sort of mechanism for myself that prevents that "more and more" spiral. It’s based on a temporal boundary: sweets are eaten ONLY on Sundays. As long as that day lasts, it's allowed. Monday morning—NOT!!

It works! 😉

Ethan Garcia8 said:And what's mentioned above is easily explained. It's because people are foolish and uneducated; they are ignorant in most cases. For many, the idea of learning anything at all is unthinkable, let alone learning something about nutrition.

I thought it was quite something when my old neighbor made a comment that her granddaughter might be carrying a bit too much weight (the little girl is 75 lbs and 7 years old) and that she probably shouldn't be feeding her so many cookies, and the two of them were absolutely livid. Granted, the old woman should have minded her own business, but still. You shouldn't mess with a child's health right from the start. 🙄

You have a point there. I only actually started learning about nutrition about two years ago. Before that, I must admit, I was acting completely mindless. Now, it seems inconceivable to me that, despite being a college-educated person and an intellectual, I was totally uneducated regarding food. 😲

And now I just find myself appalled when I realize that most people are still like that! I hear it all the time in real life... and well, even here, from the total novices on the forum who show up asking things like, "is the moon diet okay?"...😵

I started looking into this because of that. It’s honestly surreal to realize I know absolutely nothing about the very things keeping me alive.

Honestly, reading all your posts is such a joy. 😍 It’s actually kind of a bummer this thread isn't over on the Foodie board or even under the main Health section.

The food industry—along with Big Pharma—is easily one of the most massive powerhouses on the planet. And once you turn something into a global industry, the goal becomes churning out the cheapest possible stuff in massive quantities. Especially if that product is addictive. And sugar? Oh, it's definitely addictive, but nobody talks about it because, let's be real, sugar is hidden in absolutely everything these days.

I know firsthand what that sugar addiction feels like. I remember when I decided to just cut it out of my life overnight, and man, I swear I was having actual delirious episodes. It was the same thing with fats (though I never really went overboard with those anyway). But, just like quitting smoking, you can stop. It isn't easy, though, and it rarely happens on the first try. Plus, there’s always that social pressure from everyone around you. You know, the "Oh, come on, it's just one cookie, one little candy bar, it won't kill you" crowd.

I’ve noticed that food has become so infantilized lately. Everything is creams, chocolate bars, chips... and it’s not just kids we're talking about. They’re basically playing on that inner child in all of us. The truth is, most of how we view food is purely emotional, so our choices follow suit. That’s why I don't really buy into that whole "listen to your body, it will tell you what it needs" thing. Because for one of my friends, her body's way of telling her what it needs is a batch of muffins (that's what they're called, right?). Sometimes my body tells me I have a sudden deficiency of Snickers bars in my bloodstream, and then there's this third friend who thinks all processed stuff is trash, so she only eats high-end Swiss or Belgian chocolate.

copperwolf112 made a great point about how easy it is to manipulate people through food. It’s not just about what you eat anymore; it’s about choosing an entire lifestyle. That’s why there’s zero real nutrition education in our schools. We should be teaching this in every single grade, from elementary all the way through high school. And not just the basics, either—we need to teach kids how to think critically. If you raise a thinking human being, it becomes much harder to manipulate them or push certain standards on them—standards that, of course, companies then want to charge us extra to satisfy.

What really breaks my heart is how healthy eating is marketed as this "trendy" lifestyle now, which makes it insanely expensive. I mean, seriously! 😳 Thirty years ago, my grandma lived on the farm and ate real, healthy food every day. Nowadays, the farms are gone and so is Grandma, so I’m stuck eating fruits and veggies from Italy, South America, France... I don't even know where half of it comes from! And then you go into a specialty health food store and the prices are enough to give you a headache.

If you ask me, access to healthy food and a good diet should be a fundamental right guaranteed by our Constitution, not something that depends on whether you can afford it or not.

Ugh, look at me, I’ve turned into a total soapbox orator! I better go take a breather! 😉 😁

Reading through those comments about childhood obesity, I can't help but picture my own students—just a constant stream of kids clutching a Mountain Dew and a bag of chips, looking absolutely weighed down by their own bulk. It’s quite a stark contrast to how I grew up; there was never any processed junk in our pantry, no sugary sodas or cheap cookies lying around, and honestly, we all stayed pretty fit back then. But then life happened, and suddenly I found myself falling into this cycle of quick meals made of pudding and pastries, relying on my own paycheck to hit up Walmart whenever they had those "buy two, get one free" deals, and frankly, it’s been my undoing. Those damn commercials... it makes me wonder, why is it that they aren't allowed to advertise cigarettes, yet they can peddle this absolute garbage food that's just as addictive and just as destructive to our health?!!!

The absolute worst part is when you're stressed out. Suddenly, food becomes way more important than anything else, so you end up polishing off a whole box of cookies or an entire chocolate bar just to cope. But once the "danger" passes, you're just sitting there beating yourself up for losing control and stuffing your face for no reason.
I've been stuck in this chair all day studying for an exam, and let me tell you, I've thought about running to Walmart to grab some snacks to munch on while I work at least X times today...
But I didn't go. Instead, I tried a substitute, and you wouldn't believe it—I actually ate 10 apples today!! And they were decent-sized ones, too. Plus, with my constant trips to the bathroom, I guess I'm getting some light exercise in along the way.👍 It’s a win-win, really.
When I'm under pressure, I have this compulsion to keep snacking constantly... but as soon as I finished one apple, I couldn't stop until the bag was empty.🤣

Also, yesterday I picked up some apple cinnamon cookies (I love cinnamon) and in my rush, I didn't even bother reading the label. I practically bolted out of the store, snacking on them all the way home until I polished off the whole 100g bag. When I finally got home and checked the ingredients, I lost it. It’s basically wheat flour, margarine, sugar, 1% cinnamon, and 1% apple fiber!!! I was livid! Only 2% actual good stuff in there...😲
Whatever. That was 500 calories for absolutely nothing. Just my luck.

wanderingangler43 said:The worst part is when you're stressed out; suddenly, the situation feels way more important than actual food, so you end up polishing off a whole box of cookies or a whole chocolate bar just to cope. But once the "danger" passes, you're just left beating yourself up for losing control and stuffing your face for no reason...
I've been stuck in my chair studying for an exam all day, and let me tell you, it crossed my mind dozens of times to go grab some Hostess snacks to munch on while I hit the books...
But I didn't give in. Instead, I tried a swap—you wouldn't believe it, but I actually ate 10 apples today!! And they were decent-sized ones, too. Plus, with all the constant trips to the bathroom, I guess I'm getting my steps in... 👍 talk about killing two birds with one stone...
When I'm stressed, I feel this constant urge to snack, to just have something in my mouth... and as soon as I bit into that first apple, there was no stopping me; I polished off every single one in the bag.🤣

Also, yesterday I picked up some apple cinnamon cookies (cinnamon is my favorite) and in my rush, I didn't even bother checking the label before leaving the store. I ended up snacking on them all the way home and finished the whole 100g bag. When I finally got home and checked the ingredients, I lost it! It was mostly wheat flour, margarine, and sugar, with only 1% cinnamon and 1% apple fiber!!! I was livid!!! Only 2% actual good stuff in there....😲
Whatever, 500 calories for basically nothing, but oh well....

Studying and sugar is a terrible combo. You'll just end up crashing and falling asleep.