How to Lose Weight When Your Parents Buy Junk Food? (9 Top Tips)
June 2, 2022
How often do your parents stock your pantries with Pringles, Oreos, donuts, and drinks loaded with sugar? If this is frequent, the obvious question arises, How can you lose weight when your parents buy junk food?
Shopping for some healthy foods, finding your parents support, substituting water for sodas and choosing healthy alternatives are some if the effective ways to lose weight when your parents buy junk food.
Fast food is not just tempting but easy to grab as well. Thanks to all those media hypes and clever commercials that make you look cool when feasting on a high-calorie pizza with your favorite soda.
According to one study, over 1/3 of adolescents and children in the US consume fast food on a given day.
If you’re struggling to lose weight, you’re not alone. According to research, nearly one in three men and one in four women in the US struggle with obesity. Hence, it is significant to switch to healthy eating to avoid the brutal consequences of obesity.
In this blog post, we will discuss the various aspects of losing weight when parents are following a unhealthy lifestyle with lot of junk food.
How do you Lose Weight when Parents Buy Junk Food?
Here are 9 proven tips that help you to lose weight when your parents buy junk food:
1. Make a plan.
If you know what you’re going to eat ahead of time, you’re less likely to give in to temptation. Plan out your meals and snacks for the week, and stick to a healthy diet.
Making a plan here calls for the preparation of food you will feed yourself. Arrange for fruits and vegetables that may last for 4-5 days so that you don’t need to run to the grocery store every time you choose to eat healthily.
This may be known to most as meal prep. Meal prepping is a great idea and it can be fun as well!
Simply purchase some plastic containers to put your daily amounts of food in so that they are perfect portion sizes, and plan out your week.
Also, the food can be made in bulk and done on a day when you have more time.
Then later in the week when you are busy with school, friends, or whatever fun things you have planned, you know your healthy meals and snacks you prepared will be ready and waiting for you.
2. Shop for healthy foods.
When you head to the grocery store, make sure to stock up on healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean protein.
Avoid processed foods and sweets if you can help it. You can save up on calories if you do. This way, you will be able to enjoy MORE food.
Even if your parents are stocking up on junk food, you should be firm in making the right choice for you.
Maintain a separate stock of healthy foods to grab one when you are hungry quickly.
3. Find healthy substitutes.
If you’re craving something unhealthy, try to find a healthy substitute.
For example, if you’re craving candy, try a piece of fruit instead. If you’re craving chips, try dipping vegetables in a low-fat dressing.
There are countless ways you can save on calories by finding a substitute.
You may not even know the difference!
Also, if you are going to indulge in some food you do not feel is healthy and is “junk food” you should do so only in moderation. We all like to splurge sometimes and enjoy our favorite snack, and you totally can, as long as you are smart about it.
You can check out this article below on eating junk food and losing weight.
Water can help keep you feeling full and help prevent cravings.
Try to drink at least eight glasses of water per day. It’s easy to mistake thirst for hunger, so make sure you’re drinking enough water throughout the day.
You might have heard the trick to drink a big glass of water to curb cravings. This works!
Sometimes, when you start a calorie deficit, it is normal to feel a little bit hungrier than normal.
Learning to train your brain to overcome these cravings is important, and this is just another super helpful tip to get you there.
Dehydration can cause you to crave sugary foods and drinks, so drink up.
5. Avoid temptation.
Here is a proven way to avoid eating junk food when your parents stock up on junk food frequently.
Just keep yourself away from junk food by not joining them in eating it, or have something else.
If your family is likely to feast on some unhealthy food for dinner, you may need to find an alternative.
Remember that meal prep we discussed earlier, this will surely come in handy now.
6. Find support.
Talk to your friends and family about your weight and its implications on your overall health and well being.
Having engaging family support is very conducive to losing weight successfully.
Discuss with them the effects of eating junk food in the long term. You can also discuss the implications it will have on their own health.
Talk about how much they mean to you and that you want to preserve their health.
Explain to them the benefits of eating healthy.
7. Wait for your Cheat day
Cheat days are effective in giving you a mental break from keeping up on tracking your food and calorie intake.
It is the most effective way to reduce cravings and prevent binges.
One cheat day per week is highly recommended to achieve your weight loss targets.
8. Plan for healthy family meals
Convincing your family about replacing junk food with nutritious food can be challenging. Plan a dinner by considering the taste buds of one family member every day.
It will help your family understand the importance of healthy food and help them be a part of your fitness goals.
9. Go Slow
Making several changes in your eating and life schedules in one go can be challenging for you and your family too if they are trying to change.
Give yourself some time for one change before moving to the next. The last thing you want to do is overwhelm yourself with changes and not end up sticking to your goals.
Why Does a Parent Buy Junk Food?
The obvious question arises, why do parents buy junk food when they know about its unhealthy consequences? Here are the prominent reasons why parents buy junk food:
1. They find Junk food to be comforting
If you are stressed, you are likely to make poor choices, especially regarding food. Stressed parents look for energy-dense foods as they find them more comforting. Higher psychological distress invites higher unhealthy feeding to the kids.
2. They are too busy to cook.
Frozen foods and packaged meals are easy to cook. All you need to reheat, and you are good to go! While preparing a healthy salad requires chopping veggies and adding salad dressing.
The hectic work schedules of parents don’t allow them to cook. They prefer to buy ready-to-eat stuff high on preservatives and low on nutritional value.
3. Junk Food is a form of parental affection.
Many foster parents believe that feeding colas, candies, and pizzas are an excellent way to show love and affection. An interview with more than 160 parents concluded that the child’s request to eat junk food is one of the prime reasons that motivate parents to buy them junk food. These requests are tangible ways to demonstrate how much the parents care for their children.
4. It is affordable
Junk food is an affordable way to address a child’s needs. Most low-income families admit that while they stick to a ‘No’ for their children’s demands for private school or a sports class, junk food is something that they find affordable to give in.
Can I Help My Parents to Switch To Healthy Food?
A survey suggests that 1 out of 4 parents are willing to change their unhealthy eating habits if requested by their kids. Here are some of the tips that can help you to switch to a healthy lifestyle together with family:
1. Plan before you proceed
It is important to be clear on why you are approaching your parents. Do you want to switch them to a healthier diet? Or your idea of healthy eating is confined to losing weight which can be achieved otherwise by eating junk food in moderation.
It is crucial to find a similar goal that you and your parents are interested in and induce them to switch to a healthy diet.
Remember, topics like weight are highly sensitive and are more a matter of personal choices. Hence, you should be ready with a plan to motivate them to eat healthy food.
2. Keep the conversation straight but polite.
While approaching your parents, positivity is the key. You must convey your plans of eating healthy straight, instead of just throwing out some hints and suggestions—things out of the box to make your request of switching to healthy food irresistible.
Let them know that you are willing to change the family’s eating habits as a whole. From finding nutritious recipes to preparing a hearty meal with a lot of nutritional value, you should take the initiative to help them to adapt.
3. Come up with some achievable plans.
From eating a healthy morning breakfast to switching to water from sodas and sweet tea, there are numerable changes that you need to introduce to make healthy eating – a habit.
Replace the cookie munching with a portion of seasonal fruit. Instead of heavy meals, cut them down into short and frequent meals. Keep track of your eating by maintaining a food journal.
4. Be consistent
Consistency is the key to success. Following a healthy diet for some days will not lead to miraculous results. It would help if you were consistent with healthy eating patterns to switch to a healthy lifestyle.
Never criticize your parents on their first failed attempt. Motivate them and encourage them to stick to healthy eating.
You should be motivating each other. This is a team effort!
Conclusion
Healthy eating is a choice that can only be adopted when you are willing to. The right diet coupled with a consistent exercise schedule can get you the desired results.
If you plan to switch to a healthier diet, it is important to convey this to your parents using the proper communication.
Communication is key. Your parents want you to talk to them and they want to understand you. The best thing you can do is to be open with them.
Making it a family activity adds the real fun, so do your best to get them involved with you.
Frequently asked Questions
1. Can you eat junk food and still lose weight?
The idea behind losing weight is to create a calorie deficit. Hence, whatever food you eat, if you can make a calorie deficit, you are bound to lose weight; however, switching to a healthy diet lets you enjoy a healthy living.
2. Is it OK to eat junk food once a week?
Yes, eating junk food once a week in moderation is OK. Several studies suggest that eating junk food more than once a week is directly associated with obesity and other health problems.
3. What if my parents Say No to healthy eating?
Request them multiple times if your parents are not convinced with healthy eating in one go. Allow them little time to consider your request. If none of your requests is working, you should consider sticking to your health schedules.
