How to Stop Eating Junk Food: Impact on Body & Mind

9 tips on how to stop craving & eating junk food and lose weight

1. Don’t eat the obvious addictive sugar foods

Predictably these addictive sugar foods include chocolate, cakes, biscuits, cookies, candy, doughnuts, ice cream, syrups, and sweet pastries (anything with refined sugar in). These can be classed as ‘Bad Sugar’.

Junk foods like these are engineered to trigger cravings and overeating by targeting your brain’s reward pathways, making it hard to stop once you start eating them.

2. Avoid addictive carb foods

It is these addictive carb foods which are less obvious when it comes to sugar and carb addiction; foods such as pasta, pastry, bread, rice, noodles, potatoes, fries, and chips/crisps. These can be classed as ‘Bad Carbs’.

Certain foods, especially those designed for maximum taste and the ‘bliss point,’ can make it difficult to control your appetite and stop eating once you begin.

3. Stop eating addictive junk, UPF and fast food

Most processed foods and ultra process foods (UPFs) contain refined sugar and processed carbs and are therefore addictive. This includes all ‘fast foods’, ready-made-sauces, ready meals etc.

To reduce junk food cravings, focus on whole foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and unprocessed proteins such as chicken or fish. These healthy foods provide more nutrients and protein, which help control appetite, keep you feeling full, and support healthier eating habits.

4. Change what you drink and avoid addictive sugar drinks

Any drink containing refined sugar but also, for some people, drinks containing concentrated levels of fruit (smoothies and juice) can also cause a problem with blood sugar levels (which is involved in ‘Bad Sugar’ and ‘Bad Carb’ addiction).

5. Understand sugar addiction and carb addiction

It’s the addictive nature of ‘Bad Sugar & Bad Carbs’ which make it difficult for some people to have “only a couple of cookies’ or “just two chocolates from the box” or “a small bowl of pasta”.

Unhealthy habits, like frequent snacking on junk foods, can create a vicious cycle of cravings and overeating.

6. Moderation ISN’T the key when it comes to sugar & carb addiction

If you understand that a heroin addict can’t have a little heroin every now and then, and that an alcohol addict can’t have an occasional alcoholic drink every now and then, then you’ll understand why a sugar & carb addict has a problem moderating their intake of addictive food.

7. When what you consume is nutritionally bankrupt you overeat and crave it

Refined sugar and processed carbs have little, if any, nutritional value. They are generally flavourless and unpalatable and are therefore mixed with ‘real food’ such as fruit or vegetable sauces.

It is the (often tiny) element of ‘real food’ in the item that provides any nutrition of note e.g. the tomato sauce on pasta. Your body and brain will not recognise that you have eaten until you have taken on an adequate amount of nutrition so you tend to eat the processed or starchy carbs until you feel uncomfortably ‘stuffed’.

With refined sugar you tend to eat more and more of the item and feel disgusted with yourself once you have done so e.g. chocolates, cookies, sweets/candy.

Choosing whole foods and healthy foods, such as vegetables, nuts, and fish, can help satisfy hunger, provide essential nutrients and protein, and reduce junk food cravings. For example, a meal of grilled chicken with brown rice and vegetables or a fish and vegetable stir-fry are healthier options that help manage calories and support weight loss.

8. Develop healthy eating habits and plan balanced meals

Adopting healthy eating habits is key to overcoming junk food cravings. Plan your meals to include a balance of whole foods, such as lean proteins (like chicken or fish), vegetables, brown rice, and healthy fats from nuts. 

Skipping meals or letting yourself get too hungry can increase the likelihood of junk food cravings, so aim for regular, balanced meals. 

For snacks, choose healthier options like nuts, vegetables, or fruit instead of processed junk foods. For example, a handful of nuts or carrot sticks with hummus make satisfying, nutritious snacks.

9. Stop putting junk food & UPFs into your body and the inclination to eat it disappears

The only way to achieve this permanently is to change the way you think about junk food, bad sugar, and bad carbs.

If you feel you are going without something that you used to enjoy you’ll be tempted to go back to the addiction, however if you realise that you’ve escaped something that was causing you to be enslaved and ill then you feel free. Allen Carr’s Good Sugar, Bad Sugar book, on-demand video programme, and weight loss & sugar addiction seminar can help you view the addiction the way it really is.

Find the right weight loss & sugar addiction programme for you

What happens when you eat junk or fast food?

Eating junk or fast food affects many parts of the body both in the short term and the long term.

Food manufacturers often design unhealthy foods to maximise cravings and override the body’s natural satiety signals, making it harder for people to control how much they eat.

Environmental cues, such as portion size and food presentation, can influence food choices and lead people to eat more calories than they realise.

Studies have shown that when people were offered larger portions of unhealthy foods, they ate significantly more, which can contribute to weight gain over time.

Blood circulation

Short term

Junk food is always high in processed carbohydrates, starchy carbs, salt, and refined sugar which all cause obesity & diabetes. Consuming fatty foods and processed junk food can lead to weight gain and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The type of fats involved also cause hyperlipidaemia risk which increases fatty deposits in arteries and the risk of blockages and the high salt content of junk food raises blood pressure.

Long term

The increased fatty deposits in arteries and higher blood pressure leads to an increased risk of stroke.

Brain

Short term

Glucose is the brain’s primary source of fuel but if it is exposed to excessive levels by the consumption of junk food (yes most savoury fast food is full of damaging levels of processed carbohydrates & refined sugar) the excess sugar impairs both our cognitive skills and our self-control. It creates a craving for more and more sugar which leads to overeating, and subsequent weight gain.

Many processed foods are engineered to reach the ‘bliss point’ – the optimal combination of salt, sugar, and fat that maximises pleasure. When we eat these foods, our brains’ reward pathways are powerfully activated, triggering dopamine release and making these foods highly addictive and difficult to resist.

Elevated blood glucose causes blood vessel damage and is the main cause of the vascular complications of diabetes, leading to other problems, such as damage to blood vessels in the brain and eyes causing retinopathy.

Long term

Long-term diabetics show progressive brain damage leading to deficits in learning, memory, motor speed, and other cognitive functions and even those without diabetes who have high levels of sugar consumption experience lower scores on tests of cognitive function.

Heart

Short term

The more processed carbs & sugar that you consume (such as those contained in pizza, pasta, starchy carbs (potatoes/fries/chips) the greater your risk of heart disease.

The matter or composition of the foods you eat, especially those high in processed carbs and fats, plays a significant role in impacting heart health. A sugar & processed carb heavy diet can increase your risk of dying of heart disease even if you aren’t overweight.

Long term

The increased fatty deposits in arteries, higher blood pressure and increased pressure on the heart leads to an increased risk of stroke

Gastrointestinal system

Short term

When you consume foods containing added sugar or processed/starchy carbohydrates, glucose and fructose are released into the bloodstream. The pancreas then releases insulin, a hormone which converts glucose to energy.

Our bodies’ hormonal and digestive systems work together to regulate appetite and food intake, sending signals that influence when we feel hungry or full.

Insulin works to regulate the flow of glucose to and from the blood. It also allows the muscles to get the glucose they need from the blood supply.

Insulin resistance occurs when the cells in muscles, fat and the liver do not respond properly to insulin and thus cannot easily absorb glucose from the bloodstream. As a result, the body needs higher levels of insulin to help glucose enter cells. This, in turn, causes the pancreas to produce more and more insulin. But when this is no longer possible, excess sugar builds up in the bloodstream. This leads to type II diabetes or prediabetes.

Gastroparesis can be caused by high blood sugar – with food entering the stomach not being broken down, and sitting in the stomach for a long period of time – causing gas, bloating, indigestion and heartburn.

Excess sugar that cannot be broken down and absorbed by the body will be left to sit in the bowels, where it ferments. This sugar moves more slowly through the large intestine, feeding bad bacteria and yeast, and causing a build-up of gas. This gas can cause cramping, spasms, and pain.

Although absorbing water is the main job of the large intestine, sugar can draw water into the large intestine or at least prevent it from being absorbed properly. This can lead to bloating or heaviness in the gut.

Long term

This can lead to type II diabetes or prediabetes.

Reproductive system

Short term

Processed/starchy carbohydrates & refined sugar play a primary role in determining blood sugar and insulin levels. If blood sugar and/or insulin levels are too high, reproductive hormone levels can be disrupted which can have an effect of ovulation and therefore, fertility. A poor quality diet including the consumption of added sugar, processed & starchy carbs has been linked with poorer egg quality and pregnancy outcomes.

The health of sperm is a primary factor in male fertility, with markers including concentration (sperm count), morphology (sperm shape and size), motility (sperm’s ability to move) and semen volume. For men, research has found sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is correlated with lower sperm motility in otherwise healthy young men and that men consuming caffeinated energy and soft drinks may experience reduced fertility. It is likely that the consumption of processed & starchy carbs have a similar effect – as well as factors caused by the resulting obesity and type 2 diabetes issues.

Long term

A poor quality diet can lead to lower fertility in both men and women.

Immune system

Short term

Studies have shown spikes in sugar intake suppress your immune system. When your immune system is compromised, you are more likely to get sick. If you eat a lot of foods and beverages high in sugar or refined/starchy carbohydrates, which the body processes as sugar, you may be reducing your body’s ability to ward off disease.

Long term

This is likely to weaken your immune system.

Skin

Short term

When you eat lots of sugar and refined/starchy carbohydrates levels of blood sugar in the body become high and remain so.

As a result, sugar molecules permanently bond to proteins, including the collagen in the skin – a process known as glycation.

This produces a chemical reaction in the skin, that makes its surface stiffer and less flexible and leads to premature ageing making skin look duller and more leathery, and more wrinkled.

It results in the three signs of ageing that most people wish to avoid – wrinkles, lines and discoloration. It can even lead to your skin sagging as collagen and elastin are damaged and become misshapen.

Long term

This is likely to lead to premature ageing of the skin making it look duller, more leathery, and more wrinkled.

Mood, Anxiety & Depression

Short term

Eating too much sugar may increase your risk of mood disorders, including depression, & high intakes of unhealthy, processed carbohydrates, such as white bread, pizza, pasta, and pastries, cause blood sugars to rise and fall rapidly causing violent mood swings, stress, and anger.

Long term

This increased the risk of mood disorders such as depression and anger. Poor diet can also negatively impact mental health, contributing to ongoing emotional and psychological challenges. Additionally, some drugs are being developed to help manage cravings and mood disorders related to unhealthy eating.

Final thoughts

“What happens to your body when you stop eating junk food?” Essentially, by cutting out refined sugar and processed/starchy carbohydrates it reverses the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and all the other health risks associated with their consumption and the salt that is contained in junk food (the latter reduces the risk of kidney disease and high blood pressure).

On top of that the answer to the question, “if i stop eating junk food will I lose weight” is simple – yes you will – but better than that – you’ll look fabulous, feel fabulous, and enjoy life so much more.

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