How should I expect my body to react after completely cutting out fast food?

You should probably start to feel better and have more energy.

This is just from my experience, but once I cut fast food I had slight tummy aches initially. Most likely because my body had to get used to eating real food. But after that everything was great: I felt super healthy and invincible (I had already been working out three times a week, eating healthy just put me on a new plateau).

Then, I had a fast food burger one day (after about 9 months of eating healthy), and I crapped it out almost immediately. Your body knows that stuff is bad.

Along with what @Blackberry and @marinelife said, don’t be surprised if you randomly crave some junk. Do your best to resist! The longer you stay away from it, the less you will want it, but if you do eat it, be prepared for the aforementioned immediate poo.

If you are eating a lot of whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies, you might notice that you have to poop more often (which is a good thing) but you may have to plan that into your daily activities.

You are also likely to undertake a new experience with tastes and sensations. Fast food is primarily fat, salt and sugar. Whole foods tend not to have these things, but what they do have is a multitude of “new” taste sensations ranging from tart, to slightly bitter, to umami to clean, to spicy to bland. Like with giving up cigarettes, I think you will learn to embrace (or hate) the fact that you can taste/smell/feel all of the new things that you will be eating.

Don’t expect a healthy diet to look or taste anything like fast food, it just doesn’t. If you are lucky, like I was when I became a vegetarian, a whole new culinary world will open up for you. If you are un-lucky, and not really a willing participant, then you will be disgusted and disappointed by the multitudes of wonderful, healthy food that is available to you.

Know that is often takes 10 tries at eating a “new” food before it becomes palatable or agreeable with regards to taste. Try not to give up, if at first something tastes “yucky” or has a “weird” texture, you might have to try different preparations of the same item (say tofu or mushrooms) before you find a preparation that you like.

Good luck, and Bon Appetite!

I would expect your body to breathe a huge sigh of relief.

You might experience symptoms similar to withdrawal because most fast food contains chemicals that cause you to want more.

You may feel energetic.

It varies for each individual. I have never eaten fast food on a regular basis, but I have gone through long periods of eating a lot of packaged and unheathy foods, which is basically the same.

One unfortunate thing for me is if I eat a lot of salad, raw veggies, I cannot digest it well. Tears up my digestive tract. Especially very hard vegetables like carrots. I get constipated and wind up bleeding. I can eat a salad daily if it is an average sized salad, but I have to be careful not to over do it. Cooked vegetables are much easier for me to digest. Just something to watch for, you might have no problem.

If you love salt, which is common for fast food lovers, and don’t have much of a sweet tooth, you may not like eating a lot fruit. Remember, eat whole fruit, juice does not count. Juice is like soda when it comes to calories and sugar. Fruit juice is more or less junk food.

When I switch my diet to healthy I feel physically better, but I crave the old foods. It can be tough. Many people feel physically worse at first, like they are in withdrawal. It’s understandable. There have been studies to show how food works on the brain like heroin. Especially foods today that are doctored up with all sorts of flavor enhancers and other things to keep the customer coming back. But,after a few weeks if you stick with it you should be feeling much better.

As others have said you’ll start feeling a lot better. When I went down to Belize I cut out all fast food(as it wasnt there) and was eating all fresh healthy food. It was astounding how sick I got from everything I ate for the first two weeks upon coming back to the US. My body was completely unused to processed food, especially meats. I still haven’t eaten fast food (probably going on 1.5 years now) and I imagine if I were to it would make me extremely sick.

You may initially experience some withdrawal symptoms, like stomach aches or headaches, but it shouldn’t last long. You will probably also poop more often, until your body regulates.

? How long does it take for “withdrawal” symptoms to set in? I haven’t had fast food in two weeks. I haven’t noticed anything different.

@Dutchess_III Do you eat very healthy food otherwise?

I just eat food. Whatever I have on hand. I mostly avoid meat, though.

Sometimes allergies show up.
Its just a reaction to change in the diet.
Everything will start to realign and you should feel healthier soon.
I think that you couod grow to love your new health regime.

@Dutchess_III If you have already gone two weeks, you probably skipped the physical withdrawal. You still might experience a mental craving for some, especially the ones you ate most often, but that can easily be alleviated by preparing you own homemade version and savoring the delicious real flavors.

Nah. Sorry. Can’t make Egg McMuffins like McDonalds!