How do you stop cravings? Please help.
sshwetas
Posts: 8 Member
I am really bad with cravings. Please advise on how to stop this. Like I would eat a healthy meals all day but at night I crave bad food when I am not even hungry. Does this happen to you as well? How long does it takes for you to get used to eating healthy all the time?
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Replies
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Eat a little bit of whatever you're craving. Depriving yourself of those things leads to binging and overeating.0
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Eating foods with healthy fats such as nuts or full fat dairy has helped me to stay feeling full and not crave sweets.0
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If I crave a sweet after a meal, an apple really helps give me the sweetness I crave and it is very satisfying.
Sometimes I'll have some dark chocolate.
For a salty craving, I'll have some skinny pop popcorn.
I try to fill myself up with nutrient dense food that includes a large portion of my favorite veggies, some beans or hummus, olive oil, avocado, fish/chicken/beef and sometimes whole grain/wheat bread or pasta or quinoa. Nuts or nut butters also fill me up so cravings don't get out of control.
For me, satiety really helps me control cravings.0 -
My craving eased greatly when I changed up the amount of protein and carbs I eat. I go for under 100 carbs and over 120 protein. The protein takes longer for your body to process and the carbs burn fast so your body wants more.0
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I always save some calories for a treat in the evening. A mini York Peppermint Patty or one ounce of dark chocolate or a slice of angel food cake. I also make sure I get some healthy fats earlier in the day: small serving of nuts, lean meat, a little butter in my veggies, whole eggs.0
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What is your daily calorie goal?
How many calories per day do you usually eat?
What is your height and weight and how much weight are you trying to lose?
It sounds to me like you might not be eating enough.0 -
There is no "bad" food. Try pre-logging your day, to include a treat or two. I haven't given up anything, therefore I haven't had to "crave" anything.0
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Most of the above is good advice. I think part of the solution is to substitute......fruit in place of plain sugars; carrots/apples in place of candy bars/cake; don't look at food commercials...less TV all the way around. Get outdoors a lot to walk, run, exercise, visit a friend. Go do something good for someone else....forget the goodies you want by being good to a shutin, a neighbor, a friend in hospital. Have a goal to relieve your desire by including it in your overall calorie budget. For example, I have a 60 cal. dark chocolate nugget with almonds as a dessert for supper and not something worse. And I'm still under my 1000 calorie budget. Keep your weight a secret except for one person you trust and ask them to investigate personally every other day how you are doing on the scales. You will be motivated to work to going down in weight in order to show your friend you really mean business. Keep at it....and ask a doctor to give you a calorie budget and work on it yourself that will help you maintain the weight loss when you reach your goal. Good sweating and working to achieve.0
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I save 100 calories to have a treat! I like the sea salt caramel yasso frozen Greek yogurt bars. They are only 100 calories. Also I freeze red grapes and I like to snack on them while watching tv.0
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I'm the opposite. If I have a bite of something that is considered a "treat" I can't stop myself from eating the whole package! So for me, It's replacement as my only option. I also love frozen grapes. I eat them at night pretty frequently.
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I get pretty bad cravings with pizza and sushi... that will last for days. My solution so far has been to limit the amount I eat but to still allow myself to have some. Instead of ordering 3 rolls, I order 3 with some miso and a salad or edamame. I limit my pizza to once every 2 weeks and save (freeze) half of it for the between week vs eating the whole pizza in 1 or 2 days.0
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Since cravings are not physical hunger, you have to be able to overcome them psychologically. I used to have (and sometimes still do have) extreme sugar cravings, but the following blog has really helped me to understand what cravings really are and how to dismiss them:
http://www.beckdietsolution.com/diet-solution-blog/
(type "cravings" into the search bar on the right side of the page; there are a number of really helpful articles)
Basically a craving goes away one of two ways: when you decide to give in or when you decide to definitely not give in. It's not even about eating the food you were craving in the first place because cravings start to diminish once you've decided one way or the other.
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One of the biggest things that's helped me this year is just to watch the self talk, too. It can be easy to think "wow, I'm bad for having these cravings!" Instead, I've tried to just acknowledge that I'm human and have cravings! I will do either one of two things - 1) have a little bit of what I'm craving or 2) make a healthier substitution. On days I totally blow it (and it does happen), I just try to make better decisions for the rest of the day (eating less and/or working out). Last week, I actually threw in an extra workout to compensate for a treat gone out of hand.
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xsmilexforxmex wrote: »I get pretty bad cravings with pizza and sushi... that will last for days. My solution so far has been to limit the amount I eat but to still allow myself to have some. Instead of ordering 3 rolls, I order 3 with some miso and a salad or edamame. I limit my pizza to once every 2 weeks and save (freeze) half of it for the between week vs eating the whole pizza in 1 or 2 days.
Omg me too. I love love love sushi!
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I've taken a different approach to this. Instead of trying to avoid the cravings of extra sweets or going out to the steakhouse with the guys after work, I use them as extra motivation for exercise. If I want to eat X then I need to run an extra mile. Or if it's within a mile or two, walking to a restaurant instead of driving. In the end, exercise calories add up a lot and you don't have to feel like you're depriving yourself of anything.0
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Well, you need to figure out if you're having cravings because you're legitimately hungry, because your macros are out of whack, or because it's an emotional eating issue. If it's actual hunger, look at your goal and make sure it's reasonable. If you're very low on any particular macro (and not on a specific eating plan that dictates that), balance your macros better. If it's an emotional eating issue, there isn't a thing you can eat that will fix your cravings, so you need to work on your head.0
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Brushing my teeth helps for me. Chewing gum. And constantly sipping on water.0
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Liftng4Lis wrote: »There is no "bad" food. Try pre-logging your day, to include a treat or two. I haven't given up anything, therefore I haven't had to "crave" anything.
^ This is what I do. I loooove pre-logging my day so I can plan in treats.0 -
Sorry if this is too much info, but I know I most vulnerable during that time of the month. I always want something sweet or salty that's not good for me! I budget the calories to have an unhealthy snack of my choice. This way I haven't sabotaged myself.
I agree with others who have posted. The minute you start depriving yourself, that's when you're going to binge. I'm not saying eat a container of cookies everyday just because you can fit it into your caloric allotment. BUT, don't cut yourself off from everything you enjoy eating because you will surely fail. Try to make responsible, healthy choices. But if you have a cookie or two here and there, you're going to be just fine.
Good luck to you on your journey!0 -
Liftng4Lis wrote: »There is no "bad" food. Try pre-logging your day, to include a treat or two. I haven't given up anything, therefore I haven't had to "crave" anything.
Yep. I had some fun dip candy the other day. And a few mini kit-kats yesterday. I still eat ice cream and pizza and anything else I want. I just don't eat as much of it as I used to. And I weigh and measure everything to make sure I'm within my calorie goal.0 -
THIS.Eat a little bit of whatever you're craving. Depriving yourself of those things leads to binging and overeating.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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I just don't buy that stuff. I also don't binge on it because it isn't here to binge on, so I know, at least for me, that it is possible to omit certain foods and not end up binging.
It took me a couple months to settle I to all healthy, all the time. I thought I was good and then about six weeks in, I caved and had a burger. I felt so icky afterwards that it all go much easier. But it takes a long time to make it a habit and not just something you do. That's why a lot of people suggest easing into healthy eating by adding healthier items every few weeks. It's a big adjustment!! And not easy!
But your issue seems to be more of eating at night and less of the kind of food. A lot of people complain about the Eating At Night cravings. So many people complain about it that I wonder if it isn't physical instead of mental.
Have you tried eating foods that are really filling at dinner? Like protein, fiber and maybe some fat? Maybe that would help?
Also try berries. You can chow down on strawberries, satisfy the sweet tooth, and fill yourself up for very few calories.
Best of luck.
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