Tips and tricks for overcoming cravings?

littlebee55

I have a few tricks I use to satisfy cravings without going beserk or totally giving in. I have learned that after I have a decent sized savory meal, I crave sweets. And it is really, really bad after my evening meal. I started keeping 50-calorie hot chocolate packets and the sugar free Werther's caramel amd chocolate caramels around. They usually work well. If I have several calories left over, I make an 81-calorie 3 2 1 microwave cake.

For savory salty cravings, I keep cooked brussels sprouts in the fridge and mix hummus in with them after heating them up.

What tricks do you use?

I found this article about causes and fixes for cravings helpful. Maybe you will, too.

http://kriscarr.com/blog-video/how-to-stop-food-cravings/

dejababi423

Il drink about a cup of vanilla almond milk!! Fills you up and curves your appetite and its ssoooo good!!!

steeheart

I used to eat chocolate everyday, and have a sweet protein smoothie after workouts, and constantly crave sweet things after meals.... and then it just stopped. I dont remember it stopping, but it did sometime in the last few months. I keep some sort of dessert in the house, right now i have frozen trader joes macarons. they are 40 calories each and i eat one if im craving dessert. Ive eaten 3 in two weeks.

I dont know quite how to explain it.. but for the past few years I had been trying to do a low carb diet, cutting down on breads, rice, noodles etc.. and it wasnt working for me. It made me crave carbs and sugar and cookies etc. But now I dont limit my carb intake, i just eat whatever I want within my calorie goals. I eat sandwiches, pasta, burritos and whatever and now i dont crave chocolate or sweets.

MeredithDeaton

I've been keeping candied ginger in my desk for sweet cravings. I love the flavor, but it's way too strong for me to ever eat more than one piece at a time.

hgycta

I noticed my worst cravings are around my menstrual cycle, and increasing my iron intake around this time really seems to help.
But I generally just try to keep my protein level high, and balance my macros around 50% carbs, 25% protein and 25% fat (versus MFP's recommended 55 carb/15 protein/30 fat). Quest's protein powder with almond milk and ice blended together have changed my life and helped me to stay full and clean up my snacks a bit! I also frequent dark chocolate (just a few squares every night as a treat), and dry cereal for on the go snacking (I prefer Honey Bunches of Oats due to it's high iron content, and it's sweet and something that lasts me a while).
Different things work for everyone though, you'll get better at handling it with time, just hang in there and don't give up!

mistikal13

Whenever I feel like a snack after dinner, a tbsp of peanut butter always works for me.

happymom221

After every dinner I make a cup of vanilla decaf coffee and add 1 TB heavy whipping cream. I relax and get comfortable and it keeps me From feeling unsatisfied and wandering the kitchen It also makes dinner last an hour.

Leana088

I drink flavoured teas mostly. Or sweet coffee (with lots of splenda, like, enough to make it taste like dessert, but not enough to make it taste bitter.)

I can't really give too much into cravings, or go overboard with them. Because I don't keep sweets in the house. I only buy myself 1 single serve treat everyday before I go home.

That way I can eat the whole thing, and can't go back for seconds, because there's no more. And I live too far away to make a second trip to town just for a sweet.

eseviour1981

I can't remember where I read it, but I read somewhere that fruit flavored gum helps with sweet cravings after a meal. It seems to work for me, and the one I have is only 4 calories

kiittenforever

I like to microwave a cup of unsweetened almond milk (35cal) and then stir in 1 tbsp of cocoa powder (15 cal) and a packet or stevia or any other low cal sweetener. Delicious..

Recipe http://detoxinista.com/2011/02/baby-its-cold-outside/

kiittenforever

dejababi423 wrote: »

Il drink about a cup of vanilla almond milk!! Fills you up and curves your appetite and its ssoooo good!!!

Yes!

JasonH_DFW

sugar free gum. Mio ice shakes in magic bullet.

littlebee55

Great suggestions!

gothchiq

gum, tea, coffee. the very occasional diet soda. Doing chores because you can't really eat while hanging up clothes and stuff.

Steff46

mistikal13 wrote: »

Whenever I feel like a snack after dinner, a tbsp of peanut butter always works for me.

This works for me too! I even eat some before a meal and I get fuller faster.

katrinapri

dejababi423 wrote: »

Il drink about a cup of vanilla almond milk!! Fills you up and curves your appetite and its ssoooo good!!!

I love that tip! I've done that before. Very helpful.

RoxieDawn

I actually started feeling terrible eating simple carbs! Sugar makes me bloated! I never noticed this before but I can eat 1 oz of chocolate and my stomach blows up like I am 7 months prego!

I eat complex carbs now and limit simple sugar and I do not know how it happened but because I work out (lift and cardio 5 to 6 days a week) when I eat higher foods in protein and fat I noticed I felt great and if I ate candy/chocolate etc.. I felt terrible. My body rejected me putting this in my body!!

But I do eat bread (multi grain 45 calorie bread), potatoes, cheese, cereal, and other things like this.. My body tells me what it wants and I now listen to it because I HATE the bloating and stomach distention problem... but do not despair I still make "sweet goodies" I substitute sugar and watch the "fake sugar" symptoms that come from sugar alcohols...

It is a catch twenty two!!!! Darned if you do and darned if you don't..LOL

nancypinedaf

Handful of nuts or berries.

autumnpennell

I like to save calories after my meal for a snack cause I'm just like you, I love something sweet after a meal. A piece of dark chocolate is good for me. If I do something like candy , I can't stop myself at one or two pieces, so I like a dark chocolate. The richer the better.

I also drink flavored water and chew fruity gum throughout the day to tackle my sweet tooth.

monicatomasi

Sparkling water is my friend.

votkuhr

I overcome my cravings by giving in to them. If that makes any sense, lol. But I don't go HAM on them. I almost always crave for chocolate daily - but I just have a nibble on a square of dark chocolate or Cadbury Oreos (these are the bomb!). 1 square = 28 cals. DONE!

Dragn77

yeah, if I have a craving for something, I have a little bit of it then move on. Otherwise, I can eat all the whatevers I want instead of it, but its not IT know what I mean? And Ill just end up eating it anyway...except more..waaay more.

So now, not only did I end up eating what I wanted to begin with, but also all that extra stuff trying to distract myself from what I want. Thats how it goes down when I deprive myself!! lol

votkuhr

Dragn77 wrote: »

yeah, if I have a craving for something, I have a little bit of it then move on. Otherwise, I can eat all the whatevers I want instead of it, but its not IT know what I mean? And Ill just end up eating it anyway...except more..waaay more.

So now, not only did I end up eating what I wanted to begin with, but also all that extra stuff trying to distract myself from what I want. Thats how it goes down when I deprive myself!! lol

Exactly what I feel! LOL. If I eat anything other than chocolate, there will always be that little voice at the back of my head whispering "chocolate... chocolate... we want chocolate..."

Then I'll just end up eating chocolate anyway + 200 calories of cookies / cheese / whatever else I ate. Might as well just get that chocolate fix straight up.

littlebee55

My problem is I am still in the infant stage of "learning moderation". I'm like a little kid. "Don't eat that." And then I obsess on it until I end up going hog wild and eating the whole whatever. That's what I love about MFP. While I am learning moderation, as long as I allow for it, I can have it.

You guys have excellent tips and tricks.

Dragn77

I like to say I'm so rebellious, I will even revolt against myself if I tell myself I need to do / cant do something. It's kind of a joke, but not really!!! With my personality, I have to go with moderation. Once I say "I can't have" even if I don't want it, even if I don't like it...its all I'll ever want in the world. No one tells me what to do! Not even me!!! Lol *sigh*

littlebee55

Dragn77 wrote: »

I like to say I'm so rebellious, I will even revolt against myself if I tell myself I need to do / cant do something. It's kind of a joke, but not really!!! With my personality, I have to go with moderation. Once I say "I can't have" even if I don't want it, even if I don't like it...its all I'll ever want in the world. No one tells me what to do! Not even me!!! Lol *sigh*

Exactly! That's exactly how I am! It seems like it is some weird deep-seated, ingrained personality quirk with me. Lol.

litenupalready

I've been putting essential oils in my water. My cravings go way way down when I do that! They also help lessen my appetite!

littlebee55

litenupalready wrote: »

I've been putting essential oils in my water. My cravings go way way down when I do that! They also help lessen my appetite!

I haven't heard of that before. What are some of the flavors? I'm also in the process of giving up cokes.

CherokeeBabe

I save 200 or more calories in the evenings, whether I'm at a deficit or at maintenance. Helps me make room for a sweet snack whenever I really can't push it off. And if I do avoid it, I either have a non-sweet midnight snack (I get a little hungry when I'm having trouble sleeping, happens often) or just save those calories up for a bigger splurge later on.

alicaramik2

Dole dippers! I love the dark chocolate banana ones. Sweet and decadent, but only 100 calories. 4gs of fiber, only 7gs of sugar, 25% of your vit. C and even some iron.