Need help changing relationship with food

eksims1

Hi there, I have always struggled with desserts. I don't drink soda or any sugary drinks, but my main downfall is chocolate, cookies, and lattes.

Even if I buy healthy snacks and meal prep/plan out meals, I still find myself at the gas station, vending machine, coffee shop, etc. mindlessly getting desserts.

Can someone share some tips on how to overcome this? I am going to give an example of what I deal with daily....Today I ate oatmeal for breakfast before leaving for work and had decaf coffee with 1 tbsp. of creamer. I brought a banana to work for a 10am snack. Even though the banana is sitting in plain sight, I do not want the banana and think "vending machine craving!" thoughts. I tell myself "no, eat the banana". Next thing I know, I'm eating something from the vending machine. It's like my body just took me there without really "thinking".

Another day, I'll eat the banana, but I am NOT satisfied until I get the candy/dessert that I am craving. I cannot stop thinking about the dessert and I still feel hungry until I eat it, even though I may have a nutritious snack.

Help???

MommyL2015

My best tip for you is to allow yourself a sweet treat into your day by pre-logging it into your daily calories. Sometimes restriction of certain things is a recipe for disaster and I'm with ya--a piece of fruit is just not going to satisfy my cravings for all things chocolate. Don't torture yourself. Be mindful and just incorporate sweets into your day.

DeguelloTex

No, you clearly thought about it, you just chose the vending machine.

You either need to make choices consistent with your goals, speak with someone who can help you do so, or just keep on choosing the vending machine.

mbaker566

try to eat more protien and fiber. you feel full and then less likely to snack
also know and recognize the difference between brain and tummy hunger. try walking to distract from the brain hunger
food is also just fuel. it is neither good or bad. some is more nutritious but no reason to deprive if it fits into your calorie allotment.
play around with how you use your calories. heavier in the morning, or evening? balanced throughout the day?
i also make sure i have room for ice cream every night. then i can avoid the candy jar or vending machine

this is all how i manage my sweet tooth

serenityfrye

How is your protein intake? I find that I struggle more with sugar cravings on days I start with a high carb breakfast than on days I start with something like eggs or sausage (or Greek yogurt when I could eat dairy). Having some protein and a little fat in the a.m. keeps my blood sugar steadier so I'm not craving instant energy later in the day. Alternatively if you know you're going to be dying for a sweet mid morning you could bring a small bit of chocolate or one cookie and eat that first and then have the banana and see if that satisfies - just preplan your day to leave room for it. Best of luck - I've been known to mindlessly eat a whole pan of brownIes myself but paying attention to blood sugar patterns and pre planning treats has helped enormously.

rsclause

Get a healthy snack that you can carry with you. My favorite is tree nuts. Grab a handful of walnuts or almonds. No its not as much fun but it can get you through a craving.

TracyeS4

How about taking a mini version of your favorite vending machine snack with the fruit or healthy snack. If it is snickers that you love, take a mini snickers. I would probably add a little protein to your snack, too. A banana is good, but a banana on top of a piece of toast with a little nut butter is better. Adding a little protein will keep you full longer. Also serves as a sweet treat in my book.

sbmcm

Personally, I found that the glycemic indices in what I eat has a huge impact on later carb/sweet cravings. Oatmeal and bananas are great for you, but they do have high GIs that could be contributing to your cravings. I tend to have fewer cravings (and better resolve when the cravings hit) when I pair high GI foods with foods high in protein and some healthy fats. Maybe you could try adding some sliced almonds to your oatmeal or a tablespoon of peanut butter with your banana.

SamandaIndia

Try BJ Foggs method of changing your way of doing things, one tiny habit at a time. http://tinyhabits.com/
Observe what you are feeling throughout the day. My "I need a coffee" actually is me wanting permission to take a break. Now I know that I can choose to go for a walk instead. Still love a cappuccino but I have broke the association of need break must have a coffee. Habit books suggest changing your environment as it changes our "triggers" to take action. If you are a vending machine fan, don't walk past it, as that will be a trigger event, also can you store your money a long distance away, so it is harder to go on autopilot?

eksims1

Thank you all for your input. I did not think about my protein or glycemic intake, and I am definitely not a protein eater until dinner.

cs7softball

I think if you think about food simply as fuel then it will help. Just think about food as fuel for your body. Also try coffee with one creamer instead of lattes.

jgnatca

Here's a story you will totally relate to.

http://charlesduhigg.com/how-habits-work/

In the story are clues how you can change these ingrained habits.

Having a little more protein at breakfast might help.

In my weight loss therapy group there was a lot of advice how to break out of mindless eating, to "own" our behavior. One trick is to stop and say to yourself, "I choose to have a chocolate bar from the vending machine today". By owning our behavior, we start to take control back.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/jgnatca/view/halting-a-binge-session-715131

pussingtonp

For me I find myself in a situation of I crave sweet, then I eat sweet, so I crave salty, which I eat, which makes me crave sweets and I keep on looping around.

I do the exact same thing with bananas, but I have found some ways to try and control myself.

Here are some things you can try to help:
- Don't carry any change - if you can't by the chocolate you can't eat it.
- After you eat your fruit have a single square of chocolate or something small
- pre-portion out chocolate and sweets. If you buy a bar, say "i'm having 2 squares per day" and cut it up, and package it, if you scoff down your two squares quickly you will not appreciate it, but you will lean to savor and enjoy the little bit of sweet.
- Look up the calorie difference between your chocolate and your banana(or whatever) look at how much extra junk you are taking in - is it worth it? I often decide it isn't - if I decide it is, I then have to cut back elsewhere or excersize to make up. This then makes me sad, and I point my sadness towards the chocolate as the cause, this then makes me think twice about scoffing it down again.

gothchiq

I agree with the protein at breakfast thing. Even if it's just one boiled egg. Eating a breakfast that's mostly carbs but low on protein will kick many people into sugar cravings. Including me.

Sarah4fitness

I hear this. Yesterday, I had a wicked craving for a Pumpkin Spice Latte and a goddarn cake pop from Starbucks. (Hello 3 days of low-carb cycle!)

So I ate them.
A fabulous, nonfat grande pumpkin spice latte (no whip, because I just don't like it)
and a chocolate cake pop.

They're limited quantities and they're already verified in MFP.

I adjusted the rest of my intake throughout the day so I met my macros and my calorie goal. You CAN eat what you want, you just have to limit portion sizes and compensate with the rest of your meals.

Stoshew71

eksims1 wrote: »

Thank you all for your input. I did not think about my protein or glycemic intake, and I am definitely not a protein eater until dinner.

That is your problem right there. Protein regulates your blood sugar and controls your cravings for sweets.


http://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/protein-deficiency-signs
You Crave Sweets
One of the first signs you're low on protein: You start craving sweets and feel like you're never quite full, says Blatner. You'd think a protein shortage would trigger an urge for steak and eggs, right? But one of protein's most critical functions is keeping your blood sugar steady—which means if you're lacking, your glucose levels will be all over the place, encouraging you to reach for a quick fix like candy. "If all you ate in the morning was a handful of cereal, you're going to get energy right away, then your energy is going to wane," she says. "That up-and-down is where cravings come in."


http://lifespa.com/protein-deficiency-the-hidden-signs/
Protein Deficiency Sign #1: Constant Craving
Carbs, sweets, caffeine, chocolate, pop, candy, pastries, or chips; constant cravings for these non-nutritional foods point to unstable blood sugar. Not everyone with cravings is protein deficient (otherwise we would really be looking at a country-wide epidemic!), but protein deficiency and unstable blood sugar are intimately linked.


http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/09/11/ways-to-eliminate-sugar-cravings/
Eat protein. Protein deficiency can contribute to sugar cravings as the body searches for a quick energy source. Adding protein to every meal ensures that the body always has fuel to access and maintains a steady blood sugar level, preventing any spikes and crashes.

http://www.minq.com/food/3012/10-signs-you-should-eat-more-protein#page=3
Craving Sweets
Many people think that when they crave sweets they are craving carbs. Your muscles need protein to function properly, and when they cannot get enough protein, they turn to carbs for energy. If you are continually craving sweets, you may be starving your muscles.

lemurcat12

Yes, like everyone else said I'd try upping the protein at breakfast and maybe having a snack with some protein and fat as well as carbs. Half the banana and yogurt or some nuts, stuff like that. You might also consider whether a protein bar could fit in your plan and be a good snack that would substitute better for the vending machine (this actually doesn't work well for me now, but at one point it did -- the protein and fiber make it more filling for me).

I find it helpful to tell myself I only eat at specified times and to break the habit of eating at other times. I do allow myself something sweet, typically at the end of the day, as I know I won't want extra then, for whatever reason. If I want something earlier I tell myself "no, later, if it fits in my calories."

When I first started I had to train myself not to want food if it appeared in my office (we always have sweets in our kitchen, often pretty tasty ones, as one of the assistants has a bakery with her family on the side and likes to try out recipes and bring them in), and it was hard, so I'd force myself to think about my goals and my plans for the day and maybe write a bit about what I was feeling and why I wanted to eat and how I wasn't really hungry. It really didn't take long before the power of the old habits were broken, but what I found important was finding a way to see myself as replacing them with new habits, not just resisting -- I'd think about the positive things I was doing or planning for the day to see myself as actively leading a healthy lifestyle and not merely denying myself.

Kalikel

If you want the candy, eat the candy. All the talk in the world won't make you change if you're not really motivated to change.

If you do want to change, you just have to resist the urge to buy the candy. For what it's worth, the resisting gets much, much easier as you go. But, again, you have to actually want to stop buying candy. Is that really what you want?

nvmomketo

I had issues with sugars in pops and candies, or sweet baked goods. I couldn't seem to moderate them successfully and gained weight eating them. I eventually became prediabetic and decided to eat very low carb high fat ketogenic diet. I would treat carbs and sugar like an addiction and cut them from my life as much as possible (sugars, flours and grains, and starchy veggies and fruit mainly).

After a few days of vLCHF eating my cravings disappeared, and after another week or so I was fat adapted and very happy on a keto diet. It also helps suppress my appetite and did great things for my blood glucose, so overall, I am a healthier person... Who was losing about 2 lbs per week for a few months.

For me, treating sugars like an addiction worked. I can't have just a little, and the carbs in oatmeal would set me up for a craving too. Avoidance works for me.

Good luck!

cmoni2

You may want to read a good book that explains "emotional eating" such as Life is Hard, Food is Easy by Linda Spangle. In the book, she provides a 5-step plan for dealing with "emotional" hunger and cravings. This may help you get to the "root cause" of your cravings and help you understand what's really going on. All the best to you!

andyluvv

Op - your main problem is sugar addiciton.
Sugar IS addictive, so until you break the chain you won't really set yourself free.

Obviously it's not advisable to cut the sugar completely and go cold turkey but use your logging effectively and plan ahead - start cutting it out from your diet little by little and replacing it with something else. Try to replace it with some banana and peanut butter (which is quite sweet and feels quite indulgent - so use it as a treat).

Some apple and a LITTLE bit of dark chocolate...make substitutions slowly until they take the majority of your cravings. Once you're out with the sugar it'll be easier to get back in control. Also, use cinnamon - you're probably suffering from sugar highs and cinnamon is a great tool to get your blood sugars back to normal

Good luck!

kkzmom11

MommyL2015 wrote: »

My best tip for you is to allow yourself a sweet treat into your day by pre-logging it into your daily calories. Sometimes restriction of certain things is a recipe for disaster and I'm with ya--a piece of fruit is just not going to satisfy my cravings for all things chocolate. Don't torture yourself. Be mindful and just incorporate sweets into your day.

also, if you have a desk that you can lock, why don't you have some healthier versions of the vending snacks you like? that way, you have the banana as a back up, but you have portion controlled sweets/salty/crunchy/etc available whenever you want it. that's what i do.

kailyw05

I also have a weakness for desserts, and also chips. Especially while working a desk all day, after finishing my lunch I always wanted a treat, then mid-afternoon I was craving crunchy, salty chips.

In the beginning I just made sure to find lower calorie options that I could have to fill the void. I love the yoplait dessert selection yogurts (35 cals), sugarfree chocolate pudding (50 cals), chewy chocolate chip granola bars (100cals) as good substitutes at work. I would have a babybel cheese and a sundried tomato flavoured rice cake (110 cals) in the afternoons, or some melba toast and hummus, to combat the crunchy/savoury craving. I also have an assortment of oatmeal, protein bars, tea, and gum at my desk. Most of the time I'm just bored and not actually hungry.

As time has gone on I do actually find my cravings have lessened, but I still have these little snacks that help me when I'm feeling weak. I usually have a real dessert with supper, and allow myself chips in the evening if I have room for it and really want it. I don't feel deprived at work eating my "substitutions" knowing I can have whatever yummy treat I want when I get home.

I also make sure I eat large meals to help combat the cravings, and try to get some protein throughout the day. Adding hemp hearts to your oatmeal is a great option for breakfast if you don't like eggs.

Side note - there's a bake sale at my office today and I can't stop thinking about it! I'm telling myself to wait until after lunch before I can buy anything. The struggle is always, and will always be there for me (9 months since joining, been in maintenance for about 3 months now).

kailyw05

I also have a weakness for desserts, and also chips. Especially while working a desk all day, after finishing my lunch I always wanted a treat, then mid-afternoon I was craving crunchy, salty chips.

In the beginning I just made sure to find lower calorie options that I could have to fill the void. I love the yoplait dessert selection yogurts (35 cals), sugarfree chocolate pudding (50 cals), chewy chocolate chip granola bars (100cals) as good substitutes at work. I would have a babybel cheese and a sundried tomato flavoured rice cake (110 cals) in the afternoons, or some melba toast and hummus, to combat the crunchy/savoury craving. I also have an assortment of oatmeal, protein bars, tea, and gum at my desk. Most of the time I'm just bored and not actually hungry.

As time has gone on I do actually find my cravings have lessened, but I still have these little snacks that help me when I'm feeling weak. I usually have a real dessert with supper, and allow myself chips in the evening if I have room for it and really want it. I don't feel deprived at work eating my "substitutions" knowing I can have whatever yummy treat I want when I get home.

I also make sure I eat large meals to help combat the cravings, and try to get some protein throughout the day. Adding hemp hearts to your oatmeal is a great option for breakfast if you don't like eggs.

Side note - there's a bake sale at my office today and I can't stop thinking about it! I'm telling myself to wait until after lunch before I can buy anything. The struggle is always, and will always be there for me (9 months since joining, been in maintenance for about 3 months now).

melimomTARDIS

first thought- protein bars, like quest, in a dessert flavor.

MommyL2015

Op - your main problem is sugar addiciton.
Sugar IS addictive, so until you break the chain you won't really set yourself free.

That might be your situation or what you believe, but it is in no way necessarily truth for the OP, or anyone else for that matter.

BTW, bananas have a lot of sugar. Why is the sugar in a banana okay but in a candy bar, it's not?

elizabethclaire1990

MommyL2015 wrote: »

My best tip for you is to allow yourself a sweet treat into your day by pre-logging it into your daily calories. Sometimes restriction of certain things is a recipe for disaster and I'm with ya--a piece of fruit is just not going to satisfy my cravings for all things chocolate. Don't torture yourself. Be mindful and just incorporate sweets into your day.

Yeah, I agree with this. Having foods that completely off-bounds is just going to make you feel hard done by or deprived. This, for me, eventually leads to me eating a MUCH larger portion of said off-bounds foods than I would have in the first place!

Everything in moderation, just figure out a small portion that you can have every day if needs be, log it, make it work with your daily calorie goal, and REALLY enjoy it! Because you know you can't have any more after that.

gramarye

So, I'm with you here. I love food. Sometimes I want food much, much more than I want to lose weight. (I also eat anxiously/emotionally and have once or twice binge-eaten TOTALLY UNCONSCIOUSLY which is really sort of scary.)

I try to be very conscious of why I'm eating. Before I have a snack, I ask myself why. Is it boredom? (It's often boredom, especially at work.) Am I feeling something that would be better dealt with in other ways than food? Do I just really really want some Pringles? Sometimes I make the choice to have the snack anyway, but I always try to make it a choice rather than a habit.

I also totally allow myself chocolate every day. I buy those Hershey's snack-size packs of chocolate (in many varietys!) and bring one each day for lunch. It's usually around 70 - 100 calories, depending on the snack, and totally worth it for the ability not to feel like I've lost chocolate. You can also look for deals; I recently got a couple Chocolove bars at buy-one-get-one-free, and bring along half a serving to work.

lemurcat12

andyluvv wrote: »

Op - your main problem is sugar addiciton.

You have no basis to assert that.

Obviously it's not advisable to cut the sugar completely and go cold turkey but use your logging effectively and plan ahead - start cutting it out from your diet little by little and replacing it with something else. Try to replace it with some banana and peanut butter (which is quite sweet and feels quite indulgent - so use it as a treat).

(1) She has no need to cut out added sugar (which is what you are talking about, not sugar), unless she wants to.
(2) Why would it be a big thing to "go cold turkey" from added sugar. I did this for a while, it really wasn't a huge deal (I had my own reasons for doing it). If you are worried about "withdrawal," that doesn't happen and certainly could not if one were continuing to eat sugar (which bananas are filled with).

lemurcat12

Kalikel wrote: »

If you want the candy, eat the candy. All the talk in the world won't make you change if you're not really motivated to change.

This is good advice.

What I think helps is to be really, really specific with yourself about what you want and why and what will help you get there. Then, set process goals (like I will eat only foods I bring from home on workdays) and commit to doing them with an understanding of why that is something you want to do or think will help you.

I find it makes a huge difference to be conscious and specific and not just think more vaguely "I need to eat better" or "I need to eat fewer sweets." This is also why committing to a calorie goal helps a lot of people or even pre-logging and committing to that.

andyluvv

MommyL2015 wrote: »

Op - your main problem is sugar addiciton.
Sugar IS addictive, so until you break the chain you won't really set yourself free.

That might be your situation or what you believe, but it is in no way necessarily truth for the OP, or anyone else for that matter.

BTW, bananas have a lot of sugar. Why is the sugar in a banana okay but in a candy bar, it's not?

lemurcat12 wrote: »

andyluvv wrote: »

Op - your main problem is sugar addiciton.

You have no basis to assert that.

Obviously it's not advisable to cut the sugar completely and go cold turkey but use your logging effectively and plan ahead - start cutting it out from your diet little by little and replacing it with something else. Try to replace it with some banana and peanut butter (which is quite sweet and feels quite indulgent - so use it as a treat).

(1) She has no need to cut out added sugar (which is what you are talking about, not sugar), unless she wants to.
(2) Why would it be a big thing to "go cold turkey" from added sugar. I did this for a while, it really wasn't a huge deal (I had my own reasons for doing it). If you are worried about "withdrawal," that doesn't happen and certainly could not if one were continuing to eat sugar (which bananas are filled with).

You are right. I'm basis the assumption on my own history which I apologise for. I have trouble with sugar (hello birthday parties) that I can eat uncountable amounts without feeling full. My personal trainer at the time said that was my issue with the sugar cravings and that cutting out would help if I wanted to stop eating those.

Bananas are high in sugar (which is why I tend to avoid them) but they're a good substitute for someone trying to replace candy bars as far as I believe.

1- I believe that's what she has requested in her opening, isn't it? That's what I understood from "Can someone share some tips on how to overcome this?"

2- That's what worked for me , so again information based on biased own experience.
I find it difficult to fit something sweet in my diet without wanting something later on - so I've been using protein bars (sweet with protein) and fruits to combat the cravings.

Again, that's what worked for me and as the OP asked for advice on how to deal with it, that's how I do it.