Cravings

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  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    edited October 2015
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    Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    I think there are only two roads to follow here: eat the food in moderation or cut the craving triggers out of your life.

    I was not good at moderating. I failed miserably actually. I ended up cutting most carbs from my diet and that eliminated cravings within days. It works for me.

    I found this to be true for myself as well. I've had great success completely eliminating sweets, which was my major problem, from my life. I found a new way to enjoy sweet flavors with a low carb diet. Mostly with coffee/tea, dark chocolate and low carb yogurt. I was able fight back the cravings for a few weeks out of will power then the lchf woe helped from there on and now I can have the sweet flavors that fit my plan and am able to control my portions. This eating style is my plan going forward because I believe my cravings can get out of control if I reintroduce real sugar.
    Another strategy I heard about recently is one anyone can do and has been mentioned as using a distraction. But it can be difficult to focus on the thing you are trying to use as a distraction sometimes. I heard of someone using the game Tetris on their phone as their distraction. I'm sure it could be any game you like, but they talked about how it required thinking about the current move and planning the next move so their brain was fully engaged in the game and they just couldn't also be thinking about the craving at the same time. They would just play a few rounds and could better deal with the initial craving better afterward.

    Well, some people can just cut the stuff out. I tried. It worked for a few months. Then my sister brought me back my favorite chocolates from France and I ate the whole box in 2 days.

    So I figured there were just a few options... 1) restrict and binge, 2) not eat the stuff at all anymore, 3) just get fat again, 4) learn moderation. I love sweet stuff. I have no intention of never eating it again (plus as the chocolates showed, I apparently can't anyway). So I made the choice of going with 4.
  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
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    Francl27 wrote: »
    Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    I think there are only two roads to follow here: eat the food in moderation or cut the craving triggers out of your life.

    I was not good at moderating. I failed miserably actually. I ended up cutting most carbs from my diet and that eliminated cravings within days. It works for me.

    I found this to be true for myself as well. I've had great success completely eliminating sweets, which was my major problem, from my life. I found a new way to enjoy sweet flavors with a low carb diet. Mostly with coffee/tea, dark chocolate and low carb yogurt. I was able fight back the cravings for a few weeks out of will power then the lchf woe helped from there on and now I can have the sweet flavors that fit my plan and am able to control my portions. This eating style is my plan going forward because I believe my cravings can get out of control if I reintroduce real sugar.
    Another strategy I heard about recently is one anyone can do and has been mentioned as using a distraction. But it can be difficult to focus on the thing you are trying to use as a distraction sometimes. I heard of someone using the game Tetris on their phone as their distraction. I'm sure it could be any game you like, but they talked about how it required thinking about the current move and planning the next move so their brain was fully engaged in the game and they just couldn't also be thinking about the craving at the same time. They would just play a few rounds and could better deal with the initial craving better afterward.

    Well, some people can just cut the stuff out. I tried. It worked for a few months. Then my sister brought me back my favorite chocolates from France and I ate the whole box in 2 days.

    So I figured there were just a few options... 1) restrict and binge, 2) not eat the stuff at all anymore, 3) just get fat again, 4) learn moderation. I love sweet stuff. I have no intention of never eating it again (plus as the chocolates showed, I apparently can't anyway). So I made the choice of going with 4.

    I fully understand everyone is unique. I was just throwing out my own experience and thought I'd also mention what I had heard about a possible way to create a distraction that I had just heard about someone else using successfully.
    It's all about finding the right personal method for ourselves.
    Anyone that has had success in controlling their cravings will have some valid tips and ideas. It's nice to have the collaborative brainstorming to think about which ones might fit for our own personal application.
    Since cravings are often a big issue for anyone struggling with overeating, gaining control over it is monumental. Congrats on your success with it @Francl27
    OP, I hope you find the way that's right for you too.

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