How do you fight off cravings?

lemurcat12

kommodevaran wrote: »

I don't focus on "combatting" inclinations anymore. If I have to struggle to be healthy, I'll lose. I have found adjusting my habits, environment and attitudes, a good strategy. Stocking up on real foods and leaving "trigger" food in the store - means reserving those foods for special occasions and "appropriate" settings. That way I can follow my cravings/instincts without hurting myself. I also let myself become decently hungry and eat regular meals of foods I enjoy.

As usual, I really love this response. For me, making it not a struggle is really important to. If it's working, I shouldn't be having to combat cravings.

But then, I always wonder what precisely people mean by cravings. A desire to eat a particular food, a thought that it would be delicious? I have those -- usually based largely on what I'm used to or expecting to eat, occasionally not. Generally they are not urgent and can be addressed by planning for the food later or, sometimes, just eating something else delicious (like my planned dinner -- I do find that if I get too hungry and tired I'm most likely to desire something easy and high cal, like ordering a pizza, but when that's the cause just eating my planned dinner or something quick like an omelet will take care of it). Or a desire triggered by something nearby to eat that thing? I have those too, but much more when I'm not in the habit of planning and eating regular meals and am in the habit of grazing/snacking throughout the day. I can usually deal with these by thinking rationally about whether the food is worth the tradeoffs (the calorie hit and what I won't be able to eat). On rare occasion it is.

dbashby

Ultimately, I found the best way to combat cravings was to eat foods that didn't hormonally create them in the first place. No I'm not perfect, I too have my vices with food and I ultimately don't feel anything is off the list forever. Ideally though, you should plan in some way to satisfy those urges rather than trying to ignore them totally or satisfy them as they come up. I found the latter of those two methods to beget more and more cravings and much harder to control myself when I did relent.

Sloth2016

I eat the foods I crave, fitting them into my daily calorie and nutrient goals.
Is there an issue?

FitPhillygirl

I don't fight off foods that I really want. I simply eat in moderation and stop eating when I feel full.

Gamliela

I don't fight them, I ignore them and carry on.

Machka9

I rarely get cravings for anything, so I have trouble understanding them as a daily thing.

When I do get cravings, it is because my body needs something so I analyse the craving and try to determine what it is that I need. For example, if I happen to crave potato chips, it is usually because I need salt. Eating a pickle or adding a bit of extra salt to my dinner solves that.


That said, I did have one craving which puzzled me.

When I started with MFP about 18 months ago, I started craving bread like crazy. I felt like I could devour whole loaves of it. That was really odd because I'm not that fond of bread and didn't eat it very often. I would have toast for breakfast on the weekends and that was about it.

I never did figure out what the bread craving was all about, but I started eating a slice of decent quality, whole grain bread every day and the craving went away.

kommodevaran

DeficitDuchess wrote: »

I refuse to grocery shop, while hungry & I typically don't put what I consider for myself only, as being junk/trigger foods; on my grocery list even if it's on sale and/or I have a coupon (which I'll conveniently, leave at home), so that I'll either forget and/or won't have the incentive; to purchase them.

This is guerrilla shopping for pros I have stopped buying trigger foods in bulk. There is no saving in buying lots of cheap food when you end up not only paying more than you planned, but also eating more than you planned.

jessmessmfp

I agree that the first step - is admitting there is a problem (for me at least). No, I DONT need that cookie at 3pm. Before, I acted on my cravings...every.time. That killed my diet. I had healthy snacks in between, but somehow always craved cookies and cake. Once I just said, ya know what, I'm not going to starve if I don't have that treat. Suck it up. Deal with it. And I learned, hey, the craving actually goes away after 30 minutes. And then I really enjoy my 6pm dinner - not consumed with guilt or trying to take items out of my dinner to account for the 300 empty calorie treat.

kommodevaran

lemurcat12 wrote: »

kommodevaran wrote: »

I don't focus on "combatting" inclinations anymore. If I have to struggle to be healthy, I'll lose. I have found adjusting my habits, environment and attitudes, a good strategy. Stocking up on real foods and leaving "trigger" food in the store - means reserving those foods for special occasions and "appropriate" settings. That way I can follow my cravings/instincts without hurting myself. I also let myself become decently hungry and eat regular meals of foods I enjoy.

As usual, I really love this response. For me, making it not a struggle is really important to. If it's working, I shouldn't be having to combat cravings.

But then, I always wonder what precisely people mean by cravings. A desire to eat a particular food, a thought that it would be delicious? I have those -- usually based largely on what I'm used to or expecting to eat, occasionally not. Generally they are not urgent and can be addressed by planning for the food later or, sometimes, just eating something else delicious (like my planned dinner -- I do find that if I get too hungry and tired I'm most likely to desire something easy and high cal, like ordering a pizza, but when that's the cause just eating my planned dinner or something quick like an omelet will take care of it). Or a desire triggered by something nearby to eat that thing? I have those too, but much more when I'm not in the habit of planning and eating regular meals and am in the habit of grazing/snacking throughout the day. I can usually deal with these by thinking rationally about whether the food is worth the tradeoffs (the calorie hit and what I won't be able to eat). On rare occasion it is.

I would describe cravings as urgent urges. An annoying tingling in my mouth, salivation. Focus hones in on "I must have it, now". The cravings are for things like cookies, cake, chips, candy, chocolate (why do they all start with the same letter). Anything highly caloric, with low nutritional value, with a strong and simple taste, and easy to eat/digest, will do, and the thought doesn't go away until I've had lots. Then I feel like I've lost a battle. It can be triggered by sight, smell, mention, association. In bad periods, I couldn't look at pebbles or bars of soap.

I can want particular foods, too, and this is like you describe - I plan to have it, plot it into my food plan, make an effort to obtain/cook it, look forward to eating it, feel content when I've had it; if I can't have exactly that, I'll usually be happy with something similar.

johnnylakis

eating Fruit usually does it for me

NancyYale

Everyone handles this differently. For me, I cut out most empty snacks and sugary things, only adding them back in if they were WORTH IT. (Homemade brownies!!) And my tastes changed accordingly, over time. This worked for me, but isn't a fix for everyone.

By eating more often, and eating a mix of good protein, high fiber carbs and enough fat to satisfy, and cutting out most empty snacky items, I rarely have cravings. And a person should be eating things - "healthy" or not - that they LIKE. If they eat only the most "perfect and healthy" foods around, but don't like them, they're setting themselves up for even worse cravings.

Cravings can be BOTH mental and physical. But it's the mental bit that's hardest to deal with.

If you play around with your menus, schedules, and pay attention to what your body is saying you can develop a food plan that makes you feel good, be satisfied most of the time, and promoted WL.

But there isn't a cookie-cutter one size fits all recipe for that. If there is one, please forward it to me.

Gamliela

johnnylakis wrote: »

eating Fruit usually does it for me

Same with me, and the 50 or so calories is very easy to fit in, or just have a bit less of a deficit that day.
No big deal.

selina884

I give in and then regret it immensely

NothingmaN79

I just leave the food that will set me back at the store. Food that goes against my goal is my enemy. Chocolate made me fat. Potato chips made me fat. Doughnuts made me fat. My lack of willpower and self-control made me fat. There is a lot of willpower and self-control involved here. If you give into your cravings by even having LESS of what you crave (chocolate etc.), you will keep craving it. Break the cycle. Have the self-control to say no and eat something healthier.

Or do what works for you I'm not your dad.

Landoficeandsnow

Whenever I crave something sweet - I drink black coffee.

Whenever I crave pizza - I eat a chicken.

AlabasterVerve

Cravings are not something I enjoy so I don't eat foods that cause cravings on a regular basis. Problem solved.

lemurcat12

I don't find that foods cause cravings.

One example of a strong craving I recall having was near the end of Lent, when I had given up meat. I was planning my lamb Easter meal and was really craving lamb (had no urge to break my Lenten restriction, self-imposed though it was, as anticipation was part of the pleasure of the eventual meal). I think the reason for the craving was the combination of not having had it for a while, it being a food I love, and thinking about preparing it. (I love pie and hadn't been eating sweets during Lent either, but didn't crave the planned pie in the same way or any seasonal chocolate treats.

kommodevaran

Landoficeandsnow wrote: »

Whenever I crave something sweet - I drink black coffee.

Whenever I crave pizza - I eat a chicken.

I can't decide if this sounds most sad, or most strange.

_Bro

There's really no reason not to indulge in cravings..
Provided that you can do so and stay in control (read moderation).
This is the key IMHO...

SueSueDio

NothingmaN79 wrote: »

I just leave the food that will set me back at the store. Food that goes against my goal is my enemy. Chocolate made me fat. Potato chips made me fat. Doughnuts made me fat. My lack of willpower and self-control made me fat. There is a lot of willpower and self-control involved here. If you give into your cravings by even having LESS of what you crave (chocolate etc.), you will keep craving it. Break the cycle. Have the self-control to say no and eat something healthier.

Or do what works for you I'm not your dad.

The part you bolded is the most important bit, in my opinion - chocolate, chips and donuts did not make me fat. Too much of any of those things (along with a multitude of others, including "healthy" foods) made me fat.

I had less of what I craved (chocolate, mainly) to avoid feeling miserable because I was depriving myself of something I loved. I didn't see it as "giving in" - it took willpower and self control to only eat a small square when I might have wanted more. Now, though, I do NOT keep craving it. I want it much less often than I did when I started this.

Personally, I feel that this is what works best for me. Other people, of course, have to find their own way of dealing with their food issues.

Francl27

I eat what I crave, or I'll just eat something else to distract myself but the craving will still be there... and I'll just end up eating more. What's the point? I just don't necessarily eat it the same day and, if needed, plan it for a day when I know it will fit (for the higher calorie things). And if I end up going a bit over? I just eat less after to make up for it.

honorthecolors

trigden1991 wrote: »

1) Cravings are natural and do not need to be "a problem"
2) Food is neither "healthy" or not.
3)Why can't candy bars be incorporated into a balanced diet?
4) Why do you feel the need to eat 10 times a day?

I eat 10 times I suppose because I'm hungry. I eat about 3500 calories a day.

STEVE142142

For me I don't deny myself any of my cravings. I still occasionally eat a Wendy's hamburger a slice of pizza, beer on the beach. As long as it fits into my calorie goal I incorporate it into my food.
I firmly believe that you can't look at this as a diet. Diets suck you're constantly giving up stuff that you like and eventually human nature is going to take over and you're going to go I can't do this anymore. And the funny part and I know other posters have said this I don't crave that stuff as much as I used to. I choose to control it it doesn't control me.

mysticwryter

Usually when I have cravings, it's mostly due to me being bored or that I'm not getting enough water. So I try and substitute the craving with having 16oz of water. I also do a cup of green tea because of the temp, I am nursing the tea, which off-sets my craving....it's weird but it works.
Also to subside cravings, I also try to incorporate protein and starches in my main meals. As a buffer between breakfast and lunch (I eat breakfast around 0615 and by 0900 I'm hungry) I do a protein shake that gives me 60g of protein. That usually lasts me till about 1145-1200 (lunch break).

It has helped me so I won't gorge on foods which I know will just get me off the wagon again. Lots and lots of mentality to make sure you know yourself if you are hungry or if you are just bored and looking at food recipes on Facebook, lol.

Christine_72

I have a Quest cravings peanut butter cup

SueSueDio

STEVE142142 wrote: »

I firmly believe that you can't look at this as a diet. Diets suck you're constantly giving up stuff that you like and eventually human nature is going to take over and you're going to go I can't do this anymore.

I agree completely... that's why I was so happy to realise I could lose weight but still eat the things I loved, as long as I was careful with my portions and counted every calorie! If I'd had to stick to "diet foods" and feel that I might never be able to have anything "bad" again, I'd have given up by now. Knowing that (for me at least) food doesn't have to be thought of as good or bad has been instrumental in getting my head around the mental part of this weight-loss business!

Unknown

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gothchiq

I find that by suppressing these cravings long term they fade. The longer I avoid the trigger foods the more the cravings fade away. Replacements are fruit, hummus with veggies, homemade dressing for salads that has much more and better flavor than the typical bottled stuff..... It has been a process of finding things I like that are calorically acceptable to me, have a decent amount of nutrients, and taste good. I've been at this since.... 2013 I guess? long enough to have a list of go-to foods after which I will feel satisfied rather than just craving more sugar/fat/stuff that doesn't help me in any way.

gothchiq

NothingmaN79 wrote: »

I just leave the food that will set me back at the store. Food that goes against my goal is my enemy. Chocolate made me fat. Potato chips made me fat. Doughnuts made me fat. My lack of willpower and self-control made me fat. There is a lot of willpower and self-control involved here. If you give into your cravings by even having LESS of what you crave (chocolate etc.), you will keep craving it. Break the cycle. Have the self-control to say no and eat something healthier.

Or do what works for you I'm not your dad.

This!!! Torturing myself with a tiny portion of a trigger food makes matters worse. It's much easier for me to say NOPE, off limits, there are lots of good things I will choose from instead.

Christine_72

gothchiq wrote: »

NothingmaN79 wrote: »

I just leave the food that will set me back at the store. Food that goes against my goal is my enemy. Chocolate made me fat. Potato chips made me fat. Doughnuts made me fat. My lack of willpower and self-control made me fat. There is a lot of willpower and self-control involved here. If you give into your cravings by even having LESS of what you crave (chocolate etc.), you will keep craving it. Break the cycle. Have the self-control to say no and eat something healthier.

Or do what works for you I'm not your dad.

This!!! Torturing myself with a tiny portion of a trigger food makes matters worse. It's much easier for me to say NOPE, off limits, there are lots of good things I will choose from instead.

Yep, same here. For me, it's so much easier and less stressful to abstain than it is to moderate.

I wish one serving of ice cream or cereal or cookies was enough/satisfying. It's Just not worth it and leaves me wanting more.