I need tips on how to deal with cravings...

kpk54

@ferret150, My binging "came out of the blue". I say that because at 61-62 years old, I began bingeing. Like you, I had never binged before. Never, being 60 some years in my case. Sure I over ate for about 10 years (that's how I got fat). Everyone who has binged, truly binged, knows the difference between over eating and bingeing. I began bingeing AFTER I had lost all my weight. That was 2015. All of 2015.

Some folks will recall reading one of my "transition" stories (from bingeing) about literally standing in front of my refrigerator with 1 hand on the freezer door (for ice cream) and one hand on the refrigerator door (for sugar free jello). I learned many things standing in front of that refrigerator. I had the freedom to choose. Both were equally available. With a lot of practice, I learned to make the best choice for me.

Spend 16 minutes watching this video. There just might be something in it that resonates with you and your "forbidden" cashews. You do have choices and when you give yourself absolute freedom (without all the rules) you can actually learn (which is a change in behavior) to make different choices. Learning takes practice. In the mind, "can't have" can become "don't want". I have not binged for months yet my "trigger" foods, my "reward" foods are still available. All are available in the grocery store. Some are available in my house. I exercise my freedom to "not do it".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5TIpQsOAHU

SuperCarLori

kpk54 wrote: »

@ferret150, My binging "came out of the blue". I say that because at 61-62 years old, I began bingeing. Like you, I had never binged before. Never, being 60 some years in my case. Sure I over ate for about 10 years (that's how I got fat). Everyone who has binged, truly binged, knows the difference between over eating and bingeing. I began bingeing AFTER I had lost all my weight. That was 2015. All of 2015.

Some folks will recall reading one of my "transition" stories (from bingeing) about literally standing in front of my refrigerator with 1 hand on the freezer door (for ice cream) and one hand on the refrigerator door (for sugar free jello). I learned many things standing in front of that refrigerator. I had the freedom to choose. Both were equally available. With a lot of practice, I learned to make the best choice for me.

Spend 16 minutes watching this video. There just might be something in it that resonates with you and your "forbidden" cashews. You do have choices and when you give yourself absolute freedom (without all the rules) you can actually learn (which is a change in behavior) to make different choices. Learning takes practice. In the mind, "can't have" can become "don't want". I have not binged for months yet my "trigger" foods, my "reward" foods are still available. All are available in the grocery store. Some are available in my house. I exercise my freedom to "not do it".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5TIpQsOAHU

That was bad *kitten* and inspiring, K. Thank you for sharing that.

mandycat223

I've had success about 90% of the time with the 15 minute rule: I can have as much of this, where "this" is frequently another bag of mixed nuts, as I want but only if I wait 15 minutes. This gives my fevered brain time to settle down enough to realize I don't really want more of "this" at all. If I fill in the 15 minutes with a zero carb hot drink and/or some mild physical movement, the rule works even better.