How to stop the cravings

Cathy_5011

I started MFP a few weeks ago. I kicked butt and lost 4 lbs in the first two weeks Yea!! But then 4th of July parties came and went and I fell off the wagon. This past week July 12th I told myself I was going to get back on goal but I kept craving my favorite foods and treats like pasta, pizza, burgers and candy. I have already given in the past three days. Help me break the cycle.

How do you get over cravings and get the will power to say no?

SparkleShine

Honestly, it takes me a couple of weeks to get in the groove of eating healthy. I usually find my cravings will greatly diminish for the bad stuff. Just stick to it and you'll get better, especially when you fell and see positive changes. It will motivate you to keep going!

Oh, and I also fell off the wagon on the 4th, eating and drinking!:drinker: :blushing: It took me a few days to get myself back in control!

jrich1

Honestly, I started eating better and I didnt really want the junk food anymore. I snack throughout the day to keep from being hungry but stay within my calories. Someone posted a link a couple days ago that cravings were the body being out of wack from not proper nutrition

jusniq

I sorta have a conversation with myself :laugh: I tell myself, that I know i shouldn't really be having this, and why. Then I'd tell myself when I can have it. Like if I hang with my friends who I don't see that often. So I'd say to myself, "You know you shouldn't really be having that", or "you don't really want that", or "i know you like that, but not right now. Maybe when ____ comes down we can have some". It first works most of the time :laugh: Nothing wrong with slipping up, but when its everday......

RedneckWmn

You just have to fight it and stay strong. If you crave sweets try to find a lower cal sweet. It does get better. Just keep your goals in mind. I was never big on sweets until recently, now all I want is sweets. I do what jusniq does and have a conversation with myself. Right now being in my sisters wedding and my dress is whatis keeping me in line as best as I can. Summer is rough time to begin wtih. Good luck to you!

Clew

Like Jacki, it takes me a while to get the cravings out of my system. What helps me is simply reminding myself that it's not like I'll never be able to eat that stuff again ... I just need to get away from it for a bit. In a little while your body adjusts and it's not such an unbearable urge anymore. I've gotten to a point where as I LOVE pizza, I can't eat much of it even when I work it in because my body's not used to it. It's not enjoyable to hog out on becasue I know it'll make me feel like poop - just a little is fine. I also cut my sodium in half about 3 weeks ago and I've begun to notice I've gotten very sensitive to saltiness. Again, I still LOVE salt. But I'm good with a lot less than I used to be.

Keep at it - it's a commitment to yourself, the most important person in the world.

Ashykins

What I have learned is to immediately stop giving in no matter if I have messed up that day, why mess up more ya know???
So, after that I exercise and the next day start fresh, one thing I have learned and read a lot that things like this happen and it's best to forgive yourself and get back on the horse ASAP :flowerforyou:

CFAITH_WARD

Yes it takes 21 days to make a new habit..........When I crave things I do one of two things.....First I chew gun and I chew it for atleast an hour (it actually burns calories and I can't eat anything else until I spit it out) And after that if I can't convince myself not to eat it two works get rid of any extra calories within the food (ex no cheese, take pepperoni off) and I eat half of what I normally would and a salad.

Precious_Nissa

I dont think you ever get over the craving.....however, once you set your mind to say NO, no matter how bad you want it, it gets easier to overcome....another thing that I do is treat myself...if i'm just craving and craving and craving, i find one treat, still try to get low calories and i enjoy it...i noticed i no longer craves for days in and out after that.

bomann1

I keep a picture of myself on the fridge....To me I look like the Good Year Blimp! I know what I SHOULD look like so that gives me the strength most of the time....I've lost 12lbs in 5 weeks and I'm determined to lose another 20 before I'm done!

cmw72

The more you can prepare yourself, the better. When you control the ingredients, you have the power!

Here are some options:

Pizza can be made at home and will contain far fewer additives and preservatives. Plus you can load it up with all sorts of veggies. Crust isn't nearly as hard to make as it seems and you can save some calories by making it a little thinner. Find a light sauce and go easy on the cheese, and you'll have a much healthier option.

Burgers get a bad reputation because they are usually fatty and loaded up with things like mayonnaise. Start with 96% lean beef, whole wheat buns (not all are created equally, so you still need to read the label closely) and try to stay away from the mayonnaise (or use lighter alternatives sparingly) and you've got a tasty burger! If you have the calories to spare, add some real cheddar or pepper jack and a couple slices of avocado and it's party time! Instead of fries, have it with broccoli or cauliflower.

For pasta, switch to wheat noodles. They take a little longer to cook, but they taste just as good. Look online for low-calorie sauce options. You can also add in vegetables to make it more filling.

Candy is a tough one. You're options are limited but some exist. I bought my wife a box of chocolates for valentines day that were organic low-calorie truffles. I found them at www.gaylesmiracles.com. And you can find sugar free options at the local grocery store that contain fewer calories, but are sweetened with sugar-alcohols, which can act as a laxative. In either case, moderation is the key here. Try saving candy as a treat every once in awhile.

You can still have your favorite foods, you just can't have as much of them, or as often. But ... when you do, they will taste better and you will appreciate them more.

Hope that helps!

July24Lioness

I dont think you ever get over the craving.....however, once you set your mind to say NO, no matter how bad you want it, it gets easier to overcome....another thing that I do is treat myself...if i'm just craving and craving and craving, i find one treat, still try to get low calories and i enjoy it...i noticed i no longer craves for days in and out after that.

You can get over the cravings and live craving free and no longer even want the junk at all.

I have done it. I allow myself to have is 1 piece of cheesecake on my Anniversary and my husband and I share it. That is one day out of a whole year. We haven't had sweets in probably about 3 years now.

hellokatee

You know, I get really bad about this too. It is terrible. Especially when I have been doing well, eating one bad thing can throw me off for weeks. I will stop recording what I eat just because it's embarrassing! I've found it really helpful to stock up on tons of fruit! I keep strawberries in my fridge at all times. When I think ICE CREAM, I wander over to the fridge and break out the strawberries! I wish you luck in your fight against cravings! Replace all that junk with something sweet, but healthy! Eventually the cravings will be for THAT!!!

Allibaba

I think the cravings will subside once you get back on track. Another tip for a healthy pizza is to make it at home on a whole wheat pita, I am a big pizza fan so this saves me! Just do your best to get back to where you were, I am a big believer in baby steps, tackle one bad habit at a time abd build upon it, that makes it so much easier to stick with it long term. And next time you indulge, try not to feel bad about it and let it snowball, just get right back on the horse.

flannan

Thanks for the motivation Bunnii. I have just started 3 days ago and gave into after lunch craving. Immediately my head started telling me 'you blew it already, might as well enjoy some more and start again tomorrow'.
No more tommorrows. Like you said, even if I give in to one craving that doesn't mean it's a license to blow off the diet for the rest of the day. I have to try harder.

LotusF1ower

I second what some of the others have said in their replies. It took me a few days to get over the initial cravings ie chocolate was the hardest but was the first to go, followed closely by sweets and then cakes.

The further into my eating plan and weight loss programme I go, the easier it becomes. I do not have cravings now and if one did suddenly pop into my head, because I am not using all my energy up fighting continual cravings anymore, one odd craving here or there is easy to dismiss.

I came to the conclusion that I rule my body, not the other way around and it will have treats as and when I deem it okay, I refuse to be a slave to any cravings anymore - it was those bloody things that got me into this mess in the first place, so they can sod off :laugh:

One word of warning though, if you manage to beat your cravings for weeks and then give in, you may sort of find, you appear to be starting again, fighting the cravings and waiting for them to abate - but rest assured they do eventually go :flowerforyou: