How do you cut food cravings?

immahappyhappyhorse

I just can't stop thinking about food and acting on those impulses even when I'm full. Food kinda just acts like an appetizer to me and I still feel the urge to eat after a meal. Even when I eat meals with more protein, the only way I can truly stop the temptation to snack is by eating a large amount of that snack before feeling sick of it and stopping. How do you cut such cravings? I've tried brushing my teeth after a meal but I just start eating again after the minty feeling wears off, and drinking water, though making me feel fuller, doesn't stop the temptation.

kommodevaran

You don't. The idea that we get cravings "even when we're full" is flawed, because hunger and appetite isn't the same. You just have to decide to not eat more than you planned, and stick to that decision. Temptations are real and it sometimes sucks to tell yourself no, but that's the price we pay to have such an abundance of delicious food available. Maybe you can play around with meal schedules (fewer and larger meals) and composition (incorporating snack foods into meals), have some reasonable eating rules (always sit down to eat), have a scheduled activity right after you've eaten (that you can't combine with eating), not having too much snack food in your home.

makkimakki2018

I stop eating once my macro nutrient chart is maxed out to my specific goal and i stick to it no matter how hungry i am. I do try to eat foods that sit better in the stomach to keep from feeling hungry (ie: peanut butter and honey oat bread slice).

Lillymoo01

Don't tell yourself that any foods are off limits, just that some are treats and fine in moderation. Prelog your day so that you can make room for that treat. Many dietitians recommend a 80/20 rule where 80% of your diet is nutritionally dense, fresh food or food with minimal processing and 20% treats as the best way to deal with cravings and as a way to avoid binging. Also buy treats in individual serves so there is never much around the house. Always log before you eat, even if it is an unplanned craving. It might help you to reconsider or at least help find patterns to work out why they happen when they do.

Finkelstien

you don't

Planning and sticking to your MFP diary helps

Candyspun

I allow for snacks and track them.

teranga79

I wish I knew! I eat healthy, nutritionally balanced meals at a good calorie level for my goals, and incorporate all the food I like (including 'treat' food) .... but then at least once a week (and often much more) I'll start eating junk like there's no tomorrow - entire packets of biscuits gone in about 5 mins.... I can easily demolish a couple of thousand calories in a few minutes.

tennisdude2004

I personally find that eating low carb and cutting the junk food out helps me. Also as well if you are an evening drinker (for some people) it can be a trigger to eat all the foodz! Full restriction doesn’t work for everyone, just portion control doesn’t work for everyone. If you’ve already tried one approach, then try the other. When I switch back to LCHF I tend to set a time period of 30 days to cut the junk, then i let myself re-introduce it. Generally after 30 days I don’t feel the need to re-introduce it so I don’t.

Good luck.

Deviette

Try and work out the real reason you want to snack. If you're hungry, then eat. If you're bored, find something else to fill you time. If you're emotional, recognise it and deal with it (talk it over, cry it out, punch a pillow, that sort of thing)

If you really find it difficult to resist, try and budget it into your day. I used to get massive cravings for chocolate, so I budgeted it in. When life circumstances changed, that craving vanished completely, but it kept that craving in check.

gems74

immahappyhappyhorse wrote: »

I just can't stop thinking about food and acting on those impulses even when I'm full. Food kinda just acts like an appetizer to me and I still feel the urge to eat after a meal. Even when I eat meals with more protein, the only way I can truly stop the temptation to snack is by eating a large amount of that snack before feeling sick of it and stopping. How do you cut such cravings? I've tried brushing my teeth after a meal but I just start eating again after the minty feeling wears off, and drinking water, though making me feel fuller, doesn't stop the temptation.

Based on my own personal experience, it sounds like you are eating to fill a void unrelated to the food. Are you bored? Sad? Lonely? Stressed? I would start to think about what is it you are really trying to do by overeating. You need a new habit to replace this one, like going for a walk, bike ride, etc.

Hope this helps.

AlabasterVerve

A low carb diet and not eating foods that cause cravings on a regular basis is the only thing I've found to work. It's been five or six years now for me without cravings/impulsive eating and a normal appetite. Having to limit carb rich foods I love to the holidays is unfortunate but it's well worth the trade off to me.

Experiment with what and when you eat - it can make a world of difference.

kshama2001

When I do the following, I don't have cravings:

1. Get sufficient sleep
2. Exercise regularly - when I get the happy hormones from exercise, I'm not prone to seeking them from food.
3. Get sufficient protein in relationship to carbs. I'm not low carb, but reducing carbs and upping protein worked for cravings for me. See also http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/fuller/understanding-satiety-feeling-full-after-a-meal.html
4. Eat moderate amounts of fruit. This makes me less interested in higher calorie sweets.
5. Take a magnesium supplement. This can be especially helpful for women premenstrually.
6. Save foods like chocolate for after dinner, in small amounts
7. Stay hydrated
8. Have a calorie deficit that is appropriate for the amount of weight I need to lose. An overly aggressive goal can definitely lead to cravings.
9. Eat at maintenance when my appetite goes up premenstrually.

nvmomketo

I'm another who finds my cravings and urges to snack are greatly reduced by eating a low carb diet- possibly due in part to reduced blood glucose swings. I tend to eat a duet heavy in meats, dairy and eggs with some veggies and nuts for carbs.

I also find not having "just a bit" helps too. If I have a bit, I want more and more. If I skip it entirely, then I'm fine. YMMV

BlessedMom70

I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic last summer. I started watching my carbs (and am now back in the normal range). I found that cutting the carbs really helped with cutting my appetite.

mywayroche

For me it takes approx 2 weeks of clean eating to get rid of cravings. Those first 2 weeks are a pain, peaking at around 1 week in.

NoExcusesFromNowOn

All the above are great ideas. I take max magnesium. My personal craving relief is my end goal. My family is all on insulin and I'm terrified of needles. If I don't get my weight down thats what I'm facing. 😩😩😩😩

psychod787

Hunger hormones are a kitten! When you lose weight, leptin drops, ghrelin increases. This is still in play for years or until we pay the energy gap lost. As I have been told, some hunger is not a bad thing.

peggy_polenta

get yourself into ketosis by eating either low carb or ketogenic and most people will not have cravings and barely an appetite.

lucerorojo

Logging everything, and explaining the craving in the diary helps. For this reason, I find cheat meals helpful sometimes. If I plan one a week I can splurge that meal (not more than 500 extra calories that day) and enjoy it guiltfree. I find that fitting in the snack daily does not work for me. Some of the foods are just off-limits for me, any kind of cookies, cakes, potato chips. Bread is also problematic for me--I rarely buy it but now and then I give in to that temptation. I had potato chips today with my lunch (from Panera) and I haven't had them in months. I used to be addicted to potato chips. I have no desire to have them again. I could not control it if I bought a bag but it is okay in one pre-packaged serving in a lunch.

Overall, the better and more delicious my meals are, the less likely I am to snack/have cravings. Ideally I eat three larger meals each day and 1 or no snacks. Eating small meals and snacks makes me overeat.

mrdowell2017

i tend to chew gum or have black coffee but if am still hungry bowl of oats rice càkes with nut butter banana or 2 hit the spot