How Do You Fight Cravings? 😩
Equivocation
Posts: 7 Member
During the day, I get very few cravings...but almost like a damn vampire or werewolf, the second the sun is gone over the horizon, I turn into a crave monster. I suddenly want to eat every sweet I’ve ever had throughout my life! Donuts, chocolates, chips, candies, you name it. I haven’t broken my diet yet but if anyone who also gets insanely strong cravings but who has mastered them and you have some advice, not well known tips or tricks to cheat my own brain, I’m all ears! My goal is not simply weight loss but also long term sustainable healthy lifestyle so i really want to get rid of cravings entirely or at least lessen them to a large degree.
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Replies
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I find lot of substitutes when I get cravings, especially at nights in front of TV.... I usually start with foods like cucumber, carrots, green apples... Fennel seeds after dinner helps too... If it gets worst, I'd try and drink protein shake (with artificial sweetner)..... But if it's out of control, I keep nuts - walnuts, cashews, etc.5
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I use to have them, especially at night and especially with chocolate. It's not easy when you have a 5 year old son who eats a chocolate maybe once a week but the grannys keep on buying...
Anyway, what helps for me:
In the beginning I ate ONE fruit when I had my sweet craving, it helped
Now, I decided to stop eating after dinner, nothing but water touches my lips after I ate
I brush my teeth once I'm done eating
I chew on sugar free gum, it takes away the sweet craving
I have a treadmill at home and go for a run or walk at night, if you don't have one, go for a walk around the house or around the block. Any form of exercise, even a little always helps with cravings
Try to sleep earlier!!
Hope that helped ☺️
Good LUCK!!!!6 -
I had cravings last night so instead I had a glass of warm milk with abit of tumeric, ginger and cinnamon. Tastes amazing and sorted my craving out AND I fell asleep super quick so win win 😁3
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Thank you all for the insights!! I will definitely try these out! I especially like the idea of having sugar free gum on hand!0
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I find getting enough protein helps quite a bit to keep from feeling restricted, but I also make a point to fit in treats in smaller portions. I generally have one cup of light ice cream or frozen yogurt daily at the end of my evening before bed.4
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I have a long commute after work thanks to rush hour and people that don’t know how to drive. I always keep my water bottle filled (32 oz.), and a bag of almonds in the car. I found that for me, when I was getting crazy cravings, it was mostly due to being dehydrated. So I learned to drink more water.
I also will sometimes snack on carrots, but the OHN at work tried to tell me they were high in sugar. I just laughed and said, “Maybe, but they’re better than the box of donuts I wanted to eat!”
Small battles. One day at a time... And don’t beat yourself up! It’s a lifestyle change, and it doesn’t always happen over night.
Hope this helps!3 -
Distraction helps. Go out for a short walk. Find something properly engrossing to do.
I surrender to my cravings when I'm just too tired to do those things instead.2 -
I plan some snacks and eat them on a schedule. Schedule? Yes.
I find delay is a lot easier to manage than “Just say no.” I always have a few calories left for just before bed. Sometimes I don’t bother with that one. But I find having a zero balance in my calorie account for the day to be anxiety provoking. I try not to put myself in that position.7 -
I've given up trying to cut stuff out completely (Oreos, I'm looking at you). I just budget for the cravings I know I'll have when I get home from work. I add three Oreos to my diary every morning, just in case. If I have them, yum. If I don't, more calories for a cup of tea or to "bank" for the next day when I might want an ice cream cone or something more caloric than the Oreos. I know I struggle to beat the cravings, so I accept them and address them through planning.9
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If I eat any sugar, sugar substitutes or flour then the cravings continue. It took me about three months to completely feel victory over cravings and to rewire my brain. At first, I didn't eat at all in the evenings for the same reason but made sure that I had eaten sufficient nutrients and calories during the day so that I didn't convince myself I was hungry. At first even honey or a piece of fruit would bring the cravings back so I cut them out for a couple of weeks, now I can tolerate them too. Cutting out the flour and sugar combination was the key for me. Also this group https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/129744-sugar-addicts been a great encouragement to me.2
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Wow thank you all for your thoughts! At the end of my day here, these are all so helpful to read right before bedtime! Keep up the great work everyone0
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Cravings that happen through a periodic trigger (like the sun going down) are basically habits. To control them with less effort without having it be a fight every time, you need to change what happens when the sun goes down and keep at it until you "forget" the old associations. It will be hard at first trying to willpower your way through, but within a few weeks, you'll wonder why you were attached to that habit in the first place.
You could declare a certain time of the day as a cut off point for eating, and introduce something new that happens as soon as the sun goes down. In your mind, it's not that these foods are evil, it's just not what you do in the evening anymore. Pick up a new hobby or revive an old one, create a family ritual, anything to create a new association. Plan a sweet treat for your day, but never have it after your cut off time. This way you're not creating a "forbidden fruit" association with certain foods which makes controlling them harder for some people.
Some people do well with alternatives, but it doesn't work well for me. Trying to eat an apple and convince myself that it scratches the ice cream itch doesn't work because I'll know I'm lying to myself, if not right away, then eventually. I'll be subconsciously comparing "the good old days" with the less attractive things I do now. It could work after a very very long time because persisting creates habits, but it only prolongs the process for me. Replacing a habit with a different one works better for me because it's something new I'm doing, not a bastardized version of the old. It becomes an "I do this" instead of "I'm avoiding doing that".6 -
Generally, I figure out whether I want sweet or salt, soft or crunchy, and pre-log a measured portion of a low-calorie option. (Sweet crunchy=dry cereal; sweet soft=fiber one bars, etc)2
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Honestly, I give in. I eat chocolate, chips, or icecream almost every day. Sometimes I find lower calorie alternatives, sometimes I splurge and just have a smaller dinner. Personally, I've found that the more I fight it the worse off I'll be. So, I can either give in when the craving hits and be satisfied with a small amount of what I'm craving or I can ignore it and eventually eat way too much of what I'm craving. It also helps to not keep those things on hand or if you do then just keep one. For example, just keep one chocolate bar or one pint of ice cream that way when the craving hits you cant over indulge.3
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Water really helps, as does ensuring enough protein over the day.
Air-popped popcorn (no butter) is a good snack. You can have a lot of it and consume very few calories. It's a satisfying snack.1 -
I find that its mostly about associations. So if I sit down to some Netflix at night, my mind is automatically like, hmm what can I eat. So sometimes I budget the calories and eat whatever I'm craving or I try to keep my mouth busy with a zero calorie drink. Other times, I walk away and do something else. The key is to break the association.2
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I eat what I crave for but limiting the portions. I keep 500 calories apart everyday for food that o may mess up. Sweets are my weakness
It's a mind game2 -
I try to give in to the cravings every once in a while, with moderation. If I'm craving ice cream, I have some, just a small amount - half a serving or less. If I want bread, I have a slice of whole grain bread, not half a loaf of brioche lol. If I crave ramen I have a third of a package and use my own seasonings, not the sodium and MSG packed pouch included. I don't give in to every craving, but if I want it bad enough, I make room in my calories that day or the next for a small portion to satisfy. I find I can't just not have the food I love ever again, that's not sustainable for me. But having just a little every once in a while very much is.1
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This is a weird strategy, but sometimes I'll eat a serving of bitter greens (arugula for example) and it diminishes my appetite because my brain is getting the exact opposite the junk it's craving. Somehow it seems to ease the intensity of feeling like I MUST eat all the sweets.
That said, every eating plan needs room for treats now and then. I budget some calories for greek yogurt before bed. This hearty snack can be jazzed up with chocolate chips, fruit, whatever you like.0 -
I plan some snacks and eat them on a schedule. Schedule? Yes.
I find delay is a lot easier to manage than “Just say no.” I always have a few calories left for just before bed. Sometimes I don’t bother with that one. But I find having a zero balance in my calorie account for the day to be anxiety provoking. I try not to put myself in that position.
I do this^
I plan for chocolate everyday.....later in the day. Single serving packs help. Individually wrapped Ghiradelli dark chocolate squares. If I'm in the mood for ice cream I reach for an ice cream bar or those mini-drumsticks.
Tea, fruit, crispy veggies are great for the start of a diet, but sadly (for me) they will never be a life time substitute.
One hard rule for me - no snacking in front of the T.V. Too easy to over eat. I get a big glass of ice water and a little bit of distraction....adult coloring book, crochet, solitaire, anything to break the cycle1
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