How do you curb cravings?

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eggmoni
eggmoni Posts: 13 Member
in Getting Started
I have a bad bad bad habit of giving into my cravings. It's very easy for me to give in and once I'm craving something, I can't stop thinking about it. One thing that I've tried doing is just never letting myself feel hungry (so eating more frequently throughout the day instead of eating twice a day or something like that). I noticed that the more hungry I felt, the more cravings I had for junky foods! I'm not sure what else to do, though, to curb these cravings because sometimes I am in class or at work and I'll get hungry and end up coming home and eating more than I should because of my hunger.

What do you guys do when you are craving something you know you shouldn't eat? ^_^
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Replies

  • Sinisterly
    Sinisterly Posts: 10,913 Member
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    There is nothing that is off-limits to me.

    I give in, but I make sure that I stay within my calories.
    I put it into my calories and figure out just how much of it I can have without causing any damage.
  • ruthejp13
    ruthejp13 Posts: 213 Member
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    It's an addiction. You want to go cold turkey to gain control. Seriously, try the Atkin's diet for 2 weeks. Only 30-50 carbs a day. As many veggies as you want. NO SUGAR. NO FRUIT. Don't let yourself get hungry. Eat hard boiled eggs, cheese and cream cheese for snacks during the day. Drink LOTS of WATER. Do NOT drink soda pop - even diet.

    Years ago when someone would bring a box of donuts to work, I go into the lunchroom and keep eating them until they were gone, about one every 30 minutes. Now you can put the box under my nose all day and I don't have the urge to eat them.

    Don't worry about losing weight the first two weeks. Just concentrate on not being hungry. Don't stuff yourself but eat lots of veggies, drink lots of water and have as much meat, fish, chicken and cheese as you want. No milk, no yogurt, no diet sodas and no sugar.

    This lecture based on a large medical study from Stanford University verifies the health benefits of the Atkin's diet.
    http://youtu.be/eREuZEdMAVo
  • suicidegrunty
    suicidegrunty Posts: 6
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    gum gum gum! chewing gum always helps me. i have this green tea gum thats supposed to help and it taste like mint, so if you dont like tea, no worry!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,671 Member
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    It's an addiction. You want to go cold turkey to gain control. Seriously, try the Atkin's diet for 2 weeks. Only 30-50 carbs a day. As many veggies as you want. NO SUGAR. NO FRUIT. Don't let yourself get hungry. Eat hard boiled eggs, cheese and cream cheese for snacks during the day. Drink LOTS of WATER. Do NOT drink soda pop - even diet.

    Years ago when someone would bring a box of donuts to work, I go into the lunchroom and keep eating them until they were gone, about one every 30 minutes. Now you can put the box under my nose all day and I don't have the urge to eat them.

    Don't worry about losing weight the first two weeks. Just concentrate on not being hungry. Don't stuff yourself but eat lots of veggies, drink lots of water and have as much meat, fish, chicken and cheese as you want. No milk, no yogurt, no diet sodas and no sugar.

    This lecture based on a large medical study from Stanford University verifies the health benefits of the Atkin's diet.
    http://youtu.be/eREuZEdMAVo
    Unless one is going to do Atkins for life and NOT indulge in sugar treats, this isn't great advice. Sugar isn't an addiction, it's just highly palatable. One can definitely eat it and stay within a healthy weight range.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • MelsAuntie
    MelsAuntie Posts: 2,833 Member
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    For me, go into the studio and get busy. If I'm in a really creative groove I'm likely to forget to eat ANYTHING. I'll suddenly realize around 6 p.m. that I haven't had anything except a big mug of coffee.
  • MelsAuntie
    MelsAuntie Posts: 2,833 Member
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    There is nothing that is off-limits to me.

    I give in, but I make sure that I stay within my calories.
    I put it into my calories and figure out just how much of it I can have without causing any damage.



    THIS, all day long. Unless I'm in the studio, then I won't think about food at all.
  • NH_Norma
    NH_Norma Posts: 332 Member
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    4 things:
    1) drink my water...lots of water...a full glass (12 or 16 oz) before giving in to a craving
    2) log it before I eat it. Play around with portions and see the calorie differences...decide if it's worth it to you and how much you are willing and/or want to have once you see the numbers
    3) Log my usual physical activity to see how it equates to the portion size I decided on; go back and forth until I make a final decision
    4) If I've decided to have whatever it is...enjoy it without regret. :flowerforyou:
  • DivineChoices
    DivineChoices Posts: 193 Member
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    If I can fit it into my calories, I eat a small serving. If I can't fit it into my calories, like tonight, when I'm craving pudding and chocolate, I basically sit on my hands. I get a giant glass of water and stay busy until the craving goes away. Recently I discovered the more open I am about my craving, the faster it goes away. Try acknowledging the craving aloud then go do something you enjoy (just not eating! lol!!)
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    My secret (when in a deficit) is to make sure that deficit isn't too large. That's when the cravings hit. I look for that sweet spot of a deficit where I'm making progress towards my goals without feeling *too* hungry.

    ETA: At too large of a deficit, there are no (safe) tricks that will keep your from feeling very hungry/having cravings. That's just the way the system works.
  • melimomTARDIS
    melimomTARDIS Posts: 1,941 Member
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    I felt like crap on Atkins. Bloated and awful, and just gave me an all over yucky feeling. I do better on a high carb regimen.

    I watch my calories now, and for junky foods I recommend switching regular pop to diet, and choosing individually portioned treats. 1 oz bag of potato chips is 160 cals. 1 Hershey kiss is 22 calories. Those 100 calorie packs are great for this! So basically have the junk, just in a pre packed portion.

    As for curbing appetite, I like to chew sugar free gum, drink black coffee, and suck on hard candy. It also helps me to be firm with myself on when I can eat.

    All things in moderation, and I can't stick to any diet that has be not eating things I enjoy.
  • Zenzen2000
    Zenzen2000 Posts: 17
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    Denying myself, it never worked for me. I just try to reasonable when it comes to my food choices. I might not always succeed but for the most part, I keep it in check.
  • ressa8
    ressa8 Posts: 60
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    Have you ever tried to journal what you ate and how you were feeling? Is it emotional? I definitely am an emotional eater and it is something I struggle with a lot!
  • icandoit843
    icandoit843 Posts: 2
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    Really for me if I'm craving something or hungry but don't want to go over my calories I just put in my Wii fit and work out by the time I'm finished I'm no longer hungry but very energized
  • jussuf
    jussuf Posts: 1 Member
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    I would like to second "jofjltncb6".......make sure your deficit is not too great. I was surprised how much food I can eat and still have a deficit at a goal of 2 lbs per week. This way my cravings are small and I just eat what I want. Yesterday I gave in to my cravings during the day but had a really healthy good dinner, so I made it up in a way. Trying to eat really healthy, organic, grassfed whole foods also helps with that. Finally, I know that I reach for food when emotions surface and I try to stuff them. The more I allow them to surface, the less power the cravings have over me.....something Food Addicts Anonymous is about, more or less.
  • Domineer
    Domineer Posts: 239 Member
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    For the first 2 or 3 weeks, my cravings wouldn't let me not think about them. I started to drink tons of tea (black and green) and that curbed it. After a few months, I lost more than 30 lbs and my appetite decreased dramatically. I no longer need to drink tea to curb my appetite. I am disciplined enough to eat three times a day. My advice while starting out is to drink lots of water and tea (no sugar, just Astevia and lemon or honey for sweetener). It will get easier eventually. Now after conquering those cravings, I will not look back. My brain is programmed to stop me when I am consuming too much or fixing my plate with too much food on it.
  • irNathaniel
    irNathaniel Posts: 178 Member
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    gum gum gum! chewing gum always helps me. i have this green tea gum thats supposed to help and it taste like mint, so if you dont like tea, no worry!

    Backside to Gum is - It falsely starts your Motabalism and makes you feel more hungry. Kind of a catch 22!
  • dortilolma
    dortilolma Posts: 103 Member
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    I hear ya - my chocolate cravings can be so bad we don't have any chocolate I like in the house. Every once in a while I'll have one bar of something so I don't give it up all together but removing the temptation day to day (or hour to hour) is pretty much the only way I could deal with it.

    I don't know about you, but cravings and the urge to eat (even though I'm not hungry) general occur during moments of idleness. I've taken to trying to keep my self busy with little things to stop this.
  • cyesaya
    cyesaya Posts: 1
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    I had the same problem! Don't keep junk food in your house, but allow yourself to have some once or twice a week. That being said, when you go to buy it, make sure you've eaten before hand or you could find yourself filling your trolley with all sorts of bad food.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,074 Member
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    If it's a food you enjoy, work it into your macros for the day. Say your realllly enjoy potato chips. Preportion them out in little bags, and label them if that will help too! Example: you could label them as "April 29th lunch" or "April 29th snack #1"; mapping out your food and learning how to incorporate them into your daily life in moderation is key.

    Personally, I've helped to curb my cravings for sweet things by drinking a caramel iced coffee from Dunks every morning (and sometimes a second one if I'm super tired/need a boost during the day, haha). Sure, it's not the "healthiest" thing, but I've learned to plan my days around it, and the sweetness of it satisfies me for the day. I've found that I don't necessarily need something sweet or sugary all the time, since I've had something awesome that morning.

    If I'm really craving something, and I can fit it into my day, sometimes I'll give in. But I always have it in the back of my mind to only eat until I am satisfied, and no more. Recently I got some chocolate Hershey's eggs candy for Easter. After trying one serving, I loved them. Next day I really wanted them. But I made sure I only had the 8 egg serving size whenever I had them, and ate them slowly. One key thing is to enjoy your food; it's easy to go overboard if you're eating quickly, because you aren't actually taking the time to enjoy it. I've found that when I slow down my meals, I can recognize when I'm full a lot more quickly, and I'm more satisfied and don't feel the need to go overboard. :)
  • harrietcmckee
    harrietcmckee Posts: 3
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    I totally agree with the person who said just eat a small portion.
    If you want a biscuit, go to the packet and get out ONE biscuit. Plan it in, and you get what you want and you still get to feel good about yourself and maintain your goals!

    Another option is to try and alter your thinking. For example, if I really want chocolate then I'm craving sugar. I'll think about other sugary but more healthy snacks... like an apple or something... If I think about it for a little while I can usually convince myself that the apple will be MORE delicious and refreshing etc. But if I still want the chocolate I have a piece!

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