How do you curb cravings?

Sinisterly

You want to go cold turkey to gain control.

DO NOT DO THIS!!!!

You are setting yourself up for failure. I'm telling you right now, it happened to me, it happens to A LOT of people specially when they hit a plateau or feel guilty about what they ate and think it will affect them, even though they stayed within their calories.

IF you really want to stop eating it, start by limiting yourself to a smaller amount of anything that you do want to eat, but do NOT cut it off completely, UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO. You wouldn't expect a horse to just stop eating fresh pasture and be okay with it in a day, think of your body as that horse. Simply nuh-uh.

When I burn 1000+ calories, I eat king sized chocolate bars YES KING SIZED and I still lose weight.
King sized are about 650 calories or so each, and the rest I eat regular food as my exercise calories. I go over my sugar macros as well, but I kept on pushing and losing.

Koldnomore

I'm willing to bet that you have set MFP to lose 2lbs/week. Unfortunately you have only 30 lbs to lose. .you should aim for no more than about 1 lb/week at your weight and as you get closer to your goal you need to slow down what you are trying to lose. Your last 10 pounds should be only .5/week. Your deficit is too large -which is why you are craving junk.

I can't see your diary but pay special attention to make sure you are getting enough protein and fat as they will help you feel full longer. Open your diary if you want more input.

Eat more food with higher nutrition than what you are currently eating and your cravings should be a big more managable. if youre so hungry when you get home that you're over eating then make sure that you have something good to snack on ready. .keep a container of cut veggies in your fridge and eat those if you need something.

Good luck!

andylowry

I load up a pipe with good tobacco and smoke it, but I know that's not for everybody.

ruthejp13

I should have said "it can be an addiction."

I disagree that you have to do Atkins for life. Doing it for 2 weeks can put your body back to normal blood sugar regulation. If you start eating sugar or starches after the two weeks and the cravings are out of control, then you might be addicted or you might be insulin resistant.

As for the horse reply guy, are you saying an alcoholic or drug addict shouldn't go cold turkey? The amount of junk most people eat is not normal. If a horse was given only sugar and no grass, that's a problem.

DeterminedFee201426

i have a little of what i crave .. if the cravings are bad i brush or scrape my toungue and it go's away i also i chew gum .. but brushing & scrape of the toungue is better for me .. the brushing teeth part never works but far as cleaning my toungue off it has worked every time . the item is sold at rite aid and walgreens as far as i know

ChristineMiller2

I feel your pain

Drink water, have cute up raw veggies on hand and do that instead, OR if you eat it make yourself work for that deficiet. There are a lot of times I look at something and go that'll cost me an hour of workout time to eat and I pass on it! Calories in, easy. Calories out, no so much.

kristentheswimmer

1. Allow myself SOME of what I'm craving, I have to eat it alone and while doing nothing but enjoying the food.
2. Do something else with my hands when I can't get to the craving right away to keep me from binging.

SillyTree

When you have a craving for something, that is your body telling you it needs a certain vitamin or mineral…
What you're craving wil clue you into what vitamin or mineral you are lacking…
Look it up… because once you determine what your cravings are telling you your body needs, then you can provide your body with the healthy option, which will give your body the nutrients it needs, and the cravings subside quickly…

I have no problem with cheat meals… but with cravings, it kind of stinks, because normally what we crave, has little to no nutritional value, so we end up eating more calories, and still not giving our body the vitamin or mineral it was asking for.

Next craving you have, I recommend you ask, why am I craving that? What is my body telling me it needs?




Examples;
Chocolate.
If you crave chocolate, it doesn’t mean your body has a chocolate deficiency, although I think most people would prefer that. Chocolate is high in magnesium. Cravings for it often indicate that your body is deficient in magnesium, which is a common deficiency. If you’re going to eat chocolate, choose organic cocoa and mix it into a healthy smoothie, or eat a small amount of dark chocolate. Because that is unlikely enough to deal with a magnesium deficiency, it’s also important to eat other foods high in magnesium, such as nuts, seeds, fish, and leafy greens.

Sweets
If you crave sweets you may be experiencing blood sugar fluctuations. When your blood sugar drops, your body may be try­ing to get you to give it more fuel to keep your blood sugar levels stable. If this is a chronic occurrence you may have hypoglycemia, which simply means low blood sugar. Whether your sugar cravings are sporadic or chronic, it is important to choose the right type of food to bring your body back into balance. Giving in to cookies, cakes, candies, or other refined sweets will only make the problem worse and cause a blood sugar roller coaster that leads to more crav­ings. Instead, choose a piece of fruit when you’re craving sweets. In the interim, add more high-fiber foods like beans and legumes, and complex carbohydrates like whole grains to give you the fuel you need without the blood sugar spikes. If you’re really struggling with sugar cravings, you may also wish to supplement with the mineral chromium since it helps to regulate blood sugar levels and ward off cravings.

Salty Foods
Cravings for salty foods like popcorn or chips often indicate stress hormone fluctuations in the body. Getting on top of the stress in your life is step one. The adrenal glands help your body cope with stress and, in our fast-paced, hectic lives, tend to become worn out, especially from stress-hormone production. Try medita­tion, breathing exercises, or other stress management techniques. Research at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City showed that people who take a break to breathe deeply or meditate before reach­ing for salty snacks reduced their stress hormones by 25 percent and cut the bingeing in half.

If your adrenal glands are worn out, you can also support them with a high-quality B-complex vitamin, with extra pantothenic acid (that’s vitamin B-5) and vitamin C. Eating more leafy greens helps to supply your body with minerals that support the adrenal glands, especially potassium.

Cheese
Cravings for cheese or pizza often indicate a fatty acid de­ficiency, which is common in most people. Eat foods such as raw walnuts, wild salmon, flax oil; add ground flaxseeds to your diet. Supplement with a high-quality supplement that includes the benefi­cial fats, especially Omega 3s. It should contain both EPA and DHA. Two to three servings of fish such as wild salmon or a small handful of raw walnuts or 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds in a smoothie will often cut out cheese cravings altogether.

Red Meat
Not surprisingly, cravings for red meat usually indicate an iron deficiency. Often people crave burgers or steaks. Women of menstruation age are especially vulnerable to iron deficiencies. Eat more iron-rich beans and legumes, unsulphured prunes, figs, and other dried fruits. If you eat meat you can also choose lean, organic red meat like beef or bison as a source of iron. Just remember to keep meat consumption to within 15 percent of your total daily diet. Vitamin C helps with the absorption of iron, so take vitamin C alongside your iron-rich foods. Alternatively, eat citrus, red peppers, tomatoes, or berries which are high in vitamin C with your iron-rich foods.

Snacky
If you often feel snacky, sometimes for sweets, sometimes for salty foods, it can mean you’re not eating a well-balanced diet and may be missing a variety of nutrients. Cut out the junk and add more delicious, healthful foods. Also, add a good multivitamin and mineral to your day.

Reaching for junk foods or heavy foods at the onset of cravings will only satisfy them temporarily. Making dietary changes that address deficiencies or imbalances can help eliminate them altogether.

chelseasans

I should have said "it can be an addiction."

I disagree that you have to do Atkins for life. Doing it for 2 weeks can put your body back to normal blood sugar regulation. If you start eating sugar or starches after the two weeks and the cravings are out of control, then you might be addicted or you might be insulin resistant.

As for the horse reply guy, are you saying an alcoholic or drug addict shouldn't go cold turkey? The amount of junk most people eat is not normal. If a horse was given only sugar and no grass, that's a problem.

i agree with this. I tried the low carb thing temporarily just to try and ease my sugar cravings and honestly it worked. I feel much better now with more protein and less sugar. The only thing i did different was when i craved sugar, i would eat fruit instead which i still do. After being off of it a few days I ate some iced cream and wanted more SOO bad but instead I ate some pineapple and BAM craving for the ice cream was gone.

KaelaLee88

A little bit of what you fancy, does you good!

I'm a big believer in this and it hasn't hampered my weight loss :-)

Enjoy and indulge that craving, in moderation of course and the cravings should lessen their power over time!

Kaela x

missomgitsica

If you can, eat whatever you're craving in moderation so that it fits into your calorie allowance. Aside from that, I've found that drinking a lot of water helps me with cravings. Good luck!

Becre8tive

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

With all do respect...I gave up smoking...that's an addiction! Alcohol, Drugs, Nicotine, Pills...those are addictions! They are to fight and you can NEVER...EVER have just one again.

A lot of us (myself included) use food wrong...we numb ourselves..or worse we use it as a reward. We eat because of emotions, not because we are actually hungry. The word "diet" comes from the Greek root word “diaita”, which means “to live one’s life,” and from the Latin root word, “diaeta,” meaning a “manner of living”.

It's a lifestyle change...not a starvation! Moderation instead of overeating!

establishingaplace

Old me: I'm going to cut out ____. But I really want ____. Can't. Stop. Thinking. About. ____. Binge-eating, here we come...sigh.

New me: I want a Tastykake. [Enters calories into log.]

New me doesn't have cravings. Or binges. My "cheat" days are so boring now because I don't have a food I've been waiting to eat...

eggmoni

Wow! Thanks for all of the tips guys! It has helped me a lot. ^_^

KourtneyLee

A lot of people will probably say to just give into your craving(s) by having a very small portion of it - just enough to "curb" the craving. Well I don't know about you, but if I'm craving chocolate and I just have ONE bite of it, I'm sure as heck going to go for another. You are most likely craving junk foods and feeling hungry because 1) you haven't completely cut these foods out of your diet, and even having a "taste" of them is enough to spike your blood sugar enough to crash and/or put enough bad chemicals and processed crap in your body to make you crave even more AND/OR 2) you aren't getting enough calories especially from healthy fats, complex carbs, protein) and nutrients/vitamins from your current diet.

What I would recommend:
1. Take a multivitamin, just to be sure you are getting everything your body needs if you aren't able to eat enough/get enough of each vitamin every single day.
2. Keep eating smaller meals throughout the day. If you were to take a look at my own food diary, you would see that it looks like I eat a LOT! I eat around 4-6 meals every day, but I don't eat hardly any foods with bad fats, tons of sugar, or processed carbs, so I really don't have any cravings UNLESS I decide for some reason to take a "taste" of something...then I want it even more even if I wasn't hungry to begin with.
3. Pack sensible snacks/small meals into your bag for when you are at class or at work. This will help to keep your metabolism running, keep your glucose leveled, and keep you from gorging yourself when you get home. You CAN'T starve your body for hours on end and expect not to crave anything and everything you can get your hands on the minute your home, so don't starve your body. Things I like to keep that are portable are raw nuts (about 22g worth, my fave are almonds), natural protein bars (BUT be careful and READ THE LABEL to check for sugar content and processed grains/carbs!), green apples, oranges (good in fiber!) carrot sticks, and a few natural/whole grain crackers. Obviously, your options could increase tenfold if you bring an ice pack, but all of the snacks I listed can be left at room temp/don't need to be kept cool.
4. Clean your pantry and fridge out of all the crap. This means all your junk food, all your processed foods, everything. Pay attention to what you're putting in your mouth. Processed foods make you crave more processed foods, and don't provide nearly the amount of sustainable/glucose-leveling energy that whole, unprocessed foods do. Think about it, if you're starving and get home and all you have OR what you first see when you open your fridge/pantry is crap, what do you think you're going to fill your body with until you feel full? Foods I really find help keep me fuller longer and keep me energized are unprocessed oats, protein shakes, chicken, sweet potatoes, whole fruits (my choices are raspberries for fiber and green apples), greek yogurt (0% fage), raw nuts, steamed or fresh vegetables (especially broccoli), avocado, and protein bars.

NOW, I have to say I still have some junk items in my fridge/pantry including deli meat (nirtrite and high sodium!), cheese, and goldfish, but I am slowly getting rid of these foods

Hope this helps!

jofjltncb6

Clean your pantry and fridge out of all the crap.

NOW, I have to say I still have some junk items in my fridge/pantry

No one should ever eat "crap" or "junk" under any circumstances. Ever. Full stop.

:noway:

Tasty treats and other delicious high calorie foods that fit into their overall calorie goal, however? Those are totally fine.


But please, people, don't eat crap or junk. And don't keep it in your pantry because it might get into your food! How do you handle the smell??? And why? Why would you put crap in your pantry or your fridge? Well, I mean, I guess I could understand in the fridge if it was in a sealed container because you needed it for a medical test of a stool sample, but other than that, under no circumstances should you put these things anywhere near your food.


(Does this really need to be said? I mean, don't people already know this???)

what you first see when you open your fridge/pantry is crap

Miss, please, if this is what you see when you open your fridge/pantry, then seek professional help. This is a serious problem.

ccf_trainer

Good nutrition, a solid nutrition plan, protein snacks, and self discipline. If you can achieve these things, it will make it easier, not that I'm saying it's easy. Eating clean is hard to do, no matter who you are, but the fourth thing I mentioned is the most important thing. Without it, eating clean gets harder.

jofjltncb6

Good nutrition, a solid nutrition plan, protein snacks, and self discipline. If you can achieve these things, it will make it easier, not that I'm saying it's easy. Eating clean is hard to do, no matter who you are, but the fourth thing I mentioned is the most important thing. Without it, eating clean gets harder.

Eating clean??? At what point did the OP say anything about trying to eat clean?

But as long as we're on the subject (that you decided to make a part of the discussion), how do *you* define "clean"? I've heard a lot of different definitions of the word, many of them completely incompatible with the other...and I've found that without a clear definition of what I'm trying to do, it becomes nearly impossible to do it...and even if I were to accidentally do it, I wouldn't know it.

You can use my diary as an example...because I do *not* eat clean...(or at least I don't think I do, depending on how you define it, of course): http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/jofjltncb6?date=2014-04-30

Yesterday is probably a better representation of my "normal" diet though: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/jofjltncb6?date=2014-04-29

motivatemychange

If I'm hungry, I normally try drinking a glass of water first. If I'm hungry after that, I'll have a little snack but I make sure my snack keeps me within my calorie goal.

Maybe try spreading your calorie goals into more meals in a day? So like having 5 smaller meals rather than 3 main meals?

CorvusCorax77

Well, before a craving hits, things like drinking lots of water and having frequent healthy snacks definitely helps.

When a genuine craving happens, I go for it. I try to balance it though- like don't eat an entire bag of chips. And if you do, make sure you burn a lot of calories that day (some people say you shouldn't do cardio to "earn" food...well I lost 50 lbs doing just that and eating pizza). You can also balance by planning your day for it- like dangit I want a 400 calorie cupcake, but i'm only allowed 1200 calories a day- so I'll run 2 miles (+200 calories) which I should do anyways, and keep my breakfast to low calorie yogurt, my lunch to a big ole salad, my snack is an orange, and my dinner will be protein and steamed veggies so I can stuff my face with that cupcake.

Also, the more you eat healthy food, the more you will crave healthy food. True story.

Another thing to do with a craving is take it for a walk. Exercise releases endorphins, and sometimes the good feeling of food is what you want (and soemtimes you are actually craving the nutrients in it- in my opinion).