Help me!! I am craving all the wrong foods!!

Liathanya

Hang in there! I get like this sometimes too. To be honest I have been in the same shoes for a week, and I will admit that the last week has been one long, crazy binge! I have been over my calorie totals 5 days in a row now . I will say it probably does not help that I have been watching Drop Dead Diva, and they have a doughnut in every episode.

The best advice that I can give is this: Find healthier substitutions for the snacks that you are craving, and learn what "bad foods" can also be good for you too. Here is a recipe that I love to make when I am craving all the wrong things:

Ingredients:
One box of store bough cake mix- Such as Betty Crocker Yellow Cake
One can of any flavor of diet soda you like. For this I use several different sodas depending on the flavor. Try Sprite Zero
One Tub of Fat Free Cool Whip

Tools
Bowl, Whisk, Spatula, and Cake or Cupcake tins

Mix the soda with the cake mix and follow the cooking directions on the box. Just omit all of the eggs, oil, everything. Only use the soda and the cake mix. It may take a bit longer to cook. Don't keep poking the cake otherwise it will fall. Cupcakes are a bit easier. Once its done, top with the fat free cool whip. Each slice is less than 50 calories, but tastes just like normal cake.

And remember, fess up when you screw up, write down everything even if you dont like the totals, and then forgive yourself. Skinny people don't hate themselves for every piece of candy they ever eat. They eat it and move on. The stress you put yourself though worrying about the calories is worse than the calories themselves. As long as you aren't bingeing everyday, you should be alright.

You can do this! It is not impossible! And I will commit to staying within my calorie limit the next 5 days if you can commit to it too. We can motivate eachother through these impossible cravings! I have 157 pounds between me and a happier life, and the sweet taste of a cookie, or the greasy delicious fries that I want so bad are not worth all of that happiness!

Agape!

francesrose86

Keep some nuts on hand and grab a handful when you feel the need to snack be selective though some are high in fat..Here's a website that breaks it down for wizards such as myself
< http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/nuts_nutrition.html >
also try buying some veggies(baby carrots, cucumber, radishes, etc) and put them in baggies so they will be handy--if you want something a lil more flavorful try soaking them in oil and vinegar and put fresh basil on top--yummmm.
And if that doesn't fight off the sweet tooth..get a bar of dark chocolate and nibble on it a lil.

Sigra

I'm having the same problem haha, Tex Mex sounds so good And I'm trying soooo hard to stop myself from eating it!

GoingAllTheWay4MeDee

OK, So I started on my weight loss journey about a week ago and I think I am doing good but, Today I am craving sweets and everything in sight. Seriously I am not just craving one thing! its like my body and mind is telling me "go grab some fast food" or "go get a piece of cake, cookies, candy" I am not crazy... but this is really how I am feeling today... this diet is so much needed I have 150lb to lose and I don't want to give up... I want to for once be healthy and fit.. PLEASE SEND ME SOME ADVICE! ADD ME IF YOU CAN, I am new to MFP and I don't really know much about diet nor can not afford personal trainer or a fitness expert! Any advice on cravings or healthy meals and exercise is really needed..... Also I want to lose weight and not become saggy in the tummy or arms ... any workout tips or advice!

jamie1888

Keep in mind that your body is craving these foods because it's addicted to them! Kicking bad foods is just like any other addiction! Your body wants a "fix" because you aren't eating as much of that stuff as you were before. 1) It's OK to give into a craving now and then. If you are eating right most of the time, a little treat here and there is fine! 2) Remember, the less you have these "bad" foods, the less you will crave them! It may take awhile; especially sugar cravings.

When getting started, I found it easier to try and go for periods of time before giving in to a treat as opposed to trying to find sweet-guiltless substitutes. If you eat a packet of sugar free splenda, your brain is still triggered by the "sweet" and thinks it's getting sugar. So, you will crave more sugar. Try to kick the habit! I have a HUGE sweet tooth. So, it helped me to set a mini goal... I will go all week with NO junk or sweets and on Saturday night, I will allow myself a bowl of ice cream or a cupcake or whatever it was.

I've been in a bad habit lately of grabbing a handful of m&m's on most evenings. And that's only making me want more sweets!

pchann

Haha I feel your pain. I read the posts and I tell ya I'm one jealous fella of these folks that can drink a glass of water and make the chocolate cravings go away. For me the only thing that makes the chocolates go away is chocolate. Here's some general thoughts on sweets treats and losing weight. I'll speak in first person so as to only speak for myself.
Throughout my life I have been trained to act and react in specific ways. Breakfast was optional. Lunch was optional and anything qualified as lunch. Now we come to dinner. My entire childhood the family sat down for dinner together. It was a full meal with full plates, seconds and dessert. A snickers bar and a coke was an ok treat to hold me over to dinner. Any celebration, good news etc.. was accompanied by dinner out. And so on and so on.

I'm 46 years old now and I have very fond memories of my childhood that include popsicles, making fudge with grandma and many others. At this point in my life I am in the best shape of my life and will never be fat and out of shape again. Do I still get cravings for popsicles and fudge etc.. oh ya! You must keep the goal in mind. The goal is to be healthy and proud of yourself. Have more energy to enjoy the people we select to spend time with. Extend our longevity and quality of life. I don't have grandchildren but one day I hope to and I want to play ball, run through the yard, keep up with the little grand kids that will be entering my life. It's these things that give me the inner strength to eat a piece of fruit instead of pop tarts (which I loooove). If you would like friend me and you can see my diet. It's a work in progress and always will be. Finally, yes, I still fall off the wagon and woof down some candy once in a while but there is an interesting aspect of falling off the wagon. It now makes me sick and I can feel it in my body. This is creating neuro linguistic programming within my sub-concious and maybe sometime in the future the cravings will stop all together. After all I only had to put my hand on a hot stove once when I was a kid to know that it's not good for me. That said I have noticed a dramitic decrease in the frequency and severity of my "wrong food" cravings. All the best. Only you can make you be you.

lalilalu

It's all just about planning. As someone else said, the craving should get better in the coming weeks as you get used to your new more healthy diet. But even then it's still nice to have a sweet treat, and eating yummy food makes you more likely to be able to continue on your weight loss journey.

Look up some recipes for low cal desserts and treats, there are some good ones on this site, or on skinnytaste.com. I make up a batch of muffins and keep them in the freezer, this way they keep longer and are not in plain view asking to be eaten. then you can just microwave it or let it defrost itself.

if you are not much of a baker then it's also good to have some pre-made 'diet' snacks in your cupboard. i get the sachets of low cal hot chocolate, little bags of cookies and some of the puddings and mousses to keep in the fridge.....

that way if you get cravings for lovely sweet things you have lots of options to choose from and wont blow out your daily calorie limit

good luck!!

lilemc2005

Happens a lot. I've begun to get a venti iced coffee with whole milk and splenda from the on every corner coffee shop we all know and love/hate. It takes a while to get through it and it seems to be filling to me. Kind of takes the edge of the cravings so it seems to be easier to not indulge. Good luck!

craizydaizy

Jello-o sugar-free pudding Snacks!! only 60 cals and come in awesome flavors like Boston Cream Pie, Chocolate-Vanilla Swirl, Double Chocolate and there's one with Caramel my guy really likes.

cng1117

bump

gretchensnyders

This works well for me as well. Tea and water!
Just keep on keeping on - dont cut too much too fast just keep pluggin in your calories here and start each day new. Some what like other addicts do with each day being a day they are not going to drink or smoke(etc), make each day a day you will eat healthy. Cheat every once in a while, but not everyday!