When Food Speaks

WWhitaker

How do you get over cravings? You know, that little voice in the back of your head that keeps yelling at you to eat Doritos, chocolate, fast food....In what ways have you found help you conquer the craving? Especially when the 10 minute rule doesn't work, when water just won't cut it or making yourself busy doesn't help either! I want to be able to overcome these!!!

Charmonix

I eat something else, something healthy. Carrots, fruit, ect. I have stuff like carrots cut up all the time & grapes in the house so I can grab a handful of those instead of chips.

bethrs

Depends on the craving- often when I think of how a food is made I no longer want it (especially if it is unhealthy). If I'm desperate I imagine something gross has happened to the food I am tempted to eat but don't really want, and if it's something I do actually want and have wanted for a while, I indulge in a small amount of it.

WWhitaker

I eat something else, something healthy. Carrots, fruit, ect. I have stuff like carrots cut up all the time & grapes in the house so I can grab a handful of those instead of chips.

Thanks...but it's not a hunger issue. How do you move past that feeling of needing to have junk food? In the long run, I'd like to get rid of most of these bad foods in my life and it's something I want to start working on now. So when your brain is telling you to go eat junk...eating something healthy isn't going to take care of that feeling...for me anyway. Does anyone else experience this?

kklindsey

how bad is the voice and how long does it go on? how often do you give in to it? I eat a lot of protein and that shuts the voice up so I never have to test my willpower against it.

WWhitaker

Depends on the craving- often when I think of how a food is made I no longer want it (especially if it is unhealthy). If I'm desperate I imagine something gross has happened to the food I am tempted to eat but don't really want, and if it's something I do actually want and have wanted for a while, I indulge in a small amount of it.

I try eating a small amount of said food, but it's difficult to stop sometimes!

mckshowie

i just eat it. in smaller quantities. life is short.

and then, if you're really feeling guilty about it, you'll get off your butt and go work out. which is great for you anyway.

bethrs

Often times I have to make a special trip for this stuff and I only order a small ammount- like one scoop of ice cream or one slice of pizza. I avoid places where there are free unlimited fries or bread etc. Or I get what I want and give the rest away- a candy bar, eat 1/4 or 1/2 and give the rest to someone else (or worse case scenario- the trashcan.)

WWhitaker

how bad is the voice and how long does it go on? how often do you give in to it? I eat a lot of protein and that shuts the voice up so I never have to test my willpower against it.

I'm not crazy if that's what you're asking. LOL I have an emotional/boredom attachment with food...and for some reason it's always junk food I want to run to, not just food in general. Today for instance, a few hours ago I really wanted a muffin but kept talking myself out of it and I finally just went and got the damn muffin and ate it all! It's so bad for me....I'm just confused. I really want a balanced diet that include healthy eating but also foods that are higher in calories. I know every once in awhile isn't bad...but it seems at least once a day I'm giving into something. Maybe I'm being too hard on myself? Logically, I know that days like today when I haven't exercised much, I shouldn't have a muffin, but I can't get over WANTING one. That's what I'm asking help with.

jfer1977

In our house we have a "free day" once a week to satisfy these cravings.

moriaht

I had the same problem! Then one day it hit me out of no where- It's all self control. keep saying no and it will feel SO good to say no to yourself that you will keep doing it. Of course everyone slips up sometimes, just start again!

kklindsey

lol! no no no i wasn't saying OR thinking you are crazy. I have my own voice and it can be impossible to ignore it. I can get a thought in my head for a food and it will nag me to distraction for hours until I give in. I have a sensitivity to carbs and once i eat them, I want more. The protein is the trick that cures it. Without eating protein at every single meal I find it impossible to stay on track and lose weight. When I eat protein with everything..........voila! no voice, no cravings. I also do not keep any of those things in my house so they are not there but if I didnt have control it wouldn't matter. I have gone to the gas station in my jammies before in quest of a donut, a candybar. Fastfood is great because you dont even have to get out of the car but i dont have a fast food donut place and usually it's a donut I want. I maybe have one donut a year these days, if that. feel free to look at my diary if it will help you see what I am talking about:happy:

rundgrenfan

I'm not crazy if that's what you're asking. LOL I have an emotional/boredom attachment with food...and for some reason it's always junk food I want to run to, not just food in general. Today for instance, a few hours ago I really wanted a muffin but kept talking myself out of it and I finally just went and got the damn muffin and ate it all! It's so bad for me....I'm just confused. I really want a balanced diet that include healthy eating but also foods that are higher in calories. I know every once in awhile isn't bad...but it seems at least once a day I'm giving into something. Maybe I'm being too hard on myself? Logically, I know that days like today when I haven't exercised much, I shouldn't have a muffin, but I can't get over WANTING one. That's what I'm asking help with.

No, of course you're not crazy! But you do have a habit or an addiction. At least that's what I have. There is no perfect answer. Sometimes I give in and have a little bit of what I want. But usually I try to think about the craving more. Like, did I just get a stressful phone call before I reached into the pantry? Is it near mealtime? Is it my time of the month? By taking the time to figure out the trigger, I can sometimes stall long enough to reason with myself that it is not necessary to give into this craving this time. This is all new self knowledge for me within the past few weeks. That by taking that time and thinking it through before eating, I am really taking good care of myself. You really can do this!

WWhitaker

I'm not crazy if that's what you're asking. LOL I have an emotional/boredom attachment with food...and for some reason it's always junk food I want to run to, not just food in general. Today for instance, a few hours ago I really wanted a muffin but kept talking myself out of it and I finally just went and got the damn muffin and ate it all! It's so bad for me....I'm just confused. I really want a balanced diet that include healthy eating but also foods that are higher in calories. I know every once in awhile isn't bad...but it seems at least once a day I'm giving into something. Maybe I'm being too hard on myself? Logically, I know that days like today when I haven't exercised much, I shouldn't have a muffin, but I can't get over WANTING one. That's what I'm asking help with.

No, of course you're not crazy! But you do have a habit or an addiction. At least that's what I have. There is no perfect answer. Sometimes I give in and have a little bit of what I want. But usually I try to think about the craving more. Like, did I just get a stressful phone call before I reached into the pantry? Is it near mealtime? Is it my time of the month? By taking the time to figure out the trigger, I can sometimes stall long enough to reason with myself that it is not necessary to give into this craving this time. This is all new self knowledge for me within the past few weeks. That by taking that time and thinking it through before eating, I am really taking good care of myself. You really can do this!

Thank you! That was very uplifting and motivational! When I first started making better choices, I was very good at saying "no" but that slipped by the wayside as I began focusing my attention on other things. I will start doing that again! I remember how empowering it felt.

WWhitaker

lol! no no no i wasn't saying OR thinking you are crazy. I have my own voice and it can be impossible to ignore it. I can get a thought in my head for a food and it will nag me to distraction for hours until I give in. I have a sensitivity to carbs and once i eat them, I want more. The protein is the trick that cures it. Without eating protein at every single meal I find it impossible to stay on track and lose weight. When I eat protein with everything..........voila! no voice, no cravings. I also do not keep any of those things in my house so they are not there but if I didnt have control it wouldn't matter. I have gone to the gas station in my jammies before in quest of a donut, a candybar. Fastfood is great because you dont even have to get out of the car but i dont have a fast food donut place and usually it's a donut I want. I maybe have one donut a year these days, if that. feel free to look at my diary if it will help you see what I am talking about:happy:

Sometimes it's difficult for me to eat a lot of protein. I try to but since I'm such a picky meat eater, chicken breast and tuna are really the only things that I can get it from, and it's easy to get sick of those quickly!

kklindsey

Have you tried protein bars and shakes? I do NOT like the weight lifter bars and I don't do shakes at all but there are several protein bars out there that are yummy and almost like having a treat but with protein. Atkins are the best I have found for controlling sodium and carbs and sugar but I just bought several kinds of Special K (protein bars, not the 90 cal snack bars) and they are really good and will keep you full just like tuna or eggs or beef. I also keep smoked beef sticks around. 40 calories a stick, 2 are enough to give you a little pick me up of protein.

It is hard to get used to cutting back the carbs and eating more protein at first but it is the only thing I have found to stop the intense cravings and that darn voice. If you give it two days you will know if it is going to work for you or not. I have a hard time making calories and forget to eat because I am not hungry and the craving for carbs is gone.