When will the cravings stop???

Shells06

I've heard (read) so many people say on here that after eating healthier for a while their cravings for junk food stop. Um when can I expect this?? I've been working very hard and doing pretty good. Better than I ever have actually. But I can't lie, I still crave junk. I'm a junk food junkie...always have been. When I'm in line at the cafe at lunch time and I'm holding my sensible salad and yogurt, I'm drooling over the cheeseburger and fries that the guy in front of me is holding. Judge me if you must but I can't control my tastebuds. They have a mind of their own But PLEASE tell me it gets better!!! I'm on week 3.

Mentzerj

I'm on about week 6, and last night was probably first time I noticed that when I saw an add for some fast food something or another and it didn't just not appeal to me, but actually looked a bit disgusting.

monicanicoletta

haha never

I know for some people they get used to it. I don't..its simply about will power with little reward meals here and there. I havent been as strict as I should but even when im hardcore on my eating healthy I still crave other things.

Msaip

I have yet to get rid of these hated feelings. I still get them every now and then especially when TOM comes to visit but overall it may get easier but for me it never subsided.

LeeLynnP

Mine went away after a few weeks... but i hate to say this... mine come and go.

LeeLynnP

I have yet to get rid of these hated feelings. I still get them every now and then especially when TOM comes to visit but overall it may get easier but for me it never subsided.

MEEEEE TOOOO. That TOM is one bad dude

sovannac

I've been eating healthy for a little bit of a month and I totally feel you. The cravings have stopped a little bit but I don't think they go away completely. Of course I will have a cheat day every two weeks or so but I don't go crazy and binge on junk food. I always think, how much time will I have to spend at the gym to work off this snickers or this cookie? It's hard but it works! Good luck you can do it. Remember will power!

mydeloo78

It does and doesn't get better. Sugar cravings are the hardest but I usually find after about a month that they subside. What I have found is that it takes the brain longer than the body to catch up. For example my weaknesses are chocolate and potato chips. I don't physically crave them anymore but my brain still thinks I want them. So when I have a bad day I don't crave chocolate but my brain will think "I should have chocolate". The good thing is that brain cravings are much easier to get past than physical cravings. However, when I quit drinking for 4 1/2 years I never stopped wanting a glass of wine, so sometimes it depends. However, the good news is it does get better. There's a saying "nothing tastes as good as thin feels". Its pretty true. Hope this helps.

Shells06

Well at least I'm not alone

fbmandy55

If I tried to quit bad food cold turkey, I would binge and fail.

Try eating what you crave in moderation and get some extra calories to fit it into your diary. You will crave these things less and less if you don't deny yourself a treat every now and then.

I used to eat ice cream before bed nearly every day. Since MFP, I have had it once this year and it doesn't even sound good to me lately.

billsica

never, I've never even met this Tom.
You just get stronger. I look at it similar to smoking. I always want one. it just seems nasty now. but I want a smoke a beer and a candy bar. maybe icecream.

SamMorBelsmom

Never. But let me tell you, I treated myself to a taco bell meal sunday because I awsome on my treadmill 5k and that night I ended up with a stomach and diarehha...I know its gross but! Once you body gets used to healthy foods, it will react to bad ones in a way that will not make you want it anyways.

jayayach

I still crave things. I am just careful with what I do about those cravings. In the 'cheeseburger' scenario you mentioned, I would order a plain burger, with mustard, no fries, and eat half of it. Craving cured, and fewer calories. I just have to make sure I have room for the calories that were extra.

chevy88grl

I think it has gotten much better since I changed my mindset from "Can't have that" to "have whatever I want -- IN MODERATION". When I was severely restricting myself, I had CONSTANT cravings. Since I've switched my mindset from "diet" to "lifestyle change" and eat what I want -- the cravings have pretty much disappeared. I used to have a horrible time when I had PMS, but even that has evened out.

I think it depends on how much you restrict the things you used to love. If you tell yourself you can't have them at all - you'll crave 'em longer (in my opinion). If you learn to eat them in moderation, I think you'll find they aren't all that tasty anymore.

Fat_2_Fit_Mommy

I crave junk food don't get me wrong. But I have learned to control, so what I do I wait for the weekend I get one cheat meal for one day and thats it. So I don't have to keep on craving for junk.. it is working for me. I would think it is ok to splurge atleast one day a week cause if you don't you will keep on craving and start binging.

Snoopy108

Hang in there; I don’t know if the cravings ever really go away. To me it seems like I start evaluating what I think I want to eat. Like lunch today I really could have gone for a burger with sweet potato fries……I ended up with half a salmon wrap and shared the fries with the rest of the group…..Last week it was the struggle over the egg roll and when I finished it I realized it really isn’t worth it anymore. ….I know exactly what you are going through…..but you came to the right place for support~! :ohwell:

pftjill

bill you should never meet TOM if you do that would be weird-haha. You know if you cut sugar out of you diet completely you will not crave it, but it takes a while and it is very very hard. It is okay to give in, but remember portion control!!

Michelle9939

I have always been a junk food junkie. Since I have been working out and eating better, I have really only had a few cravings. And I did eat what I was craving. I just didn't eat as much. I am not going to deny my cravings. It's all about portion control.

MsKeelah919

I'm guessing NEVER!! I thought mine went away. Even got arrogant enough to write a blog post about using temptation as motivation.....(bwhahahhahahahahaahhaa! LAUGHING MY *kitten* OFF!! ) Anywho... they came back and with a vengence!! And since I didnt want to 'deprive' myself...I indulged once.



...then twice....

then thrice!!

Now, I'm trying to gain solid footing to get RIGHT again.

adamcf

I put the time table like this;

2 weeks - you get used to eating the new way
6 weeks - the new food becomes a habit, you will lean more towards the healthier food
12 weeks - anything that you haven't eaten much of in the past 12 weeks you no longer crave

However, from your post it doesn't seem that you are really eating healthy. stop eating salads, they're not good for you. They're not really bad, they just don't do anything really good. really research what is actually healthy. no bread, pasta or rice. the only carbs our species should really eat are fruits and vegetables. Eat meat, meat is good for us. The protein and fat from animals is what we really need. Don't over-do fat, but don't worry about it either. Stop eating low-fat foods. the reason that burger looks so good is because that meat is good for you. lose the salad and grab a steak, just moderate calories.

JenCM

I don't know that mine have stopped, but that I've become more in control over them. I do believe they come in waves for me though. I'm not sure you can ever rid yourself of them, personally.

I'll have a few months where I'm fine. I really don't care that much that hubby is eating a cheeseburger next to me, while I'm eating broiled chicken...I genuinely am fine. Then I have a month or so like I've had lately where when he's doing that, I literally HAVE to leave the room while he eats because I want that food SO bad and I'm also angry with him for eating it. lol.
Like the last few days...I just want a huge bowl of pasta and garlic bread. I won't have it...but it just sounds good!!!
For me the biggest difference is just control over giving in, that's what I've developed. I don't drop everything and go eat something just because I WANT it. I can tell myself no.

I think this is just something you have to live with when you make these changes. *shrug*

tjlbg1984

I am glad someone is writing about this. Haha I always read when people say "after eating only vegetables I now only want vegetables" and think "after eating only vegetables I want to cover the vegatables in cheese sauce and have a cheeseburger on the side. I agree with everyone that you should give in to your cravings here and there or binging on junkfood may happen! It has happened to me a time or two :bigsmile:

chachey

I completely hear ya! I have an addiction to sour candies....it is so hard sometimes to not eat them, but what I have found is sometimes I can get rid of the cravings by having something that kind of tastes similar... Like if I have a craving for candy, I'll eat a sour piece of fruit such as lemons, limes, unripe peaches or nectarines, and it usually goes away.. Or if I have a craving for a cheeseburger, which rarely happens because I'm not a fast food fan, I can usually get rid of it by having something like a low cal grilled cheese sandwich with ketchup. By substituting things I feel like I'm still getting a taste of what I'm craving without the huge amount of calories. But honestly, sometimes when I am craving something, I just eat it! Let yourself have a treat every once in a while, just don't make it a habit. Eventually the cravings will become less frequent, and you'll find yourself satisfied with other alternatives.

Shells06

I put the time table like this;

2 weeks - you get used to eating the new way
6 weeks - the new food becomes a habit, you will lean more towards the healthier food
12 weeks - anything that you haven't eaten much of in the past 12 weeks you no longer crave

However, from your post it doesn't seem that you are really eating healthy. stop eating salads, they're not good for you. They're not really bad, they just don't do anything really good. really research what is actually healthy. no bread, pasta or rice. the only carbs our species should really eat are fruits and vegetables. Eat meat, meat is good for us. The protein and fat from animals is what we really need. Don't over-do fat, but don't worry about it either. Stop eating low-fat foods. the reason that burger looks so good is because that meat is good for you. lose the salad and grab a steak, just moderate calories.

How is a salad with lots of veggies not healthy for you??? I do eat meat. My luch today just didn't consist of any. And it wasn't the burger that was making me drool as much as the fries

AudgePaudge

Hmmmm, I'm guessing never...I started 3 1/2 months ago. It was horrible the first 2 months. It kind of mellowed out after that, and my self control is so much better.

ninerbuff

Whether people get to their goal or not, eating healthy 100% of the time after having been accustomed to eating "bad" food, people will still have cravings. Many staunch "healthy" people on MFP will demonize fast food, chips, candy, etc. when in reality, it's not the food, it's the over consumption of it.
If you haven't heard, a Nutrition professor went on a DIET of Twinkies, with some Ho Ho's and chips mixed in to break up the monotony for a month. That's all he ate. He lost 27 pounds. And his cholesterol went down as his triglycerides profile improved. Eating Twinkies and other junk.
Statistics show that people who try to dump ALL junk out of their life and lose weight, gain it back again once goal is reached.
People who moderate their cravings in conjunction with a good eating plan MAINTAIN their weight much better.
Part of a successful program in weight loss is to be HAPPY with your food choices whether good or bad. If you eat healthy all the time, but were UNHAPPY because you wished you could eat a cheeseburger occasionally, you'll eventually cave.
You can eat responsibly and still have that craving fulfilled.
There are many successful people here that have lost weight while satisfying their cravings.

Ge0rgiana

I have yet to get rid of these hated feelings. I still get them every now and then especially when TOM comes to visit but overall it may get easier but for me it never subsided.

MEEEEE TOOOO. That TOM is one bad dude

TOM is the bane of my existence. This is the only time I have any desire for junk food. All that work to stabilize my blood sugar, and it's like someone flips a switch and next thing I know I'm dying for Ben and Jerry's. I wish TOM, Ben, and Jerry would take a long walk off a short pier together! :laugh: