new and unsure

tldholloway

This is my first day as a member. Once upon a time, eating wasn't a problem for me. I ate only to fuel my body - not that I always ate nutritiously, but still it was for fuel not for pleasure. Now I can't seem to get enough sweets - it's not that I'm hungry, I just crave the pleasure of the taste of sweets. I keep saying I'm going to switch to healthy snacks, but then I start wanting the taste of chocolate or something and an apple just doesn't cut it. I'm hoping that by joining MFP and meeting other people with the same problem, I'll be able to get a handle on this.

aneajo

Hi there. Welcome. It can be hard, but you can do it. This is a great site, full of great people to cheer you on.

k121777

It's not easy.....but you have to make a conscious decision to make healthy changes, and exercise every day. Sure......we all want to sit around and eat ice cream and pizza all day while watching TV, but that won't get us the body or health that we want. Anything that's good is worth working hard for. Being fit and healthy is work. Plain and simple. Once you get in to it, (eating healthy and dropping pounds) you won't be able to stop. Good luck, I know you can do it! Take charge. And when you have to have sweets, just do something like one of those 100 calorie skinny cow ice creams. Like they say, nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.

dls06

Try to eat more protein. It helps ward off hunger and cravings. When you start cutting out sweets, just like any addiction you will crave it more. Try not to give in. You will see over time they will get less and less. Just don't give in or up.
Try to get your calories from fresh whole foods because you will be able to eat more and won't feel hungry. If you do cheat once in a while just make sure you fit it in your daily goals or do an exercise tape and it will give you the extra calories. If you do exercise eat the calories back. Yes you have to in order to lose weight.

Janell33years

hello and welcome. reading your post it was like i was writing it.. i craved sweets after every meal.. because i ate junk.. i have noticed when I eat the right foods and drink more water then pop i don't crave the sweets not even chocolate.. so just get started and let the rest fall.. u will be amazed..

CCLadyBug

Feel free to add me as a friend. I'll help cheer you on, encourage you and hold you accountable. Make your food diary viewable by your friends. It really does help me to know that others can see what I am eating. Good luck to you!

tldholloway

@dls06: Thank you, I hadn't thought about as an addiction before. I mean, I joke about being a 'chocoholic', but it never occurred to me that the almost unbearable cravings are actually like the cravings a smoker will get for a cigarette when trying to quit smoking. I think this is going to help alot. Thank you so much for that pearl of wisdom!

mkgabbard

I try to hold off on my cravings, my old instructor once told me try brushing your teeth or drink a tall glass of water at once, brushing your teeth makes your mouth feel all minty and the craving will usually disappear for awhile, drinking a tall glass of water will give you a full filling. But don't hold off on your craving for to long or you might overeat it when you finally do give in, buy some 100 calories snacks or rice cakes that are flavored chocolate. Or even a fiber plus granola bar, that way you get your chocolate but you are also getting some fiber which is very good for you. And a helpful trick for eating out? Again drink a full glass of water before your food comes, it will make you feel full causing you to eat less.

pandabear_

I know what you mean about cravings and sweets!


Like someone said drinking water or brushing your teeth perhaps? Or maybe having something small just to give you the sweet taste but exercising it off?

As long as you have a balanced diet, exercise and stay within your calories, I don't see why you can't treat yourself sometimes! :S

Maybe for every small sweet thing you eat, have an apple or a glass of water or exercise to earn it!