Cravings: Indulge or avoid?

Healthy_Hannah483

When you are craving something, do you indulge in your craving or keep on trucking and avoid the "danger food"? Why do you indulge/avoid the food when this happens?

~Hannah

dg09

I would always have a cheat day every Sunday. So that would satisfy those cravings for a few days, then gave me something to look forward to the days leading up to Sunday.

I don't do a Cheat anymore though, hate the bloating feeling and I don't fantasize about food like I used to.

beccadaniixox

I indulge if I really want it.
Like today I went to Panera for lunch to get off campus for a little bit and I really wanted a cookie. 390cals gone - such a good cookie. No regrets.
Cheat days don't work for me because then I go overboard. Every couple of days I tend to treat myself to something I really want that I know isn't the best for me.

MzFreeSpirited

I make modifications.. ex. if i am craving a candy bar I eat dreamy clusters by skinny cow instead.... i def try to avoid all danger foods but i dont deprive myself at all..

nae2273

I indulge and then I regret it the rest of the day.. Example... Just ate a 3 Musketeers Truffle Crisp bar.. Only 170 calories but now that cuts down on how much I can eat for dinner and how much more I have to work out tonight!! I have no self control in that area!

MinnieInMaine

Depends.. If there's something I want so badly that I can't stop thinking about it and substitues won't cut it, I'll go ahead and have it. In those cases, I tend to end up eating as many calories trying to find something else to satisfy me as I would have if I just went ahead and had the thing I was craving. But if I'm just craving something because I'm bored or tired, I can usually shake it off or a substitute will do just as well.

jessbb23

Right now I try to advoid certain foods that I don't trust myself to control the portion. Like pizza...it's my weakness. There is no way I could sit down and eat 1 piece so I don't eat it. I don't plan on cutting it out forever, just until I get a better handle on my cravings. I guess it all depends on how strong you are. Can you eat a bite of cake and not the entire piece? Can you eat just a cup of icecream or do you need a big bowl? I hope to get stronger as time goes on, I'm just not right now.

abbigail_r

Before I would completely indulge but try to portion and such. bu tI found my self craving daily and that doesnt help. Since Ive been eating fruit and veggie smoothies daily and eating my 1 or 2 small pieces of dark chocolate I havent been craving many sweets or bad carbs. Yay me!! So now Im pretty much avoiding it unless its with dinner and then its like a plus for me. Find something to substitute your craving is my thoughts.

SilverStormi

If I have it around I will allow myself some. Just keep in mind the serving size and amount of calories it will eat up. Snacking on something now that I didnt originally account for means I have to cut something else out later to stay within my limits

MissFab2012

Indulge - just a little-- because i feel if you dont then you will eat it - but by that time you will eat way too much

runnercheryl

To me, it depends on the craving.

Sometimes, I can tell they'll go away if I ignore them. Other times, they won't leave until I've had what I'm craving. I make my decision based on that. If I can avoid something I'm craving, I will, but I'm not going to sit torturing myself for weeks or months on end for the sake of not grabbing a pizza from the supermarket shelf.

JaclynnGail

I hold off for a couple of days and then, if the craving is still there, indulge. I would say that, 9 times out of 10, the craving has gone away. Last night, for example, I could NOT stop thinking about this stupid ring pop (of all things) that a student had given me. I was really, really craving it. I told myself that if I still wanted it today, I could have it. But now...the idea of wasting 60 calories on a ring pop is just absurd. A Cadbury cream egg, on the other hand...I've been craving that for awhile and plan to pick one up the next time I'm at the grocery.

Nikki_42

I try to drink a glass of water first. I read once that what the average person thinks is hunger pain/ a craving, often just means he or she is thirsty. People misread the cues.

So now when I crave something I drink water, 1/2 the time the craving actually does go away. The other times I indulge it and just make sure to add it to my calories. Ie> I had ice cream last night, zero regrets because I stayed within my cal count and exercised.

FITnFIRM4LIFE

If I want it. I have a portion control amount of it. Otherwise I eat it on my spike day.
If you deny yourself it will bite you in the butt.. All things in moderation;-)

lizard053

If it is occupying every waking thought, by all means have some! I find that if I get obsessed with a food I have to have it or the craving never goes away. And I make sure to enjoy every single bite because I'm not going to have it again for a while.

Some cravings are better to just avoid. If you know giving in is a guaranteed binge, don't have it. Just keep pushing along. My sugar cravings are one that I can't indulge without binging, so I usually ignore it. Except for with dark chocolate, there I can just have 1 oz!

mznisaelaine

When I crave something I definitely indulge in it...But if I know I am craving something all the time (which is most likely something sweet like chocolate) then I would buy alternatives to help me with those cravings, such as adding a little honey to my oatmeal, just I can taste the sweetness (its better then adding a bunch or white table sugar, which I completely gave up about a year now! Yay me!) Or I would just eat a tablespoon of PB.

sandrinamsilva

Depends on what it is. If I am craving chocolate - i have it ASAP (just a little bit). If I am craving something like taco bell or a fatty hamburger then I will wait to see if it goes away. If after a few days/weeks I still want it then I work it in to my diary.