HELP! whats a gal to do when Cravings set in...

linz0saur

Hi everyone! Im really having a hard time staying focused on my diet. With Thanksgiving just around the corner and the weather getting colder, all I want to do is sit under a warm comfortable blanket and eat some good comfort food. Im afraid to give in to these temptations in fear that I wont be able to stop..What does everyone do when they get those cravings?
Suggestions and are more than welcomed!
Thanks!
-Linsey

chicksfish

When it comes to getting under the blanket and comfort foods, I reach for the creamy hot cocoa with the mini marshmellows. 80 cal per cup if you use hot water. More for milk. you can make it thin to get more fill but really hot liquid helps. if you use the artificial sweeteners its even less cals.

skinnyitaliannn

a few squares of dark chocolate, power crunch brand bars (they're delicious, but idk if they're sold everywhere), quinoa 'macaroni & cheese', you can do so much! there are a ton of replacements for all comfort food!

Pbuttercup78

My go-to snack is low-sodium beef broth. It's warm and savory, with (approximately) 15 calories per cup. Can't beat that!

LeggyAmericanGirl

I would do 1/2 serving sizes of your cravings. No need to suffer

kimad

Find something that is a lower calorie options that satisfies the craving. There are alot of 100 cal snacks, I realize they may not be healthy but IMO I would rather have 1 - 100cal snack then a big bag of doritos, pick the lesser evil It is also a lifestyle change and things should still be allowed in moderation. I know for me, if I have 1 I can't stop (ie halloween candy) so it's stopping yourself before it starts - it's hard noone is perfect.

This relates to alot of things in our life, it's all about self control, willpower, and how bad we want something.

You recognize the issue and that is a feat in itself girlfriend, keep up the good work!!

kimad

I would do 1/2 serving sizes of your cravings. No need to suffer

Also another great idea!

lovelyMYlovely

well im new here and i am adicted to fast food and am trying to stop starting today. of course i got a huge sweet tooth and i was in the grocery store dying for something sweet, I bought a new type of cereal called honey bunches of oats and it had two flavores mixed in the box, i bought the blueberry and bananna one. it actually satisified my sweet tooth... and it was onlt 120 calories or so.. But if your craving junk food like I am all the time i notice that I feel worse if I eat it, and everytime I eat I like to write down My food in the food section of this site and it helpe me realize if I am on track or getting off track..

also I really craved a pastry so I wrote that first on my food section and I realized how much fat, calories and carbs it had so I wrote that first and I will eat around this item, meaning that I will try to stay under My calorie goal.. Hopefully I will be able to lose my addiction sooner than later.. baby steps....

joeamendiola

You could try brushing your teeth or keeping yourself occupied. I know its hard. I just give in AND WORK MY *kitten* OFF!

EatClenTrenHard

Eat everything I want and call it a cheat day. Then you will feel bad that you overate so much, and will come back to your regular diet to lose weight.

emtjmac

Sugar free jello with sugar free whipped topping!

Rho_Ro

I try to prevent this happening by having 1/2 piece cake in the morning and the other half in the late afternoon (or one portion of lollies twice) and I don't tend to get cravings (mine are for sweet foods).

Dr Phil said recently that if you remove a habit you need to replace it with a new one otherwise the old habit will eventually return. So instead of turning to food during a craving, perhaps go for a walk, paint your nails or do something fun that YOU want to do.

Good luck.

Clowasa

Go to your grocery store and actually sped some time looking at nutritional information. My biggest cravings are always salt related but rather then buying chips I just took the time looking at different crackers and seeing what I could have a satisfying amount of without blowing my whole day. Also check out the organic section, you can find lots of healthier alternatives to your favourite foods. And of course, where would we be without the internet? Just google "low calorie ________ recipe" and you'll totally be able to find lower calorie options for you favourite stuff. Hope that helps and good luck!

MoniMoni2u

I've been going after my favorite recipes and putting them in the recipe calculator. Then I work them over to get them to be lower calorie.

Things I am doing:

*Using high fiber pasta (Ronzoni/etc)
*Adding more veggies to recipes so that I can either eat more or have more servings!
*Decreasing fat. I'm not cutting it out because I enjoy the tastes and mouth feel but trying to figure out how little I can get by with to keep the taste and mouth feel satisfying.
*Decreasing cheese and using higher quality cheeses to have the flavor without as many calories
*Using leaner cuts of meat and changing cooking times/methods so they still come out tender


It's been a throw of the dice with some things but I've had some great successes lately that are keeping me on track.

My latest success (I'm being positive only, I'm not listing my epic fails! LOL):
Crab Rangoon Bites (Baked, extra crab meat and extra green onion)
Flat Bread Pizzas (The family loved these! I had italian herb flatbreads that the kiddos hated for their sandwiches but loved as the pizza crust!)
Italian Sausage Pasta (Used a pound of Italian sausages but added enough veggies and whole grain pasta to make 2 small casseroles that served 10 - 12 total between the 2)


I've been cooking since I was in grade school and responsible for at least 1 meal a week since middle school so my old favorites date back several decades. I know that when I hit goal I'll still be making these same dishes along with playing with new things so these "Old Faves" have got to be tweaked to keep me where I want to be weight/health wise. In that vein, they have to be tweaked.

Once again, it's lifestyle change, not a diet.

snykim2005

I would fail miserably if i tried to deprive myself. I have a bite or two of the things im craving sometimes, and thats all. But if i must give in, I make sure i log everything i put in my mouth and just make sure i factor it into my calories for the day.
oh and i think having a cheat day once in a while is a must!!

fun_b

Eat it! I went out with friends a few week ago and had a craving for this amazing icecream dessert which I had tried once before. Once I ate it, I realised I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought. Then I checked the calories and it was around 800 calories! I went over my allowance and felt bad around it. But hey it was weeks ago and I am still losing and I have not craved it since.

kenazfehu

If I'm really craving something, I plan it into my next meal. My priorities are:
1) No eating between meals. That has been a HUGE problem in the past.
2) Stay within my calorie budget.
3) Get some exercise every day.

supercatie18

Hot tea, great for cold weather and snuggling under a blanket

californiagirl2012

Being on a calorie deficit is hard. You can't do this journey on will power alone. You must set up your environment for success. Have a team around you in your real life, not just online. Get trigger foods out of the house. It will take some sacrifice and it's not easy. You might have to say no to some social events sometimes.

Too many changes at once can be hard on some people. I've always eaten healthy so it easy for me to simply eat less. Eating at a calorie deficit is hard on people; even a small deficit puts your body in a state of flux with hormones and such. Everyone is different. Some people can handle a deeper calorie deficit than others, this is not right or wrong, it just is. Stress in your life affects your hunger hormones; lack of sleep, fatigue, job stress, family stress, financial stress, etc. Add in emotional eating issues and it gets even more complicated. Most people can only handle so much change/stress at once, they try to do too much and fail. Sometimes it might be a better strategy to eat at maintenance and make some small changes first, it really depends on how much stress you are taking in at the moment.

gdogra

Fruits. veggies or yoghurt That's what I do if I wanna munch. Low far mozzarella string cheese is awesome too

Cupcakehippiemommy

I've had to resort to making my screen saver on my phone a picture of me and my sis at both our lowest weight.When I see that and remember I am on the right path to get back to that happy and outgoing girl I go for a tall glass of water during the Summer and currently during the Fall I am reaching for good old hot tea or some wamr oatmeal.Good luck cupcake!

EnchantedEvening

Instant Mug o' Mac & Cheese in the Microwave:

1/3 cup elbow pasta (whole grain)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

So much better for you than Easy Mac, and you can use skim milk and reduced-fat cheese if you want. It just doesn't get as melty as the regular stuff.

Plus, the whole-grain pasta will fill you up.

pkw58

Mind over matter... Also drink water ... About 99% of the time we misread what our body is telling us and we are really just thirsty...it works for me. I have learned that water or hot tea is of great comfort and those cravings are getting almost non existant!

linz0saur

Thanks everyone, great suggestions and ideas! I'm beginning to feel a lot better now

Maccbow

Several things I have available, for when cravings set in are, sugar-free ice-pops, pudding, jello, and diet soda. For hot things, I like sugar-free hot chocolate, and hot spiced apple cider. When I want something sort of salty, I really enjoy good zesty dill pickles, (but I'm careful not to have too many bc of the salt content.)

For "head-work," I focus on a list I made, (and continue to add on to), of all the benefits that I look forward to when I reach my goal. The list seems endless, and when I read it, or add on to it, it makes me think about how I'll feel when any of those good things happen. I add on any benefit that I can think of, even the smallest, teenie-tiniest benefit, because all of them will be fabulous when I get there. After reading and dwelling on this for some time, I find that my craving is SOO MUCH easier to withstand! I go from "white-knuckling it" to actually BEING HAPPY that I'm not caving into a bad craving. Also, after a bit, the craving subsides. It also makes me feel that I controlled the situation, instead of letting the craving controll me, and that makes me feel so happy! I ESPECIALLY feel sooo happy the next morning when I didn't "blow it"! So, when I withstand a craving, I also focus on how happy I'll be the following morning! It's so helpful to me!!

housenoob

be honest and write all the things you ate down. sugar is a powerful drug beware! its best to have a busier life so you something better than think about food all day. don't starve yourself just limit sugar and salts. im sure you know what foods are healthy for you.... not fast-food

migs102

My nutrionist once said in a group I was in that when you have a craving it doesn't mean you acted on it or that you have given in. It took me a minute to wrap my head around it but found it to be true. Once you have the craving and want the food item whatever it is you feel like you have already eaten it, but you haven't you still have the choice to try and distract yourself or not to eat it.

lauriem1966

I find that the cleaner my diet is, the less I get cravings for junky food.