Success People: How did you overcome food temptations?

LinDiSm26262

Any tips to overcome food temptations?

AphelionPDX

I don't have much weight I need to lose, but I've been toning up the last couple months. My downfall was sugar. I still have my coffee creamer every day, but the amount of sugar is minimal compared to what it used to be. The way I got over my temptations was by not eating sugar for about a week, and then eating a piece of cake one afternoon. My mind and body felt awful afterwards, and I had a sugar hangover the next day. My temptations went away after I realized what sugar was actually doing to my body. Good luck to you!

trudijoy

1) eat it. but work out how many calories you want to spend and how much of the food you can afford for that.

2) substitute where possible

3) tell yourself its not forever, just for now.


i just do 1) 99% of the time.

taso42

In the beginning....

Chart out all the food you will eat tomorrow, and then tomorrow eat that food; Don't eat other food. Not in the plan, don't eat it.
Repeat. Over and over again.

Of course there will be days that for whatever reason, you will not be able to have full control over what food is available. In those cases, make the best decisions you can.

taso42

3) tell youreslfit's not forever, just for now.

Never do this. If you want success forever, only do what you can sustain forever.

*exception: if you're 15 seconds into a 1 minute sprint... you can tell yourself, "not much longer now...."

Julesconan

everything in moderation. Personally, if Im craving chocolate, I will have a choc dairy food yoghurt or cocoa puffs, still the taste i need but in a healthier form. Apart from this, I havnt really had any cravings sorry and have lost over 10 kilo!!

trudijoy

3) tell youreslfit's not forever, just for now.

Never do this. If you want success forever, only do what you can sustain forever.

*exception: if you're 15 seconds into a 1 minute sprint... you can tell yourself, "not much longer now...."

giving up the food you think you're craving temporarily is fine while you're breaking habits. most of the time you're not craving it, you're just used to eating it.

it TEACHES a 'not now, but it's still possible'mindset which helps stop feelings of deprivation and self denial that for some lead to binge eating.

Also, never say 'never'. What works for other people is not worth any less just because you personally think it's crap.

taso42

giving up the food you think you're craving temporarily is fine while you're breaking habits. most of the time you're not craving it, you're just used to eating it.

it TEACHES a 'not now, but it's still possible'mindset which helps stop feelings of deprivation and self denial that for some lead to binge eating.

that's a better explanation. :drinker:

trudijoy

giving up the food you think you're craving temporarily is fine while you're breaking habits. most of the time you're not craving it, you're just used to eating it.

it TEACHES a 'not now, but it's still possible'mindset which helps stop feelings of deprivation and self denial that for some lead to binge eating.

that's a better explanation. :drinker:

helps when i spell things correctly too haha

Sarauk2sf

I don't refuse myself anything...I just portion control and work at least one 'treat' in every day. I eat ice-cream every single night before going to sleep. I know I am going to have that and I work it into my calories and macros - it makes resisting much easier.

ron2e

I haven't reached my goals, long way to go, but I can relate to difficulties overcoming temptation. Despite trying, I was never successful and decided I needed help so went to a Hypnotherapist. Using Hypnotherapy and NLP techniques over a couple of appointments she has helped me immensely and I find it easier to eat healthily than I ever have before, as well as avoiding sugar and carb rich snacks. My other tool is MFP, for example sitting at an airport the other day, I felt like a Danish and coffee until I checked the calories in a Danish so had some fruit instead! I travel a lot on business and MFP on my phone keeps me on the straight and narrow in hotels and when being entertained. You have to change the way your mind views food and this is definitely changing my thought processes.

Oh and in the two weeks since combining hypnotherapy and MFP I have lost 8 lbs from my starting weight of 294 lbs. A long way to go admittedly to my target of 160, but as the weight comes off I will be able to increase excercise, I can already walk further without getting breathless than I could before I started the program so I remain very optimitic.

LozPenguin

3) tell youreslfit's not forever, just for now.

Never do this. If you want success forever, only do what you can sustain forever.

*exception: if you're 15 seconds into a 1 minute sprint... you can tell yourself, "not much longer now...."

giving up the food you think you're craving temporarily is fine while you're breaking habits. most of the time you're not craving it, you're just used to eating it.

it TEACHES a 'not now, but it's still possible'mindset which helps stop feelings of deprivation and self denial that for some lead to binge eating.

Also, never say 'never'. What works for other people is not worth any less just because you personally think it's crap.

^^^ agreed actually. I found when I was just starting out and really struggling with the idea I couldn't eat heaps of the bad stuff anymore, telling myself 'its not forever, not like I can never eat a whole bag of Doritos again, just not now." took the pressure out of the equation. Of course the more I got used to my healthy eating, the less I was worried about binge eating junk (because I just didn't want to anymore. I learnt to use moderation etc.) Basically I think in those first vital stages where you're facing a big daunting lifestyle change it helps to go day by day, week by week until you get strong enough to embrace it as a total lifestyle change. You can't always jump to judge someone's way of doing things; some people are the sort who just jump into it full-force and are able to stick with it, others need to find a way of looking at it that doesn't intimidate them into failure. Everyone's different!

vtmoon

Willpower to portion control. Takes practice but you can gain more willpower over time, the posts above covered most of the common methods to help build that willpower.

I ate 5 different types of chocolate yesterday because I was able to just sample each one to satisfy that wanting desire for them. A year ago I would've probably devoured the entirety of each chocolate bar instead of taking 1 or 2 squares.

CassieReannan

Either give in or find a healthier alternative

thedescentofhope

I replaced the sugar in my tea with Splenda. 1.5 month later I decided to use sugar to sprinkle on two pancakes, could barely use half a teaspoon i found it unbearably sweet! If you can't go cold turkey, wean yourself off, eventually you won't want it anymore.

JesterMFP

3) tell youreslfit's not forever, just for now.

Never do this. If you want success forever, only do what you can sustain forever.

*exception: if you're 15 seconds into a 1 minute sprint... you can tell yourself, "not much longer now...."

giving up the food you think you're craving temporarily is fine while you're breaking habits. most of the time you're not craving it, you're just used to eating it.

it TEACHES a 'not now, but it's still possible'mindset which helps stop feelings of deprivation and self denial that for some lead to binge eating.

Agreed, I think this is a helpful technique. I don't really agree with cutting out certain things while you're "on a diet" that you plan to eat while maintaining, because I think that would be counter-productive. However, I think it works for thing that you just want to learn to eat in moderation. I don't deprive myself of any particular foods, but there has of got to be some self-control at some point, otherwise I would easily exceed my goals. Most of the time, i'm fine with what I've planned to eat, but I have always struggled with emotional eating and there are still times when I really crave food, when I don't really need or want it, but it's a response to anxiety. At those times, it really helps to tell myself to wait half an hour, or an hour, and if I still want it I can have it then. Usually I don't.

Or, if there's some really tempting food that I just don't have room for that day, I remind myself I can always have it another day. Sometimes people get so emotionally attached to food that they get into a "now or never" mindset, and feel like they have to eat it right now. Not logical, but it does happen. Learning that you don't have to eat that cupcake now, because there will always be other cupcakes on other days is really useful.

In general though, logging everything is what has helped me the most. If it doesn't fit into my goals, I don't have it. Checking labels and knowing how the numbers fit into your overall day helps. Yesterday, I was out and about and looking for something to buy for lunch. I was tempted by a particular sandwich, but it was 600+ calories. Which is absolutely fine, but I usually have a much lighter lunch and it wouldn't have fitted in with the evening meal I had planned, so I chose another sandwich.

Also, not demonising certain foods as "bad" or "forbidden" helps. I eat all the foods I like, but just keep the portion sizes reasonable. I have quite a nice stash of nice chocolate at home, and I often resist things through the day, knowing I have that to come before I go to bed.

jo_marnes

Remove temptation. Easy.

When you are in the store, hovering over that item you want but thinking you shouldn't have it - check the label. Be aware of how many calories it is. And make a decision. Most times, you'll put it back.

tommygirl15

Logging helps me avoid temptations because I don't want to log over my daily goal. I don't keep junk around my house. I avoid restaurants unless specifically planned out.

rvicini

I guess everyone has his/her own strategy. Here is mine...
I don't have any temptations because I eat everything in moderation and try to weight portions. If I go over I know I have to exercise or eat less in the next meal to stay under.
Moderation means I can't eat much of something that is not good, I generally try to eat at home and avoid as much as I can shelf food such as cookies, pastries, candies and off hours bread.
I also drink sugar free soda instead of regular soda and drink natural juices without sugar.
However, I have learned that a healthy lifestyle is not over if you eat with moderation something you really enjoy even if it's not so good.

88meli88

Ok, I am (not yet) a success story, but in these last 6 weeks, I had very few cravings and I found it easy to resist or to work them into my calorie budget. i eat really nice (portion controlled) nutritious filling meals. 3 meals, and 2 snacks. I never skip meals. Lean protein, complex carbs, lots of dark green ones....and bc of that, i dont find myself very hungry or out of control. As others said, I also work chocolate and cheese into my calorie budget and I am amazed that a small taste is really enough, I dont need to eat the entire 300g of brie w half a loaf of baguette to feel good.

and my secret food to make me feel v satisfied is 6 oz salmon, w broccoli and brown rice. When I workout like crazy and just feel hungry, I always go for this option, and it makes me feel very good.

pinkymac11

To the ice cream lover, I'm so glad you entered that comment. Now I don't feel so guilty, as I, too, love my ice cream. I, also, work it into my daily food count. Yum, yum!!!

tachyon_master

If you don't buy it, you can't eat it.

I know it sounds simple, but it worked for me. If I don't keep doritos (the worst culprit for me) or whatever in the house, I can't gorge myself when I get tempted.

jjmnet

I replaced the sugar in my tea with Splenda. 1.5 month later I decided to use sugar to sprinkle on two pancakes, could barely use half a teaspoon i found it unbearably sweet! If you can't go cold turkey, wean yourself off, eventually you won't want it anymore.

I'm the same way! I replaced the sugar in my tea with Splenda and now I use powdered Stevia....it's just like Splenda, but comes from a plant. You won't use a full packet in a tea either. After getting off sugar, it makes me feel really ill if I eat too much....like a chocolate bar.....but I used to be able to eat like 3 bars in a day with no problems!!!!!

ali258

Sometimes what I do is log the unhealthy food that I want to eat in my food diary and then see how it changes the rest of my day. If having a big bowl of ice cream means that I've got 20 calories left for dinner, I'd better not have the ice cream. Usually something small (like a mini piece of candy or one cookie) works with the rest of the day, as long as you can stop yourself at just one or two.

hlb99

When I'm tempted with something I ask myself will that "whatever it is" help me to get where I want to be? The answer is usually NO! simple as that it helps me make the right decision. Not saying I never have something that I shouldn't but most of the time I can resist! Good luck!

LinDiSm26262

I knew I could count on all of you to give me so many great ideas. This will help me to move forward in a positive way.

Blessings!

missjanetleigh

I keep a fat picture of me so I don't forget what I'm trying to accomplish.

briannadunn

I take supplements (not diet pills) to help with my cravings. Usually it is from low blood sugar or spikes that I have a hard time controlling so I find an alternative to the thing I am craving or have some apples and cinnamon that works great.

Thenewme31

For me I try to write out my grocery list before I go there. Make sure I have eaten and full when I get to the store that way I'm not tempted by junk because I'm too full for anything to sound good. Plus with a pre-determined list of good foods for me I avoid the bad isles(brownie, cookie isle and the candy isle). Then I get what I need and is good for me. I then come home with all foods I CAN have and at snack time I eat what's good for me that I can put in my snack spots OR I don't eat since it's not there for me to have. I do have 2 pieces of chocolate but it's dark chocolate every night. I also buy healthy choice's frozen dark swirl greek yogurt YUM! Great alternatives to the bad stuff that will cause me to gain more. I hope that helps.

daedus

When I was in a home or at work situation where I had a craving and access to satisfy it, I would come here and look at one of the success threads and decide if I wanted that item more than some of the people who had lost way more weight than I had to date. That made a really big difference for me. Honestly, sometimes the answer was yes and i ate it, logged it and then scheduled the rest of my day around those extra calories (smaller dinner, bonus post dinner p90x cardio day or 30ds episode). Yes, you can still have [insert salty sweet delicious] but more it's the budgeting for it in advance and really enjoying it without the guilt that this site has helped me with.

Haiir0

Remove temptation. Easy.

When you are in the store, hovering over that item you want but thinking you shouldn't have it - check the label. Be aware of how many calories it is. And make a decision. Most times, you'll put it back.

This is what I do. I was at the store yesterday and eyeballing a can of Wolf Brand Chili...when I checked the label, the calorie content (340 for 1 cup! And I was gonna eat the whole can!) completely turned me off of it.

However, I do agree with other posters, that you should indulge in small, small quantities. I have ice cream most days, but I buy little 110 calorie ice cream bars instead of a gallon of Blue Bell.