Cravings
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When you're craving sweet, try fruit (you would be surprised how satisfying melon [cantaloupe, water melons, honeydew] can be).
Craving chocolate? Try one square of Lindt's 90% cocoa- more antioxidants than FOUR plums and at 58 calories, it's not a complete diet kill. It's strong and an aquired taste so you may have to start lighter (70%). I break up the square into 2-4 pieces and eat it for a pick-me-up
Salty- Skinny Pop popcorn is great. Also try a piece of Boarshead Oven roast turkey sliced on 1 (the thinnest) on 1/4 of an 80 calorie whole wheat wrap, a little smear of tzatiki, some spring mix lettuce, and it's a quite satisfying and very low cal snack.
Apple Jacks- one of my favs. 25 cals for 1/4 of a cup of sweetness but it also has some vitamins.
Total- 1/4-1/2 cup with Flax milk is a VERY nutritious snack.
Often cravings are our body's way of saying it's missing some nutrient. The trick is to figure out what that is. You can snack on veggies regularly without doing damage (I graze throughout the day on celery, carrots, a berry or two here and there, 1/4 of a cup of cereal)
Kemps fat free chocolate frozen yogurt is a GREAT go-to instead of ice cream. It has probiotics and you can eat 1/4 of a cup for 45 calories.
Use small dishes to make it feel like you're eating more. It's very psychological, if you put a little on a big plate you often feel like you need more. If you put the same amount in a small dish (like a custard dish) you're satisfied.0 -
You should try low-carb eating. It fixed my craving for sweet and starchy "comfort" foods. Now, the thought of a piece of cake makes me vaguely nauseated. A couple of pieces of fruit a day are all I ever eat that is sweet. I don't miss the starches and sweets at all. I haven't had a cookie in a very long time--don't want one. I used to be tempted in social situations to "just this once" have a dessert but I know that would be the beginning of putting me back on the wrong track. I have lost 15 lbs, and feel better than I have in a long time. The key to staying on it though is to eat a bit more fat than is allowed on most diet plans. Contrary to what we have been taught, fats do not make you fat---sugar and starch do. Our ancestors ate way more fat than we do but they did not eat sweeteners as they were very expensive for the common man to buy. They were also much more physically active than we are of course--which also reduces blood sugar. High blood sugar is the culprit behind the obesity epidemic. To counter it one needs to stay away from sugars and starches. They are empty calories anyway. I will never go back to eating them. I eat a VERY healthy diet with lots of organic vegetables and fruits. I save so much money on skipping the cereals, breads, and sweets that I can splurge on organic fruits and veggies. Independent studies show that organic fruits and vegetables not only taste better, they are more nourishing as well, containing more macro-nutrients as well as vitamins and phyto-extracts (despite what Big Agriculture tells us). Big Agriculture has a vested interest in dissuading us from organic fruits and veggies so they sponsor supposedly "impartial" studies that declare that there is no difference between organic and non-organic. Don't believe it.0
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are you depriving your body of anything?? maybe too little natural sugars/fat/carbs? i found that once i was eating a good balance of macros my cravings disapeared to the point where now i can sit in front of a plate of cookies and not even want one (when before i would have wolfed down the lot hehe)0
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Almonds or pistachios can help stem the urge for the salty snacks. I've been getting those little Jell-O sugar free pudding cups, 70 calories per, for when I'd really like some ice cream.
Also, here's a piece of advice that really helped me. If it's not in your house, you can't eat it. So don't buy it in the first place. Do your shopping a week at a time, allow some treats, and when they are gone, that's it till next week!
Good luck, keep logging, don't cheat on yourself there. We're all with you. 8-)0 -
iI started MFP a few montha ago.... Lately I've noticed that all I want is snacks... Chocolate, salt anything non healthy anyone have any tips to power through this?
There are many reasons why our body sends the signal to eat snacks. The only way to give you successful advice is if we know what triggers this or what is going on prior to it. Are you bored? Are you stressed? Are you lacking flavors you enjoy? Are you dehydrated? Are you addicted? Are you trying not to binge? As soon as we understand the psychological aspect of the snacking, I can give you advice on how to overcome it. Let me and the rest know when this craving happens and any feelings you have that occur at the same time.
It usually is when I'm bored.. Just sitting and watching tv or if I'm worried about something (upcoming trip across Canada) I haven't caved and eaten anything too bad but its the want and its just making sure i don't actually eat it...
Emotional eating is no good. Do you keep a diary/journal or have people to talk to in order to keep your mind off what makes you anxious? Food is a terrible way to overcome boredom (lack of stimulants) and worry (anxiety). I am afraid the only way to beat this is deprive yourself of snacks in the house at all until your brain learns to cope differently with your emotional urges.0 -
I just ate half a twix bar..... so I'm no help
Uh, you ate HALF a twix bar. Why not the whole thing? (because you were controlling yourself...) You're a huge help. 0 -
I started MFP a few montha ago.... Lately I've noticed that all I want is snacks... Chocolate, salt anything non healthy anyone have any tips to power through this?
This totally isn't going to help you right now, but I just got got used to not eating anything "unhealthy". Eating the same types of foods day in and day out will kind of adjust your taste buds (or at least it did with me) and you generally don't want that stuff. I do have unhealthy things occasionally though, usually in social settings. And only homemade!! 0 -
for my choco cravings this is awesome and is on the south beach phase one list for desserts:
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package sugar substitute
1 dash espresso powder
5 mini chocolate chips0 -
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It usually is when I'm bored.. Just sitting and watching tv or if I'm worried about something (upcoming trip across Canada) I haven't caved and eaten anything too bad but its the want and its just making sure i don't actually eat it...
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Aha! The key, then, is not to become bored. Go for a walk. Clean out your closet. Pay bills.
But, too--indulge in a little if that's what you want. Fit it into your macros. I find that I have a much easier time sticking to my plan if I'm not completely depriving myself.0 -
great wt loss!!
What do you mean, you're no help? You've lost 173lbs. You're exactly right. When we crave something we eat it. That's how it works. That's what we have learned on this sight! Losing weight without being hungry and unhappy. Thank you.I just ate half a twix bar..... so I'm no help0 -
Plan for it--maker better bad choices.0
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I keep a bag of semi sweets chocolate chips in the freezer (used for baking) After a few of those melting in my mouth, the craving is gone. It really is so much better than to break down and get a candybar.. or for that matter.. a whole bag of cookies.
Im going to try this! Usually I just drink water with a straw when I get hit with a craving (dunno why the straw works) but I end up visiting the ladies FAR too often!0 -
My first advice would be DON'T BUY IT. If you don't buy something, you can't eat it, so it starts in the grocery store with avoiding all the unhealthy foods you would typically go for. Also, you know yourself best, so think of things you like and substitute those things for healthier alternatives, or try something new altogether.
One snack I eat when I'm craving chocolate is a chocolate-strawberry smoothie, made with 1/2cup milk, 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 cup frozen strawberries and 1 yogurt and a couple cubes of ice. I will blend it or just eat it (minus the milk & ice), but I make sure to keep out of the chocolate chip bag inbetween. Those calories really add up.0 -
Hey
I have a really sweet tooth. I eat things like a bowl full of strawberries not much in cals and fat free vanilla yoghurt.Its filling too.(approx 150kcals)..Or a trick i learnt was to by very hard boiled sweets have about four under a hundred cals and make yourself suck them . Its time consuming and it gives you that sugar.Good if your sitting on the couch in the evening.Like someone said as long as its in your daily allowance.0 -
When I crave I do a quick 30 minute arobic workout followed by some lean protien. An ounce of almonds can help too.0
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For sweets, try fruit (you'd be really amazed but a handful or two of grapes does help with that sweet craving)
for salt, try pickles
if you crave chocolate, try something dark or semi-sweet (a small piece and let it melt in your mouth) Or melt nutella or something similar and drizzle it onto your fruit, YUMMY!
if you're snacky because you are bored, go do something. I am not a big tv person myself but I find that if I am snacky because I am bored, I do something that involves movement (walking, folding clothes, crafting). You know just something to distract yourself.
I did find that by limiting carbs like those in white bread, chips, etc... that my cravings went WAY down but every once in a while, it's ok to indulge within reason. Also, of all the weird things, I used to crave cheese (I wasn't eating much because of the calories and it was when I had just started and didn't know any better) but since I started portioning it and including milk in my diet on a regular basis, my craving went down-in that case I felt that my body needed calcium (and indeed, when I went back and looked through my nutrients, I was way low on calcium intake)
at any rate, all this to say, if you have a craving for something, indulge in moderation on occasion and work it into your calories/macros. If your craving because you're bored, get un-bored. I'm sure it didn't but I hope this helps.0 -
A few things I have done that work for me are:
Make room for a 'treat' in your daily cals. once a week so you don't have crazy cravings. One thing I did in the beginning was to have a small blizzard on Fridays. It worked great and I still lost weight. Now I'm over that and I'll have a cone instead because I know how many cals. I have to burn to have it!
Make room in your daily cals for a small daily treat. I have a smoothie or a low cal frozen treat after dinner.
If you crave chocolate and don't want to eat a whole candy bar, try making a fruit smoothie and adding a 25 calorie, sugar free hot cocoa packet to it. 2 T. of Chocolate Redi Whip works too and it's more 'natural'. Chocolate Crunch rice cakes aren't bad either.
If I'm actually hungry, not craving, I will eat fruit, pre-cut veggies or boiled egg whites. If you're TRULY hungry, those will satisfy you.
When you are craving something and you don't have time, like at the end of the day, to exercise more, do something to keep yourself busy and you may soon forget about what you craved.
Drink a glass or two of water.
Brush your teeth. Just about everything tastes horrible right after brushing.
Go for a walk.
Tell yourself that each time you deny your body something that is not going to nourish it, you become stronger.
Make a list of WHY you want to do well with your diet and exercise today. Keep it on the frig. or wherever you'd be looking for a non healthy snack. Rewrite it every time you feel stressed about eating.
Do not have unhealthy snacks in your house, period. A tough one for me since my son moved back home and he buys his own food. Ugh. It takes a LOT of willpower to stay out of that crap but I know I have goals..
You can do this, one day, one hour and even sometimes ONE minute at a time and you WILL reach your goals!
Good luck and <hugs>0 -
.I know my post is getting buried so I'm just going to say it like this: we could suggest all the great snacking foods in the world, but your snacking is satisfying some kind of need for you, and the only way to make it stop is to look at the big picture and find out what's making you want these specific things. I say this because when I crave, I don't crave ANYTHING specific. I used to, but I got rid of the emotional reasons I was snacking and now when I crave I realize it's mealtime. So take my psychoanalyzing into consideration and really pay attention to the state your body is in when you reach for snacks.
I am trying to listen to my body when I feel cravings. Am I really hungry ? Or do I just want to eat cause I enjoy it? Usually I just want to eat for enjoyment so I go to MFP to try and find encouragement to keep me on course, or look at a picture when I was at my highest weight and remember I don't want to go back there. Also I tend to be a binger so once I start I may not stop so best to not start at all. On the other hand if I am hungry I go ahead and have something I like the preportioned snacks as it helps me control the amount I eat.0 -
I did find that by limiting carbs like those in white bread, chips, etc... that my cravings went WAY down but every once in a while, it's ok to indulge within reason.
^This too.0 -
When I crave I do a quick 30 minute arobic workout followed by some lean protien. An ounce of almonds can help too.
Wow. I would be working out all day hahahaha.Thats commitment0
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