How do you curb the craving???

I know this sounds crazy but I workout. When I put the time in at the gym I won't let myself eat junk because I put in the work. Now if I talk myself out of the gym I find myself cheating on my diet too. Also I eat high protein foods. It stays with ya longer then most foods. I eat protein bars to help with the snake cravings. I get the best of both worlds that way.

I know that feeling all too well.

Before I explain, I have to tell you what my cravings are. Yes, sweets and ice cream are them, but not as much as soda and candy and fast food. I've enjoyed soda all my life and that is where my craving twists come into play. Another huge one for me is eating out, particularly fast food chains like Taco Bell (which I love), and Carl's Jr. I find that cravings really come down to full length will power. Giving you a good example is today I am craving sweets, soda, candy, sugar, and junk food like crazy. But what am I doing? I'm sitting here at the computer, posting a response to you, and applying for jobs. It comes down to willpower. One of the proudest moments I've had since I started dieting was when I was driving home and fighting with myself on making a "quick stop" to Taco Bell for some MexiMelts and Bean Burritos. This internal battle took the whole drive home, until I found myself taking the exit to turn home instead of to Taco Bell.

It comes down to willpower. You have to be fully aware of your actions and what you're doing. See yourself reach for that cookie, and tell yourself "NO! Not today!" Or find healthier substitutes that will satisfy the craving but also keep you fool. Granola bars help a lot in that area, and sweet fruit, like strawberries or raspberries, help in satisfying the sweet-tooth craving, but also train your senses to go "Okay, cookie = bad, healthier snacks = good." Train yourself, train your mind, and train your willpower. That's what is comes down to for me. And I'm not completely perfect with it myself.

I think there's a few things you can do.
First, yes, you have to let it get out of your system. The more healthy choices you make, the more you'll want to fill your body with healthy items and the other things will start to taste "off". So know that it won't go away overnight - but keep working at it. Each day you make a concious decision about what to put in your body.

Don't buy the "crap" food - keep it out of your house. Do not even give yourself the temptation of eating it. If it's not there, you won't eat it.

Do you have a good friend on MFP? Let them see your food journal - and ask them to check it weekly/daily/whatever. Knowing someone is going to look at it and honestly ask you about that bag of chips you ate makes a difference.

If you're a fast food junkie (I've been there!), try planning out your meals a week in advance. Most of my problem was that by the end of the day, I was exhausted and just didn't want to go through the process of figuring out what was for dinner, do we have the ingredients?, cooking it, etc. If you can plan ahead, you know you're commited - you already bought the groceries!

Keep up the good work!