Defeating cravings

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banana_butterfly
banana_butterfly Posts: 29 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Does anyone have some ways that they use to cheat their cravings?

Me, I use this to cheat my chocolate cravings: I buy dark chocolate shavings(like those in cereals) for baking. I make some hot tea and eat around 10 shavings with the tea(i don't limit myself but usually I am satisfied after around 10).

Any other suggestions? Especially for the pasta cravings?

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  • lcvaughn520
    lcvaughn520 Posts: 219 Member
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    I am not good at cheating cravings - normally I just willpower my way through! For pasta, though, you could try spaghetti squash? It doesn't really taste THAT similar, but you can use it in place of pasta in a lot of recipes, so your mind can be kind of tricked into thinking you're eating a pasta dish. I really like having spaghetti squash with bolognese sauce.
  • JoanB5
    JoanB5 Posts: 610 Member
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    I eat whole what pasta spaghetti. But, I find that if I cook a good smelling roast, pork loin, or turkey, I don't have cravings for pasta in general. I am trying to eat more lean protein, so that's working well. Eating oatmeal is so filling I don't have morning snack cravings. Mini Chocolate Semi Sweet in that if I'm in a chocolate morning mood (2-3T.)

    Chocolate Pure Protein Deluxe bars fill that one for me. Or if I have cals left at the end of the day, one dark chocolate truffle ball does it. Coffee also helps...it's soothing to me.

    Popsicles: protein smoothie leftovers.

    Ice Cream: Low fat, slow churned ice cream, 1/4-1/2 cup.

    Chocolate Milk with skim milk and light Hershey's hits me pretty good, too.
  • Mouse_Potato
    Mouse_Potato Posts: 1,503 Member
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    I have found no reasonable substitute for cheese. :frown:
  • Bekahmardis
    Bekahmardis Posts: 602 Member
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    I love the protein smoothie left-over popsicle idea! I'll have to try that!
  • allshebe
    allshebe Posts: 423 Member
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    I think it depends on what is causing the craving or exactly what it is you are really craving, whether it's a specific taste, specific mouth feel or texture or if you're having a craving because your body is telling you that you are missing "something" in your diet (macro, vitamin, mineral, total calories or ???? Sometimes a craving can also mean the thing you are craving is really bad for you - I always used to crave bread until I went gluten free (due to a number of significant symptoms that pointed to a problem with gluten for me). Now I don't even particularly crave gluten free bread. I think you have to play around with what to do - balance your diet to fill in whatever was lacking, feed the craving with a small amount of the absolute best, plan for the craving and fit it into your meal plan for the day or week or just "tough it out" until it passes. All can be the right answer, it just depends on what works best for you.
  • EmmaKarney
    EmmaKarney Posts: 690 Member
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    I disagree that cravings mean your body is missing a nutrient.

    You crave things out of habit, because you link some sort of emotion to eating a food or just pure gluttony.

    However you deal with those cravings depends on one of those root causes.
  • peopletalk
    peopletalk Posts: 519 Member
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    i have work and then night class. and believe me, in the middle of my class i'm day dreaming about my favourite foods.
    basically it takes will power but when i get home i have 2 cups of unsweetened almond milk and then goto bed. it's only 70 calories and it fills me up and takes away my cravings.

    as for other things, i have small yogurts or 60 calorie chocolate pudding.

    maybe half an avocado.

    basically i only crave things when i'm hungry. so anything that will fill me up for awhile helps.
  • sweetpea03b
    sweetpea03b Posts: 1,124 Member
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    I am pretty fond of zucchini pasta with marinara sauce but my hubby hates it. We still eat regular pasta just limit to 1-2x per week.

    I love junk food... so I just don't keep it in the house so I don't over-indulge but I have found a few things that I can eat to satisfy my "junk" craving: Dole 20cal popsicles... or the weight watchers ice cream popsicles (100cal). No pudge brownie mix (found at high end grocery stores)... you use yogurt instead of oil/eggs and I think they are like 120cal/brownie.

    I love frozen drinks from like Starbucks and McDonalds but I make my own with yogurt and fresh ingredients for nearly 1/2 the calories.

    Try subbing applesauce in cake recipes.... also beets instead of sugar.

    I usually make mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes....
  • paigelouise69
    paigelouise69 Posts: 23
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    I have just been munching on sticks of celery its quite filling and low kcal x

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