intense cravings?
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Oh I agree...once I have the craving, I need that specific thing to satisfy it! When I talk about eating certain foods, it's a proactive approach...when I eat the "right" things, the cravings are less frequent and there's less to fight against.Some people say eat fruit to curb the craving, but if I have a specific craving, I have to have whatever it is (bc otherwise it won't go away) and just have it in moderation.
I'll also add that I eat dark chocolate almost every day, 50-100 calories worth. Because I know that's something I'll want so I work it in. When the rest of my diet is on track, that small serving is enough to satisfy me.0 -
Fiber One makes some awesome 90 calorie brownies that I eat with lunch to give me my chocolate fix. Nature Valley has awesome peanut butter bars and oatmeal squares that can satisfy a craving.
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I always crave sweet foods. I tried to cut them out or reduce how much I eat them and that just makes me a terrible person to be around and then I end up bingeing.
So now I have something sweet every day - usually a tablespoon of peanut butter at breakfast and then a sweet cereal (like chocolate chex or PB cheerios) for a mid morning snack. Later if I STILL want something sweet I'll have a small glass of chocolate milk or a Fiber One Brownie! Love those things.0 -
I find the more I eat the refined sugars and chocolate the more I crave it. If I can struggle through without eating it for at least a week or two the cravings will disappear. If I start eating it again, I'll begin to crave it again.
Another thing I found that helps is the "Raw Brownie." I make these all the time and freeze them so that I can have one every day. They are made from Dates, Walnuts, and Cocoa powder. Never thought I would like them but YUM! They really do taste very much like a raw brownie. Because they are not made with refined sugars, but the natural fruit sugars from the dates, you shouldn't get that sugar craving from them. Mind you they are not low calorie, so you don't want to pig out on them. However, they are healthy and all natural! Take 1 1/2 cups of walnuts and process them in a food processor. Add about 17-18 medjool dates, pitted and cut into small pieces. Process until throroughly chopped and mixed. Add 1/3 cup cocoa (I use dark cocoa to make it even healthier) and process until mixed. I process each step for quite a while so that it really looks like a dough when you are done. Then just roll into balls and freeze. I usually make 20-24 balls and they are roughly 90 calories each. Do a google search for "Raw Browies" and you will get variations on this recipe.0 -
I think you just have to fight through the cravings. Will Power! The more you fight it and succeed, the easier it gets.
I tend to get cravings after 9:00 p.m. If I start getting one, I just go to bed!
You've lost 50 lbs, so you have to know that it isn't easy! It's hard work and takes a significant amount of mental strength.
Anyone who says they have lost weight but says they never have cravings or never fight through them is lying! If losing weight was easy nobody would be fat!
You can do it!0 -
Thank you everyone, so much for the replies and advice! I know my logging's been really crappy, but I decided there were more important things to stress out about than maintaining an accurate log. I work 3 jobs and go to school full time, so it's a lot of stress, and often logging just falls by the wayside.
My problem is, I work at a fancy pizzeria, where we serve Neopoletana style pizza, which is different from traditional pizza. I don't know everything that's in it, and I try to stay away and only get salads, but they can get really monotonous. And it's really hard to say no to a slice when it's just sitting in the back, and I'm insanely hungry.
I've been trying out the no eating past 9 pm thing, but I often don't get off work until past 10 pm, so sometimes that doesn't work out. I've also been trying to take food with me to work, but sometimes I don't have time between school and work. But yeah, I'll definitely try and make it a priority. Any tips on what I could bring? We don't have a microwave or a fridge I can use, so it has to be able to just sit out.
I tried out the logging my binge last night! It wasn't really a binge, but I definitely went over on my calories. It was good for me to see that I need to eat less, and that I definitely didn't need everything I ate. I'm gonna try logging more accurately, but with the holidays and a vacation coming up, I'm not sure how well it'll go. But the new year should hopefully bring a better start. That's when I found my motivation to lose the 50 pounds I've lost so far.0 -
Have you tried medjool dates? They are so sweet and tasty, but also have some nutritional value. I use them for sweet cravings. I try to have 1/4 cup almonds, the date, and then water. It helps a lot. I also find that if they rest of my day is filled with nutrient rich food, than I feel more satisfied overall.
Try something like maybe:
Breakfast:
lemon water
green smoothie (Mine is 1 cup water, 2 cups baby spinach and baby kale or other greens, 1/2 banana, 1/3 cup blueberries, I also add 1/3 cup fage yogurt or 1 tbl peanutbutter for protein-I don't like protein powders, a few mint leaves, cilantro leaves, a tiny bit of ginger)
2 boiled eggs with salt, pepper, paprika, and a little extra virgin olive oil
Snack:
1/4 cup raw unsalted almonds or other nuts
Lunch:
lean chicken or fish
lots of veggies (especially green)
Snack
1 gala apple or other fruits/veggies
Dinner
lean chicken of fish
lots of veggies (especially green)
sweet potato
LOTS of water, add lemon, cucumber, mint if you want
After dinner "tea":
1/4 lemon juice
few mint leaves
few cilantro leaves
tiny bit of fresh ginger
add boiling hot water, drink after a few minutes
Some form of activity as often as possible every day. (cardio 3x, strength 3x, walking whenever possible)
Medjool dates for any sweet cravings. Mix up the fruit and veggies and it can have tons of variety. A high quality multi-vitamin might be worth adding as well. The idea here is to work towards a healthier lifestyle that involves foods that nourish the body with vitamins and minerals, not just empty calories. I really hope this helps.0 -
Anytime someone "wonders why" the first thing to look at is their diary.
Your first job is to keep an accurate food diary, including all the booze, and all the food from the restaurant. All the binging, and all the double portions. You are currently out of control. You can look up 1/2 cup carrots, it's in the list, just break the meals down.
Tough love time:
YOU are responsible and accountable for what goes in your mouth, so look in the mirror every morning and remind yourself you have to look yourself in the eye tomorrow morning and every morning.
When you get control back you will start losing again. Add me if you like, I've lost a similar amount to you and I'm still losing too.
I won't give you platitudes, but I will tell you to pull your socks up and get back in the zone. Also my diary is keep religiously up to date.
You CAN do this. Life is busy for us all, I have three jobs too, we just find a way to be consistent.0 -
I had the same problem with intense cravings until I discovered the LCHF diet. It works for me (consistently losing more than 1 lb per week, without cravings). I hope you find what works for you.0
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Anytime someone "wonders why" the first thing to look at is their diary.
Your first job is to keep an accurate food diary, including all the booze, and all the food from the restaurant. All the binging, and all the double portions. You are currently out of control. You can look up 1/2 cup carrots, it's in the list, just break the meals down.
Tough love time:
YOU are responsible and accountable for what goes in your mouth, so look in the mirror every morning and remind yourself you have to look yourself in the eye tomorrow morning and every morning.
When you get control back you will start losing again. Add me if you like, I've lost a similar amount to you and I'm still losing too.
I won't give you platitudes, but I will tell you to pull your socks up and get back in the zone. Also my diary is keep religiously up to date.
You CAN do this. Life is busy for us all, I have three jobs too, we just find a way to be consistent.
Oh, trust me, I totally understand that it's my fault I haven't been losing. I know I've been slacking off in the logging and being healthy in general department, and that I need to get back on track. I just was seeking some advice as to why I'm having such intense cravings.
The problem I have with the drinking, is I'm often too drunk to log, or I just don't remember the next day. And I know, you can tell me to drink less/not at all, but it's going to fall on deaf ears. I'm young, and that's just part of my life right now.
It's just been a struggle working over 40 hours a week, and trying to keep up with going to class, writing papers, studying, etc. And then trying to actually maintain a social life and find time for myself, my logging just hasn't been getting the attention it deserves.
Thank you for the tough love, I know I'm going to get exactly what I put into it. I just need to find my motivation again.0 -
Are you working three restaurant jobs? I used to be a picky eater until I worked in restaurants. I don't imagine they opened up the world of nuts and chocolate to you but you never know.
I think you're probably just tired of restricting and this is how it's busting out-- in intense cravings for sweets and in binges. I wish I could help. I'd say tough it out as best you can, be kind to yourself and don't over-restrict but don't regain a lot, things will change again.
I do think if you get used to say chocolate at night or a large, heavy meal, you do feel like you crave it then. I think part of it is breaking a habit, or better yet, replacing it with a new, better habit (or at least a less damaging one). Alcohol makes a lot of us hungry and indiscriminate, too.0 -
More protein.
Less refined carbs. ie. pasta. rice. bread. sugar.
Eat carbs in the form of carrots, sweet potato, squash, brussel sprouts...
This will make a huge difference in the vicious cycle of cravings.
Try to log all your food!
...and don't be afraid of fat!0 -
Are you working three restaurant jobs? I used to be a picky eater until I worked in restaurants. I don't imagine they opened up the world of nuts and chocolate to you but you never know.
I think you're probably just tired of restricting and this is how it's busting out-- in intense cravings for sweets and in binges. I wish I could help. I'd say tough it out as best you can, be kind to yourself and don't over-restrict but don't regain a lot, things will change again.
I do think if you get used to say chocolate at night or a large, heavy meal, you do feel like you crave it then. I think part of it is breaking a habit, or better yet, replacing it with a new, better habit (or at least a less damaging one). Alcohol makes a lot of us hungry and indiscriminate, too.
I work at a restaurant, a children's tutoring place, and Old Navy. Pretty varied environments, haha.
You know, I hadn't thought about that. I suppose I could be tired of "dieting" for the past year. Before this, I literally ate fast food every day, and had whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. Which is why I gained around 60+ pounds in less than a year. It was a pretty dramatic change- I quit drinking soda cold turkey, and just adopted a healthy lifestyle. I love it, but it can be hard to maintain sometimes.
I luckily haven't actually gained, I've just stopped losing. For the past few months, it's honestly been the same cycle. I'll get down to exactly 175.5, then shoot back up to 179.7, then down to 171.1, then 175.5 again and repeat. it's always those exact weights. I don't know why.
I think a big part of it, too, is I just like having something in my mouth. (That sounded appropriate). I'm trying to find a low calorie snack to munch on. So far, I've found that I like raw green beans and snap peas, so maybe I'll just keep on with those. They don't satisfy my sweet craving, though
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More protein.
Less refined carbs. ie. pasta. rice. bread. sugar.
Eat carbs in the form of carrots, sweet potato, squash, brussel sprouts...
This will make a huge difference in the vicious cycle of cravings.
Try to log all your food!
...and don't be afraid of fat!
That reminds me, I love bread. I actually haven't been eating too much of it, because I know most people recommend to stray away from it exactly because of that. My problem is when I cook at home, I typically only have access to a microwave and a skillet, so it's sometimes hard to find ways to cook the healthier options. I love microwaved sweet potatoes though!
I've actually tried to not stray away from fat, but low calorie usually means low fat. I eat a lot of vegetables and fruits, and low calorie things, so I end up not being very high on protein, and I'm usually way under on fat. The problem is, I can't seem to fit in the calories for the regular fat items, since I'm already so hungry.0 -
I keep a 150-piece bucket of Atomic Fireballs around. They're like 20 calories each and they're intense and last a while. It ain't green beans but it ain't spoonfuls of peanut butter, either! Oh, and Diet Pepsi. :happy:0
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I keep a 150-piece bucket of Atomic Fireballs around. They're like 20 calories each and they're intense and last a while. It ain't green beans but it ain't spoonfuls of peanut butter, either! Oh, and Diet Pepsi. :happy:
What're Atomic Fireballs? Sounds like a type of candy?
I found these super yummy espresso hard candies at the 99cent store, and I think it's around 50 calories for 4 of them. So those helped me out when I wanted something sweet. Maybe I can try and find something that's a little chocolatier for when I have that craving.
My only problem, though, is I try to buy things that are small like that, and often end up eating them in one sitting. Especially if I'm drunk. Worst moment was when I ate like 6 packets of the Skinny Cow caramel chocolates when I was super smashed. I felt so sick after, and I can't even look at them anymore. So that's kinda good, I suppose. In a weird way.0 -
Yeah, it's cinnamon hard candy.
Is the drinking new? I wonder if the cravings are related. It's pretty hard to drink much and lose weight.
I am probably the only person here who thinks this but I think logging your intake for very long periods can have serious backlash for many people. I think the hyper-attention to your diet eventually makes a lot of people binge-prone. Eventually, the part of your mind that would normally regulate your eating steps in and says, "Quit ignoring me. I AM IN CHARGE and I have a million years experience so let me remind you who's boss." And causes cravings until you submit. :bigsmile:0 -
Yeah, it's cinnamon hard candy.
Is the drinking new? I wonder if the cravings are related. It's pretty hard to drink much and lose weight.
I am probably the only person here who thinks this but I think logging your intake for very long periods can have serious backlash for many people. I think the hyper-attention to your diet eventually makes a lot of people binge-prone. Eventually, the part of your mind that would normally regulate your eating steps in and says, "Quit ignoring me. I AM IN CHARGE and I have a million years experience so let me remind you who's boss." And causes cravings until you submit. :bigsmile:
I've been drinking since before I started losing weight, but only began actually drinking heavily around August. So yeah, the two could be related. I actually don't drink that often, I just drink a lot when I do.
Yeah, I totally agree with you. I think maybe I might just need a small break until the beginning of the year. Maybe the stress of everything is just getting to me.0 -
I think that's a good idea.
On the pizza, I think you can have some now and then without guilt and without not logging it (I mean for when you go back to logging, assuming you're going to take a break). There have got to be all kinds of pizza in this database, at least estimate it. It'll be costly but probably mentally worth the splurge. If I had to work around beautiful deep dish pizza and eat only the salads, I would be getting drunk and bingeing, too, that's for sure! The other two jobs can't be a cake walk this time of year, either.0
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