Seriously need help with cravings/addiction

I wouldn't say I'm the most organized person but this site app etc has really helped. I try to stick with it and cut all of the good stuff out wine chocolate cake crisps. But what I do is plan for a treat. This Friday my wife and I are going out for a meal so the calorie count for that day will go out of the window and I will make up for it the rest of the week. That way I don't feel like I'm missing out

Make sure you get enough nutrients throughout the day. Perhaps stressful times aren't the best for any caloric deficit and one should aim for providing the body what it needs.

If after that you still crave, ask yourself what it is that you really need. Before reaching for chocolate or wine, ask what you really want to experience? Feeling safe? If so, then have a calm discussion with yourself, as you probably understand that chocolate isn't going to magically fix things. Be compassionate towards yourself, as being too hard will lead to even more emotional turmoil and emotional eating. Treat yourself like an adult should treat a child. Yes, you want certain things, but right now you have decided not to have them.

That said, it also does take a while for the physical cravings to subside, so a bit of mental toughness is needed as well. Just don't turn against yourself.

http://the21daysugardetox.com/

Try it see how you feel

Also look into cutting out gluten, there are studies that show that gluten trigger the same brain receptors as heroine. I cut it out and never have food cravings any more

'Willpower' will not help you, if your body is craving something then its basically impossible to stop. Make sure you dont under eat, make sure you get enough fat and protein, maybe cut carbs slightly :happy:

I recently did this, I went 10 days with no sugar. and when I say no sugar I mean no fruit, yoghurt, refined sugar, milk none! I had to as my sugar intake was getting out of control.

The first day was OK, days 2-3 were the worst by far. By the end I found I wasn't thinking about sweet stuff anywhere near as often and when I had my first bit of sugar after 10 days of none I found it crazy sickly sweet and ended up with a migraine! Now I have sugar but nowhere near what I was having, I just can't eat it. I can taste its sweetness now, when before I got immune to it hence had more and more.

Give it a go, its bloody hard but worth it.

Those sweet treats are your old comfort foods, and it can be tough to make time to exercise when you're working 7 days a week holding down two jobs and laboring 60 of your wakeful hours. But what you're doing, your work ethic, shows that you have strength, tenacity, and a will of steel! Perhaps you can at least give yourself a lunch break to go for a walk as a treat instead? Maybe plan to light a candle and linger in a bubble bath instead of hopping in and out of a quick shower on the run? Or it might be a treat for you to call your sister, mom, or a dear friend and squander 15 minutes chatting and laughing and not accomplishing a single productive thing? If you're spiritual make sure you've scheduled time in your day/week for prayer/meditation, sign up for a service that will send you a Bible verse of the day, read one page from your favorite book of poems, or attend your faith community's services...whatever nourishes you. Give yourself time to laugh....a joke of the day or maybe one cat YouTube daily? Love music? Then be sure to plan to sing along or dance along with a favorite tune somewhere along the way every day. If your clothes are getting too big you might be surprised how it could lift your spirits to spend $5 on a "new" pair of pants from Goodwill that fit great, at least temporarily. Maybe you decide to redirect your chocolate dollar towards a splurge on some beautiful, delicate raspberries or a succulent Honeycrisp apple? A while back someone here (sorry, I don't remember where I saw it or I'd give you credit!) suggested buying plain Greek Fage yogurt and stirring in some sugar free fat free Jello Cheesecake powder. Perahps it would be a lower calorie substitute for the cheesecake you want to avoid? I know I'm loving that treat! Is there is a charity you're passionate about? Allow yourself time to volunteer an hour and you'll keep your good perspective during this busy, hazy time. Heck you might even be able to fit in excise for you while walking a dog if the animal shelter is your charity of choice :-) Your hard work is taking good care of your most basic physical needs but you will probably feel better if you also plan small, cheap/free ways to also nurture yourself during this tough time. You can do this!

Drat the spelling errors.

The more crap you eat, the more crap you want. I made fruit my new candy. I am sure I can make sweeter veggies my new fruit (that I currently eat like 4 times a day) in time. The less crap you eat, the better good food tastes.

Thanks!!

Lots of good advice here so far... I guess how you deal with it depends on what you're able to handle. If you can quit the junk cold turkey, awesome... if you can have *just one* piece of chocolate, awesome. But it doesn't sound like you're at that point yet. What about having something like a glass of non-fat milk with some chocolate syrup in it? You get a decent amount of protein, a chocolate/sweet fix, and it's a reasonable calorie intake- plan for it and leave some room. Or yogurt... I'm not big on the yoplait ones, I like greek yogurt, but if you're looking or a low calorie sweet treat, that can be satisfying and under 100 calories.

Don't beat yourself up over mistakes. Recognize them, own them, and move on. Each day is a new day to advance your healthy agenda. Keep trying different things until you find what works for you.