How do you curb cravings?

Clean your pantry and fridge out of all the crap.

NOW, I have to say I still have some junk items in my fridge/pantry

No one should ever eat "crap" or "junk" under any circumstances. Ever. Full stop.

:noway:

Tasty treats and other delicious high calorie foods that fit into their overall calorie goal, however? Those are totally fine.


But please, people, don't eat crap or junk. And don't keep it in your pantry because it might get into your food! How do you handle the smell??? And why? Why would you put crap in your pantry or your fridge? Well, I mean, I guess I could understand in the fridge if it was in a sealed container because you needed it for a medical test of a stool sample, but other than that, under no circumstances should you put these things anywhere near your food.


(Does this really need to be said? I mean, don't people already know this???)

what you first see when you open your fridge/pantry is crap

Miss, please, if this is what you see when you open your fridge/pantry, then seek professional help. This is a serious problem.

I'm getting the impression that you think I have these junk items in my pantry or fridge, but I clearly stated multiple times that I don't...the items that are left are what I listed (goldfish, deli meat) and stated right after that they're being eliminated, I only still have them because someone picked them up for me on a grocery outing thinking I would want them, and haven't discarded them yet because I felt bad

As far as people needing to be told to get rid of bad things in their fridge, yet, actually a lot of people should hear that advice because 1. some people have family members living with them that don't eat the same way as they do 2. some people believe having a little of what you crave is okay, which I pointed out in the very first part of my post.

If anyone in my family puts either junk or crap in my fridge or pantry, we're going to have to have a serious family meeting. That is unsanitary and will *not* be tolerated in my house. Period. The end.

I'm confused about your reference to goldfish, deli meat, and things like that. Did someone get their crap on your goldfish or deli meat? If so, throw it out!!! You can't just wash crap off of food. This is a serious health risk. However, if you can keep the crap and junk away from your food storage areas, you can safely eat goldfish *and* deli meat (just keep it within your calorie and macro targets).

I just can't believe that it's 2014 and we're still wrestling with proper food storage. Egads.

I am unsure if this is your attempt to be funny/witty, but no, my goldfish and/or deli meat does not have anything on it. I am referring to my goldfish and deli meat as bad foods, as they are processed, high in sodium, include nitrite, etc. I'm talking about what's already IN these items that makes them bad choices. I sincerely hope you continue to post in this thread in the hopes of helping the person that created it instead of commenting on others' advice with unappreciated humor/sheer idiocy.

Just looked at your diary (surprised you have it open since most clean eaters don't) but what's the difference between goldfish processing and your special K protein bars? And I see dark chocolate squares? I'm so confused wouldn't that be moderation?

Good lord, it is as if the MyFitnessPal police are here! My advice to OP was to try to eliminate these foods from the diet because yet, it matters what you put into your mouth. I stated within a previous post that I still have some of these unfavorable foods, but I am trying to eliminate them. If you also paid attention to the rest of my diet instead of zeroing in on my (GASP) 1-2 items that are not "clean", it includes steamed veggies, low/non-fat dairy, lean protein sources, etc. My special K bars are not the best no, but I have yet to run out of them after having bought them about a month ago and when/if I need something very quick that still doesn't have too high of a sugar content and has something else in it I want (protein, ex.), I eat one. I have about 4 left, so I will be sure to never eat them again and personally update you when everything is out of my diet that you have pointed out.

It's like everyone is angry because I personally don't agree with having something you crave every time you crave it. I never said I never do it, I'm saying one should try their hardest not to give into it because it means you have the discipline not to. Your cookies you referenced? Sure, have your cookies, what do I care? You have your way of eating and I have mine, and I'm sure if they are only 5 ingredients and include substitutions like applesauce or almond flour or greek yogurt, I would love to have some! I'm in the process of cleaning up my own diet, and I never claimed to be the be-all-end-all expert of diet and nutrition, so please don't hound me for what I was saying to another member.

Good nutrition, a solid nutrition plan, protein snacks, and self discipline. If you can achieve these things, it will make it easier, not that I'm saying it's easy. Eating clean is hard to do, no matter who you are, but the fourth thing I mentioned is the most important thing. Without it, eating clean gets harder.

Eating clean??? At what point did the OP say anything about trying to eat clean?

But as long as we're on the subject (that you decided to make a part of the discussion), how do *you* define "clean"? I've heard a lot of different definitions of the word, many of them completely incompatible with the other...and I've found that without a clear definition of what I'm trying to do, it becomes nearly impossible to do it...and even if I were to accidentally do it, I wouldn't know it.

You can use my diary as an example...because I do *not* eat clean...(or at least I don't think I do, depending on how you define it, of course): http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/jofjltncb6?date=2014-04-30

Yesterday is probably a better representation of my "normal" diet though: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/jofjltncb6?date=2014-04-29

Eating clean essentially and basically refers to eating whole, unprocessed foods. It's a very popular and common concept as of late. And, it's a good recommendation because these "clean" foods provide more sustainable energy while keeping your glucose at bay as compared to say, cookies and white breads/pastas.

Unprocessed? Like, veggies straight from the garden instead of those you would buy frozen in a grocery store? Can I still wash, peel and cut them? What about cooking? Is cooking a process?

Are breakfast/snack bars whole, unprocessed foods? (If OP had a craving for a breakfast bar, would that be okay for her to eat (assuming it fit in her calorie/macro limits)?

How about protein powder? It seems like a processed, not-whole food. Is that still "clean"?

Milk? Olive oil? Coffee creamer? Couscous? Gatorade? These all seem really processed.

What if instead of trying to adhere to this "unprocessed and whole" restriction, OP just ate food that fit in her calorie and macro limits? Wouldn't that still work just as well (and without all of the confusing labels)?

Personally, I don't have any problems with my glucose levels (based on medical tests), so how much should I be concerned about that? And given that a diminished glucose spike results in an increase in duration to the point that the net glucose load is similar between the two extremes, is one approach still clearly preferable? I'm not yet convinced.

Fitting into calorie and macro limits is definitely key, I'm just stating that if she were to choose a bowl of whole grain oats that equalled 200 calories vs enough cheetos to equal 200 calories, she would benefit more from the bowl of oats, whether or not both fit into her macros and calorie goals - they aren't nutritionally equal. This goes along with the concept of processed foods (i.e., white breads and pastas, items with added sugars, etc. - for a full list of highly processed foods, use your interwebz.) - whole, fresh, flash-frozen foods are more nutritionally sound than food with a lot of chemicals, additives, white flours, etc. Does that make sense? It's like comparing apples to oranges.

Good nutrition, a solid nutrition plan, protein snacks, and self discipline. If you can achieve these things, it will make it easier, not that I'm saying it's easy. Eating clean is hard to do, no matter who you are, but the fourth thing I mentioned is the most important thing. Without it, eating clean gets harder.

Eating clean??? At what point did the OP say anything about trying to eat clean?

But as long as we're on the subject (that you decided to make a part of the discussion), how do *you* define "clean"? I've heard a lot of different definitions of the word, many of them completely incompatible with the other...and I've found that without a clear definition of what I'm trying to do, it becomes nearly impossible to do it...and even if I were to accidentally do it, I wouldn't know it.

You can use my diary as an example...because I do *not* eat clean...(or at least I don't think I do, depending on how you define it, of course): http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/jofjltncb6?date=2014-04-30

Yesterday is probably a better representation of my "normal" diet though: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/jofjltncb6?date=2014-04-29

Eating clean essentially and basically refers to eating whole, unprocessed foods. It's a very popular and common concept as of late. And, it's a good recommendation because these "clean" foods provide more sustainable energy while keeping your glucose at bay as compared to say, cookies and white breads/pastas.

Unprocessed? Like, veggies straight from the garden instead of those you would buy frozen in a grocery store? Can I still wash, peel and cut them? What about cooking? Is cooking a process?

Are breakfast/snack bars whole, unprocessed foods? (If OP had a craving for a breakfast bar, would that be okay for her to eat (assuming it fit in her calorie/macro limits)?

How about protein powder? It seems like a processed, not-whole food. Is that still "clean"?

Milk? Olive oil? Coffee creamer? Couscous? Gatorade? These all seem really processed.

What if instead of trying to adhere to this "unprocessed and whole" restriction, OP just ate food that fit in her calorie and macro limits? Wouldn't that still work just as well (and without all of the confusing labels)?

Personally, I don't have any problems with my glucose levels (based on medical tests), so how much should I be concerned about that? And given that a diminished glucose spike results in an increase in duration to the point that the net glucose load is similar between the two extremes, is one approach still clearly preferable? I'm not yet convinced.

Fitting into calorie and macro limits is definitely key, I'm just stating that if she were to choose a bowl of whole grain oats that equalled 200 calories vs enough cheetos to equal 200 calories, she would benefit more from the bowl of oats, whether or not both fit into her macros and calorie goals - they aren't nutritionally equal. This goes along with the concept of processed foods (i.e., white breads and pastas, items with added sugars, etc. - for a full list of highly processed foods, use your interwebz.) - whole, fresh, flash-frozen foods are more nutritionally sound than food with a lot of chemicals, additives, white flours, etc. Does that make sense? It's like comparing apples to oranges.

But once my nutritional needs have been met for the day and I have 200 calories left at the end of the night.... do I get bonus points somewhere for eating oats vs the cheetos? is there a prize? What added benefit are you getting once your nutritional needs have already been met?

There is nothing that is off-limits to me.

I give in, but I make sure that I stay within my calories.
I put it into my calories and figure out just how much of it I can have without causing any damage.

LOL for some reason this post made me think of my dad. This is something he would say.