Resisting the pizza!!! Help, please...

whitney8654
whitney8654 Posts: 13
in Health and Weight Loss
I need some advice in a bad way.
I work at a pizza place. I never go in hungry, take healthy snacks, pack a homemade lunch, and eat healthy salads off the salad bar if I can't pack a lunch.

But once I get there, I get what I call a "carb attack". I smell the pizza, and I guess my body primes itself for carb overload (even if my brain says NO PIZZA) I get so SO hungry. I eat my snacks, my lunch, and still, my body feels so famished. Then, here comes the free pizzas, the messed up pizzas, the pizzas someone can't eat all of. And it's like...beyond my control...

I know this sounds absolutely ridiculous.
I'm new here, obviously, but this is something that has been troubling me since I started trying to change my diet.

anyone have any tips to cut these carb cravings. The thing that gets my goat is that I DONT EVEN LIKE PIZZA in normal life. Never order it. But at work, no matter what I've tried, I can't get this pizza craving under control at work.

When I'm home, off work, I do so well. Eat all the things that I consider ok, and stay within my calorie count. I'm not tempted by junk food and am extremely motivated.

The days that I work, it goes all to hell over a slice or 2 of pizza. That I try every way In The work to avoid. I honestly feel like it's beyond my control.

Any tips from those more experienced than I am on how to curb this awful craving...

Omg I sound like a drug addict hahaha

Replies

  • benjib84
    benjib84 Posts: 125
    I struggle with Carb Cravings

    the only thing ive found to truly work is eradicate 5 key foods from my diet:

    Bread, Pasta, Rice, Potato, and Cereal.

    Day one is hard, Day 2 edgy, Day 3 depressing, then by Day 4 you feel AMAZING and carbs become the enemy... AND the weight drops off.
  • heatheremde
    heatheremde Posts: 43 Member
    OHmyG I cannot imagine :( I dont have much advice. I used to work at Olive Garden and eat copious amounts of breadsticks. One day I quit breadsticks cold turkey and was so proud of myself hahahaha :( I just wanted to say that I understand....
  • soidade
    soidade Posts: 116 Member
    Can I ask why it goes to hell? You can have a piece of pizza once in a while. You just have to be careful about toppings. I think telling yourself that it's evil and you can never have it is probably setting you up for failure. Why don't you try saying, "Okay, I'm going to have 1 piece of pizza today" in the morning, map out your day of food so that you compensate with other low-calorie foods for your other meals and stay under that count, and try that? I bet if you plan it out as an OK thing once-in-a-while, you'll be less likely to blow it.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    Does your work sell by the slice? If they do maybe bring a salad and fruit with you to work so that when lunch comes around you can allow yourself to have a slice. The salad and fruit will help round it out into a decent meal.
  • csmccord
    csmccord Posts: 272 Member
    There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a slice or two or pizza, as long as it fits in with your macro goals. If one slice will satisfy you, why not have it? Maybe compromise and have a salad first, then have that slice of pizza second? There is nothing wrong with carbs, as long as they fit your macros, and are eaten in moderation.
  • whitney8654
    whitney8654 Posts: 13
    I kind of figured I either needed to cut out those things you mentioned or load up on healthy versions of them lol
    But I try and avoid what I call man made carbs.... Bread, pasta, anything bleached or white and definitely potatoes.... But I enjoy some warm oatmeal and fruit in the mornings... Keeps me full for a while with a reasonable amount of calories.....
    Maybe I'll try cutting it out...retrain my pancreas or something....

    It's definitely a chemical process in my body... It has to be.... It's overwhelming and I literally feel powerless...
  • cheripugh1
    cheripugh1 Posts: 357 Member
    Pizza isn't bad for you, if you choose right. Thin crust and lots of veggies, light on the sauce and reduce the cheese and it becomes a healthy choice.
  • Chevy_Quest
    Chevy_Quest Posts: 2,012 Member
    Sometimes I get these wild "carb" cravings where any kind of carb is just not enough.

    The only thing that works is to consciously sitdown and eat protein like chicken or eggs. If I make a grilled chicken salad with LOTS of olive oil.. that gets me back on track and I stay "full" and the carb cravings go away!

    hope this helps!
  • thegilly6
    thegilly6 Posts: 137 Member
    Eat the pizza! Budget your daily calories.
  • soidade
    soidade Posts: 116 Member
    Yeah, making any food "the devil" is going to set you up for a crash. Just say "I shouldn't eat this a lot, but once in a while is okay." If you're eating pizza every day at work, taper off! Say "Okay, I'm going to eat a piece today, but not tomorrow." Giving yourself absolute "never evers" is not only unrealistic, but unnecessary. Believe me, if we all ate one slice of pizza and a salad for lunch a couple times a week and ate healthy the rest of the time, we wouldn't be on here. It's the eating healthy the rest of the time that most people struggle with. It's not the occasional pizza slice.

    Avoiding man-made carbs in general is fine, but I really advise against demonizing anything to the point of never ever eating it.

    Look at it this way: if you planned to eat one slice of pizza on, say, Fridays, and you stuck to it, how much pizza/"bad carbs" would you have eaten that week? One slice, right?

    But if you tell yourself that you can never have it and then binge, how many slices will you have had a week? Bet it'd be more than one!

    Cutting things out only works if you can... cut them out. If you can't – and most people can't, and few doctors recommend cutting out that completely – it's better to set a realistic goal. If your realistic goal is fewer pizza slices/carbs than your well-intentioned failure, aren't you better off?
  • whitney8654
    whitney8654 Posts: 13
    Unfortunately, the pizza I end up eating are the free ones. I can't pick and choose.
    We on,y sell by the pie.
    I've actually had the thought that I could shift my calories around in the day so I could have a slice or 2 and still fit it in.

    But I looked up the nutrition info . Ouch.
    It makes me feel like a failure every time I give in,
  • mfp2014mfp
    mfp2014mfp Posts: 689 Member
    I would have to quit, pizza is my weekness, I am of no help to you :ohwell:
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  • whitney8654
    whitney8654 Posts: 13
    Hahaha no doubt! I am actually considering a new job...no kidding. Not just because of the pizza, but I am a delivery driver and although I love my job, in the summer, everything's slacked off and no one tips and I end up paying to work :-P
  • soidade
    soidade Posts: 116 Member
    I think your problem is psychological, honestly. I'm not saying you're mentally unwell! Just that you're really getting wrapped up in your head about this. You need to stop seeing it was a failure. There is no infallible authority that says "pizza is bad." Pizza is food. Any food is fine in moderation. I know lots of people on the low carb diets, but you know what? They have cake every once in a while, and they don't feel like failures. You don't have to be perfect. Stop trying to be! Accept that you're going to want some pizza occasionally. Pick off overly calorie-laden toppings. Pick off some cheese if there's a lot. Wipe off some sauce if there's a lot. Most of all, budget into your day before you go to work, so you have a plan to stick to that incorporates a limited amount of pizza. You will be more successful than if you have no plan and just stare at it longingly.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    And it's like...beyond my control...

    no it's not... you just tell yourself that as an excuse to eat pizza...

    that being said IIFYM and calorie goal, just eat it!
  • ClaireTatangelo
    ClaireTatangelo Posts: 1
    You have got some great advice here, but here are two things that usually work for me at work/home to stop an unstoppable craving:

    Chew minty gum

    or

    Brush your teeth really well, floss, and use mouth wash

    I dont know why, but these two things change the taste in my mouth and make other things taste funny. Also, I don't want to mess up my nice "clean mouth". I didn't see this on any of the suggesstions, but it helps me every time
  • trisha1298
    trisha1298 Posts: 51 Member
    Yeah, sadly my first thought was, this person needs to find a new job! That's an incredibly difficult environment to be in and it really sounds like it is making you crazy.

    Something my cousin used to do is to follow a healthy food diet for 6 days/week, and eat whatever she wanted on the 7th. She didn't binge or overdo it, just ate out or cooked her favorite non-diet meals on saturday. That way she was able to look forward to it and prioritize what "treat" she wanted. You could try that strategy. Just tell yourself you will only indulge one day a week. That way you know you will be able to eat the pizza, in a few days...

    I understand the pizza cravings. It's absolutely my favorite food. One time I ate pizza 5 days in a row and got real sick... And it really is difficult to only eat one slice when the whole pizza is in front of you. You either have to remove yourself from the situation, or take a slice and throw the pizza away/pour water all over it so you can't eat it. Drastic, but sometimes necessary!
  • aylajane
    aylajane Posts: 979 Member
    Go ahead and eat the pizza, but start training yourself to eat it slowly - i.e. grab whatever piece you are going to eat, put it on a plate, eat one bite - SET THE PIZZA DOWN while you chew that bite for as long as possible. Take small bites, chew for a long time before swallowing and set the pizza down while chewing. Even better - walk away from it while chewing so you have to walk back to take the next bite (i.e. go clean something, coming over to take a small bite every few minutes). Stretch that one piece out as long as possible. It wont stop you but it will minimize the damage!

    And though I honestly think its a bad idea... I have been known to do this on occasion... Usually when you crave something, its the taste in your mouth you crave, not the food in your stomach part. So take a bite, chew a little to get the taste, then spit it out. Still get some calories, and its borderline eating disorder, but it might help you taper off. I have been known to lick a few doritos just to get the taste when I didnt have enough calories left that day to actually eat them. Just dont get into a habit of this... better to learn not to eat as much or work the calories in.
  • whitney8654
    whitney8654 Posts: 13
    I agree.with it being in my head.


    And maybe it is an excuse to eat pizza. But for real.,. I don't like pizza outside of my work. So why is it so appealing inside?

    I like this idea of not demonizing the pizza and enjoying it in moderation. It makes me feel better to hear "it's really ok sometimes"

    I appreciate all the responses.
  • soidade
    soidade Posts: 116 Member
    Going to bed, but one more thing... My absolute favorite "worst" meal in the world is a cheeseburger and garlic fries from a local burger place. Together, it's about 1500 calories. But you know what? I ordered it a couple of weeks ago. I cut it in half and made it into two meals of 750 calories each. I ate half of it that day, and half of it for lunch the next. I compensated with very low-cal breakfast/dinner, stayed under my daily calorie count both days, and I still lost 3 pounds that week! Is that "failure?" Not to me! It's okay to have something "bad" once in a while. Just stop thinking of it as "bad" and retrain your mind to think of it as "okay once in a while in limited amounts."
  • whitney8654
    whitney8654 Posts: 13
    Go ahead and eat the pizza, but start training yourself to eat it slowly - i.e. grab whatever piece you are going to eat, put it on a plate, eat one bite - SET THE PIZZA DOWN while you chew that bite for as long as possible. Take small bites, chew for a long time before swallowing and set the pizza down while chewing. Even better - walk away from it while chewing so you have to walk back to take the next bite (i.e. go clean something, coming over to take a small bite every few minutes). Stretch that one piece out as long as possible. It wont stop you but it will minimize the damage!


    What a great idea!
  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,262 Member
    If you love pizza you will just have to find a way to fit it into your daily plan. 1 or 2 slices of pizza doesnt sound too bad to me as long as the slices are not massive. good luck.
  • JTUSAFRet
    JTUSAFRet Posts: 28 Member
    I never say no to pizza, I just limit the amount I eat so that it fits within my diet.
  • ultrafishboy
    ultrafishboy Posts: 63 Member
    I would have to get a new job.
  • Veil5577
    Veil5577 Posts: 868 Member
    I'm the same, I would have to quit and find another job.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    I work part time (typically Friday nights and Sundays from 1pm-8/9pm) at a major pizza chain. I eat pizza. Not in huge amounts, and not everyday. Perhaps have gone for the past 2 weeks without pizza (just not in the mood for it) and that's odd for me.

    Pizza is not bad. Just make wise choices about what you put on it (regular or light cheese, don't go crazy on the fatty meats) and how much of it you have.
  • cowgirlashlee
    cowgirlashlee Posts: 301 Member
    As several other posters have said, then don't say no to the pizza! Just say no to more than a slice or two. I've found that I can't truly cut out anything from my diet, or I crave it so bad that nothing sounds good, I gorge, and end up feeling miserable. Moderation is key.
  • hmg90
    hmg90 Posts: 314 Member
    Oh God I would never manage, pizza is the absolute best. And I cannot have one slice, cheese hits the tongue and that's it - I'm eating the entire thing.

    I don't know what advice to give. If you can manage only one slice, do so. Either way, eat most of your calories during the daytime and rather go slightly hungry to bed. Stay full around pizza. Bring heavy proteins that will fill you up.
  • Bittersweetbruises
    Bittersweetbruises Posts: 16
    Try just having 2 slices. I believe in you, lovey. Obviously you have some amazing level of strength to work in a pizza place because gosh I could not handle, I would go crazy with cravings wow.

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