Terrible cravings causing weight gain.... I might need help?

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Guitarlos2
Guitarlos2 Posts: 5
in Motivation and Support
I am completely new here and opened an account because I may need some help. Over the past three years, I have steadily been gaining weight and am now not happy with the way I look or feel. I am not obese by any means, but most of my clothes no longer fit etc etc. Long story short, it is my diet causing this.

I exercise at least 3 days a week pretty rigorously but have a desk job where I sit on my rump all day. I constantly crave foods I love, which are not good for you, namely pizza, hot wings and things of that nature. But this goes beyond just a mere craving. If I don't satiate the crave for the pizza, fast food, or whatever it may be, I still "feel" hungry, even if I have eaten something else. I don't know if Ive developed some kind of physical dependency on garbage food or of its all psychological, but these cravings are very hard to overcome.

I don't know how to handle it because I've tried all of the things they say to do. Drink more water, take a natural fiber appetite suppressant (like Glucommanan), etc etc. I've tried all of these and nothing helps. This is sabotaging my weight loss goals, because every time I lose a few lbs and start going the right direction, the cravings are back full force. It's almost like someone trying to quit smoking! I figured I would try here amongst people who may have experience related to such things? Does anyone have any advice or things you've done / tried that were successful? I just don't know what to do to satiate these terrible urges that just end up causing my weight gain.

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  • Frappleberry
    Frappleberry Posts: 251 Member
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    Wow, that sounds intense! Maybe logging EVERYTHING you eat honestly will be enough to help you lose the cravings. I found seeing the numbers in black and white of calories, fat etc really made me think twice about whether I really wanted or needed the food I was about to eat. I don't know whether that helps or not but please feel free to add me as a friend and let me know how you get on, good luck :)
  • shadowofender
    shadowofender Posts: 786 Member
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    I went through this same thing and in my case it was psychological...I *knew* I wasn't hungry but the cravings were intense.
    I don't know what to tell you besides it sucks for a while, and it gradually goes away. What I had to do was physically write everything I ate down and the act of writing as well as being able to see it listed out like that helped me. And I mean with a pen and paper, not just using this app for logging. I'm a very tactile person, though, and I learn by doing. If you're similar maybe try that?
  • Guitarlos2
    Guitarlos2 Posts: 5
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    Thank you for the replies thus far. I don't know what it is, but over the course of the past couple of years it has not seemed to diminish at all. I will get back on track for a little while and then I completely derail myself by going back to the original diet habits. The cravings are very strong...I just don't know what else to try. How was writing it down helping you guys? Did it allow you to see it was too much and then you tried more consciously to change it? I am trying to figure how that may assist but I am not seeing that logic...
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    Sounds like it is psychological.

    When you get these cravings, have you tried doing something such as going for a walk, doing yoga, drawing, etc.? Sometimes distracting yourself is a great way to avoid eating when you know you can't truly be hungry.

    If you are able to, ask your GP to refer you to a psychiatrist who specializes in eating disorders. Not saying you have an eating disorder but they would be able to help you the most!
  • torichantel2005
    torichantel2005 Posts: 42 Member
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    Not really what you asked, but in reference to the desk job where you sit all day:

    I recommend getting a FitBit (or just a pedometer, if you don't want anything fancy) and keeping track of your steps. Mine has motivated me SO MUCH to get up and move more. At work, I walk/jog in place to the point where some nights, I get my entire day's goal (10,000 steps) before I even leave work. And I'm a third shift dispatcher in a place where EVERYONE on my shift is overweight. It's tough, but if I can do it, I'm sure you can do it! Just moving a little bit extra will help in ways you never imagined.
  • vcdfw
    vcdfw Posts: 49
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    Congratulations on trying to find a way to resolve this before it gets way out of hand, I wish I had been as smart many years ago. All of my previous attempts at losing weight have ended in a similar fashion to what you described in your post so I believe I know what you're going through.

    The biggest thing I'm doing differently this time is trying to give my body complete nutrition through the work week. On the weekend I allow myself to have some junk food or all junk food if I really want it as long as I hit my goal for exercise each day of the week (all 7). I decided to try this because a friend of mine has been doing for a while now and she's slowly but steadily dropping weight. This also gives me a short term goal each week so if I'm thinking about eating something I shouldn't I've been able to hold off until the weekend so far.

    The really very surprising side effect to this plan is that I haven't craved candy since I started doing this which is HUGE for me... I was a daily candy eater and sometimes a couple of times a day. I'm wondering now if all these years I've been depriving myself of some vitamins and/or minerals that have added to these craving beyond stress and such. I use software called Vitabot because it tracks all the vitamins and minerals recommended by the USDA in a letter grade fashion and offers food suggestions for those you are deficient in and it's helped me a lot.

    Maybe taking another look at WHAT you're eating versus just how many calories or carbs you're eating will help. Good luck on your hunt to solve this problem, I commend you taking action!
  • kalpanadisusa
    kalpanadisusa Posts: 3
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    The best thing you can do is to be not too hard on yourself. Everybody gets cravings once in a while. The trick is to satisfy your craving without sabotaging your diet. That is, if you are craving, say, a 300 calorie ice cream or slice of pizza., and you are trying to eat a 500 calorie dinner. Eat a smaller main meal (like a salad, no dressing) and have the treat afterwards so that it still fitsunder 500 calories. Now, do not do this every single day- just a few times a week. Slowly but steadily, the cravings will decrease, and you can clean up your diet and limit junk food to once a week or so.
    If you try to ignore your craving to have a delicious slice of cake for a week, you'd suddenly have to succumb and eat a whole cake rather than the 1 slice u intended. So it is always better to satisfy your cravings, but take care not to go overboard. Chew slowly, take your time, enjoy every single bite.
  • tony56pr
    tony56pr Posts: 141 Member
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    I would get cravings at 12 midnight (or any time really) and had to drive to store to get whatever, usually convenience food (jalapeño and cheese corn dogs, cherry pies, bbq burrito's etc...) I craved chips, pop, sweets, etc. too, along with endless things that I over ate. The diet I started required me to give up grains and processed carbs, (which included all those foods I always ate) once I stopped eating those foods it took about 2 weeks before I finally stopped feeling "hungry" even though I ate plenty of food.

    Like another poster said, seek guidance from your Dr. if you can not shake. Perhaps you can get help, however, if you can do it (which you can by the way, you have the strength, I can do this, you can too.) you will shake these cravings in couple weeks. Get rid of foods that you crave, don't have them around, don't buy them, and if you start thinking about them, think about how losing weight will give you __________. If someone breaks out your favorite, walk away, don't hang around while they eat your favorite or one of your favorites. My girlfriend in the beginning would be eating cake or something and I had to walk away until it was gone.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    it's not the cravings that are causing the weight gain, it's the fact that you're choosing to give in to them and eat the food.

    just work it into your calorie goals and if you dont have the room then don't buy those items. i find it's easy to do that when I a)dont keep trigger foods at home b)don't buy them on a whime.. it's kind of hard to eat what you dont have :wink:
  • tony56pr
    tony56pr Posts: 141 Member
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    And to those that say give into your cravings, I understand your reason, but I'd go at least couple months without caving to cravings. For me, I went 4 months (started in August and ate some of my all time favs for Thanksgiving) By that time, I had no problem eating small amounts of them (pecan pie, in past I could eat half of one in one sitting, this time I ate a slice that was about 1 1/2-2" wide at widest point and that was ONLY piece I had. The cravings were no longer there, I didn't 'Need" this food.
  • Guitarlos2
    Guitarlos2 Posts: 5
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    Wow, there are some really great responses here. You guys are awesome. I did read somewhere that "you crave what you eat". So tony56's theory, that if you don't have that stuff for a while, you will crave it less sounds like it may be true. The big problem is getting over that hump!! I will make yet another attempt at it and see if I can go a while without. It is not so much about having these foods at home, it is more about the availability of it too. I mean there are good pizza joints and wing places within a 10 minute drive! I wish I lived in a desolate area that only had grains and vegetables for like 3-months lol.

    The bad thing is, when I eat this type of stuff, I cannot just have one slice of pizza. I can't have three hot wings, or one small burger. I want half of a large pizza, 20 hot wings or a huge combo with fries and everything. So its not just what it is I've been eating, its the quantity. Sometimes I can murder a pizza all in one sitting! It's pretty gross I know...

    Seriously though, I'll try it again. I never thought it would be so difficult to just overcome some dumb food craving, but its far harder than I believed. It really is like a drug sometimes.
  • aprilmenzies1
    aprilmenzies1 Posts: 20 Member
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    I can totally empathise I derail myself with this every day! Its such a battle and obsession and you described it to a T. I have read the Zoe Harcombe book and she suggests that its an over growth of Candida in the gut, Hypogycemia, or food intolerance that causes you to crave these foods more even though we know they are bad.
    I have done the first 5 days of her plan a couple of times with great results (8lbs in 5 days) but haven't stuck the plan any further really. its worth looking into if you think you can do it its very clean eating.
    Good luck with your struggle your not alone in it! :happy:

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