How to kill a craving...when you just want "something"?

AllOutof_Bubblegum wrote: »

Sugar free popsicles. At only 15 cals each, I can have several without blowing my goals. And they're delicious.

Sugar-free chemical-filled food is not the answer to satisfying cravings, sadly. Everything I've read says that you cannot fool the body by eating something that's got fake sugar in it.

Here's some tips from WebMD on how to deal with sweet cravings:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/13-ways-to-fight-sugar-cravings

flyingbeta wrote: »

13bbird13 wrote: »

I brush my teeth... that kills the desire to eat anything pretty quickly.

This is what I do, as well. For 20 minutes or so after I brush my teeth, nothing tastes good. By then I'm over my craving.

Really? Brushing my teeth has the opposite effect and makes me hungry. But it is a general hunger more than a specific hunger. When I crave something specific, the craving sticks around until I get it. I've been craving a taco pizza for weeks now. I will continue to crave it for a couple more weeks until I get it.

Pinterest. Man, I can waste a lot of time on there. By the time I logged off I probably really would be hungry.

I know it sounds like a bad answer, but when I get hungry I just eat something. Especially of its reasonably nutritious. I'm aware that its sometimes you mistaking hunger for thirst.

If it was genuinely boredom, then id do something for the boredom like play a game or some music, talk to friends or do some work, but I wouldnt be averse to eating.

I have a pact with myself so I dont restrict, but remind myself of my goals and how boring it is doing cardio.

If I need a snack.
Piece of fruit- apples are good because they take longer to eat when you split them into segments.

Dried fruit or some nuts.

Rye bread.

Egg on toast.

Pickles

Yoghurt and fruit.

If I want chocolate then I just have it. I can bit I probably dont go overboard with it.

If I have a guilt complex (I dont really) then I can always work it off with my cardio reserve calories for the rest of the week by doing a bit more but im not that strict. Just seems like a waste of time being irritated by it.

eating for me was partly habit - i find that part of losing the weight i have has been breaking the habit of eating when not hungry, and another part has been to only eat food i love so i don't feel deprived. that being said, when i want chocolate, i either let half a square of sees melt on my tongue or i have one of my low cal shakes, as follows.

4 ounces of non-fat lactose free calcium added milk (i find this kind tastes best for this)
1 Tb light sour cream (adds richness, and must be fresh so it's not actually sour)
1 to 2 tsp of cocoa to taste
8 to 12 grams xylitol
stevia to taste

blend together well. taste it to make sure it has enough sweetness and chocolateyness - if not, add a little more cocoa or stevia.

add about 1 1/3 cups ice

blend till the mixture has the consistency and taste of a chocolate shake - if you use the right cocoa, it really does! or instead of cocoa you can use about 1/4 to 1/3 tsp of cinnamon for a yummy sweet cinnamon treat.

if it's cold, i make pudding with the same ingredients, adding 30 calories of cornstarch, blend till smooth, boil, then cool part way down and eat when cool enough to thicken and not be too hot on my tongue.

btw, i find that sugar free popsicles can help with food cravings, but not if i want chocolate or something salty.

Pickles! Coffee or tea (or diet hot cocoa, or diet soda...). A walk, nap, or other distraction.

Green tea. Herbal tea.

SkFarmMom wrote: »

So, only 4 days back on MFP, tracking my eating, and I'm prowling around the house with this "I just need SOMETHING" feeling...

I know I'm well hydrated. I'm not actually hungry...I tried a Tbsp of peanut butter, but I don't want to "boredom" eat...

What's your favorite way to kill a "something" craving...in the kitchen, or out of it?

If you really really want it take a small portion and put it away or throw it in the trash and go take a walk. Because if you deprive yourself you're likely to overindulge.

I make a cup of hot tea. I buy it in fun flavors, like apple cinnamon, gingerbread, etc. They are decaf and have no calories and for some reason a hot drink fills up my stomach and makes me not feel hungry.

eat it in moderation and track it. Not eating it will make you crave it more and end up eating too much.

Usually if I am craving sweets I'll have a little bit of dark chocolate and wait about 10 min. That kills my craving 9 out of 10 times. I keep dark chocolate squares at work because it's usually in the afternoon when I get snacky and want something. It also doesn't help in an office where there are always some sort of cookies or sweets in the kitchen.

I also find that sometimes when I crave it's because I've lost sight of my end goal. When this happens I'll try going downstairs to my gym for 30 min to get in some cardio. This usually helps kick me back into the right mindset as once I've worked out I feel like I don't want to eat back those calories.

Last but not least, I don't hold out on myself all the time. I let myself have what I'm craving from time to time. It's usually once per week. No food is bad and it's all about moderation.

Carrots work for me if I'm really in a spin