Tips on resisting cravings

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jknight001
jknight001 Posts: 745 Member
I have a couple of tips that help if I am experiencing food cravings:
  • Brush my teeth - I don't want to have to brush them again after I eat and most food doesn't go with the mint flavoring found in toothpaste so this one generally works
  • Listen to my favorite music or podcast - Once I am into the music or podcast I forget about what it is I wanted to eat
  • Call a friend - love conquers all!

I was wondering if you all have any good tips for dealing with cravings that have worked for you? Would love to hear about them.

Replies

  • Foamroller
    Foamroller Posts: 1,041 Member
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    I try ask myself why I want to binge. Then I decide on method to try stop me. Sometimes being strict is the best, sometimes allowing 1 serving works better.

    The silly rules. It can be anything that make you think twice about eating the comfort food you crave. It's all about slowing the process down really. Cause we eat comfort foods when we are upset, or unconsciously avoid having feelings or just bored. The urge is that you just gotta have it. NOW. Well...that's why silly rules work well for me. Depending on how bad I crave it, the more silly rules I pile on one situation, ha-ha.

    Use your imagination and make up your own silly rules:)

    Here are mine:

    a) I can only have food I crave if I weigh it first and check the kcal count.
    b) I can only have it if I do 20 pushups first.
    c) I can only have it if I first check what I have to do in order to burn it off. The ramen I love are ca 500 kcal, it means I have to sweat pretty hard for 1 hour at the gym to work it off. Do I still want it?
    d) I can only have it if I wait for 30 mins.
    e) I can only have it if I go for a walk 40 mins.
    f) I can only have it if I didn't have any treat the day before.
    g) I can only have it if I take 1 portion.
    h) I can only have it if it's a feeding day.

    Yeah, I would love to hear some other tricks in the book too:)
  • jknight001
    jknight001 Posts: 745 Member
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    @foamroller - love these Silly Rules especially a & c. I am not a one portion kind of girl but rules a and c put things into perspective. If I know really how much it is going to cost I might think twice about taking a bite of something I crave. Thanks!
  • carlsoda
    carlsoda Posts: 3,412 Member
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    The one tip that has helped me so much in this journey is just to remember you can have it tomorrow. So, if you're craving chocolate and it's a fast day just remember you can have it tomorrow!

    Now how about tips on non-fast days - that's where I have troubles!!
  • Tiamo719
    Tiamo719 Posts: 256 Member
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    It's funny, on my 500 days, I usually don't crave. It's ingrained in my mind that I can only have 500 calories so cravings are out of the question.

    My problem on my 500 days is being hungry!!!!
  • jknight001
    jknight001 Posts: 745 Member
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    carlsoda wrote: »
    Now how about tips on non-fast days - that's where I have troubles!!

    I have trouble every day, hence my posting of the question. :(

  • orlcam
    orlcam Posts: 533 Member
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    jknight001 wrote: »
    carlsoda wrote: »
    Now how about tips on non-fast days - that's where I have troubles!!

    I have trouble every day, hence my posting of the question. :(
    I can't really answer this...my TDEE is so high that I could pretty much eat pizza with extra cheese everyday if I chose too. I don't, that's probably why I average over 3 lbs lost per week...with no exercise.

  • Tiamo719
    Tiamo719 Posts: 256 Member
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    jknight001 wrote: »
    carlsoda wrote: »
    Now how about tips on non-fast days - that's where I have troubles!!

    I have trouble every day, hence my posting of the question. :(

    How many calories are you allowing yourself on non fasting days? What exactly are you craving? You can most likely give in to your cravings, in moderation, I know I have.

  • Tiamo719
    Tiamo719 Posts: 256 Member
    edited October 2014
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    orlcam wrote: »
    ...my TDEE is so high that I could pretty much eat pizza with extra cheese everyday if I chose too.

    I don't like you anymore! :p
  • orlcam
    orlcam Posts: 533 Member
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    Tiamo719 wrote: »
    I don't like you anymore! :p
    Let's switch!

    Don't hate me cuz I have a high TDEE, hate me cuz I'm so damn cute.

  • jknight001
    jknight001 Posts: 745 Member
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    Tiamo719 wrote: »

    How many calories are you allowing yourself on non fasting days? What exactly are you craving? You can most likely give in to your cravings, in moderation, I know I have.

    @Tiamo - I am not tracking on non-fast days. I have tracked in the past and it becomes so time consuming to me to figure out how much I am eating. Probably the perfectionist in me. I am thinking about starting to loosely track so that I can see roughly how many calories I am eating. Like you, I find the non-fast days more challenging because I can eat more. And I normally crave sweets and fats, usually when I am stressed or bored. I am also looking at the emotional side of things. If I know why I eat I think that can also help me to avoid falling victim to a craving.
  • carlsoda
    carlsoda Posts: 3,412 Member
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    orlcam wrote: »
    jknight001 wrote: »
    carlsoda wrote: »
    Now how about tips on non-fast days - that's where I have troubles!!

    I have trouble every day, hence my posting of the question. :(
    I can't really answer this...my TDEE is so high that I could pretty much eat pizza with extra cheese everyday if I chose too. I don't, that's probably why I average over 3 lbs lost per week...with no exercise.

    You are SO lucky! My TDEE is 1,620 calories and it can go pretty fast! But it's all based on age, height, weight...oh how I wish I was younger and much taller!! :D
  • Tiamo719
    Tiamo719 Posts: 256 Member
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    orlcam wrote: »
    Tiamo719 wrote: »
    I don't like you anymore! :p
    Let's switch!

    Don't hate me cuz I have a high TDEE, hate me cuz I'm so damn cute.

    haha... sorry, I only hate people with high TDEE's. :wink:
  • Tiamo719
    Tiamo719 Posts: 256 Member
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    jknight001 wrote: »
    Tiamo719 wrote: »

    How many calories are you allowing yourself on non fasting days? What exactly are you craving? You can most likely give in to your cravings, in moderation, I know I have.

    @Tiamo - I am not tracking on non-fast days. I have tracked in the past and it becomes so time consuming to me to figure out how much I am eating. Probably the perfectionist in me. I am thinking about starting to loosely track so that I can see roughly how many calories I am eating. Like you, I find the non-fast days more challenging because I can eat more. And I normally crave sweets and fats, usually when I am stressed or bored. I am also looking at the emotional side of things. If I know why I eat I think that can also help me to avoid falling victim to a craving.

    See, now I have to track.... today I entered all my foods prior to even eating them (the perfectionist in me :wink: ) I'm sure one or two might change but I have a good idea of how many calories I will be eating today.

    Yes, it's time consuming but I have made it a priority.

    As for the cravings, you're talking to someone who gained 50lbs eating ben and jerrys. I eat when I am stressed, depressed, anxious, you name it. I am a very emotional eater. Sweets are my downfall.

    Overcoming this has not been easy but It can be done.
  • AlyssaJoJo
    AlyssaJoJo Posts: 449 Member
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    For the most part if I crave it I eat it. I find it easy to plan into my day as long as I take time to think about what I'm eating. If I can't fit it in my day I ask my self, " Do you need this NOW or will it still be here tomorrow?" and that normally kills the feeling is NEEDING to eat a certain something. I also keep snack sized candy bars around the house and have ate them on fasting days at the end of the night. I only eat one meal during fasting days so it's actually pretty easy, if I did meals through out the day I don't think I'd be able to fit it in.

    The whole fasting day has actually helped with binging.
  • orlcam
    orlcam Posts: 533 Member
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    carlsoda wrote: »
    You are SO lucky! My TDEE is 1,620 calories and it can go pretty fast! But it's all based on age, height, weight...oh how I wish I was younger and much taller!! :D
    No, no...lucky is not what I would call it...stupid maybe...even insane. I would gladly switch with any of you...I still have a mountain to climb, hell I am a mountain...ooh a metaphor (to climb my biggest obstacle...myself). No worries though, I know where I am, who I am. I have no one to blame but myself and no one can pull me out of this but myself. I don't care if it kills me...I was headed there anyway.

    My hat goes off to all of you...I use you for motivation...I see some of you making your way down the other side of that mountain...and some enjoying their lives in base camp (wow, I just made all that up, what imagery!)

    So, don't wish for my TDEE, unless you want everything else that comes with it (I'm not that young...49...not sure how old you are, but your arm looks pretty young ;) ).

    I'll see you in base camp...in about 2 years. Hopefully you'll all still be there, then we can have a big party.
  • thecarbmonster
    thecarbmonster Posts: 411 Member
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    I definitely find NOT eating in the morning helps me. There's something about getting that blood sugar spike in the morning that makes me obsessed with food all dang day. So I try just to have coffee and lots of water in the mornings. I try not to eat something (almost like intermittent fasting) until after 12. I normally would eat my lunch before 10:30 lol.

    And I definitely agree, normal days (usually on weekends) always seem harder because I want to head towards those binge-friendly foods and because I'm at home and not distracted with work. I was trying to fit in a huge strawberry shortcake sundae (from Brusters, if anyone recognizes the Franchise name) and thankfully the Strawberry Shortcakes went out of season 2 months ago or else I would still be trying to fit them in. I would seriously try to eat 2-3 a weekend on my "normal days".
  • carlsoda
    carlsoda Posts: 3,412 Member
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    I'm 49 too orlcam! But I'm short so whatever I put on looks enormous! Yes one day we will all be at base camp supporting all the new climbers!!