How long does it take to stop craving "bad" foods?

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thekidlegend
thekidlegend Posts: 5 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I swear I always feel like I'm hungry now that I started counting calories and watching what I eat. I crave tacos and Italian food so much. I've given up bread, but it's been hard to give up Mexican rice. Although I am wanting off of it. It seems like eating salad and and these healthy foods doesn't give me that fulfillment and "food coma" satisfaction of before

So how long does it last before I stop feeling hungry and my body gets used to the healthy foods?
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Replies

  • JordisTSM
    JordisTSM Posts: 359 Member
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    If you're craving something, find a way to work it in to your calories. Don't look at food in terms of "good" and "bad", it's just food, learn to enjoy it all in moderation.

    Can you seriously see yourself not eating your favourite foods again? If you deprive yourself of them, you will just make yourself miserable.

    Eat them, log them, and most importantly, enjoy them.
  • Lourdesong
    Lourdesong Posts: 1,492 Member
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    jordistsm wrote: »
    If you're craving something, find a way to work it in to your calories. Don't look at food in terms of "good" and "bad", it's just food, learn to enjoy it all in moderation.

    Can you seriously see yourself not eating your favourite foods again? If you deprive yourself of them, you will just make yourself miserable.

    Eat them, log them, and most importantly, enjoy them.

    Agree with this.

    As far as getting over a habitual desire to suffer a food coma, it took me a while, honestly. A few months, I'd say. But luckily the desire was fleeting, not constant. Doesn't require much discipline before it passes.

  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
    edited February 2015
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    Dude, there's nothing wrong with eating tacos y arroz or pan. Just because you want to lose weight doesn't mean you have to eat salads only. Eat the foods you used to eat. What you do have to learn is portion control. That way those foods fit into your daily calories. Staying at a calorie deficit is what helps to lose weight, not the types of food. Look at my food diary so you have an idea (of course, I'll have less food cuz I'll have less calories than you... but that doesn't stop me from enjoying every kind of food I love, including fast food.) Food is food, there is no good or bad food. Enjoy losing weight, don't suffer.

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  • KitkatcuteNYC
    KitkatcuteNYC Posts: 150 Member
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    Just keep doing what you are doing...make sure you fill up on a variety of different vegetables and fruits and grains and stay away from processed junk. Also drink water..a lot of it!
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    Eat the tacos and Italian if you want (not all together, of course!). There's no reason to give up what you love completely, just fit smaller portions or lower calorie options into your day.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    Food is food stop labelling it as good or bad. There is nothing wrong with bread or rice. Fit those into your sensible calorie goals and enjoy them. You only have a relatively small amount to lose so make sure your goals are set to .5 pound a week which will give you a sensible amount of food to eat
  • Cerakoala
    Cerakoala Posts: 2,547 Member
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    I agree with everyone here. Unless you have a medical condition where you can't have them its all about learning portion control and how to plan your days so you can have those foods :) It takes time but you can do it. There is nothing that I don't eat unless I cannot because of my dietary needs. However, I just limit when and the amount I have of those foods. Now there are certain foods I cannot have and I will say it took about 6-8 weeks before those cravings went away :)
  • SkinnyLiztobe
    SkinnyLiztobe Posts: 9 Member
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    it's chocolate for me.
  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
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    thekidlegend wrote: »
    I swear I always feel like I'm hungry now that I started counting calories and watching what I eat. I crave tacos and Italian food so much. I've given up bread, but it's been hard to give up Mexican rice. Although I am wanting off of it. It seems like eating salad and and these healthy foods doesn't give me that fulfillment and "food coma" satisfaction of before

    So how long does it last before I stop feeling hungry and my body gets used to the healthy foods?

    All of the foods you listed are healthy, nothing 'bad' about any of them. Are you planning on living without bread and tacos forever? Find a way to fit them into you day, eating those things won't hinder your weight loss!
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
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    It will take until you stop thinking of them as "bad."
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    2 years later, I still crave them. So I eat them.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    It will take forever it you don't stop dividing food into "good" and "bad".
  • ArkMom35
    ArkMom35 Posts: 225 Member
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    I find I don't really crave anything because if there's something I want I fit in into my calorie allotment. Can you work in some of your favorite foods or find similar healthier substitutes?

    They say that it takes 30 days to break any addiction, but I don't know who they are, and I'm not sure I believe it :)
  • Icandoityayme
    Icandoityayme Posts: 312 Member
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    There are no bad foods. Overeating is what's bad. You can work them in your calories and still have those things. Everything in moderation. Just remember though, when you eat certain things, they are empty calories that taste great now, but leave you hungry and hour later. Make the calories count. I still eat cheeseburgers and fries and pizza and whatever I want. I just make sure it fits in my goals and it won't leave me hungry later and cause me to want to go over my cals.
  • court_fritch26
    court_fritch26 Posts: 297 Member
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    jordistsm wrote: »
    If you're craving something, find a way to work it in to your calories. Don't look at food in terms of "good" and "bad", it's just food, learn to enjoy it all in moderation.

    Can you seriously see yourself not eating your favourite foods again? If you deprive yourself of them, you will just make yourself miserable.

    Eat them, log them, and most importantly, enjoy them.

    ^^^ This

    When I lost weight about 4 years ago I deprived myself of everything that I loved...no sweets, no carbs, no fun...4 years later I gained it all back and then some...

    moderation, moderation, moderation...it really is the key if you want to make this a lifestyle change instead of a diet.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    All food is healthy - it's just differing degrees of healthy.

    To be honest your mexican rice doesn't top the list, in fact its pretty way down on the list, but none-the-less it is still healthy.

    As long as you are getting your protein and vits and minerals from other sources (because there won't be much coming from your rice) and you are in a calorie deficit, then don't worry.

    If you are finding that you are struggling to keep in a deficit, then sure the rice would be an area to cut that won't affect your micro nutrient balance. But chances are if you are eating a decent number of cals anyway, you have probably got them in check.
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
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    thekidlegend wrote: »
    I swear I always feel like I'm hungry now that I started counting calories and watching what I eat. I crave tacos and Italian food so much. I've given up bread, but it's been hard to give up Mexican rice. Although I am wanting off of it. It seems like eating salad and and these healthy foods doesn't give me that fulfillment and "food coma" satisfaction of before

    So how long does it last before I stop feeling hungry and my body gets used to the healthy foods?

    Maybe you are in too much deficit?

    I loved that food coma thing, though its probably really unhealthy. Have you looked into intermittant fasting? Then you can get your coma in one big evening meal, save up the calories... this method works well for males. It emulates the hunting all day on an empty stomach then feasting that our ancestors probably did. I found myself very emo on it and lacking in energy, so not so good for females (I've read similar reports)
  • thekidlegend
    thekidlegend Posts: 5 Member
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    Thanks for all the replies!

    Yeah I think it's more about portion control. I feel like ever since I started watching what I eat, my stomach has gotten smaller? I can't beast on an Al Pastor burrito like before. Or if I eat pizza, I'll watch and eat 2-3 slices instead of 6 lol

    I guess you guys are right. I can still eat the unhealthy things, I just have to monitor and not overeat like I used to.

    Counting calories really makes you think about the distribution because you can eat you allotted calories for the day in one meal (say, breakfast) and then you're screwed for the day lol
  • jenglish712
    jenglish712 Posts: 497 Member
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    For me, pasta and mexican can be hard to portion control. I will try to eat a filling spinach salad before I have a portioned serving. Tonight I am making fajitas at home. Back in the day I would eat 5-6 of them. Now I will start with a cup of black bean soup which is filling, then have two or three fajitas.

    If I tried to totally avoid eating foods... I would break down at some point and eat a crap ton of them.
  • mackardi
    mackardi Posts: 19 Member
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    thekidlegend wrote: »
    Thanks for all the replies!

    Yeah I think it's more about portion control. I feel like ever since I started watching what I eat, my stomach has gotten smaller? I can't beast on an Al Pastor burrito like before. Or if I eat pizza, I'll watch and eat 2-3 slices instead of 6 lol

    I guess you guys are right. I can still eat the unhealthy things, I just have to monitor and not overeat like I used to.

    Counting calories really makes you think about the distribution because you can eat you allotted calories for the day in one meal (say, breakfast) and then you're screwed for the day lol


    I could never, ever give up tacos!!! My best tip for wanting to eat the not so healthy foods is doing some online googling for recipes and looking for ways to make those foods just a tad healthier. Try switching out proteins..make your own taco seasoning, add in some avocado, black beans, more veggies, etc..it will make you feel full and satisfied!!!

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