need to stop a craving!

sswanl
sswanl Posts: 30
edited November 13 in Food and Nutrition
I need ideas to stop a craving for full-fat, chocolate carmel ice cream. I know from past experience now that if I don't give in a bit, I usually end up binging on everything else. Ideas to fulfill the craving? One caveat, I live in a small town, and buying a pint of the ice cream will not wotk. I can pretty much guarantee I will binge and eat the whole thing if it is in front I f me. And no weird off the wall stuff that is only found in big cities.
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Replies

  • KrunchyMama
    KrunchyMama Posts: 420 Member
    Can you make and eat a fruit smoothie? Frozen fruit, banana, and kale or something? Then eat it with a bit of honey on top and a spoon?
  • KrunchyMama
    KrunchyMama Posts: 420 Member
    You could even put a bit of cocoa in it for the chocolate aspect
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
    I keep small candies in the house for when I need something sweet. I like those Werther's Originals. They're like 23 calories each, so I just have one or two. It's not ice cream but it's something.
  • rdzilla
    rdzilla Posts: 113 Member
    Go for a brisk 5 minute walk. I used to be a huge binger and this helped to turn off the signal.
  • lynn1643
    lynn1643 Posts: 36 Member
    Maybe tell yourself you can have it if you still want it tomorrw. Then have a portion and share the rest with a friend or neighbor. Try a chocolate protein shake or smoothie too the day before, it might help! I wish it was easier to get individual portions too! Taking a walk or reading something you enjoy can help too.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    KrunchyMama wrote: »
    Can you make and eat a fruit smoothie? Frozen fruit, banana, and kale or something? Then eat it with a bit of honey on top and a spoon?

    Yum! :+1:

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    edited February 2015
    Eat something lower in calories instead. I mean, it's not exactly rocket science. Sometimes if I can't afford all the calories in the talenti I feel I need to eat, I'll get the frozen yogurt instead. Once you've purchased the right thing, there's no going back. Well you could go back...but that would be really going out of your way to satisfy your craving.

    I know a lot of people will say "eat the thing you want in moderation", and I also know that sometimes-it's just not happening that way.
  • sswanl
    sswanl Posts: 30
    arditarose wrote: »
    Eat something lower in calories instead. I mean, it's not exactly rocket science.

    No, but walking into a store without a game plan on what to buy is not a great idea for sucess either when hit with a craving.

    Thanks for the ideas, and feel free to keep them coming. I know it us the fat content that really is stuck in my head, and not sure those other ideas will satisfy, but I am definately going to try and work through them to see if one clicks.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    sswanl wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    Eat something lower in calories instead. I mean, it's not exactly rocket science.

    No, but walking into a store without a game plan on what to buy is not a great idea for sucess either when hit with a craving.

    Thanks for the ideas, and feel free to keep them coming. I know it us the fat content that really is stuck in my head, and not sure those other ideas will satisfy, but I am definately going to try and work through them to see if one clicks.

    What kind of game plan? Maybe I'm making it sound too easy because I know the calories in a lot of my favorite treats already? I'm not sure. Or I just read them there at the store and go with what suits me best at the moment-whether that be the higher calorie thing I'm craving, or something lower when I need more volume.
  • KrunchyMama
    KrunchyMama Posts: 420 Member
    I know for me I need to have a list before I go into the store, otherwise I end up buying a bunch of stuff based on my cravings.

    Could you make something with ingredients you already have in the house? So no need to even go to the store?
  • tephanies1234
    tephanies1234 Posts: 299 Member
    chew mint gum or brush your teeth
  • sswanl
    sswanl Posts: 30
    I have tried the ignore thing, ended badly... but I can just feel it deep in my stomach that I "need" it, I can't get it out of my head, even after having a piece of dark chocolate. If I walk into that freezer section without knowing what sort of alternative I am looking for, I tend to mentally shut off that smart part of me and justify why I need to just buy the pint.

    What treats do you indulge in when your craving a fatty or chocolate food? I am pretty open with calorie count. I could easily squeeze 200-250 out to make room for it, but I darn well even a 1/2 pint of chocolate ice cream sits at 350+ and I am not 100% confident I could really stop at just 1/2.
  • starrhulll
    starrhulll Posts: 11 Member
    The same subject is on my mind, and I was just reading this article on MFP this afternoon -- don't know how to paste the link here, but maybe you can search it:
    EAT / SO YOU WANT TO START/STOP / JANUARY 3, 2015
    So You Want to Stop…Eating Your Kryptonite Food
  • JordisTSM
    JordisTSM Posts: 359 Member
    Could you buy a pint, invite a group of friends around, and split it with them? That way you are getting a smaller portion, satisfy the craving, and have some fun with your friends at the same time.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    edited February 2015
    sswanl wrote: »
    I have tried the ignore thing, ended badly... but I can just feel it deep in my stomach that I "need" it, I can't get it out of my head, even after having a piece of dark chocolate. If I walk into that freezer section without knowing what sort of alternative I am looking for, I tend to mentally shut off that smart part of me and justify why I need to just buy the pint.

    What treats do you indulge in when your craving a fatty or chocolate food? I am pretty open with calorie count. I could easily squeeze 200-250 out to make room for it, but I darn well even a 1/2 pint of chocolate ice cream sits at 350+ and I am not 100% confident I could really stop at just 1/2.

    There is a frozen yogurt I get called Stonyfield. The chocolate has 400 calories in the whole pint. Sometimes I can eat the whole thing, sometimes only 300...but still, that's 3/4 of a pint.

    I have one waiting for me tonight. I will probably eat the whole thing and eat at maintenance today.
  • sswanl
    sswanl Posts: 30
    Not sure what there is to make. Most baking is out because no one drinks milk but me, so none is in the house. Chocolate bar didn't help.
    KrunchyMama wrote: »
    Could you make something with ingredients you already have in the house? So no need to even go to the store?

  • sswanl
    sswanl Posts: 30
    starrhulll wrote: »
    The same subject is on my mind, and I was just reading this article on MFP this afternoon -- don't know how to paste the link here, but maybe you can search it:
    EAT / SO YOU WANT TO START/STOP / JANUARY 3, 2015
    So You Want to Stop…Eating Your Kryptonite Food

    I will look it up. lol unfortunately my kryptonite will put me way beyond my calorie goals now I don't wanna waste this mistake on something that I could prevent.
  • sswanl
    sswanl Posts: 30
    jordistsm wrote: »
    Could you buy a pint, invite a group of friends around, and split it with them? That way you are getting a smaller portion, satisfy the craving, and have some fun with your friends at the same time.

    definitely plan to try and do that in the future, to head off anything but I'm not sure I could round up anybody this late in the evening
  • sswanl
    sswanl Posts: 30
    [quote="arditarose;31402023"
    There is a frozen yogurt I get called Stonyfield. The chocolate has 400 calories in the whole pint. Sometimes I can eat the whole thing, sometimes only 300...but still, that's 3/4 of a pint.

    I have one waiting for me tonight. I will probably eat the whole thing and eat at maintenance today. [/quote]

    thank you. That is definately something more for what I was looking for, sorry for not being clear. I honestly like it even more because it does give me room to practice willpower, but if I eat the whole thing, I am not blowing myself out of the water, bu
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    sswanl wrote: »
    [quote="arditarose;31402023"
    There is a frozen yogurt I get called Stonyfield. The chocolate has 400 calories in the whole pint. Sometimes I can eat the whole thing, sometimes only 300...but still, that's 3/4 of a pint.

    I have one waiting for me tonight. I will probably eat the whole thing and eat at maintenance today.

    thank you. That is definately something more for what I was looking for, sorry for not being clear. I honestly like it even more because it does give me room to practice willpower, but if I eat the whole thing, I am not blowing myself out of the water, bu[/quote]

    I know. I was just being tough on you. The first step is buying the right choice.

    And sometimes, give yourself a challenge in moderation and buy what you're craving.
  • mrsgoodwine
    mrsgoodwine Posts: 468 Member
    I have absolutely no willpower when it comes to my trigger foods so I squash it with a glass - for some odd reason, that works for me.
    -
  • alicaramik2
    alicaramik2 Posts: 71 Member
    Weight Watchers makes a salted caramel ice cream bar that is pretty good. I think it's around 150 calories per bar.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    alicaramik2 wrote: »
    Weight Watchers makes a salted caramel ice cream bar that is pretty good. I think it's around 150 calories per bar.

    I would probably need 3 of them
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    alicaramik2 wrote: »
    Weight Watchers makes a salted caramel ice cream bar that is pretty good. I think it's around 150 calories per bar.

    Yeah but you got to buy a whole box of them.

    I sympathize, OP! Eventually I give in, personally, and I just try to make up for it the next week or something.

    I still need to find that Stonyfield stuff.
  • KrunchyMama
    KrunchyMama Posts: 420 Member
    sswanl wrote: »
    Not sure what there is to make. Most baking is out because no one drinks milk but me, so none is in the house. Chocolate bar didn't help.
    KrunchyMama wrote: »
    Could you make something with ingredients you already have in the house? So no need to even go to the store?

    Baking is a bad idea in my house anyway. So you have milk, do you have cocoa powder? Honey?
  • KrunchyMama
    KrunchyMama Posts: 420 Member
    Maybe next time blend up the chocolate bar into milk and freeze :)
  • KrunchyMama
    KrunchyMama Posts: 420 Member
    I actually find that reading things when I'm craving really helps. There's a motivational thread called "Things No One Told Me About Weight Loss" or something like that, it's great! And super long, maybe enough to keep you distracted until bed? And why are you craving ice cream anyway? Are you tired? Thirsty? Had a stressful day? Analyze why you are craving something, instead of giving in to it
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    I'd just go eat the pint of ice cream. Subbing other foods for a craving never works for me because not only do I eat the sub foods, I then go eat what I was craving.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    zyxst wrote: »
    I'd just go eat the pint of ice cream. Subbing other foods for a craving never works for me because not only do I eat the sub foods, I then go eat what I was craving.

    Lol I've done that so many times!!
    Altho blackberries and rasberries satisfy my sweet tooth more than any other " substitute"
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I never think of foods as substitutes. Some things have higher calories than others, some things have higher fat. I adjust according to my calorie and macro goals for the day. I like everything I eat.
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