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what to do when the cravings hit?

thechicagogal

so many times i will do really well during the day, food-wise. but, you know how it is, you get home and sometimes get lazy trying to decompress after work or a long day. next thing you know, you're up to your elbows in the potato chip bag.

i was thing maybe i should try to stop and maybe journal to take my mind off the craving. or maybe i should do some pushups or something, i don't know. what do you do when the cravings hit?

thanks much.

Replies

NiqueKristan

Do you have an option not not keep junk food in the house. Stock up on light popcorn, carrots, celery to munch on when you get home.

thechicagogal

NiqueKristan wrote: »

Do you have an option not not keep junk food in the house. Stock up on light popcorn, carrots, celery to munch on when you get home.

fbmandy55

thechicagogal wrote: »

so many times i will do really well during the day, food-wise. but, you know how it is, you get home and sometimes get lazy trying to decompress after work or a long day. next thing you know, you're up to your elbows in the potato chip bag.

i was thing maybe i should try to stop and maybe journal to take my mind off the craving. or maybe i should do some pushups or something, i don't know. what do you do when the cravings hit?

thanks much.

Find something that fits into your calories and will satisfy your craving. We do cocoa roasted almonds, 100 calorie ice cream sandwiches, pudding cups...

If I stocked up on carrots and celery to snack on, they'd get moldy.

holly55555

If I really want something, I just eat it. Depriving yourself seems to just make it worse. But instead of gorging on the entire bag, measure out a serving size and log it into your calories. You can always adjust the rest of your week's meals to make up for it.

ChapinaGrande

NiqueKristan wrote: »

Do you have an option not not keep junk food in the house. Stock up on light popcorn, carrots, celery to munch on when you get home.

I agree with this, but it doesn't work for me sometimes. I still end up eating baking products straight from the bag.

My usual course is to either drink a cup of coffee, which not only fills me up but also makes my stomach hurt and makes me not want to eat (sad face) or I brush my teeth. I don't want to lose that clean mouth feeling by eating . The mint flavor also makes me instinctively unhungry because everything tastes horrible for an hour after brushing.

Laura732

The stairs! You can't out exercise a bad diet, but at least if you do end up in the chip bag you will have gotten some exercise

prettigirl01

when I crave something I eat it but I try not to eat all of it. most times it doesn't always work out that way. I agree with the first comment and get rid of the junk and replace it with healthier options. make sure its something you like

_whatsherface

For me, when I am craving something I deal with it. If in a few hours I am still craving it, I eat it.

BabyLovesToRun

I always save 100 calories for an "end of the day craving". Sometimes it's for chocolate, sometimes it's for something cheesy. I keep Milkduds, Chocolate Pudding Cups, and Cheezits on hand and allow myself to have a taste when I feel like I really need it. Depriving yourself of something you really want is not a diet to me, just torture. Everything in moderation! (And remember, to each their own!)

jazzine1

I buy treats that arent too high in calories but that I like and I work them into my daily allowed calories for after I am home and get cravings.

Ibknute

NiqueKristan wrote: »

Do you have an option not not keep junk food in the house. Stock up on light popcorn, carrots, celery to munch on when you get home.

^^^^ I find it much easier to bypass junk food in the grocery store than when it is in the house. I am still working on making sure I have better snacks available when the urge hits and completely understand wanting to just sit and decompress at the end of the day. You mention journaling or even some light exercise. Any type of activity to occupy your mind and/or body will help keep the cravings away. I am a bit south of Chicago and now that it is getting warmer out it is easier to find things that I want, and usually need, to do in the evening when at home. It is easy when it's cold out to just hunker down and not be active.

kitchensolo

My secret weapons for cravings: Salty = Roasted Seaweed. Sweet = Two Dates. It's a one-two punch that works every time for me. Try 'em!

999tigger

Instinct said dont have them there in the first place, but there are lots of common solutions. In addition you could;

Moderate as suggested above.
Allocate calories for later in the day post gym.
Do extra exercise to make way for more food.
Have lower calorie alternatives
Check it isnt thirst by dinking water and waiting 15 minutes.
Have a completely different non calorie alternative, have a bath, watch a film , have bap, listen to some muysoc, phone a friend etc.

It does sound like absent minded eating though and not having them there seems the simplest solution.

ChapinaGrande

lol, you're totally right. don't have the temptation in the house in the first place. i suppose if i start there it would greatly decrease the opportunity to spin out of control. i guess i need to stop grocery shopping when hungry.
[/quote]

This, too. I always eat before going grocery shopping. I always stop by IHOP and have lunch right before I go. IHOP is generally a nutritional desert, but I figure that wasting 1000 calories on one day at IHOP is better than wasting more on chips, Oreos, strawberries with Nutella, veggie straws, chicharrones, cream soda, and an entire f-ing bag of peanut butter cups in a week. Eating some crap first prevents me from buying a whole bunch of other crap at the store.

AmigaMaria001

Chew sugarless gum and drink iced tea sweetened with Sweet-n-low! It truly helps. I also get busy with a project to take my mind off the craving because craving only last a few minutes if we don't give them their head.

thechicagogal

[quote=

My usual course is to either drink a cup of coffee, which not only fills me up but also makes my stomach hurt and makes me not want to eat (sad face) or I brush my teeth. I don't want to lose that clean mouth feeling by eating . The mint flavor also makes me instinctively unhungry because everything tastes horrible for an hour after brushing.
[/quote]

I love this! I know that feeling. I will def try this in the future.

adrianwilson22

Brush your teeth. Simple yet effective.

scottkjar

If I have cravings in the evening, it's usually because I did something wrong earlier in the day. For example, if I have a donut during the day, I end up craving sugary things in the evening. To avoid the craving, I skip the donut in the first place. Likewise, if I skimp on how much I eat during the day, I am just more hungry in the evening when I have more temptation. So I try to be sure I eat enough during the day so I am just less hungry in the evening. And if I have to eat something in the evening, I try to eat raw veggies, yogurt, or cottage cheese.

dfranch

My system is if it doesn't fit into my calories, it doesn't get eaten. If you're hungry, too bad.

janejellyroll

kitchensolo wrote: »

My secret weapons for cravings: Salty = Roasted Seaweed. Sweet = Two Dates. It's a one-two punch that works every time for me. Try 'em!

I love roasted seaweed and you're right -- it knocks out my cravings for salty crunchy stuff.

thechicagogal

ChapinaGrande wrote: »

lol, you're totally right. don't have the temptation in the house in the first place. i suppose if i start there it would greatly decrease the opportunity to spin out of control. i guess i need to stop grocery shopping when hungry.

This, too. I always eat before going grocery shopping. I always stop by IHOP and have lunch right before I go. IHOP is generally a nutritional desert, but I figure that wasting 1000 calories on one day at IHOP is better than wasting more on chips, Oreos, strawberries with Nutella, veggie straws, chicharrones, cream soda, and an entire f-ing bag of peanut butter cups in a week. Eating some crap first prevents me from buying a whole bunch of other crap at the store.[/quote]

Strawberries with nutella??? I like the way your mind works.

thechicagogal

kitchensolo wrote: »

My secret weapons for cravings: Salty = Roasted Seaweed. Sweet = Two Dates. It's a one-two punch that works every time for me. Try 'em!

I'm always looking for the salty/sweet combo. I usually have bananas and chips. terrible, i know. I will def have to try your healthier salty/sweet alternative.

amyj514

I have a problem when I'm at home and I'm either procrastinating doing something or just bored (like I don't have enough to do). I just need to keep moving. I figure this: either I can have a clean house and be slim or a dirty house and be chunky. Sometimes that's enough to keep my hands out of the cupboard, sometimes it takes more, like sucking on a hard candy or drinking mint tea, or even googling what I'm hungry for and then after being swamped with different variations of what I want and wanting to try them all, I realize I am actually not even hungry =P

farfromthetree

If the craving is strong, it doesn't go away until I have a little. I log it, and adjust my remaining daily calories.

thechicagogal

amyj514 wrote: »

I have a problem when I'm at home and I'm either procrastinating doing something or just bored (like I don't have enough to do). I just need to keep moving. I figure this: either I can have a clean house and be slim or a dirty house and be chunky. Sometimes that's enough to keep my hands out of the cupboard, sometimes it takes more, like sucking on a hard candy or drinking mint tea, or even googling what I'm hungry for and then after being swamped with different variations of what I want and wanting to try them all, I realize I am actually not even hungry =P

I like your idea of staying in motion. you're right in that you're not even really hungry. just keep myself engaged in something and it will pass.

deanie001

I too am good at watching what I eat during the day, it's another story when I get home.
Afterwork, I indulge myself with a small snack, healthy or not, and then drink lots of water. That usually takes care of my cravings. I can then concentrate on preparing dinner. I have one serving size of each item and drink lots of water. This routine keeps me from pigging out on snacks and from over-eating at dinner. I exercise several days a week also. This routine seems to work very well for me.

beemerphile1

Measure out what you are going to eat and log it in your diary before eating.

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, eat chips out of the bag.

jgnatca

You are brainstorming a solution already. That's one of the keys to long-term success IMO, is recognizing a problem, brainstorming a solution, then giving it a try.

For after work hungries, I save my afternoon snack to just before I leave work. You might also try having better choices like cut-up veggies ready to go in the refrigerator.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/jgnatca/view/halting-a-binge-session-715131

manders_b

beemerphile1 wrote: »

Measure out what you are going to eat and log it in your diary before eating.

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, eat chips out of the bag.

This^^

I drink a glass of water (or iced tea) when I have a hankering for something that doesn't fit my goals and distract myself for 10-15 minutes after (reading, cleaning, playing with dog, etc.) You'd be surprised. Half the time I get a glass of water, end up doing my 10-15 minute distraction for an hour, and completely forget that I was craving something to start with.

thechicagogal

beemerphile1 wrote: »

Measure out what you are going to eat and log it in your diary before eating.

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, eat chips out of the bag.

Hmmmm, I like this. I will try it your way. No more chips straight from the bag!