For the ladies : How do you control cravings during "the curse"

I like hot tea with a little sugar. Usually around that time, I find myself craving sweets, so sipping on something hot, fruity, and lightly sweet is heaven for me. It kills my cravings pretty well and takes a while to get through. Speaking of tea, an unsweetened passionfruit iced tea at starbucks is a cold alternative that also tastes delicious and curbs cravings.

Another thing I like is dark chocolate. And not regular dark but super, 70%+ cacao dark. It's a very rich flavor that's still sweet and like the tea and if you take your time to savor it, lasts a while.

If I'm in the mood for say ice cream or froyo, I'll eat plain, unsweetened yogurt. Totally my jam. On that note, if you really want a treat that'll curve sweets cravings, make a bowl of oatmeal, put a spoon or two of plain yogurt in, and then top with fresh berries and cinnamon. It's heaven in a bowl.

If worst comes to worst and I find myself about to dive into my boyfriend's Ben & Jerry's, I make myself eat a few pickle slices. Kills my sweets cravings immediately. Sounds weird, I'm sure, but something about the sourness of the pickles just turns me off from eating sweets after that.

Hi, I'm new on here so I don't know if posting on here would be the right thing to do. I wanted to ask people for advice on what I can do to stop eating so much - it seems as though whenever I'm bored I just start eating. I've just turned 19 a few days ago, female if that makes a difference.

annamicacalcino wrote: »

Hi, I'm new on here so I don't know if posting on here would be the right thing to do. I wanted to ask people for advice on what I can do to stop eating so much - it seems as though whenever I'm bored I just start eating. I've just turned 19 a few days ago, female if that makes a difference.

Hey I think you'll have more of a response if you start your own topic

I don't give in to sugar at ALL, because it will only snowball and make me want more and more. Instead I counteract it by eating sour and spicy. Like pickles and hot pickled peppers. If there is still an issue I eat something with fat like almond butter.

Im using the appetite suppressant phentermine, and ive lost ten pounds in two weeks!, I feel no hunger all day!, and still have plenty of energy, ( though it is pulling from my existing adipose tissue- I am 5' 06" and 190#), this could be an option for you.... I was set up with phentermine through a weight loss clinic, and have regular visits with a doctor, a nutritionist and a dietitian to monitor my progress and my reaction to the medication as well. Check it out if interested.
Im very pleased, as I was jogging 2.2 miles up and down hills cross country to no avail, 1.5 times biweekly to no avail, except killing my knees, ankles, and arches. So until I can nix my weight to a manageable excercise weight ( 140-175#), phentermine is effectively tricking my body into burning my existing adipocytes. look into it, and see if its for you.

There is a chart that I've seen that explains what your craving mean, like what vitamin you are missing. I know that if you're craving chocolate, you need magnesium. Here is a pinterest link for it. https://www.pinterest.com/explore/food-craving-chart/

Maybe I'm odd, but I don't get cravings. It's a good thing I don't because my last one lasted 19 days (saw the doctor about it and had blood work done). If I do find myself wanting something 'naughty,' I just look to see if it can fit into my day. I also look for lower calorie versions of old favorites. I wanted chocolate today, so I had no sugar chocolate pudding made with 2% milk and a tablespoon of light whipped cream. It fit right into my calories and macros - plus was very delicious.

It's human nature, but I can't stand 'my monthly visitor' MISERY!! Well the first day or two are my 'REDRUM days' and the craving I get for CHOCOLATE - anything CHOCOLATE is huge!! I normally just gobble down a couple of pieces of dark chocolate just to keep myself sane and have so far managed to fight the urge to stuff my face with a truck load full of Ferrero Rochers. It is a mind game but it will pass!

I cook instead of buying premade stuff. It's really easy to just keep reaching for snacks, but once I limit myself to 90% of the time making my own meals and snacks, I slow down. I think it's being around fresh food and just inhaling the scents that satisfies the cravings, lol.
And most importantly, I find that drinking water helps. I know it's been said time and time again, but if you've had regular meals, and drink enough water, it should shut off some of those hunger signals.

Jennloella wrote: »

The same as every other day... I dunno I don't get the hype.

This here for me too...

Okay, answering seriously now:

I find myself craving red meat and sweets, but I don't deny myself at all. For example, I'll likely have a burger patty on sandwich thins, maybe a piece of dark chocolate, and I have this awesome Red Velvet Chocolate tea from The Republic of Tea that really hits the spot at night.

I actually work a little harder during that time, because I feel it alleviates the pain.

As for as The Flow Flow goes (pm me if I really need to explain that one), I avoid spicy foods and dairy and anything that generally upsets my stomach.

shrinkingletters wrote: »

tomatoey wrote: »

I just eat what I want. Your body is using more calories to fuel uterus activity (I think 200ish, something like that?). That time is miserable enough that I'm not about to make it worse. It's only a couple of days, anyway.

My uterus burns calories for me too? How sweet!

that's good to know! At least one good thing comes out of it!

I read somewhere that the reason you crave carbs is because most of your glycogen is directed to your uterus so the rest of your body lacks it... so you crave carbs to refeed it.

I'm weird I guess because I don't get many cravings at all, and really not for sweets, even though I usually have a pretty sweet tooth. What I get is extreme hunger the week before my period, the type where I'm shacking and dizzy and weak if I don't eat something RIGHT NOW pretty much non stop for 5 days. Typically I manage to stay under my goal for 2 of those days, although still going to bed hungry, and the others are so bad I end up eating pretty much anything hoping it will make it go away (and it usually does... after 3000-4000 calories). I've tried everything, lean meats, good fats, fiber, lots of veggies... Basically anything that would keep me full for 4 hours normally keeps me full for 2 if I'm lucky. So typically I end up eating ice cream or something because I'm in some sort of trance where I'd just eat anything to make it stop (and it really doesn't, but when I tried to fill up on veggies I ended up hungry AND terribly bloated and that didn't work out so well).

Feel free to look at my diary for last week... I ended up eating 3500ish over my TDEE. And I still don't have my period, but today is a bit more manageable (cramps are a b**** though). But specific cravings? Nope.

Once my period starts though, the hunger goes away and I end up being full on 1400 calories or something.

I generally crave red meat and extra sleep; I indulge both!