Dealing with Cravings. IDEAS???

Laquia, it's definitely hard. It really, really is. But like you said, in order to make it a sustainable habit, you don't want to deprive yourself too much! The idea is to let yourself have the brownie...just not the entire pan of brownies. You know what I mean?

Yes, like you said, you don't want to indulge ALL the time and eat more calories than you can afford, but luckily there are so many alternatives! When you're craving chocolate, you don't need to eat an entire Snickers. You can eat a fun size Snickers instead. Or have a Swiss Miss Diet Hot Chocolate for 25 calories. Something like that.

Another thing is learning to control your cravings. Yes, don't deprive yourself in such a way that makes this lifestyle not sustainable...but don't be TOO soft on yourself! I mean, after all, you ARE trying to lose weight. So, sometimes when a craving comes, wait it out 15 or 20 minutes. Drink a bunch of water. A BUNCH. See if the craving goes away. If it does, then you're good to go.

It's about retraining yourself and your bad habits. Not every craving is valid. Not every craving should be indulged.

You're gonna rock this! You're going to do awesome with this new lifestyle! Keep at it, and good luck!!

You just need to find a healthy - ER snack that you can have around & substitute it when you need it. A treat that will fit into your daily calories allowance.For me, i found there to be quite a few 100 calories ice cream bars. I used to have one every songle night. I do also occasionally enjoy a double chocolate vitatop muffin top... they are actually yummy & only 100 calories. I notice lots of people on here eat fat free chocolate pudding.

There are so many 100 calorie options lately that you could grab a few treats & use them until you get over the major cravings. I still have them in the house but i don't depend on them anymore. they are a once in a while treat now because i don't even crave them.

I usually let myself always have some type of treat after dinner. Usually something chocolate and also, one day a week I let myself go over my calories by a couple hundred in order to not feel deprived and also to keep my metabolism guessing. So far it has been working. You can do it girl!

This is what I've found most successful in my own program. I always treat myself to something sweet at least once a day. It may be a bag of kettle corn pop corn after dinner, a skinny cow brand ice cream sandwich, some grapes or cherries, or a 100 calorie pack of mini cookies. You'll go insane if you deny what your body craves! But you can do it responsibly for sure.

Also, have a "blow-it" day once a week. Pick a favorite meal (mine is fried chicken!) and plan it for the weekend or order whatever you want off a menu when eating out with friends (heck get dessert to share with everyone). "Crashing" your diet by a few hundred calories isn't going to destroy your diet and it gives great incentive to work out during the week.

Good luck, hope this helps!

First of all, know that there are better choices if you have a sweet tooth. For example, I love chocolate, but I also love rice krispy treats. I think, I can have 2 rice krispy treats for the price of one Snickers Dark. Also, those break and bake cookies, some of them are 80 calories/cookie. Ones from Subway are usually closer to 300. The point is there are still some treats you can have to satisfy your cravings and not add tons more to the count. I often make homemade tootsie rolls, of which the only ingredients are cocoa, powdered milk, and honey. Honey is a simpler sugar, aka the bees have broken it down into its simplest form, so the body processes it better than sugar (and way better than corn syrup). Things made with honey might be a good sub for you.

For me, since I started doing this, I chew gum like crazy. It's sweet, and it still gives me something to chew on so it kind of seems like eating. Extra has the Dessert Delights, which are decent. Having been chewing gum for several months now, I've found the top flavors for me are 5's Elixir and React as well as Trident Layers, the green apple & pineapple or strawberry grapefruit. React lasts the longest.

Also, sometimes I'll do popcorn on days I really feel hungry. You can get the 100 cal bags in regular butter or kettlecorn flavors, and popcorn is very filling, which may help you push through until the next meal.

Hope that helps. Either way, don't give up! You can do this!

I try to eat with friends then you are less likely to binge. Also, if you just allow yourself to have a small bite then you won't feel deprived. If I ever want to indulge in a dessert, I eat my meal first then have a nibble of the sweet snack. Then, I throw it away. On the downside, I am wasteful.