What do you do when you have intense cravings?

Eat a little of what you are craving, make them fit into your calories for the day.

Sometimes I just have to get rid of the temptation.

Today I put 1/2 bag of toasted pumpkin seeds out on the porch for the squirrels and raccoons to finish. I also tossed out a bag of cheetos that were leftover from our halloween party.

I was the only one eating them and they have put me over my calorie goal several times. Today I decided that I was in control of me and the food just had to go.

I know it's wastefull, but it also feels really good to have the POWER to control the food, instead of letting it control me.

Several times this week, I was able to leave food on my plate or save something for the next meal because I was full. These are all things that I wasn't able to do before.

Now don't get me wrong, this is after a year and a half of building up my "binge resistance" muscles. It's has been a really challenging journey, but every small victory makes me more and more confident in my ability to make healthy choices for myself.

Since I don't keep junk food in the house, all I have to do is not take the butter out. If it doesn't warm up, I can't make any good treats. I just refuse to get the butter and think about something else. I don't really have many cravings anymore. I think I resisted long enough that it's habit to go without the stuff, you know?

I sip my coffee. That helps a lot, something about still imbibing something without actually going for that delicious-looking brownie. But honestly? Most times I just eat the darn brownie. I am very lucky to have a treadmill in my house, as well as the option of traipsing down the hall to the treadmills in my apartment complex, so if I REALLY just have to have something, I'm gonna have it. I do my best to go take the walk that's gonna burn that off FIRST, sort of to earn it (as well as teach myself a little patience and delayed-gratification), but if I don't get there first, I make it my priority to get there as quickly as possible after to stay under goal.

Maybe go half way with some of the aforementioned suggestions. Get rid of anything you keep in the house that is just a terrible trigger food for you, and keep some of the things you really love, but think you can handle saying no to. Then make it your priority to "earn" those treats by taking a walk (30 mins can burn a LOT, you'd be surprised). Then you have set yourself up for success by keeping trigger foods out of the house, but you have also allowed yourself some leeway with other foods which you can use as training tools for your self control. Then perhaps you'll get to a point where you can have those things in the house and not go overboard because of all the practice in exercising self discipline you'll have had:)

I think about what it is I'm craving and whether eating it is going to do me any good. I usually decide that it isn't beneficial and find a non-food distraction.

talismanicmagic wrote: »

I usually log what I'm craving first, even if I'm at the supermarket and see something I want, I get my phone out and log it, if it's going to take me over my daily, I usually leave it, but fitting small abouts of cravings into a daily plan has worked well for me, mind you I'm only just starting out, but I used to devour a bag of crisps BEFORE Dinner, I've learnt to buy smaller portions or just find something lower in calories.

Glad you are finding what works/helps you.I usually post my days food that morning. It can be changed,but like having that days calories right there. Easy to hit go or no for snacks.