CRAVINGS HELP!!! !! !

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Nedyahnes
Nedyahnes Posts: 6 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So tonight I was really really really craving having a Cheeseburger & Bacon Deluxe and after some time thinking about it I ultimately decided for a Chicken Caesar salad; but it got me thinking: what do you guys do whenever you get these cravings? Any healthy suggestions? I was really glad I didn't go the Cheeseburger route but I was so close to *kitten* up my streak of healthy eating for the past couple weeks so I would love any advice and/or suggestions! Thanks in advance!
:)

Replies

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    I try to practice self control. I find something else that might be awesome, but maybe a few hundred calories less. If I can't have a bacon cheeseburger and fries, maybe I can have a cheeseburger and side salad. Or, a grilled chicken sandwich. I don't know. I just ate a whole bunch of peanut butter and oreos so maybe I shouldn't be giving out advice.
  • pinggolfer96
    pinggolfer96 Posts: 2,248 Member
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    I'm not trying to be negative, but there is a high possibility that salad had more calories than the burger :# be careful of restaurant salads and their calorie counts
  • Nedyahnes
    Nedyahnes Posts: 6 Member
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    pinggolfer96 wrote: »
    I'm not trying to be negative, but there is a high possibility that salad had more calories than the burger :# be careful of restaurant salads and their calorie counts

    Do you mind explaining? I'm still learning about calories counting and trying to stick to a healthy diet but I'm curious why you'd think there's a high possibility that a chicken salad would be much higher in calories than a burger. I believe the difference in calories was around 900+/- for the cheeseburger and 280+/- for the salad.
  • Ringer1022
    Ringer1022 Posts: 45 Member
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    Was you salad a restaurant salad or homemade? Caesar and Ranch dressings, with their cream base, are very high in calories. Add the cheese and croutons, and you've actually got a wealth of calories.

    From CalorieKing.com chicken Caesar salad's:
    Chili's: 659 calories
    Carrabba's: 769
    Old Chicago: 847
  • Tricia7188
    Tricia7188 Posts: 136 Member
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    Dressings (esp Caesar types) can be very high cal, as well as all the delicious toppings like the parm cheese, croutons, etc. Was it fast food or sit down restaurant? Fast food you're probably safe assuming it'll be less cals, and bonus usually the dressing is in a packet on the side so you know the cals AND can use less dressing if you want. Sit down restaurants tend to have huuuuge salads which equals alot of dressing and alot of toppings, therefore alot of calories.
  • Nedyahnes
    Nedyahnes Posts: 6 Member
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    They are salads from the deli on my street corner so it's nothing particularly fancy. I always get the same toppings: chopped tomato, a little bit of corn, some cheese and ranch dressing with the chicken. I'd say it's a medium portion. But you guys have definitely making me reconsider how good of an option it has been since I usually get it as a late night meal when I get back from work at night.
  • Tricia7188
    Tricia7188 Posts: 136 Member
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    My number one recommendation with salads is ask for dressing on the side. Dip your fork in it and then take a bite, you still get the flavor but alot less cals.
    Salads are pretty variable with cals and depending how many cals you have to "spend" on it, it can make or break your calorie bank. It can be a great on the go choice, just have to be careful of cheeses and dressings mainly.
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
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    A cheeseburger bacon deluxe is not unhealthy. It's an item of food that contains calories and macronutrients.

    If you want one, there's no reason that these calories and macronutrients can't be fit in to a well balanced and overall nutritionally sound dietary intake.

    Single items of food do not make you unhealthy, your overall dietary intake does.

    Single items of food do not make you gain weight, your overall dietary intake does.

    Depriving yourself of the things you like may work in the short term, but longterm you're on a road to ruin.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
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    Keeps carbs under 100 grams/day. That helps!
  • Rodolfo69
    Rodolfo69 Posts: 10 Member
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    cityruss wrote: »
    A cheeseburger bacon deluxe is not unhealthy. It's an item of food that contains calories and macronutrients.

    If you want one, there's no reason that these calories and macronutrients can't be fit in to a well balanced and overall nutritionally sound dietary intake.

    Single items of food do not make you unhealthy, your overall dietary intake does.

    Single items of food do not make you gain weight, your overall dietary intake does.

    Depriving yourself of the things you like may work in the short term, but longterm you're on a road to ruin.

    Well said, as I was reading the comments I was I hopped some one would mention that valubel info....
  • lkizzat
    lkizzat Posts: 5 Member
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    Salad dressings vary from place to place on how high the calories are.. and until you look it up you wouldn't realize that a salad could possibly be extremely high in calories. I LOVE ranch so this has been a hard one for me but I try to go the vinegar routes and avoid cheese on my salads, but that's because I'm trying to stay away from dairy. Good luck!
  • Tricia7188
    Tricia7188 Posts: 136 Member
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    cityruss wrote: »
    A cheeseburger bacon deluxe is not unhealthy. It's an item of food that contains calories and macronutrients.

    If you want one, there's no reason that these calories and macronutrients can't be fit in to a well balanced and overall nutritionally sound dietary intake.

    Single items of food do not make you unhealthy, your overall dietary intake does.

    Single items of food do not make you gain weight, your overall dietary intake does.

    Depriving yourself of the things you like may work in the short term, but longterm you're on a road to ruin.

    Agree! I just got on the salad topic and forgot to mention this! Sometimes it's actually easier to log a burger too.
  • ForeverSunshine09
    ForeverSunshine09 Posts: 966 Member
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    If I crave a cheeseburger I eat a cheeseburger. Sometimes it is homemade and sometimes it is from 5 guys. A lot depends on what cals I have for that meal. A cheeseburger I have at home is less than 500 cals and a serving of my fries are 150 cals. So even with my cal goal I can usually fit that for dinner.
  • VanillaGorillaUK
    VanillaGorillaUK Posts: 342 Member
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    What I do is save up the calories throughout the week.

    I eat 200 calories less than my target during the week, so at the weekend I have an extra 1000 calories. Combined with my target calories, this allows me to have a big junk food meal, guilt free.
  • Nedyahnes
    Nedyahnes Posts: 6 Member
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    Thank you so much for the info everyone! As I have started using this site and logging in my caloric intake with different foods throughout the day I have realized I generally have 100-200 calories that I don't consume for that target day so now I know I could use them for something else. And now I also know about not to necessarily deprive myself of specific foods. This is an awesome support group and I'm learning so much :)
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
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    Nedyahnes wrote: »
    pinggolfer96 wrote: »
    I'm not trying to be negative, but there is a high possibility that salad had more calories than the burger :# be careful of restaurant salads and their calorie counts

    Do you mind explaining? I'm still learning about calories counting and trying to stick to a healthy diet but I'm curious why you'd think there's a high possibility that a chicken salad would be much higher in calories than a burger. I believe the difference in calories was around 900+/- for the cheeseburger and 280+/- for the salad.

    Restaurant salads tend to have a cream-based dressing mixed in, tons of bacon, croutons, cheese, etc. I like to ask for dressing on the side, and half-cheese in order to cut back on calories. (I eat the hell out of every crouton and bacon bit though since that's the only time I allow myself to have those items)

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