What is your go to think when cravings are hitting you hard?

BeatsPerMinute
BeatsPerMinute Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I can eat very well all day but something about the night time leaves me craving booze and fast food. I consume 1400 cals/ day (which is enough as I am a short female) well balanced macros and types of food. Even when I go over my cal limit I am craving at night. It's not hunger. I just want to eat lol. It's a terrible habit that sabotages all the work I do. I'm finding that listening to dance music helps! Trying to get some other ideas if someone has any :)

Replies

  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    edited February 2016
    Maybe a lack of protein in your diet?
    When I get cravings, I take air popped popcorn and fill up the kitchen with it.
    Drink water. My heaviest meal is at night. You should open your diary.
  • peachyfuzzle
    peachyfuzzle Posts: 1,122 Member
    Which sort of dance music? Wondering if that has anything to do with the username. :)

    I'll generally sate my cravings with extremely small portions of them. If I'm craving salty, I'll have like three potato chips, or if I'm craving something sweet, I'll have a Hershey's Kiss (although, the Hugs are better). I make sure to put the bag right back where I found it after grabbing my little taste.

    My weakness is ice cream. I have to plan out my day around eating ice cream because I'll sincerely go to town on some cookie dough, or peanut butter ripple. lol
  • 42firm03
    42firm03 Posts: 115 Member
    Hot tea. Diet soda.

    Both can take time to drink and feel like a treat. They don't always work but they are better habits than some of my old ones.
  • Talan79
    Talan79 Posts: 782 Member
    I want wine at night...it's the nightly thing that I miss. I used to fit it into my calories. But it's hard to measure out a 4oz glass and have just that.
    BPM? Are you into EDM? It's my go to music anytime of the day.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    Sometimes when you think you're hungry, you're really just thirsty. I agree with the suggestion to have a little tea or something. I have a few different expensive loose leaf teas that I use to make my own personal blends. It seems like a special treat and it's a little different each time. That often works for me. If you drink a few cups of water or tea and you're still hungry maybe you do need a little snack. Try something with protein. Or...just go to bed for the night. Sometimes that works too! I find that I have nighttime cravings (especially for sweet stuff) during the colder months of the year that I don't have the rest of the year. Could be a seasonal thing. ;)
  • SoulOfRusalka
    SoulOfRusalka Posts: 1,201 Member
    Yeah, music does it for me usually :P or a good book/show. (Penny Dreadful is great because it's 1. so terrible and over-the-top that it's really engaging and 2. there's enough blood for it to kill my appetite XD)
  • 100df
    100df Posts: 668 Member
    edited February 2016
    I read on here that people say it helps to picture themselves 1 year from now and relate it to what you are eating or not eating. I've taken it step further and note my Google calendar 1 year from the time I am considering eating calories that don't fit in my calorie goal. In a year I am going to get a pop up on my phone noting where I was a year ago and what I ate or didn't eat to get me where I am.

    It will either be happy motivation or sad motivation.
  • Montepulciano
    Montepulciano Posts: 845 Member
    Honestly before I give into a craving I have a cup of tea. Now I put sugar and cream in my tea, so it is not calorie free, but a lot of times, the time making it, then sipping it, and what ever it was that I was certain I could not live without (picture german chocolate cake or pretty much anything else baked with chocolate in it) seems to be not so important.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Distracting yourself as you are doing can work. Exercise can, although late at night perhaps not.

    If it's the habit and you understand you aren't really hungry just wait it out. It will eventually pass and you will stop expecting to eat/drink at that time.

    When I stopped drinking years ago one tough thing was just that I had these positive associations with sitting there sipping a glass of wine and appreciating the taste, so I started making lots of different iced teas (make different flavors of tea or combine them and chill) and drank them out of a wine glass. I liked them unsweetened, and still make them (although I tend to drink them out of a coffee cup now).
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
    I guzzle two tall glasses of water as fast I can-- so fast that it makes me a little nauseous.
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
    I find watching CSI or Bones usually helps with hunger. I'm considering writing a book called the "Crime Show Diet"... It will notate all the gruesomest scenes and the record times so if you aren't actually interested in the show, you can just fast forward to the maggots and the autopsies, along with the length of time of each scene and its anticipated impact on appetite of the viewer.
    I think I'm only half joking about this, actually....

    Seriously, though, if I know I'm going to be craving something later, for example the day before my period, I just make sure I've saved a couple hundred calories for some chocolate, or tortilla with cheese, etc. :) (Tortilla, cheddar cheese, jalepenos, crisped under the broiler for 3 minutes- Not quite a taco, but helps with the taco craving.)
  • niamibunni
    niamibunni Posts: 110 Member
    I drink water. My Camelbak water bottle is always at my side.
    Or, I drink Peppermint tea (helps when those around me are eating the whole freaking kitchen at night).

    I meal prep on Sunday and then plan out my entire day of meals and snacks the night before on MFP, this is really helping with keeping me on track and not getting hungry until I'm supposed to be.
  • kayjajace
    kayjajace Posts: 9 Member
    I put on music too! Other go to options are
    If the weather allows, I take my dog out for a walk so I'm not any where near my kitchen!
    And if it's rainy or too cold I'll grab my two kids and put on a cartoon and snuggle.
    Sometimes when I do find myself holding the box of Swiss rolls I'll look at the calories and ask myself is it really worth an entire Jillian Michael's DVD workout? And 9 times outta 10 I put the box down (:
  • dalielahdawn
    dalielahdawn Posts: 141 Member
    Maybe save some calories from the day for night time splurges? Also, I got really into tea after dinner. I have like 3-4 cups a night now.
  • Cynsonya
    Cynsonya Posts: 668 Member
    10-20g of 88% dark chocolate usually satisfy my sweet cravings.

    If it's salty I'm after about 20g of pumpkin seeds do the trick.

    Both around 100 calories or less.
  • trjjoy
    trjjoy Posts: 666 Member
    I rarely have cravings. What I would do, though, if I were you, is to snack more often. To have a salad when your cravings hit. To bank calories for these craving attacks. To have low-cal snacks around. Soups. Diet jelly. Yoghurt. Veggies.
  • kettiecat
    kettiecat Posts: 159 Member
    I know I want to eat before bed and save calories for my snack. I usually have a bowl of fiber cereal with almond milk and a banana.
  • madhouse88
    madhouse88 Posts: 17 Member
    the PB2 chocolate kind is pretty awesome. I just mix a bit of that up and dip a banana into it. Around 150 calories if you eat the whole banana. Sometimes I save half the banana for a smoothie the next day, especially since I'm watching carbs, too.
  • zcassel
    zcassel Posts: 12 Member
    I would say drink water, I get the same way after I hit the gym and eat my post-workout meal that consists of a 3 egg omelet and cup of oatmeal, it's just never enough. I manage by drinking at least 16 oz of water, plus it's nice to have something to fill up with. Tea is nice too because preparing it takes time and you have to apply yourself to thinking about the task for a moment, also, not burning your hand off on a hot tea kettle. It's not easy, but sometimes willing yourself into not needing something is a road to take as well. You've come this far, you can go a bit further.
  • kalynbreann357
    kalynbreann357 Posts: 56 Member
    If I'm craving while I'm hungry I usually tell myself to eat a healthier option before hand and if I still want what I was craving I can have it, usually by the time I'm done eating the healthy option I've completely forgotten about the cravings or I am too full to feel like indulging.

    I also try to drink water or eat a few pieces of fruit if I know its not time for my next meal. Other than that it just takes time and getting used to saying no to yourself more than yes.
  • Venom69
    Venom69 Posts: 6 Member
    Usually, water kills any cravings you might have. I know it's a boring answer, but it's usually the trick. But if that doesn't do it, I'll usually have a pickle.
  • maasha81
    maasha81 Posts: 733 Member
    I usually drink water or a hot cup of tea. If I still want something to eat - my go to snacks are greek yogurt, cottage cheese, fruit or string cheese.
  • lucyee
    lucyee Posts: 32 Member
    Cynsonya wrote: »
    10-20g of 88% dark chocolate usually satisfy my sweet cravings.

    If it's salty I'm after about 20g of pumpkin seeds do the trick.

    Both around 100 calories or less.

    Likewise. I get chocolate cravings in the afternoons at work, so I have one square of very dark chocolate, which I keep a bar of in my locker - usually stops me from raiding the vending machine.

    For salty, usually popcorn will do the trick.

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