Help Me Kill The Crave Monster

Bearface115
Bearface115 Posts: 574 Member
edited September 29 in Food and Nutrition
what is wrong with me.... i am pretty much ruined for the day. i just cant be satisfied with what i am eating. i just had to buy that second sandwhich and eat it all and then go for a starbucks frappacino. The NON light option mind you. it's like i am trapped inside my body looking out my eyes seeing what i am doing to myself in the options im choosing and inside Im screaming what are you doing ,stoppppp!! please put it back and chose your first option which was fruit. but then my other "crave monster" side says, well you should get it because you love it and it will keep you full, and dont you want that frappacino, the sugar and coffee will wake you up and keep you alert.... i have been doing this long enough to know that what i am doing is very wrong and i am the cause of my sabatage bc of the Fricken cravings that warp my mind set completly and i dont come back to reality until after the damage is already done... Im discourgaed and i feel like i cannot start to lose weight because that monster inside me wont let me.... I need advice, REAL advice. Help me kill this Monster TODAY, Like RIGHT NOW! Message me or comment.

Replies

  • Drunkadelic
    Drunkadelic Posts: 948 Member
    I was totally there as well the past few days and it's really out of character for me. This might be asking TMI but is it TOM? because that was definitely my problem. I wish I had advice for you, but I didn't know what to do either and ended up just giving into my cravings. It went away though thank goodness!
  • Kupkayke85
    Kupkayke85 Posts: 9
    The crave monster is an awful creature :) We all have to learn to fight him off. I always ask myself this questions when choosing what to eat, "Am I going to feel good about eating that later?" Its helped me alot. Before when I would eat something bad instead of healthy I would feel tired and cranky...But when I choose the healthy stuff im up and ready ago every morning! I also don't get that feeling of "Oh my gosh Im so full it hurts!" anymore. That isn't a good feeling at all. You don't have to cut everything out, Just fill in Chips with Special K Cracker chips (they are great!) when having your sandwich. You feel amazing afterwards when picking the healthy stuff!
  • caitlinccccc
    caitlinccccc Posts: 1
    Bearface, first, you must forgive yourself for the crave monster... we all have bad days. One thing that helped me was taking a step back.... you said you can see "what i am doing to myself"... can you see why? Is there something that happens that triggers those moments? When my crave monster comes i try to take a moment to find out why... count to 10 and think about it. I might go for a walk and then if I am still hungry... maybe I will have that second sandwich even if it takes me over my count. Don't fight with your body- try to get in touch with it. And if the crave monster still comes... remember sometimes it is okay-- you have to forgive yourself. Inner strife will only make the whole process harder... Good luck!
  • jacquie1969
    jacquie1969 Posts: 7 Member
    It happens.... Try water, taking a walk, deep breathing, brushing your teeth! Chewing really strong mint gum also works... If you do give in... Don't give up. Be kind to yourself...
  • rirodrig2000
    rirodrig2000 Posts: 1
    Hi, I don't have any real advice, but I understand completely. I'll be fine for a few weeks and then all of a sudden it's as if something else takes over me. I've begun to think of it as an addiction. Meaning, there are times when I "have" to have whatever it is I see that I know is bad. To put it into perspective, I try to remind myself that eating that chocolate bar is only going to be for 25 seconds and ask myself if it is really worth it. The foods we want during those craving times usually end up not even tasting as good as we had pictured in our minds. It's hard...GOOD LUCK! Rita:glasses:
  • donovon
    donovon Posts: 1
    I know this wrestling match well. The most effective way I have found to control it is to create a negative reinforcement so when I consider that extra "little bit" I am reminded that there will be very uncomfortable consequences that will totally outweigh any perceived benefit. Aside from that, the only thing you can do is try to structure your life so you don't have time or opportunity to get the extras.

    I know that sounds vague. Try planning your daily meals ahead of time, when you get up while you're setting up breakfast plan your lunch and dinner. Don't plan on eating out instead pack something and bring it with you to work. The farther you are away from those extras, the less likely you are to go get them. Make a schedule and stick to it: Breakfast at 8am, 100cal snack at 10am, lunch at 12pm, etc... Don't let yourself deviate from the plan! When the crave monster tells you to rise and find, think back to your schedule and put the monster off till the next food interval, then feed it only what is on the plan!

    You can succeed! Good luck!

    =-MDP-=
  • melbaby925
    melbaby925 Posts: 613
    You sound like me a year ago. I once obsessed over chocolate mousse for 3 weeks before I gave in and finally ate a truckload of it and made myself sick. I don't have a magic answer for you, but here's what's worked for me:

    - Meditation. I know it sounds crazy, but constantly obsessing about food has a way of carving neural pathways in your brain that you need to change. Being calm and less stressed about the obsession is what gets you past the craving.
    - Stop the negative self talk. This was HUGE for me. That voice in your head telling you that you're not going to be satisfied by any healthy food or need that second sandwich - that is just the inner food addict freaking out at losing the dopamine hit you were getting from food. You need to tell that voice to shut it and that it isn't right. Then work on getting that dopamine hit from healthy foods or exercise instead.
    - Remove the limits. I have been eliminating the word CAN'T from my world. I am able to eat whatever I want, as long as I'm within my calories for the day. So if I want the cheeseburger, I eat it. I just make sure FIRST that I have the calories available to do it. If I want the cupcake, I exercise more to 'earn' the ability to eat it and fit it in. Surprisingly, this worked for me and I now am making smarter choices.
    - Exercise. I take the dog for a walk whenever my cravings try to take hold. He's the luckiest boy in the world: he's walking up to 4 miles a day now :)

    Once I got control over the food demon in my head and told it to go the hell away - I realized that I am able to do this weight loss thing, and I'm now making smarter choices about food and not eating the cheeseburgers and cupcakes as much anymore.

    I hope that this helps you girlie. You can get a handle on this and conquer it! Take your power back from the Crave Monster.
  • HadraPriestess
    HadraPriestess Posts: 58 Member
    You've already started to kill the monster by exposing it to the light! How courageous you are!!!

    Monsters like to hide. They like to get you to thinking you can't overcome whatever you have the desire to accomplish.
    They lie. They cheat. They steal our self esteem. They are selfish and give you deceptive reasonings to get what THEY want...not what YOU want. They do their dirty work in the darkest part of our soul.
    But, They are wrong. And, you can expose them and overcome their influence on your life. Now, right NOW!!!

    Find just one hour today...set an alarm for the time.... and dedicate yourself to you. Do not let anything or anyone distract you. Find that place for you to sit in and hold yourself. Hold yourself like the precious person you are. No judgement about food you've eaten, drinks you've drank. exercising you have or have not done. NO judgement. SIT WITH YOURSELF. Feel what you are feeling.

    If one time does not work. Do it again. Sit w/ yourself until you can love yourself through a monster attack. Recognize the "attack" for what it is....Lies. Unloving, spiteful lies. You are not the monster, you are the positive force that will figure out how to get rid of the monster. You have the capability or you wouldn't have ask for help.
  • Bearface115
    Bearface115 Posts: 574 Member
    thank you everyone for the replies. i just need to start to focus on bring food with me rather than gonig out and picking stuff up!
  • Bearface115
    Bearface115 Posts: 574 Member
    It kinda happened again this mroning. the F%^&ing monster cant leave me alone at all... im ready to give up and give scream, but i at least had Saladworks for lunch. i wish there was another way to just Shut up the screaming freak! Im sitting here at work... i know im full from lunch.... and all i can think about it snacking on chocloate. i just chugged water and had a vitamin water... there are Donuts on the other desk and soon enough im going to be hungry enough to sneak one... but i dont want to sneak bad food anymore, i want to be good for once! HELPPPPPPPP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
  • tmarie2715
    tmarie2715 Posts: 1,111 Member
    I would guess you are having a lot of sugar, even in your "good" meals. Vitamin water is loaded with sugar, so drinking a lot of those or eating certain foods that are advertised as healthy but have tons of sugar or salt make you crave more of them, and then you binge on chocolate or a Starbucks drink later.

    Even sugar free products are supposedly setting you up for a binge on real sugar later. I would try to replace those sugary drinks with water or lemon water. It may seem yucky or unbearable at first, but you have to train yourself out of drinking so many sweet things.

    Fruit is another way to get in some healthy sugar and stave off the bad cravings. Watermelon, strawberries, peaches...

    Slowly but surely you won't crave the bad sugar as much, I promise.
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