Craving Monster

LittleChipin
LittleChipin Posts: 105 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Ugh, I'm so terrible at caving into cravings! I can easily ignore hunger by drinking water, but when I crave something, I can't stop thinking about it until I have it. I don't drink soda or juice, but chips and pizza and fries are constantly craved. And substitutes just don't help the cravings. It really throws bumps in my weightloss! What are some things you guys do to crush cravings and keep them off the mind?

Replies

  • jeffkirkwold
    jeffkirkwold Posts: 33 Member
    Lately I have been real successful curbing cravings on a high fat/low carb eating program. While I loves the pizza and fries too, my weakness is pastries. But honestly, I'm between 60-70% fat each day and only 6-12% carbs from veggies. Works for me! I wish you the best!
  • LauraGrove1
    LauraGrove1 Posts: 11 Member
    I really enjoy ice cream. It is my downfall. I don't keep it in the house. I went to Dairy Queen and ordered a large blizzard. Afterward I realized it was upward to 1500 calories. It wasn't worth it to me because I felt like I had undone a lot of hard work (I burn close to that a day in exercise). Since then, I keep a type of ice cream on hand (substitute really) called Arctic Zero. It's not the same rich indulgence but it hits the spot when I know I am beyond just a small desire. If I want just a small amount, I let myself have what I want.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    When I do the following, I don't have cravings:

    1. Get sufficient sleep
    2. Exercise regularly - when I get the happy hormones from exercise, I'm not prone to seeking them from food.
    3. Get sufficient protein in relationship to carbs. I'm not low carb, but reducing carbs and upping protein worked for cravings for me. See also http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/fuller/understanding-satiety-feeling-full-after-a-meal.html
    4. Eat moderate amounts of fruit. This makes me less interested in higher calorie sweets.
    5. Take a magnesium supplement. This can be especially helpful for women premenstrually.
    6. Save foods like chocolate for after dinner, in small amounts
    7. Stay hydrated
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    I would never be able to plan my meals if I didn't give in to "cravings".

    I eat what I feel like, within my calorie limit.

    If I "crave" something, that's the plan for the day, and I make room in my allowance for it.

    And before anyone freaks out, I crave seafood and veg more often than pizza or fries.

    A little bit of indulgence keeps the binges away.
  • LittleChipin
    LittleChipin Posts: 105 Member
    Thanks to everyone for your replies, very good advice!
  • tamaraworrall
    tamaraworrall Posts: 166 Member
    I'm the same as you with cravings though not whilst I was loosing weight.
    Luckily my cravings are quite healthy most of the time and fit into my daily calories.
  • b3achy
    b3achy Posts: 2,134 Member
    edited August 2016
    Orphia wrote: »
    I would never be able to plan my meals if I didn't give in to "cravings".

    I eat what I feel like, within my calorie limit.

    If I "crave" something, that's the plan for the day, and I make room in my allowance for it.

    And before anyone freaks out, I crave seafood and veg more often than pizza or fries.

    A little bit of indulgence keeps the binges away.

    ^^^^ This!! I was wishing I could hit both the Insightful and Awesome buttons for this comment.

    IMO, it really is about having enough to satisfy the craving while fitting it into your calorie limit.

    Also try eating your other food for the day (or meal), before giving into the craving so you eat less of what you are craving, if it's not the best nutrient dense choice for you. Don't just open a bag of chips and sit there and eat them all mindlessly (I can eat a whole bag of chips that way). Pull out one serving, close the bag, and eat the one serving. I think cravings seem to abate a bit when you know you won't be deprived of the food, but you may just restrict the amount of that food so it fits into your calories and macro goals.

    After a while, it seems like if you know you can have it, you start to make smarter decisions...do I want the serving of chips, or would I rather have a serving of veggies that would have more nutrients for what I need today??...some days the answer really is that I want the serving of chips, and that is OK. But other days, you will choose the veggies because they meet your macros better than the chips did, and you won't even think twice about it.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    Potatoes are an item I wanted to exclude from my supplies, but that was only because I didn't want to deal with leftover fragments of russet potatoes after chopping away my 50 gram portion. And I had no intention of frying potatoes or baking a little tiny piece of potato in a little tiny piece of aluminum foil. However, I recently found Melissa's Fingerling Potato Medley at Wal-Mart, which is a little bag of several small potato varieties. I can use one or two at a time, with no leftovers. If it's the starch you you must have, maybe that will help. Another thing that may help is to get a big old jicama and chop off a 100 gm hunk and just eat it raw. It's rather fun to chew, being crunchy and sweet, but once it gets into your belly the high fiber nature of it fills you and quashes cravings. It's actually very low calorie, too.
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