Help please!

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newstart1988
newstart1988 Posts: 154 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
What are some ways to not give in to cravings? I struggle with binge eating and I'm trying really hard to lose 80 pounds. I try to eat between 1200 to 1500 calories a day.

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  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
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    What are your stats, and what did you set your goal rate of loss at (1 lb per week? 2lbs?). 1200-1500 calories per day may be too low for now. Trying to lose weight too quickly/aggressively can easily lead to hunger and cravings. Better to lose slowly (1 lb per week) and be able to stick with it, than try to lose fast and end up not losing at all because the cravings get to be too much to handle.

    Once you have a reasonable rate of loss set up, take a look at what you are eating. Are you getting enough protein, fat, and fiber? Those are the things that tend to keep people feeling full and satisfied the longest. Can you be more active to allow yourself more calories to work with? Are there foods that you find particularly "triggering"? You may want to avoid those, at least at first. Or are you making lots of foods "off limits" and ending up getting so focused on those that you feel deprived, and end up going overboard when you finally "give in"? Know that, so long as you stick to your calorie limit (the sensible one discussed in the first paragraph, that is), that you can eat whatever you like.
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
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    I personally could have never lost anything if I had to consume less than 1600 calories a day. Believe me, I tried and ended yup in a binge that killed my weekly deficit.

    Set your diary to lose weight slower.
  • fruttibiscotti
    fruttibiscotti Posts: 986 Member
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    I eat LCHF, which allows me to eat very rich foods (like bacon, full fat cheese, extra virgin olive oil, avocado, etc) to satiety without calorie restriction. I'm not tempted to snack at all, and can easily stay under 1500 cal. And I lose weight in the process. This is a strategy that works for me. I hope you find what works for you.
  • runningforthetrain
    runningforthetrain Posts: 1,037 Member
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    Increase your water, fiber, and protein. Go slower with the loss as others have suggested. I have hard candy as a treat - it lasts long and kind of takes the place of snacking.
  • terbusha
    terbusha Posts: 1,483 Member
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    Find some snacks that you can work into your calorie, macro, and fiber goals. For example, there are some great popcorns out there that are a lot of volume, take a good deal of time to eat, are pretty low in calories, and have some good fiber. I also like mixing a scope of chocolate whey protein with some vanilla greek yogurt for a high-protein chocolate pudding. It tastes great.

    Focus on nailing your calorie and macro goals, and you'll do awesome! Also, establish a tough workout regime. That helps...a lot.
  • newstart1988
    newstart1988 Posts: 154 Member
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    Thanks for all the advice I appreciate it!
  • NoExcusesLily
    NoExcusesLily Posts: 5 Member
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    Try sugar free gum. I know it sounds weird. But I've tried increasing protein and fiber to help with cravings and it didn't help me. So I now turn to sugar free gum of different flavors to help curb the cravings since cravings only last a few minutes if you can survive those few minutes. Also make sure you are drinking enough water. I try to aim for a gallon a day. Hope this helps some.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Total elimination just makes me want it more. Besides when I get to goal I either give up the thing for life.....or I attempt to figure out moderation at goal. Elimination for a diet, and figuring it out at goal never worked for me in the past.

    So I "allow" myself a treat every day. If you bump your daily calories a bit you can fit in something every day. I eat that something later in the day. That way I know that I'm still on track. Certain things I don't keep in the house (Hershey Kisses). But for some reason (wrapped) Ghiradelli dark chocolate squares are something that gives me a chocolate fix, and something I don't pig out on.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    NoExcusesLily wrote: »
    Try sugar free gum. I know it sounds weird. But I've tried increasing protein and fiber to help with cravings and it didn't help me. So I now turn to sugar free gum of different flavors to help curb the cravings since cravings only last a few minutes if you can survive those few minutes. Also make sure you are drinking enough water. I try to aim for a gallon a day. Hope this helps some.

    A gallon of water is excessive and not needed for most people.
  • NoExcusesLily
    NoExcusesLily Posts: 5 Member
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    Key word "most people." Might be excessive for some but either way you should aim for at least half a gallon. I'm over 300 and a gallon does it for me. But as always what works for one person isn't always necessary or helpful for another.

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