will cravings go away?

munozrd
munozrd Posts: 62 Member
edited November 20 in Food and Nutrition
I am learning to understand what I am eating. Its kind of scary actually. But, even then the cravings, urges, whatever it is get strong. Will this go away?

Replies

  • Rammer123
    Rammer123 Posts: 679 Member
    Yes it gets easier with time.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Nope.
  • jayemes
    jayemes Posts: 865 Member
    The cravings don't go away but at least for me they're becoming a conversation I have with myself rather than a mindless *stuffing things in my face*. Bread/carbs used to be a big weakness of mine, so when I started a few months ago I cut out bread, rice, pasta and cereal for about two weeks. Then I let them back in with moderation. Now I can rationalize that they taste good but aren't worth screwing up my whole week - everything in moderation
  • xandra47
    xandra47 Posts: 121 Member
    Must be different for everyone, I don't crave junk at all anymore. My sugar cravings have even turned into fruit cravings :)
  • CoachJen71
    CoachJen71 Posts: 1,200 Member
    What are you craving, and can you shrink the portion size or feed the urge with a substitute? (ie I love peanut butter, but use PB2 in yogurt to get some flavor with a protein boost.)
  • OliveGirl128
    OliveGirl128 Posts: 801 Member
    kristen8000 wrote: »
    Short answer, No. You'll need to be strong and resist the urge/craving for the rest of your life. At your start weight, in between and at goal weight.

    Sorry. I wish I had better news for you but I've been doing this since 2011 and still crave things. Usually, I just say no. Sometimes, I give in. But I always log it.

    Or, you could just learn to fit the foods you enjoy into your calorie targets. Seems like a much more sustainable way to go....

    OP-I go through phases with different foods and like trying new things. However, I've never completely cut out any foods that I like, I've just learned how to make them fit into my weight management plan. This has made the past few years of maintenance much more enjoyable, and it will make my next 50 years of maintenance a bit easier :)
  • jaymijones
    jaymijones Posts: 171 Member
    My cravings don't necessarily go completely away. But it does get easier, and very manageable. The first two or three weeks are the hardest. Then it becomes manageable. For instance in the beginning I NEED to get a giant box of cookies and eat them ALL right now! And once I get past the first two weeks it's more. Cookies sound good, I'll treat myself to a fiber one brownie. Then I can usually move on and forget about it.

    I think it's individual. I'm to the point right now were when I crave something sweet a bowl of peaches with a small scoop of ice cream over them usually satisfies my craving. But that wasn't always the case. In the past those peaches would need to be smothered in sugar and Carmel syrup and lots and lots of ice cream.

    And I also think how you have your calorie deficit set can make it worse, if it's too steep, then yes you're going to want to eat ALL THE THINGS.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    For me it depends on what I'm eating.

    If I eat a lot of carbs then no. Cravings are big.

    If I skip most carbs then I have very few cravings for problem foods. This was true for me while losing and has held true for maintenance too.
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    Stop eating the foods that cause cravings on a regular basis and the cravings will go away.
  • JJS1979
    JJS1979 Posts: 177 Member
    Everyone is different, some people cannot be tempted with a little amount of something they really enjoy others can eat it in moderation. Ultimately you have to do what works for you, if you dont think you can handle small portions of something you like then stay away but for most people they can fit it into their plan.

    Personally for me, it would be a very boring life if i could never have a brownie, or cake, ice cream or a pizza again. The key is to not overdo it and plan out when you are going to have these treats. I usually use Sunday as my day to have a few treats but i've learned not to over eat or binge. I think if you talk to most people who have successfully kept off their weight they will tell you they eat whatever they want, in moderation. Goodluck!
  • lisa2113940
    lisa2113940 Posts: 21 Member
    edited August 2017
    For me, yes! I spent my life with a huge sweet tooth that would put most children to shame but after going half a year with no sweets (more due to being poor than anything else), cake and candy grossed me out because of the excessive sweetness. I eat pretty clean in general now and feel great because of it. Health is more than CICO and weight loss... I still get cravings, but what I crave seems to change based on what I've grown used to eating. I crave healthier stuff now. I still have the occasional slice of pizza but it's less fulfilling and doesn't leave me feeling as good as it used to so it's easier to stop after one or two slices. It just tastes way too greasy now because I'm not used to all that grease anymore. I've heard that reducing sugar and salt actually causes you to pick up on more subtle flavors in food and makes high sodium/sugar food less appetizing. Don't let people get you down, everyone is different and just because some people still crave junk doesn't mean you will! Who knows, maybe their occasional giving in is keeping them hooked! Good luck!
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    xandra47 wrote: »
    Must be different for everyone, I don't crave junk at all anymore. My sugar cravings have even turned into fruit cravings :)

    Which is basically the same thing?
  • alondrakayy
    alondrakayy Posts: 304 Member
    I feel like now that I am on an aggressive cut, the cravings are so real. Before when I was eating just a little under maintenance it was as if I wasn't on a diet at all. I could fit plenty of the foods I loved! I would make sure you're not restricting yourself too much. And if the cravings are super real for you, try to fit a bit of those treats into your day. There's no reason this process should be as difficult as some make it out to be.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,839 Member
    There's cravings and there's hunger pangs and they are two separate things for me. I've made one goal paramount and that's sticking to my calorie limit. The choices of what to eat are built around that. Oh, there are lots of other things that go into the calculations like getting enough fiber, a good mix of nutrients, etc. but THE PARAMOUNT goal is staying within my calorie limits.

    This means I can eat anything ... within limits. It means I limit some things because I am trying to stay within my calorie limits. I may choose not to eat a couple slices of bread slathered with butter because I don't want to use up that many calories. I often put such things in the diary, look at the hit to the calories and delete them, choosing instead to eat something that is equally satisfying but less calorie dense.

    I also consider how satisfying a particular food choice is in terms of satisfying hunger pangs. For example, 140 calories of tortilla chips seems small and can be wolfed down in seconds leaving me hungry for more tortilla chips. 140 calories of frozen dark sweet cherries takes 15 to 20 minutes to melt in my mouth like frozen bon bons and doesn't lead me to want to eat more cherries.

    All of this is a learning process.
  • xandra47
    xandra47 Posts: 121 Member
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    xandra47 wrote: »
    Must be different for everyone, I don't crave junk at all anymore. My sugar cravings have even turned into fruit cravings :)

    Which is basically the same thing?

    Lol added refined sugar is not anything close to natural sugar in fruit. Not to mention the fruit has fiber along with the sugar. But everyone is entitled to their opinion, I just do what works for me :)
  • bikecheryl
    bikecheryl Posts: 1,432 Member
    They did for me. :)
  • DharmainHeels
    DharmainHeels Posts: 94 Member
    YES!!! I can't believe the food I used to crave. I would never touch it now!
  • Ironandwine69
    Ironandwine69 Posts: 2,432 Member
    This is a very vague question.
    Will you ever crave anything ever again in your life? Yes you will.
    Will you crave the foods you used to eat every single day once you are used to eating better? No, it will get easier with time.
  • enyagoboom
    enyagoboom Posts: 377 Member
    My experience has been that the cravings still happen - someone saying "Coke" makes my mouth water (even just typing it... sigh) but the practice of saying no has made it easier to not always give in.

    The other reason this is working for me this time is that I'm not *always* saying no to everything that I am craving. Sometimes my body legit needs *something* and denying it is just asking to be miserable. I always log it though, whatever it is, and keep going. I've had some days where my food log looks like a fat-bomb hit it with sugar shrapnal. It is what it is.

    Tomorrow I am planning on going kayaking with a friend as a reward for finishing my summer classes strong and then we're going out for icecream and you know, I'm going to enjoy every part of it and not panic about the calories in said icecream, nor am I going to find the no sugar version of my ice cream. Finding that balance is an ongoing, moving target.

  • enyagoboom
    enyagoboom Posts: 377 Member
    (that being said, I also avoid going to places where I know I'm going to have a hard time. Like. Friendly's restaurant is probably going to not happen for me ever again which... honestly doesn't make me sad anymore)
  • kristen8000
    kristen8000 Posts: 747 Member
    joseccastaneda wrote: »
    kristen8000 wrote: »
    Short answer, No. You'll need to be strong and resist the urge/craving for the rest of your life. At your start weight, in between and at goal weight.

    Sorry. I wish I had better news for you but I've been doing this since 2011 and still crave things. Usually, I just say no. Sometimes, I give in. But I always log it.

    That's the reason that most people fail. Its a pretty drastic ideology. I'm all for healthier eating, but if you get a craving, fit it into you daily calorie allotment and move on.

    No where in my post did I say you can't have the things you crave. I said I try and resist it, and if I can't I make it fit. The OP asked if they go away, and honestly, I don't think they ever do.
  • kristen8000
    kristen8000 Posts: 747 Member
    OliveGirl128 wrote: »
    kristen8000 wrote: »
    Short answer, No. You'll need to be strong and resist the urge/craving for the rest of your life. At your start weight, in between and at goal weight.

    Sorry. I wish I had better news for you but I've been doing this since 2011 and still crave things. Usually, I just say no. Sometimes, I give in. But I always log it.

    Or, you could just learn to fit the foods you enjoy into your calorie targets. Seems like a much more sustainable way to go....

    OP-I go through phases with different foods and like trying new things. However, I've never completely cut out any foods that I like, I've just learned how to make them fit into my weight management plan. This has made the past few years of maintenance much more enjoyable, and it will make my next 50 years of maintenance a bit easier :)

    Once again, I never said you can't eat what you crave. The OP asked if they every go away. I still crave the same things I craved at my highest weight as I do at my goal weight. My highest weight was 6 years ago. Some times the truth hurts.
  • lalepepper
    lalepepper Posts: 447 Member
    edited August 2017
    I have found they don't go away, but they become easier to keep under control as you see the positive effects of your choices and create a lifestyle that makes it easier to support your goals with less temptation. Yes, I still get cravings for pretzels, cookies, nachos, etc., but not keeping them easily accessible makes it a heck of a lot easier to keep them under control. I still eat these foods, but less often, and I get them in settings where I can't eat a whole bag/box.

    I think back to when I was quitting smoking. If I had cigarettes around or a friend/family member who smoked and offered to share around, I was MUCH more likely to accept. If I had to go and buy a whole new pack and lighter and smoke outside by myself, it was a deterrent. I've also found that like cigarettes, often the craving for food can be suppressed in 10-20 minutes.
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    Well, it depends on what you mean by cravings.

    Particularly during the first week or so in a deficit, you'll be very hungry. That will go down a lot later on - the first week is the hardest week by far. Your body takes a little time to ramp up fat burning to make up for the calorie deficit, and in the meanwhile you'll have a rough several days.

    Cravings for specific foods won't really go away. I just try to work the foods I like into the calories I have.
  • carolinelanewa
    carolinelanewa Posts: 45 Member
    I use to have a terrible sweet tooth. Now i dont even have sugar in coffee. Dont miss it at all and cant imagine eating a slice of cake now. But have been on a no potatoes and pasta diet for 3 weeks. Pasta i miss.
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