How do you cut food cravings?

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immahappyhappyhorse
immahappyhappyhorse Posts: 12 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I just can't stop thinking about food and acting on those impulses even when I'm full. Food kinda just acts like an appetizer to me and I still feel the urge to eat after a meal. Even when I eat meals with more protein, the only way I can truly stop the temptation to snack is by eating a large amount of that snack before feeling sick of it and stopping. How do you cut such cravings? I've tried brushing my teeth after a meal but I just start eating again after the minty feeling wears off, and drinking water, though making me feel fuller, doesn't stop the temptation.

Replies

  • makkimakki2018
    makkimakki2018 Posts: 414 Member
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    I stop eating once my macro nutrient chart is maxed out to my specific goal and i stick to it no matter how hungry i am. I do try to eat foods that sit better in the stomach to keep from feeling hungry (ie: peanut butter and honey oat bread slice).
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
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    Don't tell yourself that any foods are off limits, just that some are treats and fine in moderation. Prelog your day so that you can make room for that treat. Many dietitians recommend a 80/20 rule where 80% of your diet is nutritionally dense, fresh food or food with minimal processing and 20% treats as the best way to deal with cravings and as a way to avoid binging. Also buy treats in individual serves so there is never much around the house. Always log before you eat, even if it is an unplanned craving. It might help you to reconsider or at least help find patterns to work out why they happen when they do.
  • Finkelstien
    Finkelstien Posts: 55 Member
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    you don't

    Planning and sticking to your MFP diary helps
  • Candyspun
    Candyspun Posts: 370 Member
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    I allow for snacks and track them.
  • teranga79
    teranga79 Posts: 202 Member
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    I wish I knew! I eat healthy, nutritionally balanced meals at a good calorie level for my goals, and incorporate all the food I like (including 'treat' food) .... but then at least once a week (and often much more) I'll start eating junk like there's no tomorrow - entire packets of biscuits gone in about 5 mins.... I can easily demolish a couple of thousand calories in a few minutes.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    I personally find that eating low carb and cutting the junk food out helps me. Also as well if you are an evening drinker (for some people) it can be a trigger to eat all the foodz! Full restriction doesn’t work for everyone, just portion control doesn’t work for everyone. If you’ve already tried one approach, then try the other. When I switch back to LCHF I tend to set a time period of 30 days to cut the junk, then i let myself re-introduce it. Generally after 30 days I don’t feel the need to re-introduce it so I don’t.

    Good luck.
  • Deviette
    Deviette Posts: 978 Member
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    Try and work out the real reason you want to snack. If you're hungry, then eat. If you're bored, find something else to fill you time. If you're emotional, recognise it and deal with it (talk it over, cry it out, punch a pillow, that sort of thing)

    If you really find it difficult to resist, try and budget it into your day. I used to get massive cravings for chocolate, so I budgeted it in. When life circumstances changed, that craving vanished completely, but it kept that craving in check.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    I'm another who finds my cravings and urges to snack are greatly reduced by eating a low carb diet- possibly due in part to reduced blood glucose swings. I tend to eat a duet heavy in meats, dairy and eggs with some veggies and nuts for carbs.

    I also find not having "just a bit" helps too. If I have a bit, I want more and more. If I skip it entirely, then I'm fine. YMMV
  • BlessedMom70
    BlessedMom70 Posts: 124 Member
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    I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic last summer. I started watching my carbs (and am now back in the normal range). I found that cutting the carbs really helped with cutting my appetite.
  • mywayroche
    mywayroche Posts: 218 Member
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    For me it takes approx 2 weeks of clean eating to get rid of cravings. Those first 2 weeks are a pain, peaking at around 1 week in.
  • NoExcusesFromNowOn
    NoExcusesFromNowOn Posts: 76 Member
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    All the above are great ideas. I take max magnesium. My personal craving relief is my end goal. My family is all on insulin and I'm terrified of needles. If I don't get my weight down thats what I'm facing. 😩😩😩😩
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,088 Member
    edited June 2018
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    Hunger hormones are a kitten! When you lose weight, leptin drops, ghrelin increases. This is still in play for years or until we pay the energy gap lost. As I have been told, some hunger is not a bad thing.
  • peggy_polenta
    peggy_polenta Posts: 322 Member
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    get yourself into ketosis by eating either low carb or ketogenic and most people will not have cravings and barely an appetite.
  • lucerorojo
    lucerorojo Posts: 790 Member
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    Logging everything, and explaining the craving in the diary helps. For this reason, I find cheat meals helpful sometimes. If I plan one a week I can splurge that meal (not more than 500 extra calories that day) and enjoy it guiltfree. I find that fitting in the snack daily does not work for me. Some of the foods are just off-limits for me, any kind of cookies, cakes, potato chips. Bread is also problematic for me--I rarely buy it but now and then I give in to that temptation. I had potato chips today with my lunch (from Panera) and I haven't had them in months. I used to be addicted to potato chips. I have no desire to have them again. I could not control it if I bought a bag but it is okay in one pre-packaged serving in a lunch.

    Overall, the better and more delicious my meals are, the less likely I am to snack/have cravings. Ideally I eat three larger meals each day and 1 or no snacks. Eating small meals and snacks makes me overeat.
  • mrdowell2017
    mrdowell2017 Posts: 53 Member
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    i tend to chew gum or have black coffee but if am still hungry bowl of oats rice càkes with nut butter banana or 2 hit the spot

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