food cravings?
brenn24179
Posts: 2,144 Member
Usually I can eat something like candy corn and want no more of it and satisfies my craving. There are other things this does not work like nuts and I know they are healthy but I can eat the whole can and now it is cinnamon buns, so warm and good this cold time of year heated. I bought them and 2 days later I am craving more. Do you indulge in your cravings or does it pass? It may be a simple answer, trainer at the gym says if it is a trigger food dont eat it. Sounds kind of harsh not eating a food you like for rest of your life. Or maybe that is just the way it is. How do you handle cravings?
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Ha. If I didn't eat my trigger foods life would be very boring.
I'm "triggered" to compulsive eating by a lot of different things, but wheat is one I really have to tightly control. Put some sugar and fat in there and it's irresistible to me and my obsessive food monkey brain.
So yeah, I don't buy them very often.
The cinnamon rolls would have lasted one or two days in my house, and I live alone.
You'll have to devise a strategy for this. It's what we all have to figure out. The closer to goal weight I got the harder it was/is for me since I'm always a little bit hungry, but knowing this about myself helped me come up with my current plan. I buy single serve packages mostly. So I wouldn't make a pan of cinnamon rolls, I'd buy One at the store. Since a bakery cinnamon roll is gonna be 600-800 calories obviously I can't do that too often.
And yeah, the cravings get activated if I give in.6 -
I think I’m in agreement with your trainer. Just don’t go there!
My number one trigger food is peanuts. Salted or Dry Roasted. I have no problem with having them in the house but if I dare taste even one single peanut the flavour will haunt me until I can resist no longer and I won’t stop until I’ve eaten way too many!
I honestly don’t miss them these days - as long as I don’t put one anywhere near my mouth!2 -
I fit it in my day, or save it for a nearby higher calorie day. Sometimes I can hold off a craving for months or years (ex. a specific meal at a restaurant) so it depends what it is.4
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The real benefit of a diet change like calorie counting is that the ability to eat anything in moderation does allow you in a way to steer into the skid, so to speak. It is hard to outright avoid unhealthy food when it is always available, learning to live with it being there, and how to indulge in a way that doesn't cause harm is healthy. This is why people have things like cheat days. Now, those don't work for me so well if I plan them, but they do work for some people, and are part of the reason sustained loss with diet breaks is overall more successful.
In the end, you have to find what works for you. For me, there were often lower calorie versions of what I needed that would do the trick. Low calorie frozen yogurt basically got rid of all dessert cravings for me. Some chocolate kept me sane and was absolutely worth fitting in. If you feel like cinnamon rolls are too difficult to fit in, which honestly, I don't blame you, a cinnabon is like 900 calories, perhaps there is a more reasonable alternative?2 -
Depends on your definition of “trigger food.” If that means you are unable to eat that food without binging on it, then it often is best to avoid it altogether.
However, that’s a different thing than having a craving. If I crave a food, it fits into my goals, and I feel confident that I can stop after eating just as much as I intended to eat, then I eat it.3 -
Usually if I'm craving something it's because my diet is lacking in something that my body needs.
For example, every few weeks I CRAVE fat... a juicy fatty bacon cheeseburger... because my diet at home is just naturally low fat, not intentionally, it's just the kinds of foods that I naturally eat and cook. So every few weeks I plan on going out and getting a cheeseburger and fries and enjoy it. because my body is telling me it needs that fat, I give it to it. But it took me a while to figure that out.... before I figured out it was the fat I needed I would just eat anything and everything and the craving would still be there....and I would want more of whatever I had been eating, because I wasn't actually hitting on what the actually craving was for.
However, there are foods that I want (chips ahoy cookies for some reason) and that are a food I cannot regulate. Idk why I cannot regulate Chips Ahoy, I know there are better tasting chocolate chip cookies but if I have those in the house I will eat them all within a day or two. I just will. Experience has taught me that. So I don't bring them into the house. Or I buy the single serve packs, once every few months...4 -
brenn24179 wrote: »Usually I can eat something like candy corn and want no more of it and satisfies my craving. There are other things this does not work like nuts and I know they are healthy but I can eat the whole can and now it is cinnamon buns, so warm and good this cold time of year heated. I bought them and 2 days later I am craving more. Do you indulge in your cravings or does it pass? It may be a simple answer, trainer at the gym says if it is a trigger food dont eat it. Sounds kind of harsh not eating a food you like for rest of your life. Or maybe that is just the way it is. How do you handle cravings?
For me it's really on a case by case basis. For example, I'm the same way with nuts - I could sit in front of the TV with a canister and eat the whole thing. BUT, I've found that if I weigh out a portion that fits in my calories and put the canister away, I am unlikely to get up and take out more. However potato chips, I will get up and take out more and more servings until I've eaten the whole bag. So I don't keep chips in the house, and maybe once or twice a year I'll buy a bag and just accept that my calories will be awful today.
My strategy is always that if I'm craving something, I will try to moderate it - I'll log it first to see how much I can have, then I'll weigh out the right amount and put the package away, THEN I eat it. If that works, then I keep it around as a safe treat. If it doesn't, then that's a "special occasion" food that I have to plan and strategize to include on a rare day.
Typically my cravings are for a taste, not a specific food - salty, crunchy, chocolatey, cold - and I have safe treats that check each of those boxes. It doesn't always work, but it helps
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Sometimes if I really want something l have it anyway even if it means I go over my calorie allowance. You gotta have treats. I’m not sure I feel cravings as intensely as others have described here in mfp though.1
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Usually if I'm craving something it's because my diet is lacking in something that my body needs.
For example, every few weeks I CRAVE fat... a juicy fatty bacon cheeseburger... because my diet at home is just naturally low fat, not intentionally, it's just the kinds of foods that I naturally eat and cook. So every few weeks I plan on going out and getting a cheeseburger and fries and enjoy it. because my body is telling me it needs that fat, I give it to it. But it took me a while to figure that out.... before I figured out it was the fat I needed I would just eat anything and everything and the craving would still be there....and I would want more of whatever I had been eating, because I wasn't actually hitting on what the actually craving was for.
However, there are foods that I want (chips ahoy cookies for some reason) and that are a food I cannot regulate. Idk why I cannot regulate Chips Ahoy, I know there are better tasting chocolate chip cookies but if I have those in the house I will eat them all within a day or two. I just will. Experience has taught me that. So I don't bring them into the house. Or I buy the single serve packs, once every few months...
This is almost exactly how I operate, too! Even down to the occasional fatty burgers *and* the no Chips Ahoy thing. Chips Ahoy & Oreos don't come into my house anymore unless it's a pack of like 6-8 cookies for one time consumption.
For me, I'd say cravings are kind of a "long term" thing. By that I mean, if I start thinking about donuts on Tuesday, I won't rush right out and get some...but the thought of donuts and craving is probably not going away by Saturday, and I'll make a point to go and get the best donut to satisfy my craving. Then I stop at one or two and feel good about it. Years before joining MFP, I would just give in to cravings daily. Fortunately I did not have any trouble with true binges but I did "indulge" way too often.
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... Idk why I cannot regulate Chips Ahoy, I know there are better tasting chocolate chip cookies but if I have those in the house I will eat them all within a day or two. ....
I applaud your strength and resolve. I can put away (eat) that pack of Chips Ahoy in under two hours. Thankfully I rarely do that, because the memory of the belly ache lasts along time.
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I don't believe I have ever had cravings. Probably since in the past I have never deprived myself of anything I liked.1
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I do not believe in instant gratification for a craving especially if it is going to be hard to fit in my day or week. I prefer to give it at least a 24 hour cooling off period to make sure I still want it and I wasn't just momentarily influenced by something like a commercial.
I have found out recently that my ability to moderate is enhanced by eating enough calories. Long story short I needed to cut 200 calories from my day for about 3 months for medical reasons and it was less safe for me to have things like potato chips in the house. Now I can have them in my cupboard again and resume eating them in small amounts with no problems.
Logging all food helped me get over a few "trouble" foods. Knowing that I would have to face hundreds of calories I had not planned to eat when I went to log and the disappointment it would bring keeps me accountable.
I prefer to keep what I would consider a non-threatening amount in the house of anything that could cause me trouble. For example I would not want enough calories worth of Reeses PB cups to erase my deficit for 2 weeks. I would rather just have enough to erase a day's worth so if I go overboard for some reason the situation is limited in scope.
Some people cannot moderate some foods or they require a very long time to get to a place where they can moderate them. Everyone has to figure that out for themselves.5 -
If I crave something, I generally look up some recipes and learn to make it, and then start subbing in some healthy alternative ingredients - not sure what to do about your nut craving, but I did acquire several different cinnamon roll recipes for exactly the reason you cited.
I'm *just lazy enough* that if I have to actually *make the thing I'm craving, FROM SCRATCH* I don't really want it that bad anymore.
Or sometimes I *do* actually make it from scratch and it's a healthier alternative to store bought (whole grain, 200 calories per serving as opposed to refined flour and 700 calories per serving, etc.).
It's my moderation medium between never, ever having tasty things, and regretting all my life choices.2 -
For me, it's a case by case as well. I am an icecream fiend. If I keep it in the house, its gone. I can moderate it by going out for some. Now chips, especially Funyuns, I abstain. I will throw some seasoned onions in the air fryer and crisp them up and they hit the spot.2
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For me, my weakness s bread.. Always was and always will be.. I will never have control over it.. For anything else I can control myself and fit everything in my daily budget but for bread I go crazy, out of control.. So I don't buy it for myself, I don't taste it, I don't look at it. When I see it laying down on kitchen counter and before I reach for it, I make myself green tea wz ginger and cinnamon.. That thing s so nasty for me that not only kills my cravings but also my desire to eat anything in whole day.. Or I squeeze myself a lemon juice wz or wz small dose of sweetener and make myself busy working out.. Is it healthy? Don't know but, it s working for me..if this doesn't help u can try banking a bit calories over a week and indulge one a week into ur weakness..0
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psychod787 wrote: »For me, it's a case by case as well. I am an icecream fiend. If I keep it in the house, its gone. I can moderate it by going out for some. Now chips, especially Funyuns, I abstain. I will throw some seasoned onions in the air fryer and crisp them up and they hit the spot.
Crazy how people are so different. We don't buy ice cream because it almost always ends up wasted. This is not since we have been losing weight either. Almost all ice cream remains in the freezer so long unfinished that it is inedible. In the past 2 years I can count 3 times I have eaten ice cream. I tried Halo Top or some comparable deal, I had a Sundae from McD, and we bought a small carton of ice cream while in a cabin on vacation.
Alternatively I feel deprived if I cannot have chips. If I were to guess I would say that in the last 2 years I have easily eaten 10k calories worth of chips or chip-like snacks. They make losing weight easier for me.0 -
these dirn cinnamon buns come in 6 servings, the only ones I like. Krogers does not sell them separate. Thinking about taking them to a social event like church and having 1 and leaving the rest for others. I will see how that works. I tried freezing them, Nope, I got back in them. I tried an alternative like honey bun, No, just wont do. Wasting calories on stuff I dont want. Last time I got them I ate 4 out of 5 servings. Now I think about it I dont leave donuts in the house either, I will eat a couple and then go back in couple hours and get 2 more and so on every couple hours. The people who dont get cravings are lucky, I think I am 400 lb person in 157 lb 5'4 body. MFP got 40 lbs off of me so I dont want to mess it up. Hey I give most of my gummy bears to teenagers next door, may have to give cinn buns to them. Yep looks like giving them away is in my future.0
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psychod787 wrote: »For me, it's a case by case as well. I am an icecream fiend. If I keep it in the house, its gone. I can moderate it by going out for some. Now chips, especially Funyuns, I abstain. I will throw some seasoned onions in the air fryer and crisp them up and they hit the spot.
yes it is funny how certain foods will get us! I know I cant have much of my trigger food around now for sure, but I am getting at least one! thanks2 -
Yeah, trigger foods are difficult. I'm in favor of avoiding them when possible. My self-discipline when it comes to golden Oreo's is non-existent. I promise myself, every time, I'll just eat a couple... and every time I end up eating the entire middle row and 1/2 way up the sides. In less than an hour.
My suggestion would be to find out the "why's" of your craving. Taste, texture, convenience/ease of access, and habits are a few. As well as craving sugar, carbs, proteins, or fats. With me, the golden Oreo's were a taste/sugar thing (ha, like with many people). To compensate, I make my smoothies with lactaid whole milk, or almond milk to make them a slight sweeter and creamier. It ain't perfect but it has helped me stall out my Oreo cravings1 -
There's a lot of stuff I can't have in the house, mostly sweets. I'm trying to become more of a moderator since I recently upped my calories and am trying foods that come in individual packages. For foods I'm craving I try to ride it out. If I'm craving a chocolate bar or pizza I tell myself if I'm going to eat it I'm going to get the good stuff, like gourmet chocolate or pizza from a pizzeria. I usually don't end up doing it but the option is there. I couldn't have a bag of chocolate in the house or a plate of brownies so I'll just buy a single serving instead or eat my craving when others are there so there's little to no leftovers (like my favorite cake for my birthday party and just bringing home two slices).0
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If you don't eat certain foods for long periods of time, you'll end up craving them. I went from having grilled cheeses everyday to not having cheese for...months. the last time I had a pizza was when my bf bought us one, 3 weeks ago. and before that I didn't eat a pizza for months.
Sugar is addictive, unfortunately. Flour too. Try having warm oatmeal with cinnamon and some brown sugar, or switch the sugar for some fruits 🤔0 -
brenn24179 wrote: »Usually I can eat something like candy corn and want no more of it and satisfies my craving. There are other things this does not work like nuts and I know they are healthy but I can eat the whole can and now it is cinnamon buns, so warm and good this cold time of year heated. I bought them and 2 days later I am craving more. Do you indulge in your cravings or does it pass? It may be a simple answer, trainer at the gym says if it is a trigger food dont eat it. Sounds kind of harsh not eating a food you like for rest of your life. Or maybe that is just the way it is. How do you handle cravings?
why not eat fruits and vegetables instead1 -
duyphapempilona wrote: »brenn24179 wrote: »Usually I can eat something like candy corn and want no more of it and satisfies my craving. There are other things this does not work like nuts and I know they are healthy but I can eat the whole can and now it is cinnamon buns, so warm and good this cold time of year heated. I bought them and 2 days later I am craving more. Do you indulge in your cravings or does it pass? It may be a simple answer, trainer at the gym says if it is a trigger food dont eat it. Sounds kind of harsh not eating a food you like for rest of your life. Or maybe that is just the way it is. How do you handle cravings?
why not eat fruits and vegetables instead
Because for many of us, eating a food that we don't want when we're craving something specific doesn't do anything to make the craving go away. If a food fits into your goals and you feel able to stop at the amount you intended to eat, then you can eat it. There's no reason you have to replace it with fruits and vegetables.4 -
ouacupiper wrote: »Sugar is addictive, unfortunately. Flour too.
Eh, I eat fruit and other foods with sugar all the time, with no "addiction" issues. In fact, almost everyone does, since your body easily transforms starches into sugar too -- your body can't actually tell the difference, and runs on sugar typically.
Re flour, I can take or leave bread, usually don't waste cals on it, but if I have some I certainly don't have some binge issue. I have pasta quite often, with protein and veg, and find it very satisfying, again, no binging. So at best you are overgeneralizing.
Btw, flour is just refined grains and if consumed with fiber (as with veg), should not actually be different for your body than oats (which are grains with more of the fiber with them).6 -
duyphapempilona wrote: »brenn24179 wrote: »Usually I can eat something like candy corn and want no more of it and satisfies my craving. There are other things this does not work like nuts and I know they are healthy but I can eat the whole can and now it is cinnamon buns, so warm and good this cold time of year heated. I bought them and 2 days later I am craving more. Do you indulge in your cravings or does it pass? It may be a simple answer, trainer at the gym says if it is a trigger food dont eat it. Sounds kind of harsh not eating a food you like for rest of your life. Or maybe that is just the way it is. How do you handle cravings?
why not eat fruits and vegetables instead
Because for many of us, eating a food that we don't want when we're craving something specific doesn't do anything to make the craving go away. If a food fits into your goals and you feel able to stop at the amount you intended to eat, then you can eat it. There's no reason you have to replace it with fruits and vegetables.
This^. Last night I was craving chocolate and peanut butter. Period. If I chose to be "good" and eaten an apple with peanut butter (1 small apple ~ 70-80 calories+1 T. PB 90 calories) that craving would've still been unmet.... Instead, I answered my craving with one square of Ghirardelli 60% chocolate (50 calories)+ 8 g peanut of extra crunchy butter. 95 calories altogether and the craving was satisfied with no need to have more.
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ouacupiper wrote: »Sugar is addictive, unfortunately. Flour too.
Eh, I eat fruit and other foods with sugar all the time, with no "addiction" issues. In fact, almost everyone does, since your body easily transforms starches into sugar too -- your body can't actually tell the difference, and runs on sugar typically.
Re flour, I can take or leave bread, usually don't waste cals on it, but if I have some I certainly don't have some binge issue. I have pasta quite often, with protein and veg, and find it very satisfying, again, no binging. So at best you are overgeneralizing.
Btw, flour is just refined grains and if consumed with fiber (as with veg), should not actually be different for your body than oats (which are grains with more of the fiber with them).
Agreed, not saying certain foods might have "addictive" like properties. N=1 here. I have worked with people detoxing from opiates and benzodiazepines... never offered a favor of a questionable repute for a Pixie Stick.... just saying
@NovusDies , it is strange how different por brains can be.... try and take my icecream and I'll cut someone!2 -
ouacupiper wrote: »If you don't eat certain foods for long periods of time, you'll end up craving them. I went from having grilled cheeses everyday to not having cheese for...months. the last time I had a pizza was when my bf bought us one, 3 weeks ago. and before that I didn't eat a pizza for months.
Sugar is addictive, unfortunately. Flour too. Try having warm oatmeal with cinnamon and some brown sugar, or switch the sugar for some fruits 🤔
Or you might decide they are no longer something you want or you can now moderate them.
I used to drink 4-5+ Diet Pepsi 20 oz bottles a day. I gave it up one Lenten season (40 days) and decided they aren't that big of a deal. Maybe drink 2 per week.2 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »ouacupiper wrote: »If you don't eat certain foods for long periods of time, you'll end up craving them. I went from having grilled cheeses everyday to not having cheese for...months. the last time I had a pizza was when my bf bought us one, 3 weeks ago. and before that I didn't eat a pizza for months.
Sugar is addictive, unfortunately. Flour too. Try having warm oatmeal with cinnamon and some brown sugar, or switch the sugar for some fruits 🤔
Or you might decide they are no longer something you want or you can now moderate them.
I agree sir, there is some evidence that the longer you abstain from certain foods the brain will overwrite the old memory of them.2
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