How do you turn off cravings?

anxietyfairy
anxietyfairy Posts: 36 Member
I wanted KFC the other day, and couldn't stop thinking about it for like an hour straight. I ended up buying KFC. Sometimes it tastes great and really hits the spot, and sometimes- not so much.

What makes the cravings go away?

I've heard of having it anyway and fitting it around your calories, filling up on healthy food, waiting it out, or putting as many steps between you and food as possible (for example, go for a walk, ring a friend, have a nap, eat some fruit, drink some water, have an actual meal, read a book etc then decide if you still want the craving.)

It just seems like the cravings don't go away and I feel powerless. I'm wondering if I should go to overeaters anonymous but I don't really want to apologize to people for eating, and I still want to eat treats occasionally, so I'm not sure how that would work out.

Replies

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    I don't think you can if they are something you really enjoy and associate with happiness. So IMO, that's where discipline kicks in and you figure out what's more important to you. Eating what you want to or meeting the goal you want. As a former bodybuilder, dieting for a contest was really tough because it's usually 4 months of prep and the closer you get to a contest, the less food you eat and the blander it gets. No fried foods, low fat, low carb, low salt, etc. And that takes a lot especially if you have a lot of friends who socialize around food.
    So I think you really have to learn how be disciplined on how much to eat if you want to indulge and learn to be satisfied if you do.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 40 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,993 Member
    For KFC specific cravings, use the Chicago Tribune herb and spice mix
    https://digitaledition.chicagotribune.com/tribune/article_popover.aspx?guid=b95f6681-512a-4a04-be01-5ddfb2dcbcc7
    Dip chicken in any of (or any combination of) buttermilk, yoghurt, beaten egg and air fry the chicken.
  • LMKID
    LMKID Posts: 8 Member
    Well, that is a question that I have found an answer for (at least for myself). I started reading about why it's bad for me. For example, if I was craving KFC (because we happen to live near one and can smell it fairly often), then I was searching google "why is KFC bad for me" and then I would read that information - well after reading all about why it was bad for me" - well it really turned me off of KFC - ah for good. So, the more I read about why it is bad for me - the more it seems to work for me, and I seem to stick to what is good for me.
  • AdahPotatah2024
    AdahPotatah2024 Posts: 2,432 Member
    edited November 4
    Same here..health, plus the way it's cooked and I am sort of disgusted with the mass production of chicken and beef. & if that wasn't enough, the fast food I used to crave like Wendy's cheeseburgers tasted like cardboard or like they mixed water with the beef the last few times I went there. Fast food is generally way overpriced, in my opinion, for the decreasing quality/taste of foods.
  • chaney3000
    chaney3000 Posts: 268 Member
    I would say you can't turn off cravings completely. Just have to manage them. I would drink 16oz of water and eat something balanced like a protein bar or Greek yogurt with granola. And after that, if I'm still craving something I would get it or get a healthy equivalent. For KFC, I would say air fry some chicken and just buy the sides from KFC
  • Hobartlemagne
    Hobartlemagne Posts: 603 Member
    Eat an entire head of cauliflower.

    Thats an extreme approach, but the method is to get really full on calorie-sparse foods that arent engineered to have extreme-delicious flavor
  • xbowhunter
    xbowhunter Posts: 1,309 Member
    edited November 18
    For me cravings were always about unhealthy sugar filled or highly processed food choices. The junk food industry has learned what additives make their food addictive and get away with making people sick.

    I had to shift my mind and see garbage food for what it is literally garbage that even my dog probably wouldn't eat. well maybe... lol

    Does anyone crave broccoli? The answer is no because it doesn't trick your brain in to wanting more... It's a food you actually benefit from and don't generally overeat it :)

    Now I can sit in front a bowl of chips and I see it as poison and want nothing to do with it. :)
  • madeleinehenderson1
    madeleinehenderson1 Posts: 8 Member
    edited November 25
    xbowhunter wrote: »
    For me cravings were always about unhealthy sugar filled or highly processed food choices. The junk food industry has learned what additives make their food addictive and get away with making people sick.

    I had to shift my mind and see garbage food for what it is literally garbage that even my dog probably wouldn't eat. well maybe... lol

    Does anyone crave broccoli? The answer is no because it doesn't trick your brain in to wanting more... It's a food you actually benefit from and don't generally overeat it :)

    Now I can sit in front a bowl of chips and I see it as poison and want nothing to do with it. :)

    Just sugar, it's all they need to add, people don't get hooked on additives they get hooked on the sugar/fat/salt ratios. Go read about sugar addiction. Very interesting.
    Also I do crave broccoli cauliflower and spinach if I haven't had them for a few days. Or salad I crave salads a lot, just with lemon juice and salt in it.