Its getting hard!!

While I don't understand anyone having a craving for something from McDonald's (yuck!), I think we all have foods that we enjoy that aren't necessarily good for everyday eating due to nutritional values, fat content, whatever. However, most can easily be worked into your food plan without going over your calories.

I zig-zag my calories with a weekly target rather than a daily one. Some days I just can't eat all my calories, particularly if I've eaten super-healthy that day AND had a big calorie burn, so I save those calories to eat later in the week if I want a splurge. The splurge might be a dinner out with friends or a swing past my favorite, locally-owned greasy-burger joint or pizza or some yummy dessert or whatever. Sometimes it's several small splurges, sometimes one huge splurge. As long as I meet or am just a tad below my weekly calorie target, it's all good.

Although I've never been one to be able to eat a lot of food at any one serving, even at my heaviest, so I'll often only eat half the portion in a restaurant at that sitting because some restaurant portions are huge and ask for a take-out box to be brought with my food so I put the other half in it for lunch or dinner the next day before I even start eating. This really helps keep me from overdoing it at one meal and getting overly stuffed so that I'm uncomfortable.

If it's a lifestyle change, rather than a diet, you need to be able to learn to allow for splurges in a way that doesn't trigger binge-eating. If I know I can have it, I don't feel a need to binge as there is no deprivation. Just knowing I can have it if I choose to have it, often makes me decide that I don't really want it or that I'd rather wait until another time to splurge. Deprivation is what causes me to want to binge. I don't feel deprived this way so I don't binge. Hope that makes sense.

In the end, I think if you're going to splurge, make it really count. For example, I love baked goods but I don't eat them more than about once a week, usually, give or take. But I don't waste my calories on any old, just OK baked good. If I'm going to eat it, I either make or go to a good bakery and get something super scrumptious and then savor it slowly. I almost make a ritual of it. I might make a good cup of coffee, put it all on my nicer china, go sit in my favorite spot, and really enjoy the whole process of eating it. Or I'll do the same with getting my occasional chocolate fix. I'll go buy a wonderful, rich and creamy chocolate truffle, take nibbles, let it melt in my mouth slowly....yummy heaven! I don't waste my chocolate splurge on a crappy piece of chocolate or eat it so quickly that I barely taste it. Don't use up your splurge calories by eating mindlessly.

I get the carb cravings big time. So far I haven't given in...only been 11 days though so I hope I can hang in with the good choices. What works for me in those moments is to imagine how guilty I'd feel after I ate it and remembering how great I feel after making good food choices. I spent too many years shaming myself about being overweight to keep that crap up now over some pancakes. It doesn't make the craving go away, just helps me manage it and make the absolute decision that it's not worth it. If I can get to the place mentally where the answer is a NO!!, i can ride it out.

The cravings will go away eventually. I used to crave fast food at first (bojangles was a weakness of mine) but I ate it once and realized my taste had changed.

fast food tastes gross to me now

wow lots of feedback
I agree with most others...don't deprive yourself or you will just set yourself up for failure.
If you want to eat out, then do it. Try to eat the healthier choices. I stay completely away from any french fries.
Last week, my craving was for Wendy's Root Beer Frosty Floats. I indulged but I counted it towards my calories as well.

thanks everyone this helps a lot!! You will all be happy to know that the craving is completely gone and no i didnt go get mcdonalds lol. I really like telling myself i can have it if i want....cause then it makes the craving go away more! Also, I usually know when i do give in i feel like crap afterwards. Not just cause i ate something gross and its giving me a tummy ache but worse like i failed a little. Thanks again everyone you guys are great

Good Job!

I make deals/ challenges with myself sometimes.

Ex. I want to watch a movie, but I eat and eat and eat when I watch one by myself. So the deal is I can only watch the movie if I don't snack while watching. I fill up a glass of water, of diet coke, or crsytal light and watch my movie. Then if i feel snacky and go to the kitchen I remind myself that if I have a snack I have to turn off the movie for the rest of the night. That stops me dead in my tracks.

Works for other stuff too. I bite my nails watching tv/movies, so when I notice I've started biting I stop and put on a coat of clear nail polish - can't munch on them while the polish is drying!

With specific cravings, like mcdonalds, the challenge I give myself is to delay gratification. I can't have it today, but I can on a different day. Then I set about picking what I want (with idea of working in the calories) and pick the day I can have what I picked. It puts me back in control. I, and I alone, pick what and when to have it. The craving doesn't get to choose. Then I look forward to it without the guilt of being a failure during and after eating it

I still eat fast food but I order a kids meal.

McDonald's isn't even real food. I have not had it in 8 years!!!! Think about what you're putting in your body. You might as well make yourself a homemade hamburger with FRESH meat and vegetables and remember, lighter the cheese the better it is for you