I Want FOOD

You can't beat junk food lust or carving, we all here knows that it is the hardest part. You can do few things. First you have to take control of your body via your mind. Now body need to be retrained to eat healthy salad and salivate the way it would when it would see that triple yummy chocolate cake. Dont worry we all go through this.

Then eat! But instead of junk food eat Carrots, you can eat 14 baby carrots they only have 30 cals.
orCelery stiks 2 only have 20 cals. dip them in calorie wise dressing!:flowerforyou:
I went shopping today and only got healthy foods and snacks.

Hope that helps

Mary:happy:

Yes. It does get easier. Once you get more into a routine, you won't be as consumed with thoughts about food, because you know what you're going to do for snacks, meals, etc. Good luck and don't give up. It really works if you stick with it!:flowerforyou:

I'm still trying to "make" myself think of food. I was so mad today because it was 12:30 p.m. and I still hadn't eaten anything because I was doing things around the house, etc., etc. I finally shoved a whole wheat bagel and some fat free cream cheese in me.....logged it in and drank 32 oz of water. I've been doing very well and decided that once a week I am going to treat myself to what I LOVE the most.
I ordered a BIG MAC and took one of the meat patties out (i'm not much on meat), and a fry and diet coke. I logged it in and I STILL have calories left over. Thank goodness I skipped exercising today (I have a chest cold) because there would be MORE calories to burn.

STOP FIRST

First stop. Its hard yes, but i agree with the previous poster. You're probably not physically hungry. If you are not physically hungry, ask yourself why you want to eat. Bored? Anxious? Fearful? Worried? Happy? Excited? Habit or time of day (triggers)?

For boredom or anxiety choose three other things you like to do that you can do when you get tha bored feeling. Here are some ideas:
- walk
- surf the internet
- email friends
- do a small craft or art project
- listen to music and dance along
- read
- do a crossword puzzle
- do volunteer work
- go bowling
- take your dog out to play
- go to a museum or art show
- write a poem
- learn a language

Listen, there's so much more out there in the world to do besides EAT. We've been MISSING LIFE!
I'm new to his board but sInce starting my diet i have taken up a new language, joined a book club and rediscovered how much i LOVE to dance (even if in the privacy of my Napster blaring bedroom).

But, it does get easier. Mostly though we chronic dieters have to find a new way to relate to food. And to identify our emotions. Food is not for emotions, its for nourishment. Think of a smoker who grabs a ciggie out of habit. We're no different actually. Some smokers will tell you they always smoke when they drink (trigger) or if before work (habit) or when they're angry (emotional coping).

Well, we do the same thing with CHEESECAKE. I used to always eat at 4 p.m. when watching Judge Judy. Out of habit. So now I don't watch or if i do I watch from a different room which apparently doesn't trigger my desire to eat. (go figure!). You have to pay attention to yourself and its a neat discovery process, actually.

So, SLOW DOWN and listen to and observe what's happening when you feel the urge to eat.

and IF you're truly HUNGRY PHYSICALLY then either

1) eat something that is healthy and snacky like a pickle, sliced green peppers with a little dressing on them, a handful of almonds, some melba toasts, an apple or apple pie (try this: dice small apple squeeze 1/2 a lemon on it, microwave for one minute, sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg and splenda on it, add a dash of sugar free maple syrup....MMMMMM like apple pie!) Find snacks you like that don't have 4000 calories.

If you must have an unhealthy snack:

2) try to choose something you LIKE in small quantity. Like chocolcate? Don't eat an entire bar, buy one of those individual Lindt chocolate balls - 75 calories or go to the mall and get one turtle from the store where they sell chocolate by weight from the glass display. Want chips? Don't buy a huge bag of chips, by one of those 33 cents mini lunch-sized bags on display at walmart (about 120 calories) . Buy two or three pieces of Brachs candy (you know the kind that sells by weight at the grocery store). Here's a rule: If your decadent snack of choice cannot be purchased in single small servings (NOT a package of 100 calorie snacks - that doesn't count cuz we will eat the whole box 100 calories at a time, right) then don't buy it. You'd be surprised how many things come in small individual packages if you search for them.

Mostly though, to be triumphant, you are going to need to develop a different outlook at food and to do that you must first identify when you are PHYSICALLY hungry vs when you are emotionally hungry.

I was the same way my WHOLE first week of the diet. I had never dieted before so it was so hard. I was hungry all the time! By the second week, my metabolism must have evened out, because I can easily go 3-4 hours without feeling that hunger pain. I think it will get easier for you too!