Well, I went and done it now...
GlenWalterGal
Posts: 85 Member
I could not resist any longer and had a bag of potato chips today (putting me well above my allowed calories for the day). The sad thing is: I really enjoyed it.
I wonder if I will ever get to the point where I see junk food and go YECH.....I can't imagine how that could happen...I find it so so so difficult to stay on track because I love all the things that we now identify as "bad for you": chocolate, potato chips, hamburgers and mostly desserts.
Has anyone gotten completely over these cravings? How did you do it? Please let me know that there is indeed a light at the end of the tunnel.
I wonder if I will ever get to the point where I see junk food and go YECH.....I can't imagine how that could happen...I find it so so so difficult to stay on track because I love all the things that we now identify as "bad for you": chocolate, potato chips, hamburgers and mostly desserts.
Has anyone gotten completely over these cravings? How did you do it? Please let me know that there is indeed a light at the end of the tunnel.
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Replies
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I think it will come...I am trying to get myself excited about all of the healthy foods that I am looking forward to prepare this week. I honestly am excited - and I think that is the first step.
I don't think grabbing for a few "tempting" foods is all bad - just add it in your food diary and account for it. Or do an extra 10 minutes walking. The more you deprive yourself the more likely you are to slip up.0 -
I haven't gotten completely over my cravings either, but it has gotten better. I buy the Baked Lays and just eat the serving size. I still have issues with sweets, but I try very hard to decrease the amount I eat. When I do eat sweets, I always stick with one serving so it won't be as bad. Stay encouraged!0
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I haven't gotten over it...but i keep my chips until Friday or saturday evening. Not very often but I do have a 40g bag at work (usually when I have wicked PMS)...but yeah i try and keep the junk to the weekends, if you can accomplish that, then you can start abolishing junk totally. Try saying "no junk monday/wednesday/friday" and see how well you do. Make healthy smoothies or eat popchips (and count them out so you don't eat the whole bag) instead of regular chips. It will all come in time...I, however, am not there yet either.0
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I did that yesterday, only it was cookies.. so today I'm trying to be more careful. I think it's something that will happen off and on to everyone. I did find a nutritious snack that i liked that had some chocolate in it. Next time you're craving chocolate, have a Rice Cracker (35 calories) with a Tablespoon of Nutella(100 calories) spread on it. It gives you the hint of chocolate without crazy on calories.
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Not sure these cravings will ever completely go away. However, I have noticed that I don't crave some things as much, simply knowing how many calories and fat are in them. I've become completely disgusted with restaurant burgers. I don't get them anymore because I know many are over 1,000 calories. Before I eat something bad for me, I try to think about how many calories are in it, whether or not it's worth it, and how I'm going to feel afterwards. I see nothing wrong with treating yourself to a single-serve bag of chips or a small dessert every day as long as you count those calories accurately. I think it actually helps prevent you from binging on those foods in the long run. Good luck!0
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I don't think grabbing for a few "tempting" foods is all bad - just add it in your food diary and account for it. Or do an extra 10 minutes walking. The more you deprive yourself the more likely you are to slip up.
I couldn't agree with more with the above statement! You had some junk food- big deal. You ate it, you enjoyed, now move on. Don't beat your self up. The further you get into this lifestyle change the easier it will be, but it takes time! You can't go from all to none and think you won't miss it!
I find that when I do eat something I've been craving or indulge in dessert, I can't eat as much- it's either too sweet, or too salty, too greasy, etc. I end up with a nasty tummy ache most of the time too which is a big deterrant and reminder the next time I want that item
You are doing a fantastic job- keep up the good work! There is indeed a light at the end of the tunnel.0 -
It's hard to get rid of those cravings. The best thing I can suggest is to either keep them out of the house or pre-bag them into serving sized portions. I have a real weakness for cookies and chocolate candy. I can keep cookies out of the house (usually) but when I do have them in, I keep them in the freezer. Keeps me from going through it in a single sitting, and it's tucked in the back, out of sight. Same for chocolate.
Try goldfish. If it's the salty you are craving (what I love about chips), you might be amazed at how satisfying even half a serving of goldfish is.0 -
I eat hamburgers at home, I fit it into my allotted calories. If I am out I usually choose chicken instead. I do occasionally eat chocolate or dessert. I do it on a day I have extra calories for it, either because I ate less that day or because I exercised more. By allowing myself to have it sometimes, then I don't feel deprived. Just watch the portion sizes and fit it into your calories for the day. Last night my son informed me there was ice cream in the house. I checked my calories and decided I was too close to my goal, and I didn't feel like exercising. So today, I'm making sure to leave some calories so I can have some. It is all about choices.0
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I love potato chips, but the killer for me is the calorie content for what you get. I can eat a LOT more fruit for less calorie impact. If I really just want that potato chip crunch I will take a slicer and thinly slice up a potato and make my own chips in the microwave. you can search for microwave chips if you interested in trying them out.
I can tell you the cleaner you eat the less you will crave the junk. It does take time though.
Oh and if you want a burger just use whole wheat buns and the leanest meat you can find and make them at home. you will find homemade burgers are at least 200 calories less than any comparable fast food burger. make your cravings a rare treat instead of a common occurrence. That more than anything else will help. If you cut something out 100% that you want, you will just dwell on it until you binge on it. I learned this the hard way.0 -
I will never get over the cravings... what I do do is allow myself to have some from time to time in within serving size. No food is 100% bad what is bad is not having self control as in how much of it you are really putting in to your body. A serving of chips is 28g ab 18 chips depending on the chips of course... if you have the taste for it measure it out and make sure you tell yourself that is all I am having and no more... enjoy them, take your time eating them - almost as an affair with them, lol...
It is easier to eat in moderation than it is to not eat what for so many years you have eaten... there will come a time that eating other things will just become more satisfying... but it is all baby steps...0 -
This is the way I see it:
I've trained myself to think "EW" every time I see greasy or sugary food. I wouldn't let cake, candy, chips or stuff like that anywhere near my mouth. Because I've trained myself to see it not as food but just as "EW".0 -
When I get a craving, I immediately start looking for its healthier alternative. For instance cheesecake - I love it, I suddenly began craving it, I began searching for low cal/fat versions of it.
I made a cheesecake Saturday that is 171 calories a slice (8 in a cake). It's not the real thing, but it's close enough to make me feel "naughty" when I eat it.
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I've been doing low-carb to some degree for several years. I used to use a lot of diet soda, Atkins bars, South Beach stuff, sugar-free chocolate and other treats, and still had some carb cravings. The past couple of months, I've tried eating a "cleaner" low-carb, leaving that stuff out. For the first time, I can look at sweets or chips and not be particularly tempted, though I do allow myself a bit occasionally. I do have one square of good dark chocolate (72%) every day with my coffee, and will make homemade treats with stevia.0
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I could not resist any longer and had a bag of potato chips today (putting me well above my allowed calories for the day). The sad thing is: I really enjoyed it.
I wonder if I will ever get to the point where I see junk food and go YECH.....I can't imagine how that could happen...I find it so so so difficult to stay on track because I love all the things that we now identify as "bad for you": chocolate, potato chips, hamburgers and mostly desserts.
Has anyone gotten completely over these cravings? How did you do it? Please let me know that there is indeed a light at the end of the tunnel.
No, you will never look at junk food and not want it. Sorry, but that's the way most people are (myself included).
However, you will find that your desire to "eat the whole bag" does diminish. Your body needs time to adjust to your caloric intake, and you need to take the time to work out foods that satisfy you without wasting your calories on empty stuff.
And whoever told you that hamburgers and chocolate are "junk" foods is full of, well, this is a family-friendly forum so I won't say it. In MODERATION, decent lean beef is an excellent protein source, and chocolate (again in MODERATION, and the darker the better) is full of good stuff. Even potato chips are not unhealthy, if you can manage to eat about a dozen of them and fit them into your calorie budget.
But if you can't resist the whole bag, don't keep them in the house!
My usual dessert every evening is 5 ounces of red wine and about 15-20 Ghiardelli 60% chocolate chips. Suck on the chips one at a time to savor the flavor, and sip the wine. I can usually make it last about a half hour, sometimes longer. Best-spent calories of the !@#$@# day, I tell ya.0 -
I've been doing low-carb to some degree for several years. I used to use a lot of diet soda, Atkins bars, South Beach stuff, sugar-free chocolate and other treats, and still had some carb cravings. The past couple of months, I've tried eating a "cleaner" low-carb, leaving that stuff out. For the first time, I can look at sweets or chips and not be particularly tempted, though I do allow myself a bit occasionally. I do have one square of good dark chocolate (72%) every day with my coffee, and will make homemade treats with stevia.
That's the key - not getting rid of the actual sweetener, but getting rid of the sweet TASTE that makes you think that everything needs to be sweet all the time. Suddenly, you discover that there are other flavors like you had never believed before, and "sweet" is just one of a spectrum of beautiful, beautiful flavors.
Then something that is merely "sweet" becomes uninteresting.
This works on every flavor but bacon. 0 -
I'm at the point where fast food and junk makes my stomach turn for the most part, but once or twice a year, Taco Bell or a bag of puffy cheetos call my name. I think what helps me is knowing that the reason it tastes "good" is because it's been horrible processed, modified and altered from anything that resembles food. I think about all the fake junk in it and it turns me off.... except those few times... and then.... on those days... it still tastes amazing! Hah0
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This is the way I see it:
I've trained myself to think "EW" every time I see greasy or sugary food. I wouldn't let cake, candy, chips or stuff like that anywhere near my mouth. Because I've trained myself to see it not as food but just as "EW".
^^This.0 -
I don't know that you ever completely lose the cravings for the foods that you like, but I think we can mitigate the potential "damage" and more importantly, guilt, from the occassional indulgence. As so many have suggested, the key is to eat them in moderation and be accountable for them.
In addition to moderation and accountabilty, I would add, eat them with purpose. In other words, know what you are doing, be mindful of the food, and be ok with your decision.
For me, my favorite indulgence is definitely pizza! I LOVE pizza - I know that it's not healthy and I know there are ways to "lighten" it up - but truth be told, I like a good, greasy, pepperoni pizza. So, if I am going to have it, I take every purposeful precaution to minimize the damage. I burn extra calories at the gym, lift a little more, have a giant glass of water and salad to start and then savor the 2 pieces of deliciousness that I am going to allow myself. I eat it with purpose, fork and knife, slow - and know what I am doing and am ok with it.
I know it sounds corny and like I am playing mind games - I am. That's how I get by without feeling guilty - and know that it wasn't my downfall and that I didn't ruin everything I have already worked for.
YOU CAN DO IT!!!0 -
the day before I started MFP, I went to A&W because I had a coupon and I got the smallest hamburger they had (Mama Burger) even though I was craving a burger, after I ate it I felt so sick (not from food poisoning just from the grease) that has put me off fast food burgers.
As for other things - I allow myself 1-2 cadbury creme eggs a week now that I have them from easter (but usually one: 150 cals each) and then if I crave chocolate I use president's choice hot chocolate mix (real cocoa) made with water.
I don't crave pop anymore, finding I'm craving water and tea a lot.
for chips, I substituted them with rice crackers (sesame or bbq flavour) and/or triscuits (balsamic and basil flavour)
for candy - I have 35 cal candy but I find I'm not eating as many because when I want something sweet I go for fruit now usually.
This all happened in 2 weeks.0 -
Hell no!!! LOL I have to have my peanut butter and chocolate.0
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There's light and then some.
Take this to heart. You'll have moments like this, days like this, weeks like this.
I just had a MONTH like this.
Keep hopping back on the wagon as soon as you possibly can and your long-term-trend will still be downwards. That's the goal. It's impossible to avoid slip-ups... just don't turn slip-ups into give-ups.0 -
I haven't lost my cravings yet. I may try to find a healthier option but usually if I want it I have it. One serving if I can be good ;-)
Nothing is prohibited I just make sure to LOG IT!! That's what helps me stay accountable, have a visual record of what I did as far as calories, and gives me an idea how to mitigate the impact. I might can take an extra long walk after work to even things out a bit. It's all about balance for me.0 -
I REALLY crave potato chips. The Ruffles wavy ones, with tons of salt. I could literally eat a bag right now. (did I mention I really like them??)
Some days are worse than others. Most days (at work) I can ignore it, out of sight out of mind kind of thing, but the weekends are different. Because of that, I just make sure that I exercise portion control. I count out 15 chips and stick to it. I do my very best to not go over, but if I do, it's not too bad.
In my opinion, if you deprive yourself totally, you will overindulge. So give in once in a while, just make sure you stay within budget.0 -
The key for me was breaking the emotional attachment to food. Food doesn't make me happy, in fact it always had the opposite affect on me afterwards.
I now view food as fuel for my body, which makes it make easier for me to make good decisions. Yes, some fuel tastes better than others, but the key is to give your body the right amount of the right fuel to run it's best. Too much, too little, or the wrong type, and things are going to go bad quickly.0 -
I use the "substitution" trick I used on my kids when they were toddlers--if they wanted to play with something they shouldn't touch, I would grab a toy and say, "oh LOOK! How fun!!!" and substitute it for the "bad" thing, making it sound like the substitution was so awesome that there was no comparison. This way I wasn't taking something away from them, I was giving them something...avoided a LOT of temper tantrums that way.
So for myself, I substitute something comparable but not as bad for me--for example Special K Chocolate Peanut Butter protein bars. (LOL I write about them so much people will start thinking I own stock). They are only 180 calories, have 10g protein and are so yummy I feel like I'm eating a candy bar (not like some of those heavy, dense protein bars)...they have crisped rice inside too. They are SO good! Plus they have vitamins. So I eat one every day for a snack, and it's far better for me than eating a Snickers or Milky Way. Does the trick and keeps my vicious sweet tooth at bay.0 -
it's perfectly fine to treat yourself now and then, food should be enjoyed!
I seriously ran an extra mile the other day just so I could eat a Cadbury Creme Egg.0 -
I don't think grabbing for a few "tempting" foods is all bad - just add it in your food diary and account for it. Or do an extra 10 minutes walking. The more you deprive yourself the more likely you are to slip up.
I couldn't agree with more with the above statement! You had some junk food- big deal. You ate it, you enjoyed, now move on. Don't beat your self up. The further you get into this lifestyle change the easier it will be, but it takes time! You can't go from all to none and think you won't miss it!
I find that when I do eat something I've been craving or indulge in dessert, I can't eat as much- it's either too sweet, or too salty, too greasy, etc. I end up with a nasty tummy ache most of the time too which is a big deterrant and reminder the next time I want that item
You are doing a fantastic job- keep up the good work! There is indeed a light at the end of the tunnel.
I agree with both of these. keep going it was a few chips account for them, work them off and move on.0 -
Most of the crave snacks aren't that bad if you just measure out the portion. So, if you want it, just go for it. But the thing that has helped me most is asking myself "is this worth it?" Sometimes just asking makes me realize its actually not... but other times, heck yes it is worth it and I go for it.0
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I could not resist any longer and had a bag of potato chips today (putting me well above my allowed calories for the day). The sad thing is: I really enjoyed it.
I wonder if I will ever get to the point where I see junk food and go YECH.....I can't imagine how that could happen...I find it so so so difficult to stay on track because I love all the things that we now identify as "bad for you": chocolate, potato chips, hamburgers and mostly desserts.
Has anyone gotten completely over these cravings? How did you do it? Please let me know that there is indeed a light at the end of the tunnel.
Personally I've found a system that has worked for me for several years. I have a cheat day once per week, obviously I don't binge eat I just eat whatever I want in moderation without worry of the calories. For example I ADORE a good juicy greasy cheeseburger, so I'll have one on Friday or Saturday. My daughters baked cupcakes Sunday afternoon so I enjoyed one within my calorie limitations.
Usually if you eat right during breakfast and a small snack (a healthy one) between lunch time you'll most often "eat right" the remaining portion of the day and the cravings will cease.0 -
Don't get rid of your cravings...tame them. I allow myself to eat whatever I want IN MODERATION (you will see these words over and over, I am sure). By not making anything off limits, I tend not to crave as much. And when I do have a soda, or chips, or a piece of cake, I am darn well going to enjoy every taste. Eat/drink slowly, and perhaps only eat a half portion. If it is not absolutely delicious, stop eating it. I used to love those little waxy chocolate-covered mini donuts, and one day hubby came home with a bag of them. I pulled one out, anticipating that sugary goodness I remembered inhaling months ago, took one small bite and nearly gagged with the overly sweet taste of it. I threw the rest of it in the trash - so I wouldn't waste my calories on it - and had an apple instead. Not every decision is that rational, but my motto is: If it is not delicious, I am not eating it!0
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