Hard To Always Eat Clean - Cravings

graelwyn
graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Try as I might, although I eat healthy and clean most of the time, I seem to get days or a run of days where I find myself craving ice cream, chocolate and biscuits(cookies) really intensely, to a point that even having apples, pears, greek yoghurt and all manner of healthy foods around, doesn't help. I will pass the shop, fighting with myself against buying anything such as I mentioned above, but sometimes end up caving in and buying anyway.

I cannot pinpoint if it is connected to my doing a heavy run of exercise in the days before, or just phases of my monthly cycle, as it seems to be these times it is at its worst. I don't really want a life where I can NEVER treat myself to an ice cream or a slice of cake with a coffee, but I am beginning to think my all or nothing nature is really working against me here.

Does anyone else have this issue?
I note here that I have never been overweight and am nowhere near overweight, but I do wish to be healthy and maintain my current weight, and I don't see how this will always balance itself out.

Replies

  • smilingalltheway
    smilingalltheway Posts: 216 Member
    I think life is to short to never have ice cream again, so when I decide to have some I will go to the best ice cream shop around and, have a small or medium serving of my favorite flavor and enjoy the heck out of it. Then walk away from it, I wouldn't beat myself up, I will continue to eat the way I need to, but I wouldn't live the rest of my life not enjoying my favorite foods.
  • Brittonloves
    Brittonloves Posts: 60
    I'm naturally an all or nothing type of person, too. The last two months I've been trying to live by the 80/20 rule. Eating healthful foods 80% of the time, and indulging in foods that are all about taste instead of really fueling my body 20% of the time. Not perfect at it, but I'm moving forward. Progress not perfection-- that's what I have to remind myself constantly.
  • IveLanded
    IveLanded Posts: 797 Member
    they say that it takes 3 weeks to make or break a habit.

    When I started my journey, I went on a 3 week uber strict diet and I did not cheat once. No junk, no booze, nothing other than healthy, clean food. For me, it took almost a month but after a month I absolutely did not have any cravings for junk. In fact, my cravings switched to things I'd been eating........almond butter, sprouted wheat tortillas, tallapia. :)

    I got myself through it by saying "I can do ANYTHING for three weeks!" and it worked. Maybe you should try 3 or 4 weeks of "no junk allowed" to try to retrain your brain and stomach. You can do anything for a month, right? :)
  • New_Keeley
    New_Keeley Posts: 170 Member
    Hi

    This is exactly me!! I do not have a sweet tooth.... I don't eat chocolate, sweets or cake. Never have. I don't even have sugar in my tea....never have.

    So like you, why now am I craving all things sweet?? I never ate them before....

    I don't think it's part of my cycle as I think I would've craved them before but it needs to stop!

    Sorry I can't help you resolve it but I'm defo in the same boat!
  • graelwyn
    graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
    I'm naturally an all or nothing type of person, too. The last two months I've been trying to live by the 80/20 rule. Eating healthful foods 80% of the time, and indulging in foods that are all about taste instead of really fueling my body 20% of the time. Not perfect at it, but I'm moving forward. Progress not perfection-- that's what I have to remind myself constantly.

    Yeah, I do pretty much do this, only my 20% tends to come in bursts, rather than a little at a time, lol. I might have 5 days of really good eating, then 2 days of eating a fair amount of ice cream or other such rubbish. I suppose it frustrates me as although I like it, I know it has nothing of benefit for my body in it, is basically full of rubbish and is addictive, hence there is so much of it in the shops, so the businesses can make money out of the addictiveness of sugar and the like.

    But I will eat good for a time, then start wishing I could take myself out for a small pizza, or sit and have a frappucino and a piece of cake on a weekend, which is fine, but it tends to lead me to craving more of the same sort of thing. It really sucks.
  • bikhi
    bikhi Posts: 175
    I have lost 53 pounds, 7 in the last month just by exercising and counting calories. I haven't eliminated any kind of food. I have a binge day about every two weeks and eat 1600 calories on the days i exercise and 1200 on the days i don't. Right now i do 45 minutes of cardio 6 days a week.

    Seems to be working for me. I don't see why you should deny yourself anything.
  • brneydgrlie
    brneydgrlie Posts: 464 Member
    Is there anything in common with the stuff you are craving? Other than, for example that they are sweet? Maybe your body is actually craving a specific nutrient or even a flavor that is in those things.
  • graelwyn
    graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
    Is there anything in common with the stuff you are craving? Other than, for example that they are sweet? Maybe your body is actually craving a specific nutrient or even a flavor that is in those things.

    The worst tends to always be sweet and crunchy things, I seem to regularly need something with a certain sort of crunchyness when I have exercised a lot, hence the going after the cookies, or if I am doing okay, no sugar apple rice cakes.
  • srpm
    srpm Posts: 275 Member
    Is there anything in common with the stuff you are craving? Other than, for example that they are sweet? Maybe your body is actually craving a specific nutrient or even a flavor that is in those things.

    The worst tends to always be sweet and crunchy things, I seem to regularly need something with a certain sort of crunchyness when I have exercised a lot, hence the going after the cookies, or if I am doing okay, no sugar apple rice cakes.
    Do you get most of your carbs from crackers/crisps/crunchy sources? Or protein from nuts??? Both of those are things that people need more of after workouts so it could be that's what you're really craving.

    I tend to crave pickles when my iron is low---I also drowned cooked spinach in vinegar as a child so I think my taste-buds associate the vinegar taste with my brains signal that I need iron :)
  • tryinghard71
    tryinghard71 Posts: 593
    I'm naturally an all or nothing type of person, too. The last two months I've been trying to live by the 80/20 rule. Eating healthful foods 80% of the time, and indulging in foods that are all about taste instead of really fueling my body 20% of the time. Not perfect at it, but I'm moving forward. Progress not perfection-- that's what I have to remind myself constantly.

    I agree with the 80/20 rule. When I have a craving I eat a fat free chocolate pudding that is only 80 calories. Sometimes have two:) I do find that the less sugar I eat the less I crave it. But there is nothing wrong with having a bad day once in awhile. I find that actually helps me stay on track the rest of the time by giving myself a break.
  • cmeade20
    cmeade20 Posts: 1,238 Member
    I had to start baking clean cookies and muffins and other goodies to appease my cravings
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