Does this happen to you?

SGreen134
SGreen134 Posts: 136 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I start out doing good for a few days (staying within calories, exercising, etc.) then then I get a strong craving for something that I do not have enough calories left for so instead of making a healthy decision I end up binging on the food I wanted in the first place. Afterwards I tell myself that it is okay, yada yada yada but I keep repeating this behavior...it happens at least once a week. I keep losing and gaining the same 4 pounds...it is so frustrating.

Replies

  • stfuriada
    stfuriada Posts: 445 Member
    Exercise more to offset?

    Learn portion control? Deprivation is usually the approach people go with dieting, but that's really not something you can do long term or you end up hating your diet and falling off the wagon. Allow yourself what you want, but cut the portion in half or less. Plan for it in advance, so you can balance your daily calories around it.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    Stop telling yourself its ok?

    Dont coddle bad behavior. That's enabling yourself. Dont be that person. Do the opposite. Prove you want it.

    You know why?

    THe more often you eat the really good for you stuff:

    1. You'll want more of it and stop craving crap
    2. You'll get braver and try lots and lots of new cool foods
    3. You'll start taking tons of cocky pride in your food and it's awesome
    4. You'll finally realise that eating junk makes you crave more junk and the only way out of the cycle is to decide you want it enough to change what you crave.
  • SGreen134
    SGreen134 Posts: 136 Member
    All great ideas, thank you!
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    Happened to me for almost a year. I finally figured out my calories were too low, and on that fourth or fifth day, my body's like "OHHELLNO" and I had no willpower because I was in too big a deficit and making my life a living hell trying to eat 1200 calories.

    Once I upped my calories, I was much more able to control myself. Still enjoyed on the weekends, but exercised to try to get a balance in there (somewhere...sometime).

    Those 5lbs up and down drove me crazy. Now I've lost 15 and able to keep it off. Results and calorie averages may vary. Adjust as necessary.

    *Some self control IS needed.
  • dancinrascal
    dancinrascal Posts: 204 Member
    Happened to me for almost a year. I finally figured out my calories were too low, and on that fourth or fifth day, my body's like "OHHELLNO" and I had no willpower because I was in too big a deficit and making my life a living hell trying to eat 1200 calories.

    Once I upped my calories, I was much more able to control myself. Still enjoyed on the weekends, but exercised to try to get a balance in there (somewhere...sometime).

    Those 5lbs up and down drove me crazy. Now I've lost 15 and able to keep it off. Results and calorie averages may vary. Adjust as necessary.

    *Some self control IS needed.

    ^^^^SAME! I was too low on calories so I would be good all week and then every Sunday it was like my body couldn't take it and I was craving everything in sight. Also, my cravings are worse during that time of the month.
  • BruteSquad
    BruteSquad Posts: 373 Member
    My first thought was why was that in the house?

    Then I realized you hadn't specified that you were at home and hadn't gone out. But I still wonder.

    I am a big advocate of NOTHING is off limits, but my binge items, or things I tend to binge on I simply do not keep in the house. Potato chips. Instead if I want them, I go buy a single serving the next day, if I still want it.

    Yes I have had a night or two where the little devil is on my shoulder saying, "they have them at the shop down the street. You could WALK there, that is exercise, and buy a family size bag to eat. If you eat it before you get home the exercise will cancel out the calories."

    I have also binged on salad....not so satisfying in the face of a desire to binge. But as I stuck to my guns, drank water, and (assuming it was comfort eating not true "my belly is empty" hunger ) eventually went to bed instead of binging, I now have very rare and not so strong desires to binge.

    As stated you may want to ensure you are at the right level of caloric intake. Otherwise you have to find ways to get past it. I have had to say over and over to those that say, "listen to your body" that my body LIES TO ME. So I find ways to avoid the comfort eating that comes disguised as various other things.

    No matter what, do NOT give up. You are too valuable.
  • Kinesia
    Kinesia Posts: 7
    This happens to me too! I have tried to save a "treat day" for my weight in day. If I have been good all week, meaning I met my exercise and calorie goals, I will get whatever I have been craving on my treat day. I weight in on Saturday mornings then if I was craving ice cream I allow myself to enjoy a scoop. I learned the hard way not to buy a container from the grocery store!!! Too tempting to polish off the whole thing. I figure 6 days of discipline and one day of giving in to my cravings isn't going to ruin my weightloss.
    I have lost 25 lbs in three months! Good luck!
  • sniperzzzz
    sniperzzzz Posts: 282 Member
    Try making your last meal your biggest, you will end the day feeling satisfied!
  • penny01966
    penny01966 Posts: 8
    yes! I know though from experience if we push through those cravings, they will get less strong over time. Also, we will develop better habits each time we don't push through without giving in. Habits take time to develop, keep pushing along!!
  • SGreen134
    SGreen134 Posts: 136 Member
    Thanks SO much everyone! The support here is tremendous!!! I really wanted to leave work and get a pizza for dinner but after reading all your supportive responses I am going to the gym instead :smile:
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    Thanks SO much everyone! The support here is tremendous!!! I really wanted to leave work and get a pizza for dinner but after reading all your supportive responses I am going to the gym instead :smile:

    Go to the gym... then stop by the store and get some english muffins, jarred spaghetti sauce and maybe a little shredded moz cheese, turkey pepperoni, and olives/mushrooms/artichoke hearts/whatever veggie floats your boat, and bake your own little mini english muffin pizzas. They are only 150-200 a shot. I tend to add more sauce so I don't need as much cheese. Load it up with veggies and you're good :)

    Or, instead of english muffins, you can buy FlatOut! brand flatbread... 100cals for a huge flatbread. Make a mini pizza by toasting it and rolling it up or slicing it.

    OR... Kashi makes a great frozen veggie pizza which is not very calorically heavy... although I can't recall right now.

    OR .... Lean Cuisine has mini personal pizzas for about 320 calories. Sometimes, I'll heat one up and split it with the BF to get my pizza craving out of the way. 170ish calories of yum. I love the spinach and mushroom one.

    See? There are ways around it... Just stick to your guns and you'll be OK. Exercise works wonders for me, although I've been SUPER HUNGRY lately. Even though I raised my calories to 1700, some days I still want to eat the house. Lots of water really helps to curb that craziness.
  • AshlyRamos
    AshlyRamos Posts: 76 Member
    It sounds silly, but much like I tell my children "No" to certain things... I tell myself "No" to certain foods. I don't budge with the kids. They know that "No Means No" so, the same applies to me, unfortunately! lol

    Make sense?
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I do sometimes get cravings for something I don't have calories for. Unless it's really bad, I usually just plan to have it the next day. Looking forward to it usually helps me stay strong today, and about half the time I change my mind before tomorrow rolls around and start craving something else.

    If it's really bad I try to put it off till the weekend, when I always eat more anyway, but I'm also not sitting at a desk all day.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    Thanks SO much everyone! The support here is tremendous!!! I really wanted to leave work and get a pizza for dinner but after reading all your supportive responses I am going to the gym instead :smile:

    EAT, TOO!!!
  • medaglia_06
    medaglia_06 Posts: 282 Member
    It used to! Here is what I did...

    I got a daily planner (a month spread over two pages).

    When I am under my calorie goal, I give myself a green sticker (small round one's you can get at any business supply store, and probably dollar store), a red one if I am over, a blue one if I get all of my 8 cups or more of water in and a yellow one if I get my exercise in.

    I hate the look of the red stickers over the page, so this motivates me to stay under. I can also see at a glance how my month is going and what days I tend to slack a bit. It has helped me tremendously. I keep track of my weight and exercise by writing on that day and I write in my measurements the last day of every month. I use it as a planner as well so I can see where I might have a BBQ or bad day coming up.
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    It used to! Here is what I did...

    I got a daily planner (a month spread over two pages).

    When I am under my calorie goal, I give myself a green sticker (small round one's you can get at any business supply store, and probably dollar store), a red one if I am over, a blue one if I get all of my 8 cups or more of water in and a yellow one if I get my exercise in.

    I hate the look of the red stickers over the page, so this motivates me to stay under. I can also see at a glance how my month is going and what days I tend to slack a bit. It has helped me tremendously. I keep track of my weight and exercise by writing on that day and I write in my measurements the last day of every month. I use it as a planner as well so I can see where I might have a BBQ or bad day coming up.

    That visual stimulus might really help a lot of people... great pro-tip. Just one more thing to hold us accountable :)
  • UhOhItsKylie
    UhOhItsKylie Posts: 92 Member
    I agree with everyone else - it sounds to me like you're not eating enough and your body is trying to compensate.

    And it's really hard, but sometimes good old fashioned willpower has to come into play. I am a huge supporter of "everything in moderation" and I indulge my cravings to an extent, but there are certain things I just have to say no to. Chocolate, for example. If I feel like I won't be satisfied by having just one to two pieces, then I just don't have any at all. It keeps the floodgates from opening and saves me from a potential binge.

    I don't tell myself "no" often, but sometimes it's necessary. And I'm always glad I did!
  • go4itjoanna
    go4itjoanna Posts: 69 Member
    It used to! Here is what I did...

    I got a daily planner (a month spread over two pages).

    When I am under my calorie goal, I give myself a green sticker (small round one's you can get at any business supply store, and probably dollar store), a red one if I am over, a blue one if I get all of my 8 cups or more of water in and a yellow one if I get my exercise in.

    I hate the look of the red stickers over the page, so this motivates me to stay under. I can also see at a glance how my month is going and what days I tend to slack a bit. It has helped me tremendously. I keep track of my weight and exercise by writing on that day and I write in my measurements the last day of every month. I use it as a planner as well so I can see where I might have a BBQ or bad day coming up.

    That visual stimulus might really help a lot of people... great pro-tip. Just one more thing to hold us accountable :)

    Such a great idea! I have a girlfriend that would do so will with this tip. I am calling her at once.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    OR... Kashi makes a great frozen veggie pizza which is not very calorically heavy... although I can't recall right now.

    I wish Kashi sold just pizza crust without toppings. I like the crust, but I can add better toppings for less calories.
  • SGreen134
    SGreen134 Posts: 136 Member
    Go to the gym... then stop by the store and get some english muffins, jarred spaghetti sauce and maybe a little shredded moz cheese, turkey pepperoni, and olives/mushrooms/artichoke hearts/whatever veggie floats your boat, and bake your own little mini english muffin pizzas. They are only 150-200 a shot. I tend to add more sauce so I don't need as much cheese. Load it up with veggies and you're good :)

    Or, instead of english muffins, you can buy FlatOut! brand flatbread... 100cals for a huge flatbread. Make a mini pizza by toasting it and rolling it up or slicing it.

    OR... Kashi makes a great frozen veggie pizza which is not very calorically heavy... although I can't recall right now.

    OR .... Lean Cuisine has mini personal pizzas for about 320 calories. Sometimes, I'll heat one up and split it with the BF to get my pizza craving out of the way. 170ish calories of yum. I love the spinach and mushroom one.

    See? There are ways around it... Just stick to your guns and you'll be OK. Exercise works wonders for me, although I've been SUPER HUNGRY lately. Even though I raised my calories to 1700, some days I still want to eat the house. Lots of water really helps to curb that craziness.
    [/quote]

    I am going to make your english muffin pizza tonight!!
  • SGreen134
    SGreen134 Posts: 136 Member
    Whoops...the "quote" didn't come out like it was supposed to. Sorry, I am new at this! :ohwell:

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