Logically I'm telling myself as I'm walking towards the cabinet, "You don't need this, it's just going to tack on empty calories, etc." But then I'll eat one piece, then another, and another. They are miniture candies but it still bothers me that I couldn't control my cravings.
What do you do when your whole body screams to have something but your mind says don't do it? What usually helps you?
The one thing that has helped is I just go to bed early, but today I had this craving in the afternoon. By the way my husband was the one who bought the jumbo bag of candy...gah...
I get my chocolate fixes from either chocolatey-types of granola bars packed with fiber, cocoa roasted almonds, or a 100 calorie vitatop chocolate muffin top.
...I actually have two cadbury eggs sitting on my desk that have been here for a number of weeks that I somehow have managed not to touch.
I don't keep chocolate candy in the house. It's just too tempting for me. Sometimes I'll go on a chocolate cookie date with DH. Mostly, he doesn't bring in too many goodies.
When something, a craving, is calling me I try to use the Five D's.
Distance - get as far away from that food as you can
Distraction - computer, a walk, call a friend, garden, play with the dog
Drink water - a couple glasses of water fill up the tummy and break the 'spell' of a big craving and it's a distraction, too
Deep breathing - take several deep breathes - it is very calming
Destroy - many a time I've taken liquid dish soap and poored it on something I am really, really craving and don't think I can walk away from it. Better in the trash than me.
You might not think you can handle the stress, anxiety, utter wanting of something you crave...but, of course you can. You really can.
You can do it!!
PS...a couple of chocolate things I can keep in the house are Jello sf dark chocolate mousse (freeze it...just like ice cream. Also, Kellogg dark chocolate and almond fiber bars.
Last edited by Beverlyjoy; 04-14-2010 at 07:20 PM.
Chocolate is too much for me, I can't even have a little bit.
That being said.. I keep unsweetened cocoa that I use now and then to make hot cocoa (honey and vanilla extract also mixed in) which helps. Also, I read somewhere that green tea is a good way to assuage chocolate cravings because there are certain properties in it that are the same as in chocolate, and these have the same feel-good effect as chocolate does.
That being said, I dislike green tea.. but my friend told me that the best way is to boil the water, steep the tea, and then let it sit for a while until it cools to room temperature. I noticed the flavor is less bitter and mixed with honey it isn't bad.
I am around TOM right now and I've been having intense cravings, but I tried the green tea thing earlier today and so far I haven't had any chocolate cravings, so who knows?
Last edited by Starrynight; 04-14-2010 at 07:29 PM.
When I have a super craving and I've been good on my diet, I just eat whatever it is that I want. Just be sure you can remind yourself tomorrow that it's not ok to just have a little bit more.
Honestly, when in doubt, I destroy it. It isn't always a viable option, especially if there is a lot of it or if it wasn't purchased by me (i.e. someone made cookies and is trying to get me to eat them), however there is something oddly satisfying about shoving a candy bar down the garbage disposal or like another posting said, covering it with dish soap. Some things can be salted to the extreme, etc. I don't trust myself to just throw something out, if it is still in the packaging, and I wanted it badly enough I'd probably fish it out of the trash (ew).
I say eat one, if that doesn't satisfy the craving get your husband to hide them or put them out of sight.
If hubby brings it into the house, I take the bag and throw it into the back of my highest cabinet. I'm only 5'5", and some of my cabinets you gotta be at least 6' to reach. In order to get chocolate afterwords, (if I remember it's even there) I have to dig out the rickety step stool and literally climb up into the cabinet to get it. Usually I decide it's just not worth it. And if I do cave in, I at least burn a couple of calories getting to it.
Im lucky, because I don't get strong chocolate cravings normally; just once a month, but that can't be helped. I like either 2% or soy milk with hersey's fat free or sugar free (can't remember which, but the one with the least cals) because then a glass of that is not empty calories, it is full of calcium, protien, and posassium(sp). Or yes a chocolate granola bar, or chocolate rice cakes... low cal puddings...
What do you do when your whole body screams to have something but your mind says don't do it? What usually helps you?
The best defense against cravings is having eaten nutritiously. A lot easier to walk away from poor nutrition choices if you are fueled correctly.
That said, I crave choc at TOM.
I go with Green & Black 85% dark. A lot less sugar, a lot more choc. flavor. I'm good with 3 little squares when the suggested serving is 12 squares. For 12 squares it's just 6 g sugar and 10 total carb.
Those chocs with a lot of sugar are using the sugar to disguise the cheap choc taste -- more bitter. It takes a lot more of them to get up to the level of choc I'm after with the accompanying sugar calories.
The best defense against cravings is having eaten nutritiously. A lot easier to walk away from poor nutrition choices if you are fueled correctly.
This right here. Because I don't eat sugar (or honey, or white refined grains), I simply don't have cravings. I used to have an out-of-control sugar appetite, but no longer. Occasionally I do have some dark chocolate with a small amount of sugar in it, but usually when I want chocolate I make chocolate milk with nonfat milk, cocoa, and Splenda. I have my chocolate milk pretty much every day.
I tried chocolate cheerios today, and it was better than I expected. It's 100 calories and 1 gram of fat for 3/4 cup, and 40ish calories for half a cup of skim milk. I felt like it was a better choice than chocolate junkfood and it is more filling than those evil little chocolates.
Insane chocolate cravings
