Hi Carolyn,
Avoiding them is hard, sadly
But when I have the cravings, I try to do things like drink water, or take a walk (get away from the kitchen!!!). Mostly I try to distract myself, and hope that I forget about what I'm craving! If that doesn't work (which happens!) I let myself have some of the things that I'm craving, but I try to have "healthier" versions of them available - like Cadbury thins 100 Calorie bars, Baked Lays, and low fat cheese. That way, I can't do as much damage to my diet as if I had the full fat versions available!
Also, I don't know if this is going to help me yet or not, but I'm in the process of switching birth control pills...I get a lot of uncomfortable PMS symptoms, so I'm hoping that switching to a different pill will help get rid of those along with the cravings!
Good luck, and hang in there!