Snacking... such a problem. Why do we want to just eat and eat and eat for fun and not for nutrition or to combat hunger? I try to ask myself this when I feel like chowing down, and yet no reasoning seems to make up for the urge to put handful after handful of food into my mouth and chew.
Your best bet is to keep healthy snacks around for your urges, and distract yourself as much as you can. The busier you are, the less time for meaningless snacking. I am now addicted to stove-popped popcorn popped in olive oil, with a pinch of salt and no butter. I used to love the super buttery kinds, and now I can't stand them! Plus, a little popcorn goes a long way. I can eat 1/4 cup (prepopping) for 130 cals, which translates to 5-6 cups after popping. That is a lot of food!
Perhaps try chewing gum? I've heard that can work, though I don't think it'd satisfy me. Drinking water has been good for me - keeps my hands and mouth busy, I can sip away all day.
In a pinch, if I'm craving food that's nearby and I want to keep myself from eating it, I paint my nails. Can't put your hands in a bag of chips with wet polish! Plus, it looks pretty, and usually by the time they're dry I am over the craving. Though unfortunately not all the time. And you can only do your nails every so often...
Good luck Ariel! I know you can do it! And remember, not all snacking is bad. Just use your judgment and be moderate. Now if only I could stick to my own advice....
Yeah everything I have been snacking on has been healthy, its just, coming off this plan, my body is so used to eating 80g of carbs a day and 900calories a day so I have to try really hard to replicate that and work my way slowly up to normal amounts or else I will gain when I am not even eating that much.
238.8! It's probably just water weight, but I haven't been below 240 in a long time. It made my morning. But Tuesdays suck harder than Mondays, so the day still blows.
One thing I have found that really, really helps cut down on my cravings is ice cold water with cucumbers in it. If you let the cucumbers soak in it overnight the water will taste amazing, and it's really refreshing (unless you hate cucumbers, in which case it's probably not so great). I started drinking it two weeks ago and my urges to snack haven't completely disappeared, but they're nothing like before. I've probably babbled about this before, but it's honestly been a miracle worker for me.
Kath--Congrats! That is awesome. Is that a total loss of 20 pounds? That is so cool---you are definitely on your way!
I can't wait to try that cucumber idea--that is totally new for me. Sometimes I have trouble drinking lots of water because it tastes so much like, water.
Today is not a good day. Well, it's not that bad actually, but I feel terrible. TOM is coming and it is the worst for me craving-wise, and I let myself get into my head and convince myself that I should go off plan. I had to grab some deodorant at CVS today, and I spent at least ten minutes in the junk food aisles, debating on buying some. Three months ago, I would have grabbed a bag of double stuff oreos, a dr pepper, some Ben and Jerrys coffee flavored ice cream, a kit kat and probably a twix bar. Maybe something salty, too. Ugh it was honestly torturous going there. The only thing that kept me from buying things was looking at the calorie counts. I told myself I could have anything I wanted that was under 100 calories. I couldn't find a single thing.
The real problem is that for the last year, I have maintained my loss at 115 pounds, eating absolutely whatever I wanted, and exercising moderately, but not regularly. My mind, especially around this time, tells myself that that weight is not so bad, and one splurge really won't hurt.
Honestly, I couldn't care less about weighing 105 or 115, but being healthy has become very important to me... my mind just doesn't get it yet. I really want to be able to stop counting calories, and eat what I want, and not binge without trying. Is this even possible? So many people here say they cut out junk food cold turkey and I don't have any desire to do that. I definitely want to limit it, and to add a lot of better foods into my diet, but I want to be able to grab a kit kat bar or some ice cream because they taste good. I want to be able to do this willingly, by making the choice, instead of doing it when a craving tells me to - I feel so out of control when this happens!
I have managed to stave off the desire, and I got a 6" Subway sub for dinner, and I'm eating it slowly with lots of water. I even have enough calories for some (air popped, butter-free) popcorn this evening if I want. That should be a great feeling! But instead I feel lousy. All I want is chocolate and cookies.
How do I eat healthy when I don't have the "I'll be fat if I eat it" to keep me on plan? If a cookie would make me gain a significant amount, I'd never touch it, but food quality is not really my problem... HELP!
Rowenna: I personally don't think it's unhealthy to indulge in 'bad' food once in a while, in moderation. My own problem with that sort of thinking is that once I start, it's really, really difficult for me to stop. But if you have a strong will power and you really do think of it as an indulgence rather than a normal, every day thing, I don't see why you shouldn't allow yourself to have an occasional 'bad' cookie or candy bar.
How does one go about attaining that will power and keeping it easily, naturally? I have no idea. I'm 239 pounds, and I'm this overweight largely because I can't answer that question for myself. ^-^ But you have mentioned cravings before, and it sounds like these cravings really upset you. And I know from personal experience that if I let cravings upset me, I'll eventually give in and binge.
I also understand that cravings can be caused by many things. Stress, lack of sleep, unhappiness...to curb these cravings, you might have to try to identify some outside cause. The cravings could also be a way of your body telling you to seek a certain nutrient, like magnesium (when the body is need of magnesium, it can cause you to crave chocolate, for example).
As for CVS...that place has always been awful for me, too. It's awesome that you were able to look at all that candy and not buy any of it. I was at CVS the day before yesterday and instead of buying chocolate, I let myself buy eyeshadow. I think I'll make that a routine. If I make it through CVS without perusing the bad aisles, I'll let myself buy a little reward. Um, I suppose it'll be a victory if by the end of the summer I have a bag full of eyeshadow and lip gloss...!
Anyway, I hope today's a better day for you. And that everyone else is doing well, too.
I know that the cravings are, while partly due to TOM, also related to stress. I have identified my stressors (I am at a transition point in my life - finishing the school year, madly trying to find a job and a place to live, dealing with plans falling through, trying to finish up the last of my classes, dealing with my boyfriend's plans and issues, etc) and I know that they contribute to this. I just don't know how to stop them!
I guess what I'm trying to say is, I have no problem eating the junk food, if I'm hungry, or I want to treat myself, or because it just tastes good. I DO have a problem with my body demanding I indulge in these things just because it's stressed out and upset about nonrelated things! I want to be in control and make a decision to eat the candy or not eat it - I don't want the craving to control me.
I am working towards that control, but I am definitely not there yet. Thanks for your advice and support, craftykath.
Where is everyone else? How are you guys doing? I miss you...
No, I get what you're saying. I want to say, "Look at ME, if anyone gets it, I get it." My problem isn't a finicky thyroid, let's put it that way.
I suppose we can't completely control our bodies, no matter what. My mom doesn't eat junk food, doesn't eat a lot of sugar, doesn't overindulge...because she never feels like it. But her body is different. And I think there's only so much control we can have over it. Which is SO frustrating, I know. We can rationalize and reason with ourselves over what we truly do need to be eating and doing actively, and yet our body insists on having these crazy cravings anyway, without our consent. It's unfair. Makes the unrealized lawyer with in me go nuts, lol. And I guess there are 'techniques' and 'tricks' to oppressing cravings and what not, but I don't think anything will ever completely make the disappear.
And I'm really sorry if I've been annoyingly verbose. Sometimes I forget that people often just want to vent, not to be fed a list of advice. Also I need to stop procrastinating and finish this paper...
Being in control of the craving is such a difficult thing. I think it just takes lots and lots of practice. I quit smoking five years ago (yay!) after smoking for 12 years. It is amazing to me how much dieting is similar to quitting smoking--except worse. Because you have to eat. And, for some reason, it is "okay" for people to encourage you to have a brownie even if you say no at first (could you imagine people saying "one won't hurt" to someone quitting smoking or drinking?).
For me, quitting smoking just took lots of practice. Practice ignoring cravings, practice solving stress in other ways, practice thinking of myself as someone who doesn't smoke. Now, the craving to smoke is gone. Does that every happen with food? I don't know--but it has to get better.
craftykath--Your post really made me think. It made me realize that I don't have complete control over my body, but I do have control over my responses to my body.
It is interesting how we all crave different things. I've never craved sweets or chips. Hot wings and beer--that's my downfall. I wonder why we are all so different?
Lol Riverite, you're like my boyfriend. He loves beer, and as soon as he's had a few, he wants to order hot wings. Having a local hot wing delivery place is torturous for him!
I on the other hand, hate wings. I also hate beer. I have horrible cravings for anything snacky, though, both sugary and salty. Salty isn't so bad because I can have no butter, no oil popcorn, which I love. Sugary/chocolaty is not an easy fix. There just isn't a substitute for a whole box of oreos. And the only chocolate that people say is remotely "good for you" is dark chocolate, which I also hate. Go figure... my body is out to get me.
Ugh what a terrible day today was. I was having a bad day so I kinda went crazy. You see, in the past I have used eating as a form of self-punishment. Its my way of taking out things on myself, gorging myself until I am ridiculously full. Today was one of those days, the first time I have done it in months. I feel terrible. Horrible. Sick to my stomach. I am so scared I gained a lot of weight this week.
Ariel - we all have our own struggles, and we all have bad days, and horrible days. Leave today behind you and start fresh tomorrow. I know you are strong and I know you can move past this. Don't let a bad day ruin your week. Don't let food control your mind and your life. There is so much more than that.
this morning for breakfast, i had one slice of double fiber wheat bread with one tablespoon of natural peanut butter and a green apple. i just had a kashi soft baked strawberry cereal bar for a snack. i signed up for the one week trial of weight watchers and i am going to try to track things with points, as i remember that being successful for me, although counting the dining hall is going to be difficult. so far today i have had 6 of my 25 points.
