How do you deal....
 

with TOM cravings. TOM is set to come Friday, and since Monday I feel like I want to eat a horse....and have been pretty close to doing it! It's so frustrating, because I did so awesome all week last week (the start of my 100-day challenge), and now I feel like that is all going to go down the tubes. I've even lost my motivation to go to the gym, and the last couple of weeks I've been going most days of the week. I've been there once so far this week. :( Any suggestions?

Some days I am hungrier than other days, I feel that ultimately everything balances out. Some days I eat a little more, some days I eat a little less.

I don't like being hungry, so if I'm hungry (really hungry, not just that aimless "I want to eat something" feeling), I eat. Some snacks are more filling/satisfying to me - a piece of bread with natural peanut butter will tide me over for a long time, or a handful of trail mix.

I also go for volume during these hungry times - a bag of microwaved popcorn is only 100 calories and it's a lot! Lately, I've been roasting butternut squash, a cup of squash with a little sweetner (I use maple pumpkin butter I get at Whole Foods) fills me up too. A chopped up apple nuked in the microwave with some blueberries and a handful of walnuts is one of my favorite snacks.

I avoid snacks that are sweet and super carby - they tend to make me hungrier.

Eating lighter/low calorie snacks is a good trick to get over those days!

I agree things even out. There have been those days where I could eat constantly and other days that I have to remind myself to eat. Thank goodness there haven't been to many hungry days! ;)

I normally eat about every 2-3 hours any way, so if i'm hungry, i'm basically watching the clock until it goes away, only eating those foods that are good for me with LOTS of volume. If I eat a bit more than normal, I don't beat myself up, I just know there will be a day I won't be hungry. It hasn't failed yet. Don't worry about it, it's normal. :hug:

If I have a specific craving I go for it, usually 60 calories of chocolate will satisfy me where 300 calories of trying to avoid chocolate wont.

Thanks girls for the advice!

I guess my only problem is, I haven't even been HUNGRY, but I've felt like I just HAVE to eat, and it's only junk that I want. :?: :shrug:

I am eating low-carb to no-carb and find that that has nearly wiped out my TOM cravings or even regular run of the mill binges. The other day just before my TOM I was thinking a lot about chocolate. When I wasn't eating healthy...I'd eat, eat, eat tons and tons of hersey's kisses, maybe a whole bag in one day. Or several snickers, etc. I read in a magazine that super dark chocolate (85% cocoa) cuts cravings with much less calories because it is ultra concentrated. I went out and bought an expensive imported bar of very dark chocolate and tested myself by eating a small square very slowly. This stuff is nearly sugarless and in reality is low car (8 carbs for 1/2 a large bar of chocolate). I sucked on the one squared until it was gone and told myself I could eat 3 more squares if I really wanted. I didn't. I found the other 3 squares on the kitchen counter a while later and thought, "Oh yeah! I could eat those if I wanted to." I put them away.

My point is instead of denying yourself, why not find what you really want, find the best quality of it that you can afford, eat a small amount if that is possible and enjoy it. I think this only applies to snack type stuff though. If were craving a Double Whopper with cheese, I'd be S.O.L. I hope this helps.

LOL...yeah I was craving the fast food. And I caved today and had a chicken strip basket from DQ only to find out it had 920 calories! Yikes!