I've just had a bit of an "Aha!" moment. I was on another board (ironically it is not a weight/health related board but I started a post there ranting about my quest-for-health woes) and someone pointed out that based on my post(s) it sounded like cravings weren't my problem (like I had stated) rather it was urges. I was griping about always wanting bad-for-me foods that are fatty/rich/greasy/salty/whatever. She said she used to do WW and they spoke about cravings vs. urges at the meetings sometimes and it sounded like my downfall was giving in to urges. I think she was really spot on, that sounds exactly like me, totally going on urges, giving into my whims. I don't think that I actually CRAVE bad foods all of the time it just comes down to giving into my whims. For example when I'm driving to work I may not even be specifically hungry but I'll be coming up on Burger King and think "mmm...I love their cheesy tots!" and stop and get some just because I like them (and I'll inevitably order a jr. whopper with cheese and bacon while I'm there!). When I am hungry and ask myself what I want my first response is almost always something "bad" but I doubt there's any real craving there, I just need to reprogram my thinking on that one!

I'm really not sure how this "revelation" is going to help me yet....but I'm determined to put it to good use!

That Burger King situation is a perfect example of an urge. "I see, I want."

A craving is truly when you've been wanting <insert item here> for quite a while, hours... days... (not just because you happened to pass by it on a table) They recommend planning a serving of it in (and enjoying it) to satisfy the craving.

It's all about being mindful when we're eating or when we're choosing to eat. Like... maybe the next time you pass by that BK you'll want to the cheesy tots, but you'll remember that you only want them because you saw the BK, not because you were specifically craving them.

Personally, I find the less "junk" that I eat the less junk I end up truly craving. Urges (temptations) have to be dealt with on a daily basis though
-_-

AHA!!! I didn't know that either, I thought everything was a craving. Turns out what I have is urges more than cravings.

Makes so much sense. Now that I'm eating better I have very few actual cravings of junk food, like Faerie said. Urges on the other hand are a daily issue for me, but so far I've been able to keep them under control, for the most part.

Hmmm....thanks for posting this. This is something I did not know.

A very interesting realization indeed.

This weekend, I was at Costco. Sample heaven. I had to do the grocery shopping, and I wasn't super full, but wasn't hungry either.

I passed many, many sample stations. I had URGES to eat all of them...tiny frozen hamburger samples, ravioli in cream sauce samples, almond samples, pancake and syrup samples...very "I see, I want". I came up with a head phrase to get me through it - "Amanda, you know what that tastes like, so you don't need a sample!"

However, I'm wandering around and I come to the bakery section (on the way to produce...I hate that, ugh). I'd been craving (literally, thinking about and craving) chocolate cake with chocolate frosting for 2 days. I'd been debating buying a cupcake, in fact. Well, the bakery section was sampling chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. I ate it, and guess what? That little spoonful (one bite, literally!) was enough to kill the cake craving altogether, with minimal calorie damage.

I think knowing the difference between an urge and a craving really can make a difference in terms of long-term success.

Brilliant! I'll have to use that the next time I'm tempted by samples at the grocery store!

I never thought about it that way before. That is very interesting and it is SOOO right. Now that I am reading this, I realize I don't get many cravings, but you are all right about urges. Like last week when I went to a family's communion party. I didn't have any cravings but when I got there there was a big bowl chips and mac salad. And just looking at them gave me the urge to have some. And that is usually when those things happen. Other than that I am usually fine, but when sometime is in my face it gives me urges. That is why I try to keep junk out of the house at all times.

Add me to the "aha!" list! Now that I have been cooking for myself and eating healthy at home, I don't have the urges to get takeout every night like I used to. But at the time when I would be at the takeout place after work, I thought I was just giving in to cravings as in "I think I am craving PeiWei tonight followed by dessert from the supermarket on the way home." I too have seen the difference between a craving and an urge over the past 6 weeks since I changed my diet, but I didn't know it was called that. I thought I had gotten better at controlling my cravings, turns out I am actually keeping my urges in check!

Oh yeah add me to the AHA list on this one! Today I had to go out to eat lunch for a business thing. I hadn't thought of rolls in forever but as soon as they were on the table my urge to eat one ruled. On the other hand I do really truly crave food sometimes for days and it's either plan it in my meal or binge it out. I prefer the healthier planning method these days!

~Heather

Hmmmm. "Found Food", which has been a downfall in the past, is a form of an urge. A phrase from another thread, sorry can't remember who said it, that if I still want it later/tomorrow/future I can always buy myself one, is helping. "Found Food" is what I call food in the breakroom, snacks at the staff assistant's desk, samples at Sam's, etc. Just looked at a box of donuts today and didn't even have an "urge" to go see what type I'd be missing out on if I didn't take one.

I have the same problem with urges. I used to think that I was hungry all the time, because I was always digging through the cabinets and the refrigerator looking for stuff to snack on. Then one time we had just finished a huge meal with lasagna, meatballs, garlic bread, etc, and I got up and was wandering through the kitchen when I found myself staring into the fridge. Right then and there I realized that I wasn't hungry, eating had become a habit for me. See food, eat food. It has been terribly hard to break myself, and I'm still not completely over it, but I'm doing better.