If I have a major craving for majorly bad foods, I will try to get a very similar food (or the one I want itself) in an individual-sized container. Like if I crave ice cream, I can get a Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich (under 200 cals), and since there is only the one sandwich (as opposed to a tub of ice cream) I will be able to stop when it is gone. Or I could get a jello pudding cup, and the individual-sized portion lets me regulate how much I eat. For a cookie craving, maybe you could try getting one of those 100-calorie packs of cookies? Then you can eat the whole bag with no guilt!

Oh, and one more thing - I PMS on the pill too, not nearly as bad as I used to before I went on it, but I definitely have PMS. This morning when I woke up, I was so grumpy that I got annoyed when my bf tried to give me a hug!

I wish I had some good advice for you that I could use myself. I get horrible cravings when I'm PMSing too and I also am on the pill. I normally give in and regret it so don't do that. I think paperclippy's advice was great on buying an individual size of something. I need to try that next time.

I go to Sonic or Dairy Queen and get a sundae, or order 1 treat when those times hit...I don't ever buy ice cream or have sweets in my house at all, too tempting and I also tend to overindulge, once I get a taste!

I also heard that having a few hershy kisses for some, helps get past that sweet tooth. It's just what do you do with the rest of the bag of kisses?

I've heard people say this too, but I know it would never work for me! A Hershey kiss is sooo small, and they come in BIG bags! It would take at least 10 of them to satisfy my sweet tooth.

I think that little "splurge" ended up being pretty healthy. The salad offered you protein and fat and the milk provided carbs and calcium. Sometimes you need to listen to your body and make allowances. Mmm now I am off for some low carb banana nut oatmeal...with chopped banana. I am totally not into the low carb thing but I love all the extra protein and fiber the low-carb products provide.

your binge sounded so healthy. when I binge I get all the bad stuff. I still have not figured out how to get rid of the cravings. it is always the time of the month when I get so off the program that I dont' want to go back and get weighed in. I am working through that and I am making my self always get weighed in even if I dont' want to see the scale that way I will have to at least own my TOM binges.

I know that was probably no help with over coming them but I just wanted to let you know I thnk you made really good choices.

Okay, I have a question about TOM that I thought I might as well post on this thread . . . Why is it that people in general say you gain weight at your TOM? I mean, there's only like 2 Tbsp of blood in there, which doesn't weigh very much, right? So why do I keep telling myself "well, my weight will start going down again after my TOM is over"?

I think it's water retention possibly.

I don't seem to gain so much as my weight loss slows down. Then in the week after my period I can lose up to 7lb. I was amazed at first, but just figure that I've already lost the fat in the weeks before but don't notice because the water builds up. Then the water goes and the loss looks impressive. Or that's how it worked the past couple of times.

same here... i start next week and all i have done the last two days is eat crap... low cal crap (well most of it) but still crap! I am sooooo glad we all go through the same crap and I am not the only one losing it once in a while

I seem to have PMS for about three weeks out of every cycle! What a pain this is. I've been off BCPills for a year now, although even on them, I still had it, maybe just for a shorter (and more predictable) amount of time.

I always crave chocolate during PMS. It's the only time I crave anything, really. I'm with you guys, who can eat just one or two pieces when you have a whole bag???! I actually know someone who buys a small bag of M&M's every week, and allows herself to eat five of them each day. I don't know how she does it!

I've been way off this whole week - death in the family and ensuing funeral/family get togethers - and now we have all this leftover food sitting around. I'm hitting the gym tomorrow morning for the first time in 6 days, and I'm back on diet Sunday.

Heather--I hear ya on the family gatherings! My grandmother passed away in March, so I had to go stay with my parents for a week. There was so much food (since we had a gathering at my parents' house after the service)! I ended up gaining like 5 pounds that week between the brownies and the cookies and the cakes and the pasta salads and the you name it! Whether for happy reasons or sad, large gatherings are always dangerous for me dietr-wise.

YP1/paperclippy--yupyup, I agree. It's a water retention issue. Your whole body chemistry changes for TOM (hormones and such), which is what causes cravings and mood swings and all that good stuff Also causes water retention, which is why so many women also feel bloated during their TOMs and/or PMS.

jennie--I'm sure my binge would have been a lot worse if it were a Monday or weekend, but I knew I had to be better since I had my weekly weigh-in the next day I ended up actually losing 1.5 pounds for the week, so I guess I did make pretty good choices.

5 M&Ms a day?!?! He!! no--I'd DEFINITELY eat the whole bag if they were within arm's reach Same with Hershey Kisses. Luckily, I'm not a huge fan of solid chocolate, so Kisses and candy bars don't tempt me too much (but I know I will still eat them just because they're there, ya know? so I don't buy them). Reese's peanut butter cups or white chocolate, though, now THOSE are dangerous for me! the chocolate milk was just enough for me to feel like I was splurging even though it was still low-fat, so I know I'm VERY fortunate to not be a chocoholic

Jill-
that is great that you lost 1.5. When the WI is looming so close it kind of helps you not to over do it. some times I wish I could have WI 2 times a week. then i would have no chance to mess up.
I definatley think TOM weight is water weight plus if you do get cravings for someting you arn't used to eating, that is going to make you retain even more water than just the TOM water weight. Ussually its gone in a week. Its just when you give in to all of those cravings and eat way off, you actually gain real weight that doesn't fall off the next week.

ttfn