I was wondering what people thought about giving in to cravings.
From about 9am today I was craving carby stodge (of the cake variety). I ate my balanced healthy breakfast, and then my balanced healthy lunch early, and I was still craving the stodge & physically hungry for it. So I bought it & ate it - all 300 cals of a yummy Chelsea Bun. I was completely satisfied & didn't want another one or any more sugar, stodge etc.
It was very odd and it got me wondering why I wanted this because I can't work out what it was that my body needed, and whether or not I was just giving in to a psychological craving. Even if I was, is that always bad or damaging? I don't feel bad about it, but it doesn't feel very "diet" if you know what I mean
Just wondering how other people view cravings, I guess.
Last edited by Northernrose; 06-19-2012 at 08:57 AM.
I usually try to find an alternative that is similar to the unhealthy craving. For example, french fries. Sometimes I just want carbs, instead of running and getting some fast food, I make sweet potato fries.
I dont think its bad to give in to cravings every once in a while and it seems like you had control of the situation. Completely denying yourself, IMO, is worse. Moderation is key!
You gave in to a psychological craving. Physically your body hunger doesn't know the difference between a carrot and a slice of pie. The more you give in, the more your crave. Too many carbs cause cravings for more.
If I have a persistent craving ---I mean not just craving something all of a sudden because I see it (which happens often)---I'll have what I'm craving. If I don't, I'll usually eat a lot of "healthy" foods to compensate, and I end up eating more calories than I would have if I had just eaten what I craved in the first place. Yours seems like a REAL craving, and I think it's fine that you had what you wanted. After all, it was only 300 calories, and at the end of the week, that won't even make all that much of a difference in your deficit. The key is to distinguish between real cravings like that and just the general urge to overeat.
No, it was fine in the end. I just ate it & it didn't cause me to crave anymore carbs, sweets etc. You could put the same Chelsea Bun in front of me now & I'd really not want it. It's very odd as I don't normally crave heavy carby cakes, so I will put it down to having got up at 5am that morning I think! It actually felt quite empowering to eat it in a funny way.
Last edited by Northernrose; 06-20-2012 at 01:46 PM.
I think as long as you don't make a snap decision about giving in you are fine. 300 Calories is workable too, you can cut down on the dinner and/or do extra exercises to compensate. I think if we give in all the time on a whim its bad, BUT if we don't give in sometimes (at least for me) I can be going along and doing great for months and then all the sudden I snap and eat all the terrible things I shouldn't.
I love bagels with butter, so now I have them on Sundays (instead of almost every day). I look forward to it during the week and I find a way for it to fit into my daily calorie goal on the weekend. Usually I will do something very light for lunch like, celery with hummus and a piece of fruit.
If I have a persistent craving ---I mean not just craving something all of a sudden because I see it (which happens often)---I'll have what I'm craving. If I don't, I'll usually eat a lot of "healthy" foods to compensate, and I end up eating more calories than I would have if I had just eaten what I craved in the first place. Yours seems like a REAL craving, and I think it's fine that you had what you wanted. After all, it was only 300 calories, and at the end of the week, that won't even make all that much of a difference in your deficit. The key is to distinguish between real cravings like that and just the general urge to overeat.
Yep. Sometimes I really just need a bit of good, dark chocolate. If I don't think I'll be able to stop at a reasonable portion, I don't get any. But once or twice per month, it's exactly what I need and trying to avoid it just means I eat more food.
I think it's a good thing to treat yourself royally on occasion. If it works for you, do it! I've found that alternatives don't really work for me. I'm not necessarily just craving sweets or carbs, but that thing that will satisfy me psychologically. If I eat a substitute, I still want that other thing. I say give in every once in a while. I personally just have to think about how much sugar I'm eating, or I start to crave it for no reason at all. Weaning off it isn't too hard though. You only live once! Enjoy that little something.
That just happened to me actually. I was making dinner and there is left over bear creek cheddar and broccoli soup in the refrigerator, I was going to add it to my dinner but after looking at how much sodium is in one serving I thought better of it and opted to just have a bite of it, that way I get to taste it and rid my craving but I am not over-indulging.
Giving in to cravings
