i always get bad cravings when i come in from work for junk food,it really doesnt matter what i eat and sometimes i dont stop till i actually feel sick. i can be very good in work but as soon as i walk through the front door at home the cravings kick in. i try to ignore them but they get worse and i usually do end up giving in. everyone in work thinks i eat quite healthy but they don't see me at home.
any ideas how to get rid of these cravings or how to ignore them?
Try having something prepared for yourself. Make something the previous night or something that you can keep in the fridge. If you have something healthy to eat when you get home you most likely wont freak out on junk food. That's my problem. If I want to eat and there isn't anything ready I junk out. I've boiled eggs to keep as quick snacks, you could even make things like chicken enchiladas or chilli for leftovers, that would be easy to eat right away.
I relate, but for me it's totally behavioural/habit. First, I do better if I just keep that stuff out of the house- takes away the opportunity. Also, I crave junk if I go too long between snack and dinner. If I get home hungry and I have to cook something, I put whatever is easy and accessible into my face. (nice imagery, right?) Being tired doesn't help either.
This isn't for everyone, but I've been focusing on really examining motivations to eat what I know is not good for me. Sometimes it's that little voice that says "You deserve it!", sometimes it's mood- frustration, anger, tired. I am working on trying to find distractions to use instead of eating and using a LOT of self-talk so that I refocus on what really matters (my health) to keep me away from the bag of Cheetos.
were do i post a food log??just start a new thread here? sorry im new lol.
Eventually you can get a blog on here, but you can just get a spiral notebook and write it down. Reason being, journaling what you eat every day can reveal a lot. You can also buy books specifically for logging either food or exercise, or BOTH! (I like fitbook by fitlosophy) And there are websites where you can log it down too. sparkpeople.com I think you can do it there, and I know there are others. I'm sure some other members can tell you, and will tell you in this thread.
EDIT: I see that you meant on here, OOPS/ But I hope that helped you anyway.
If you have a binging problem, there's a section for that with really supportive women. It's the "Chicks in Control" section.
And you can post a food log right in this thread if you want.
That said...I feel your pain. I used to do the same thing and then I decided to get all junk food out of the house. If others are there and they want it, they can hide it from you and enjoy it when you aren't around.
Then track your food every day so that you can see what you are eating on the days you are craving junk - maybe you aren't eating enough at Breakfast and Lunch and are starving by the time you get home (that's what happens to me.)
Upping your protein and getting enough calories earlier in the day should help.
Having meal fixings you can easily throw together when you are hungry will help too: cooked whole grains like rice, quinoa, barley,; prepped veggies; chicken, shrimp or beef thawed, chopped and ready to be thrown in a pan for a quick stir fry.
And have a big glass of water when you get home, you might be dehydrated.
And try just sitting and feeling the craving, and trying to separate it into physical sensations that your body is feeling, and thoughts that your mind is creating about those physical sensations.
I'm with you, shortly after I get home, I crave carbs and used to tear into cookies, etc. from the pantry...seemed I couldn't stop till they were gone. I'm sure it's mostly behavioral, and may have to do with hormones from the stress of the day. I'm trying to drink a big glass of water first. Also helps to have HB eggs on hand, and I'm now starting to prepare baked chicken tenders (seasoned, not breaded) to keep in the fridge so that I'll eat those high protein things first. Have also been making a big pot of bean soup on sunday afternoons (3 cans of beans, can of corn, can of FF chicken broth, can of ff refried beans, 1/2 c salsa. This is a ww dish - tastes good and is loaded with fiber and protein. It really kills the hunger, and no guilt.
If you have a particular habit that you want to break, realize that you can break it at any step along the way. If your usual routine is to come home, kick off your shoes, head to the kitchen, rummage for a bit, find junk food, grab the bag of junk food, and flop onto the couch or into your computer chair so you can kick back as you eat your junk food, you can end that pattern anywhere. See your actions as cascading from one to the next, then pick your point at which to stop the cascade:
- Come home and change into walking shoes, then go for a walk instead of kicking off your shoes. If you don't do that, then
- Stay out of the kitchen instead of making a beeline for it. If you don't do that, then
- Don't rummage for stuff; instead, have prepared healthier options available to eat. If you don't do that, then
- Don't have junk food available to find. If you don't do that, then
- Don't grab the whole bag, pour some into a bowl. If you don't do that, then
- Avoid flopping down in your usual spot to eat your bag of junk food; instead, eat it sitting at the table where you'll be much more conscious of what you're doing and therefore likely to eat less.
I read that cravings become habits- like the cigarette smoker who is trying to quit but finds each day after work she really wants a cigarette because that was part of her habit.
You have to fight it and put your foot down and say no. Post your typical daily menu and we can see if it needs to be tweaked.
One thing I did to break my late night eating habit was to keep myself busy, I started crocheting, both of my hands were busy and because of that I didn't snack- it really helped me break the habit
As a few mentioned, don't have junk food in the house that you can binge out on. Secondly, switch up your routine. If you normally go straight home from work, maybe you could use that time to shop, go to the gym, library, walk around the park, visit old people at the nursing home....Anything.
When I used to smoke, the first thing I'd do when I'd get a phone call is find my cigerettes, slip on my slippers and head outside to smoke. When I first quit, I didn't talk on the phone. I told anyone who called to "chat" to come over or e-mail me. I had to change my triggers.
Funny side-note about smoking: I have quit since July and though I rarely get that "I want a cigarette!" urge, they do still crop up (only briefly, of course, and I don't give in). Oddly enough, every single time I get that pang of smoky desire, it's because I'm doing something that I used to do when I smoked heavily. Every. Single. Time.
That tells me a lot about what creatures of habit we are--and how easily even difficult habits can be broken if we're aware of them and take away one or more of the triggering elements. It's certainly true for smoking and I'm pretty sure it holds true for food habits, too.
Just write what you ate today in a post here like this: (I'm making this all up!)
BREAKFAST (8 AM)
2 grapes
1 slice cheese
LUNCH (Noon)
2 grapes
1 slice cheese
DINNER (11 PM)
2 grapes
1 slice cheese
Something like that.
Then we could try to give you tips. If you really ate the above food log, it would be pretty obvious that you aren't getting any variety or enough quantity! I'm sure you do better than that in real life!
But without actually seeing some sort of example day, it's hard to give advice for what you are talking about.
bad cravings-how to cope??
I'm sure it's mostly behavioral, and may have to do with hormones from the stress of the day. I'm trying to drink a big glass of water first. Also helps to have HB eggs on hand, and I'm now starting to prepare baked chicken tenders (seasoned, not breaded) to keep in the fridge so that I'll eat those high protein things first. Have also been making a big pot of bean soup on sunday afternoons (3 cans of beans, can of corn, can of FF chicken broth, can of ff refried beans, 1/2 c salsa. This is a ww dish - tastes good and is loaded with fiber and protein. It really kills the hunger, and no guilt. 
