Help!! I don't know if it's hormonal or if it's because I'm coming off of a very stressful and tiring week of midterms and lack of sleep, but I find that I am starving and constantly craving dessert in the past two days to the point where it feels like a physical need. I treated myself to some frozen yogurt today, which helped for a little while but now I'm back where I was. I know this is not real hunger and stuff, but it's still really hard to get a handle on and I feel like I'm at risk for a big binge! Do you guys have any suggestions? What do you do when you get serious cravings??

Cravings suck! Espeically with hormones and school. My first semester of grad school I gained ten pounds between those two issues.

What I figured out was that in order to really take control of my body I had to understand why I was craving those things, and it was because I was addicted to high fat, high sugar foods and furthermore because I was using those kinds of foods are rewards.

So my small steps were to do a few yoga moves, take a walk, do some crunches, or something else that would take my mind of the craving. In the longer term though I decided if I wanted to take control of my body and my eating I had to ween myself off of refined sugars, so I gave them up for a week. It was a painful week but after that I made so much more progress and felt so much better knowing I can have sugar when I want it but I don't have seriously bad cravings and when I do have sugar I can control my intake to small portions.

Good luck!

I totally understand those cravings! I have felt like this for the last 5 days. And I'm sure it's hormonal. When I get cravings it's always for dessert type foods too.

It could be hormonal or lack of sleep and your body just craves quick energy like sugar,fat and refined carbs. At least you made a good choice with the frozen yogurt.

I don't have great advice but what I have been trying to do is have healthier desserts. Like homemade applesauce, or this pumpkin cheesecake I made that was only a few points. Some times I just have one serving of whatever it is I really want and work it in to my points and move on.

It's not easy dealing with cravings, sorry I'm not of more help. I hope they pass soon for you

I completely *get* this topic. It's something I'm at war with myself over, every. single. day.

My problem is that I crave everything. It'll start with wanting something savory/ salty.. then I'll want something sweet and sinful to follow it up. I'm kinda stuck because one school of thought says "out of sight out of mind" and "find something to distract yourself" and typically, my mind is too strong and it's all I can think about until have it. I'll even try to trick myself by having a piece of fruit to fill my tummy, but I've learned the cravings aren't because I'm hungry, it's because I want it.

The other school of thought is "have just a bite or two... don't deprive yourself". HA (I can never stop at just one bite).

Of the two, I've had more luck with distracting myself. I have to completely remove myself from my house, sometimes. Leave the money at home so you can stop yourself from buying it while you're out. I've been exercising a lot in the last 2 weeks, so I tell myself I don't want to ruin all the progress I've been making (but that doesn't always work.. I seem to run off the "one bite won't hurt" idea, but then one turns into 2/5/10 *sigh*).

I've honestly been tempted to join something like Overeaters Anonymous, because I really think it's all triggered by emotional eating, and could use the extra external support since a lot of my stress is in the home (can't talk about being stressed out with the ones who stress me out, right now). I hear it's free, too, so bonus.

I have noticed that 90% of the time I will crave carbs and/or sweet stuff so I try to keep something in the house that is WW friendly that will meet those cravings. Sometimes its a baked good, or WW or Skinny Cow ice cream type treats. I try to wait out a craving since sometimes its really a passing fancy, but if I still really want something a half hour later, I'll eat something that won't ruin my day

Thanks guys, it's good to know that at least I'm not alone! I have noticed that since I slept for like 14 hours straight two days in a row (midterm hangover, anyone?!), it has gotten a little bit easier. I've been eating those chocolate vitamuffins (only 2 pts!), too, which taste very sinful but are actually good for you apparently, so that has helped a little bit.

Proatthis, could you share the pumpkin cheesecake recipe? That sounds really good for just a few points!