[Swenea]

It was down to the wire. I had about 5 people on hold that I needed to give answers to, my boss had just asked me to reschedule his appointments immediately and I still had 10 more emails that I had to answer within the next 10 minutes.

I could feel it coming...the feeling of being overwhelmed. And I wanted something right then.
No... I desperately needed it...

A cookie! I need a chocolate chip cookie! Like, RIGHT NOW!

Thank goodness there wasn't a cookie to be found in any of the cabinets. I found a package of some honey sweetened cashews and scarfed them down greedily. Within seconds, I felt better. Unfortunately, I had unintentionally gotten off of my sugar detox.

After taking some time to reflect, I realized some things. Cravings are VERY real, it's more than just a mindset thing and some of the advice the "experts" give is just crappy.

For example : “Distract yourself with something else….” Yeah, right! How can I do that when all I can think is "Cookie, cookie, cookie”?!

Or this one..."Ask yourself if you're hungry..." Hey buddy! Are you listening to me when I said I need that cookie NOW?! You're hiding it aren't you? GIVE IT TO ME!!!!

This advice comes from people that mean well, but that kind of advice won't help in a "Hangry" emergency. Hanger is hunger and anger combined. Yes, it’s a real thing.

So now that the cashews have settled me, I can tell you some things that worked for me so if you get caught in craving emergency, you’re not totally derailed from your new eating lifestyle.

#1) Call in for healthy back-ups---Because I needed a stimulant and I was under stress, my body and mind translated that into a cookie. Honey sweetened cashews aren’t the best choice if you’re on a sugar detox, but it's a better choice than the cookie.

#2) Know the location of your emergency exits---My safe place is the company restroom. Sometimes you really need to just step away for a minute. It’s okay to take a break and get some space. Your boss will understand. (If they don’t...consider new employment).

#3) In case of emergency break glass---Sometimes a handful of nuts won’t cut it. In that case, get that cookie. But, make it the best cookie you’ve ever had. That means you made it yourself...completely from scratch. Homemade cookies are ALWAYS the best. Take it to work and enjoy it with gratitude.

Learn from my mistakes, kiddos. A craving can sometimes strike out of nowhere. Be prepared! Only you can prevent a Craving Emergency!

[Treasa]

I go for a handful of cashews - with lots of salt - too. If I were craving something sweet, an apple might do the trick.

But really, what I try to do is avoid cravings. I know what makes me crave refined carbs. Wine and um, refined carbs. Yup, bread's a gateway drug for me. Generally, my cravings start after eating dinner out and having a few glasses of wine and some buttered rolls. Next morning, I want to start the day with a bagel. And that'll have me eating Milky Ways by lunch. Now when I get home after drinking wine and eating bread, I try to remember to take some coconut oil. I found coconut oil helps me with my bread cravings, which, if I avoid, pretty much eliminates sugar cravings for me.

[Swenea]

Thanks for your very lengthy reply, Palestrina. But I actually stated:

"So now that the cashews have settled me, I can tell you some things that worked for me so if you get caught in craving emergency, you’re not totally derailed from your new eating lifestyle."

This is not a grandiose prescription for everyone. This was something that happened to me and I wanted to share. Everyone can take from it what they want and leave the rest.

And some carbs may help produce seratonin, but sugar and sweets are definitely a stimulant. Have you ever seen kids after a birthady party? Bouncing off the walls.

I didn't want bread, or butter. I wanted a sweet cookie. I wanted a boost to get the job done quickly. There are direct reasons why I craved a specific type of food. Not all carbs are alike and my body and mind knew that. It has to do with taste (sweet) and texture (crunch), not just a generic "carb".

And I think the cookies you make yourself ARE still the best. There's time, love and creativity that can go into that cookie. You can also change the ingredients as you see fit. Anything you have an experience in creating is usually better appreciated than anything you just buy off the shelf.

I could sit here and debate other points with you about my thoughts, but I really don't care to. I'll just say that I can agree to disagree with you and leave it at that.

[Vex]

Just perhaps a few ideas for those struggling with cravings that have helped me. Disclaimer - they don't work ALL the time.

1. Don't completely say no, but delay it. Tell yourself you're going to have that cookie in a bit after you've done some things. It's quite possible if you distract yourself for a period of time, you won't crave it quite as much later. It's ok to say, I'm going to have a donut, but just not today.

2. Go for a walk if possible. It really truly does work - even better if it's super hot out. I never want to even think of food when done walking on a hot day.

3. If possible, log on to a site like this and poke around a bit. It might just give the willpower a new charge.

[Porthardygurl]

Its funny..cravings are what packed on the pounds. I had cravings every day..lots of them..almost like i was a pregnent women. I came to realize a few things though. I have an allergy to gluten and yet bread is most of what i crave. My body is craving bread..plain old bread cause im allergic to it.. You often crave what your body is sensetive or allergic too. So..i cut all the gluten out of my diet and now i dont have cravings anymore at all.. Im like a normal person not needing to get a fix of some pastry or bready product.

Other thing i discovered- if you learn to live "in your body"..if you are attune to your emotions..its easier to work it through instead of stuff it down.. I used to eat all the time..eat when sad..eat when happy..eat lots when stressed..eat when anxious.. I could sit on the couch and just eat and eat and eat like an empty pit BUT when i went into counselling and started discovering my emotions and why i was eating..it made a difference.. i started noticing "hey..im sad and want to make the feeling go away so i want to eat but im not going to because i need to deal with the cause of the sadness"

One last thing..if your like me and your prone to overeating and cravings..you may notice a difference with a change of environment. For example: i craved chocolate bars. I decided to get me and my hubby a chocolate bar. We were going to rent a movie and eat our chocolate and sit on the couch while watching a movie. Well funny enough..the power went out and i was left in the dark eating my chocolate bar..and the funniest part was that i was not enjoying it. I was bored and my chocolate bar was blah even though its my favorite..so what changed? It was my association of environment. I take pleasure in watching a movie(having fun) and eating sweets at the same time.but cut one out and its no longer fun..ive been accustomed to eating junk when watching a movie..its no fun to eat an apple while watching a movie..

Just a few things i learned..

[Swenea]

Porthardygurl, that's fascinating about how much your enjoyment of the chocolate changed when the environment changed.

The same thing happens to me when I have dinner with friends instead of eating alone. I noticed that I barely eat the full meal when I am out to dinner with friends. It wasn't because I was scared of them seeing me eat or even that the food tasted bad. I just found that the food was less interesting than the conversation.

I felt more satiated from the company and not the cake.

[kris2008]

Swenea - I'm glad that you averted the disaster that could have been and that the cashews settled you. At least there was some protein involved!

Cravings are the hardest part of getting my eating under control. I find if I stick to low carbs, never having too many at a meal, the cravings tend to go away. And for me, eating 3 meals a day is much better than the all day grazing that is usually recommended "to keep our blood sugar even." My body needs a rest from the digesting and thinking about food all the time! I've had to learn how to be okay with getting hungry.

[Swenea]

Originally Posted by kris2008

Swenea - I'm glad that you averted the disaster that could have been and that the cashews settled you. At least there was some protein involved!

Cravings are the hardest part of getting my eating under control. I find if I stick to low carbs, never having too many at a meal, the cravings tend to go away. And for me, eating 3 meals a day is much better than the all day grazing that is usually recommended "to keep our blood sugar even." My body needs a rest from the digesting and thinking about food all the time! I've had to learn how to be okay with getting hungry.

Thank you, Kris! My body did get a little protein and some healthy fat. And some potassium too.

I have been testing out Low-carb/High fat and I am noticing some definite changes in my cravings. On the days that I had planned well, they are almost non-existent. It's amazing. Of course that particular day did not go as well as planned.

[Porthardygurl]

its hard to be prepared for every situation life throws at you..its hard to be fat..its hard to limb a mountain..its hard to rob a bank..its hard to....

Point is- Lie is somtimes hard and no matter how prepared we are going into our day..there are situations and circumstances that dont always go our way..so what do we do when life throws a curveball? You keep going...and remember your not perfect..no one is..its just one bad day..so tommorow can be better..every day is a new day! ☺

Swena..I just want to say "Way to go!"��.. You had a tough choice to make...give in to cookie temptation or choose the better option. You CHOSE the best option for you in a hard situation.
Be proud of that and keep going!!

[Swenea]

Thanks Porthhardygurl. Sometimes you have to make the best of what you have and keep on keepin' on.

Originally Posted by Porthardygurl

its hard to be prepared for every situation life throws at you..its hard to be fat..its hard to limb a mountain..its hard to rob a bank..its hard to....

LOL...It's hard to rob a bank....

[CyndiM]

Overall this thread has been supportive. I removed several combative posts rather than close the whole thread. Please remember when you joined you agreed to several rules including
9.Respect toward fellow members is expected. You agree not to harass, flame, insult, taunt, or otherwise disrespect any member of this forum. In other words, if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. This includes gossiping about another member. This requirement is meant to encourage the overall strength of our support system, and will benefit our community as a whole.

Thank you.

[Wannabehealthy]

I don't see a problem with having a cookie if you are craving a cookie. But where do you get 1 cookie? If you bake, you get lots of cookies. Even if you buy them, you can't usually buy one cookie, except for those ones that are as big as a frisbee. Also, if you are the type of person who eats one cookie and it turns into a binge, that's also not good. Make sure you eat nutritious meals and don't let yourself get too hungry. . I think if you body has the nutrition it needs it doesn't crave many sweets and snacks.

[Swenea]

Originally Posted by Wannabehealthy

I don't see a problem with having a cookie if you are craving a cookie. But where do you get 1 cookie? If you bake, you get lots of cookies. Even if you buy them, you can't usually buy one cookie, except for those ones that are as big as a frisbee. Also, if you are the type of person who eats one cookie and it turns into a binge, that's also not good. Make sure you eat nutritious meals and don't let yourself get too hungry. . I think if you body has the nutrition it needs it doesn't crave many sweets and snacks.

No specific problem with having a cookie, other than the fact that at that time I was making sure I wasn't eating any refined sugars and I was testing out LCHF.

It had been working great and my body had been going into ketosis. I wasn't getting cravings and I was feeling great. I was coasting on my success while body was still learning how to burn fat instead of sugar. So that day I don't think I ate enough. My body and mind kicked up a fuss (and rightly so) that day. So I had to take the best possible choice.

There is a convenience store right downstairs from my work. I would have bought one of those mammoth size cookies.

I don't know about anyone else, but when I bake or cook, the smell and tasting while I'm doing it often satisfy my craving. I don't want to eat a whole batch of cookies I've made from scratch. I barely want to eat one. Now if I buy a box of Mrs. Fields...