The other night I was craving sweets, I looked high and low in my house for something sweet (and not awful for me), and had a hard time finding something.
Eventually I came up with a plan. I broke up 2 ice cream cones (just the cones,15 cals each), defrosted some frozen fruit (unsweetened, 45 cals), and some Nutrawhip (1 serving, 60 cals), total was 120 calories,was a good snack, and totally killed the craving!
I have to agree with Kaplods. keeping my carbs under control helps with cravings A LOT. So does getting good sleep every night. The better I sleep and the less simple carbs I eat (i've had TWO simple carbs in 6 weeks - both yesterday and I didn't go overboard and was STILL under what most people allow for carbs in a day at my weight).
it's the first time I haven't craved sweets like ever - by just not allowing them in my diet, period. It was a bit difficult the first three days and then it was over. I eat an apple every day, an orange every other day or blueberries and that's my sweet. otherwise it's veggies, beans and some meat - no pasta, no rice, no sweetened anything.
I ask myself "what do I want more? A moment of enjoying something, which isn't that great or worth it, or to be fit and healthy". I am tired of being overweight, tired, having no energy for anything. Not wanting to enjoy myself while on vacation. Not wanting to go swimming in my pool, at the gym or a resort because of what I look like in a bathing suit. I want to enjoy life! Go on dates with my husband that do not include just sitting at the theater! I want to get out and do something! Go hiking, biking, boating.....something!
1. Work it into my calories for the day if I really want something.
2. Drink water and have some fruit or raw veggies.
3. Chew gum.
4. Really think about my emotions. Am I hungry, or am I angry/lonely/stressed/etc? If I am anything but hungry, I will find something else to do to get my mind off of it and the craving usually goes away. If I'm really hungry, I'll allow myself to have something "healthier" that meets my craving (Popcorn if I want salt/crunchy, fruit or sugar free pudding if I want something sweet, for example).
^Exactly what I was going to say! And...
5. Think about the effort of documenting it in my calorie counter. Do I know the brand and exact portion? Plug it in first, make sure I'm still on track for calories, and enjoy if it fits. (Mindless munching has come to a complete stop because of the administrative effort of it)
This may not be true for everyone, but I noticed a connection in myself between getting cravings late at night and being lower in weight on the scale the next morning. It used to be that those late night pangs were the hardest to stay focused through. But now that I recognize it as a sign of good news soon to follow, it's so much easier to not give into them.
So my suggestion would be, if you're craving something, see it as a symptom of your body burning off the calories. Not something to be acted on, but merely a side effect of your progress.
I think there are a variety of strategies that we can use. At some point in my weight loss, I've used most of the excellent advice posted on this thread. The things I keep coming back to are:
- Don't buy it, don't bring it in the house. At a party/social function, don't go near it. Avoid restaurants where I am tempted to overeat. It's easier to avoid temptation than to overcome it.
- Track it BEFORE you bite it. I see how the candy/chocolate/cake affects my day (or week) before I do it. This is often enough for me to cool off and realize that keeping my calorie deficit is more valuable than the momentary pleasure.
- Think of resisting cravings as exercising my "resistance muscle." This is a phrase borrowed from Dr. Judith Beck's books, and it's SUCH a useful tool for me. And, the more I exercise this muscle, the easier it does become.
If I am using the excuse that I am hungry, I ask myself "Are you hungry enough to eat an apple?". If the answer is yes, then I eat the apple and usually find that really, I just wanted anything. If I answered no, then it's just a craving and I try to distract myself. If I have enough points leftover (I am in WW), I might have a small portion of it.
Another thing we do here in the house is to be prepared:
- I have a chip problem and I know that if I suddenly have a craving for chips, I'm going to walk over to the store and get a big bag of chips and eat them all. So, now I have snack sized bags of chips that fit within my points budget and I occasionally treat myself to those. We do the same thing with ice cream: BEFORE we have the craving for it, we buy single-serving skinny cow ice cream cups, or WW Ice Cream bars. It seems to control those things.
When I get a craving I first either drink some water or tea, then wait a minute and see if it has passed. If I have real true hunger, I eat something filling and satisfying. If the craving persists I either try to distract myself, think if there is some dietary imbalance causing the craving and try to correct it, or have a small amount of whatever it is. I try to eat really clean and healthy, but if I have a craving for french fries that won't go away I have a few fries along with filling and healthy foods so I won't be as tempted to eat more than my controlled portion.
I don't get a lot of cravings lately because I've reduced my carb intake, but when I do feel the pangs, I drink water first to see if it will go away. If the cravings are still there after two full glasses of water, then I let myself have a little of whatever it is I'm craving. But since my stomach is already full of water by this time, I don't get to eat a lot and I still get my fix.
I just ask myself which one is more important to me right now, eating a bag of cheddar flavored potato chips OR the euphoria of admiring my reflection in store windows and my image in pictures and my naked body in my mirror.
But, I'll tell you, sometimes I chose the chips. :P I'm a work in progress.
Usually, when I have a craving for something that I'd consider cheating if I ate it, the craving is because eating it would momentarily make me feel good.. so I ask myself what will make me feel better: waking up the next day feeling great because I had been on plan, or the small amount of time it would take me to eat and enjoy the cheat item.. but then the resulting guilt in knowing that it has set me back another day from getting where I want to be.
This works better for me than imagining myself at my goal weight, or any other self-talk. I remind myself that I can always have some later when I am not working on weight loss. "This is not the last peice of_____ on earth. You don't have to eat it all or eat any of it right now, it will always be here"
Thanks everyone! I am going to try what ome of you mentioned waiting and counting to 5 and drinking water when I get a craving. I've never even tried it because it seem terrifying. But if it works for someof you then it may work for me too! Thanks everyone!
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One thing's for sure: you look healthy and happy and beautiful thanks to eating well lately. I actually did a double-take at your screen name now that you changed your picture--you look really radiant! Keep up that good work; it's paying off.
Thanks Nola! I have been making healthier choices!
