I feel like a basket case, and all I want to do is eat mass quantities of sugar. Or maybe cry, just because.

I haven't felt this way in what seems like FOREVER. I've been successfully suppressing or redirecting the sugar urge, but this morning all I can think about is the vending machine located one floor down, and its delicious promise of Snickers-induced abandon.

I know (I think) what the problem is. It's a combination of a super-stressful last couple of weeks at work, a really stressful week coming up, and whacked out hormones. *TMI alert* I completely skipped my TOM in February - no, most assuredly NOT pregnant - I think because my exercise and eating plan underwent a pretty abrupt change. That, combined with the stress, has caused me to be crazily hormonal in unpredictable ways for the past couple of weeks.

My brain is playing the rationalization card. One Snickers won't hurt, and might help, right?

The only good news is that I have class from 10:30-2:45, and I can't eat when I'm teaching. The bad news is that afternoons tend to be worse for my cravings.

Sorry for the spew, 3FC, but right now it's eat or cry, maybe both at the same time. Sigh. I really hope I don't take my crazy mood out on my poor, unsuspecting students.

Hey, I know just how you feel! Just how you feel! I have really bad cravings, and I have been fighting binges all week, as I am a compulsive overeater and a binge eater. I have felt many times in this short period that I either need candy or a lengthy weeping session. Don't worry. You can do this. Sometimes, you need to cry. I think I feel like crying because I can't take my attention away from my life and weight and it makes me sad. But, you have to face those things to be able to let them go later. Good luck and major hugs!

The reality of it is that ONE snickers really WONT hurt! It might, though, if you make it a do or die situation, and set yourself up to be in the mindset that you WILL binge if you partake in its peanuty, caramely goodness . You can have it, but be in control while you eat it, and just know that afterwards you will be the same person working on having the same good habits, and that snickers will be digested and burned off in no time.

Or, if all that hippy dippy feel good stuff doesn't work for you, try cutting it up into chunks and freezing some of the chunks. Frozen snickers = heaven...and that way, you don't eat it all in 10 seconds and find yourself searching for other sugary snacks.

I know this won't help for the "right now" but do you take any supplements/vitamins? I just started taking chromium. It is supposed to help with sweet cravings. So far so good.
I don't keep sweets in the house for a reason. lol. I CRAVE something sweet and turn into a mega-b*tch if I can't have any. So I have a small stash of dark chocolate in my bedroom. I can control myself and only eat half a block. And dark chocolate is good for you.

Actually, I agree with your brain's rationalization. It might actually help. For one, it'll keep you from feeling miserable with a nonstop chocolate craving. Best way to cure a chocolate craving is to have some chocolate. For two, it may stop you from eating 500 calories of some other food to avoid the 270 calories in a Snickers. For three, it is good to learn moderation. It is a part of life. Find a way to work it into your day, guilt-free.

This is a good point, and something I've learned to accept. If I reeeeeaaaaaally want something, I'll first think to myself "If I eat one bite, I'm going to want to eat it all!" So I avoid eating it and end up eating practically everything else instead. It was my husband's birthday a few weeks ago, and I made him a delicious cake that sat in our fridge for a few days. The first day, I desperately wanted the cake, but I ate hundreds of calories of other stuff that wasn't at all satisfying. Just random bites here and there that add up quick. The second day, I allowed myself to have one small piece of cake. I arranged it on the plate, counted it in my counter before I even ate it, and savored the heck out of it. I ate the cake, problem solved. Sure, I wanted to eat the whole darn cake, but I had given myself a piece and that was that. I could no longer justify eating all the other garbage because it was "better" than eating cake, lol.

Aaaanyways, I vote that you enjoy some chocolate. If you want to save some calories, a Hershey's Special Dark chocolate bar is only 180 calories. I always keep one, and only one, in my freezer for when I neeeeeed chocolate and nothing else will do. I eat it square by square, nibble by nibble and savor it. It's important to learn how to compromise with your brain and body on these issues. If the "on plan" side of your brain is too tyrannical, the cravings side of your brain will eventually revolt to overthrow the leadership and go nuts. When I'm too restrictive of all things that I enjoy, it leads to way off plan eating.

Thanks, um, sorta, I guess?

I would actually agree that I should just eat the chocolate if I had been restricting too much. But I really don't think that's the case - I've actively been trying NOT to restrict lately, and I incorporate chocolate into my plan pretty much daily or every other day. Not Snickers bars, but just last night I had a square of dark chocolate.

I feel like, because this is mainly hormonal, I really shouldn't "give in" because it will reinforce the behavior. KWIM? I want to break the hormones=chocolate cycle. At least, inasmuch as that is possible!

Jen, I understand what you mean, and I definitely know you've been UN-restricting lately

If you want to eat the Snickers, but don't REALLY want to eat the Snickers, don't eat the Snickers...back away from the Snickers, lol. Think how much other yummy stuff you could eat for 270 calories. Good lord, that's nearly a meal.

I understand needing to hold your ground and saying "no" to yourself sometimes. It's counterproductive to give into every hormonal temper tantrum. But at the same time, it's counterproductive to never treat yourself. Which I know is not the case for you. And now I'm just typing circumambulating babble, lol...

On the other hand, if you know that one snickers will lead to a lot of other stuff, one snickers never represents just one snickers...it means 1500 calories or whatever else it will lead to.

I did successfully back away from the Snickers!

I can't really take a lot of credit for it, though. After my (planned) lunch, everything just sort of calmed down internally. I'm still stressed and hormonal, but everything feels manageable again. Thank goodness - I was seriously feeling overwhelmed and on the edge and YUCKY.

My planned afternoon snack included a banana, but I have nixed that and instead subbed in a chocolate brownie Clif Kids Zbar. It's 30 more cals than the banana, but I had room for it and I think it'll hit the chocolate spot without making me want more.

I really, really hate feeling like I'm at the mercy of my cravings/whims/brain chemistry. I think that was the most frustrating part of this whole day for me. After all this time eating healthy food, teaching myself to love and appreciate being nourished with good things, it's aggravating to know my lizard brain is still right there, right beneath the surface. Sure, I can keep him trapped with a variety of tools and techniques, but he makes his presence known, doesn't he?

Try Swiss Miss Sugar Free Hot Chocolate!! Two packets at once with hot water makes for super rich & chocolatey TOM treat. It's a God send!

When I crave chocolate, I go for some really dark chocolate. It hits the spot, and it confers a lot of other health benefits in addition to being chocolatey good.