[Palestrina]

Wannabehealthy, the 20 minute rule does work for me. I get hit with little thoughts like "I want a cookie now" or "I feel like chips now" all the time. I just sort of ignore them and usually they don't last. But if they persist then I say ok, let's get dressed and go to the bakery. It's not an impulsive decision if that makes sense. If I continuously ignore a legitimate craving then my body will find a way to get what it wants anyway = BINGE! I just don't like treating my body as if it's a spoiled child that's got no say. The key is to know when your craving is legit and how to indulge in it without setting off a binge cycle.

[Esofia]

Doesn't subbing applesauce mean that you're just putting in sugar instead of fat?

[Palestrina]

Originally Posted by Esofia

Doesn't subbing applesauce mean that you're just putting in sugar instead of fat?

It sure does. Everyone has their own definition of what "healthy" means. Leaving out the fat is very appealing for someone on a low fat diet. For someone who does paleo the notion of replacing flour with whole wheat flour is laughable because they see it as the same evils. Some people think honey is healthier than sugar, but to someone who's cutting out all sugar they're the same thing. It's all very personal.

[nonameslob]

Originally Posted by Esofia

Doesn't subbing applesauce mean that you're just putting in sugar instead of fat?

I always use unsweetened applesauce, so there will be some additional natural sugars but not much. To be fair, I've only done this for vegan recipes to replace animal products.

[Esofia]

Unsweetened apple sauce doesn't seem to be available in the UK, and it's not really used in recipes here. I seem to do fine with vegan baking without it. And yes, I'm concerned about sugar since I get bad reactions to it. I've tried stevia but it tastes odd to me, plus sugar is part of the texture/liquid. Sometimes I'm OK with the odd biscuit, sometimes I'm not. The current sugar-related pain flare may also be because I'm premenstrual.

I suppose I should work on savoury snacks for board games night.

[wendyland]

Chocolate chip cookie dough quest bars aren't too bad if you cut them up and bake them. I'm usually satisfied with a small handful of chocolate chips.

[VegTraveler]

Whoop! lost this thread, it got away from me! Thanks for all of your responses.

I am most definitely one of those people that needs to work to NOT satisfy a craving. In the past I've told myself that if I don't just have a serving of what I'm craving then I will just eat around it, but when I first lost 60lbs I did it by swearing off the things I craved most and just pushing through when I wanted them, because after a while the cravings went away. If I gave in, the cravings would come back and just make it that much harder for me.

Although I do REALLY like the idea of making and freezing cookie dough in a log so I can just cut off enough to make one single cookie to remove the temptation of a whole batch sitting in my kitchen. I may modify a recipe and do exactly that.

Thanks for all the help! I did not, in fact, have a cookie that night. I made up a batch of banana "ice cream" and that satisfied my sweet tooth enough. Plus drinking a glass of water did make me feel full enough that it took my mind off of it entirely for a while. I appreciate all of your responses!