Cravings?

[Abbey]

One of my main problems is that I will get these horrible, long cravings for junk food - mostly sweet food (cookies, ice cream and chocolate are the main culprits). Normally the craving won't go away until I've either eaten it, or slept - and sometimes the craving actually keeps me awake until I drive to the store at 2am to go and get it.

Is there anything I can do to help stop cravings? I'm convinced I've tried everything (eating something healthy instead, going for a walk, playing a game for distraction, etc) none of which have worked, and that I just need to power through it, but I'm really hoping that's not the case.. it can get kinda unbearable and it really distracts me :-\

[Corbab]

Some cravings (especially for junk food) can be signals that your body is missing some nutrients. They're completely natural and unavoidable—it's just unfortunate that we're now able to answer these needs with unhealthy foods rather than what we really need. Check out this little guide and see if any of the fixes help.

[Horsedog]

A mental trick I've found useful is to picture a stop sign. Like, mentally bring up a vivid picture of a shiny red stop sign in your head. Hold it for a count of 10. Then actively pursue some other craving-unrelated train of thought...like reviewing your last workout log (or whatever). Then act on that new train of thought...like planning your next workout (or whatever).

This has really helped me in the past! Hope your cravings subside

[Horsedog]

Some cravings (especially for junk food) can be signals that your body is missing some nutrients. They're completely natural and unavoidable—it's just unfortunate that we're now able to answer these needs with unhealthy foods rather than what we really need. Check out little guide and see if any of the fixes help.

Cool! Gonna have to try some of these...

[Abbey]

Oh wow, I'm gonna bookmark that image. That's really useful, thanks!

And Horsedog, that sounds like it might be worth trying xD I'm usually queen of getting distracted, so forcing myself to look at workout stuff might help me see that I don't *really* want the chocolate. :>

[Blondie]

Abbey, I struggle with the same problem. I know it is mental and it is something I can overcome. I don't always succeed. Something that helps me is a substitution (wanting ice cream, I make a protein-powder smoothie with fruit and water and fiber.) I also supplement with glucomannan (sp?) fiber (AKA konjac root, AKA African Sweet Potato) It helps keep me feeling stuffed which makes me not so keen to eat junk. And I take another supplement that has Chromium in it, which helps balance your blood sugar. Sometimes those cravings are a nutritional deficiency, sometimes they are like a narcotic withdrawal.

For me, I know that the more of those types of things I do eat, the more I want to eat - If I go for a week or two without eating any starches or sugars (IE - Paleo) then the cravings go away much easier and come far less frequently. How about that, I just answered my own problem too! Haha! The trick for me is to not eat anything that will spike my insulin.

I am really struggling with this right now too - maybe we can help each other!

Blondie

[Blondie]

Corbab, that guide is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for posting it! I am definitely bookmarking it and shopping accordingly... Although, I have to say that I never really "crave" PMS....

[Abbey]

Helping each other would be awesome.. I'm not currently craving, but I know it's only a matter of time.. I've been on my new food "plan" for about 4 days now - I've already had a blip - and that's usually as long as I can last, so I know they're due any time now xD.

I'm thinking about just asking someone to hide my car keys and my debit card until I actually need them for something.. that way I won't actually be able to go and buy rubbish x]

[HeathBar]

I get these cravings too. For me, I've found that the more time I go without eating the junk food, the less I will crave it. It help to plan out all your meals until it becomes a habit.

[Leafan89]

For me it's all about boredom. When I'm bored I want sugary drinks and salty chips. When I get bored like this I stop and think of what I'm doing at the time and how I can make it more interesting. Sometimes I'm just grinding away on a game and realise I'm bored! So I change games.

Sometimes it's something I have to get done(studying as an example) So I take time away from that and do something else.

95% of the battle is not buying it. Finding healthy alternatives is a good way aswell. I have a watermelon cut up in the fridge and I sit at the table and munch away like it's a bucket of ice cream. Watermelons are 96% water and scoop like ice scream! It doesn't have the flavor of ice cream BUT it's plentiful and your body will react well to the added hydration

[Abbey]

heathbar, I'm still trying to get past the first few days really.. I bumped the junk food about 3-4 days ago and now it's just a matter of keeping off it >_< haha. By the way, LOVE your avatar :> Pinkie Pie ftw.

Leafan.. I love melon.. I should probably invest in some. I think a lot of it is boredom for me too that's some good advice, I'll take more notice of that.

[Raincloak]

That's a pretty funny picture ... love the PMS zombie.

There's approximately four approaches to cravings (that I can think of). 1) Eat so much of the desired food that you get sick (probably not ideal), 2) eat just a teensy bit of the desired food and make it count, 3) eat a substitute healthier food, or 4) find a distraction that makes you forget the craving.

My preferred approach is #2 (have a little and enjoy it slowly), although sometimes I fall into #1, eat the whole package, and then wind up avoiding that food for a couple months. The safest way is to either buy a tiny amount, or buy a regular package and give away most of it. You can't eat what isn't there.

Some people can't have even a little, or it just makes them want more. If you're one of these people, you'll probably know by now. In that case a healthy substitute or a distraction is probably your best bet. Cravings are also most problematic when you're hungry, so if you make sure you never get too starved, that should help a lot. (If you feel a craving coming on, try munching some vegetables with an appropriate fat/protein topping, or drinking a glass of water. Either will help remind your brain that it's not starving.)

[Jenn]

Have you tried brushing your teeth? It's been said have that the mind connects brushing your teeth with being finished eating. Maybe you could try it?

[Rhiarti]

For me it turned out to totally be a fat thing... the moment I upped my intake of good fats, the cravings literally vanished. Not just in an "out of sight..." way, either: I've had most of my former favourites put in front of me over the last few months (some even wafted under my nose - thanks obese, diabetic stepdad!) without so much as a flicker of interest on my part. I swear folk think I'm somehow being massively virtuous and strong-willed, but the simple truth is, they've totally lost all appeal.

[Leafan89]

Like Jenn said. Brushing your teeth more can help you.

Using a mint flavored tooth paste(or gum!) can use your taste buds to persuade the mind that you really don't want what you thought you did after all.

I've never tried it on purpose but try eating whatever your craving after brushing. Your tastebuds will still be out of whack from the toothpaste and your treat won't taste appealing at all. The hope here being that over time this taste becomes less desirable.

That suggestion is moot if you end up eating enough of it to wash or wipe away the after taste of the toothpaste.

[Blondie]

Hehe, I've thought the same thing myself. Yesterday I ran in to the office to grab my check and walked out with half a doughnut in my hand - why? no answer.

Definitely want to help each other!

I think I am going to try brushing my teeth after meals or when cravings strike, if I am able to. I know sometimes its just a matter of a pep-talk with myself.

[CMB27]

Cravings are manifested in the brain and usually stem from a chemical imbalance. If you want a more scientific explanation, check out this article:

http://jillfit.com/2011/09/08/science-cravings/

Cocoa powder is awesome for curbing cravings....I make the cocoa drink (mentioned in the above article): 1-2Tbsp cocoa powder (organic is best) mixed with 8-10oz. hot water (use 3-4oz. hot water and pour over ice for a cold drink)...I also use a 1/2 tsp of stevia, and a splash of coconut milk creamer.

It's not sweet at all & it takes some getting used to, but it works. You can use almond milk or add some cinnamon or other spices to give it more flavor.

Hope this helps!!!

[Leimanu]

I read The End of Overeating, pretty good read, and in the third part it talks about trying to stop overeating the same way as a smoker trying to quit. What I found out is that these craveable foods are engineered for utmost "craveability" and to be "hyper-palatable." It made me feel SO much better that every time I craved something, it was all my fault. Food is made to be as tasty as possible in order to sell it. Of course, I choose what to eat, but I felt a lot less guilt, like wanting unhealthy food was always my fault, and just that little bit of knowledge helps me out.

[jds121289]

generally cravings are your body telling you its missing somthing, be it fats, sugars, salt, calcium or somthing else. try to snack on a similar but healthy alternative when you feel a craving coming on... for example if you really want iced cream try pudding or yogurt as an alternative. just a thought

[julieez226]

Are you able to eat the things you crave in small portions/moderation? I know for some people giving up food they love is an "all or nothing" thing, but for me I LOVE chocolate and Dr. Pepper! Every afternoon around 3:00 comes that Dr. Pepper craving because I live in Texas and it's like a billion degrees outside, so I switched to Diet Dr. Pepper and only allow myself one 12-ounce can per day. And when I want chocolate I always keep chocolate chips on hand, and the Paleo diet says dark chocolate is OK in moderation, so tonight for example I had 2 tablespoons of dark chocolate chips. It satisfied my sweet tooth without wrecking my diet.

If giving into temptation doesn't work for you and it would completely wreck your day, try brushing your teeth when the craving occurs! Immediately after brushing my teeth food doesn't sound good because of the minty toothpaste flavor still lingering and it makes me really crave water!

[azsf]

2 tablespoons of dark chocolate chips

this sounds like a really good idea; you tackle your craving by miniaturizing it. so instead of buying a chocolate bar, you buy chocolate chips, and only eat 1 or 2 tablespoons (or whatever). if you eat each individual chip separately (rather than jam that spoon right in your mouth like we all want to) you'll get your fix and not affect your diet too badly. it also helps to find the most "healthy" option available. with cookies, you could try rice-grain ones, or make good ol' australian ANZAC biscuits

[Siferiax]

Wow good advice around here!

I tend to crave FOOD. Like not specifically anything... I just eat out of boredom (even when I'm not technically bored).

And the problem is, I overeat, no matter on what. And you can say that you can't overeat on veggies. You can when you spend a long time feeling absolutely horrible.

I mean overeating till you're so full your stomach almost throws it all out again. Stomach pains really.

Most of the time I have this under control.

Yesterday was a bad day. I was playing Skyrim to escape my worries and constantly wanted food. I ate like 500 grams of strawberries, just like that.

OOF. Also banana chips that didn't even taste that good. Really I didn't like them, but in they went. All 250~500 grams of them (not sure how much it was).

So replacing food doesn't really help?

I tried drinking water, distractions, sitting it out (and feeling horrible/depression like symptoms).

Didn't try brushing my teeth though, but that's a whole different problem right there. Worth a try though...

But any specific food cravings are indeed solved with replacement food, or water, or distractions.

[Ghost]

I often crave a milkshake, and that turns into a litre of a thickshake. What helps me with little things is stopping and zeroing in on the craving, asking what it is, and trying to really understand it. By the end I don't feel the need for it anymore.

[Lanalia]

so tonight for example I had 2 tablespoons of dark chocolate chips. It satisfied my sweet tooth without wrecking my diet.

I keep a bag of dark chocolate chips in my freezer for when cravings strike. I'd feel ridiculous eating a whole bag of chocolate chips, and a very small handful usually satiates a chocolate craving.

I always have fruit on hand, too. Like Leafan89 said, I always have watermelon. I tend to crave sweets after lunch and dinner, so fruit sometimes does the trick. I've also discovered that blending a frozen banana with a little bit of chocolate syrup and some almond milk comes out with a milkshake-like consistency, and tastes pretty darn good.

[Leimanu]

@Kibcy - Thanks for sharing that. I used to do that too, and I'm sure it's still in me, just that my stomach tolerance is low for that level of gorging, but the habit could return. I always wondered what was wrong with me that I couldn't tell myself no? For awhile, as part of my food journal, I also kept a commentary of when I hungry, why I wanted soemthing, when I wanted it. Bring a little more self-awareness to it than just writing it all down.

Also, maybe at meals, add more fat and protein. I did a month of paleo, and after awhile, I noticed that I wouldn't even think of food until I felt hungry hours later. A little coconut milk with the meat (easy curry), put a little more oil in the pan when cooking than conventional wisdom tells you. Put olive oil on your salad. It satiates me for much longer and my skin is so moisturized!

EDIT: oh, I want to mention that I"m not awesome at this. These are observations of trying to be paleo. Paleo = better diet. but I still live in the real world and lifestyle changes are the hardest. I have to find new ways to reward myself and deal with a hard day. It did make me more aware of my triggers instead of cravings and overeating seeming like some obscure obstacle.