How do you deal with cravings when they come up?

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Pick up a fruit from the fruit bowl. Fruit is sweeter and keeps you full longer.

There is some very good information on this thread!

Keeping my hands busy doing something else like knitting. Not thinking about it after 10 minutes the craving went away.

I second the dancing, Blessome! Dancing in the kitchen at night is my secret weapon when I’m craving something sweet.

Few people, except those who actually do lower low carb or keto believe me when I say in all honesty, I DO NOT have/get cravings, but I don't. I seriously DON'T.

I love food and I am a "bored eater" and mostly at night, which is another message board, lol, but they're just as bad as having cravings.

I try to drink a cup of tea, broth or make some hot 'cocoa with no sugar added chocolate almond milk and cinnamon. Those really help.

I also crank up the music and DANCE to the best of my ability. That REALLY helps!!!

If all else fails, I go to bed.

Give in by eating something healthy. I will eat an apple or some berries. That is my treat. But I don't have to feel guilty because it is giving me fiber and vitamins. It is a win-win. I also will have 85% cocoa chocolate occasionally. Then I can resist all the leftover Halloween candy in the office because I don't feel deprived. The longer you go without junk food the easier it is.

distract , distract distract.

if you are going to give in- tell yourself you need to wait till you can eat it slowly and enjoy it. that way when you are in a hurry or nervous you may decide you dont wamt the item at all

I find that the cleaner I'm eating -- which for me means whole foods, organic where possible, home-cooked meals, and very low levels of added sugars -- the more rare cravings are. I don't really get them.

Unless I've gone down the sugar rabbit hole, which can happen when I slack off a bit. It is truly amazing to me how fast a slip can become a relapse.

Anyway, I'm 19 months sober from alcohol and now I'm using the tools I learned at SMART Recovery to address my emotional eating and sugar addiction. The very first thing I do when I get tempted to stuff something like that into my mouth is what we call "Play the Tape."

I relive exactly what it's going to feel like and do when I eat that thing. How I'll expect it to taste really good (euphoric recall). But because I'm pretty much off sugar, when I take a bite it's going to taste kind of...nasty. Way too sweet. But I'll eat it b/c I'm committed now, and then maybe I'll eat another and another (cookies come to mind). And then I'll feel sick. And ashamed. And disappointed in myself. And maybe the next day I'll do it again b/c when you feed the Sugar Monster it gets more demanding. And I'll remember how giving in to the Sugar Monster, say last holiday season, resulted in packing on an extra 20 pounds. And feeling crummy all the time. And having less energy. Etc.

Really play that tape all the way to the end. Which ended in May with my doctor saying "hmmmm...your sugar is at pre-diabetic range... and your triglycerides are...well...kinda through the roof..."

I still slip (with sugar). But I don't relapse. I'm way too clear on the costs.



Edited by: APPYMAMA22 at: 10/30/2019 (20:12)

I really like your idea of giving it to someone else to hold onto for you. I tend to buy, hide and sneak treats. If I gave them to someone then I would have to ask.

Cravings are a beautiful gift. They are a message that we are either:

1. In need of very particular nutrients
2. In need of emotional sustenance
3.....both

1. In the first instance, if we are truly able to assess that we are indeed hungry, or in need of those particular nutrients then it is probably wise to obey them as it is a direct signal from the body that something is lacking. HOWEVER....
Craving donuts (as I often do, hehe) is often not going to leave many of us feeling too great. Sugar spikes, and poor quality ingredients will likely leave us in a slump, with low energy and hungry in no time.

What can we do? Trying to break down the macronutrient profile, and find a more nourishing alternative is a great way to start. What is it in particular about the donut that you want?

There are 3 macronutrients: Carbs, proteins and fats. Nothing to difficult there right.

A donut is starchy, sweet, fatty/greasy.

So let's start with carbs. What is it that is so appealing about the donut?

Are you looking for a sweet/starchy taste? Yes/No?
Maybe you answer yes- You want sugary and starchy from the donut.

Let's become detectives and ask ourselves what else is sweet and starchy but more nourishing and will leave you with energy afterwards? Would oats with some honey on top satisfy you?

Maybe you say- almost, but it's missing something!

So let's keep being detectives.

Next is fats- What is it that is so appealing about the donut?

Are you looking for a fatty/greasy taste? Yes/No?
Maybe you answer yes- You want some grease.

Well if we find a 'healthy' fat source we might look at foods like avocados. Would that satisfy you?

Maybe you say- No! I need a different kind of fat. How about a buttery taste?

You might say yes.

Great! We have another clue. Saturated fat gets bad press because it is present in excess quantities in many processed foods but it is still absolutely essential in our diets- even more so for exercising populations- You might genuinely need some saturated fat in your diet and butter can be a great, healthy way to get it without resorting to trans fats like in many processed foods.

Next is protein- There are no great amounts of protein in a donut but let's ask ourselves anyway.

Would I feel more satisfied if my alternative meal/snack had protein? Foods like fish, meat, eggs, nuts?

You might think that meat or fish are not what you want at all but eggs and nuts would actually be ok. Well they are also great sources of fat.

So we've got some clues- oats, honey, butter, eggs, and nuts. Those all would probably make a great substitute, but it's hardly a meal...

So we invent one- Protein pancakes include these ingredients- you literally don't need anything else- check out some recipes online for ideas. Do you see how creative we can get?

It doesn't have to necessarily be something you have to cook, but there was a fun example of a great healthy, and nourishing alternative.

Being tired by the way is a legit reason to feel cravings. Going to sleep hungry might work for some but if you're like me then you will wake up in the middle of the night with discomfort or not even be able to sleep. It is often better just to eat something, and then plan in the future to get more sleep so that it doesn't happen again, than to go to bed in pain. Self-care comes in many forms.

Also, just taking teas to ignore these cravings might seem wise, but if we are covering and ignoring true signals from our body then we are only learning how to listen to our bodies less, and how to give more power to external sources like cookie cutter diets.

HOWEVER....Sometimes we really aren't hungry and these are just phantom cravings.

2. When we are craving but it is not connected to real hunger, but an emotional craving, it can be a great time to look inwards and ask ourselves what we might truly be craving.

Are we bored? Are we emotionally triggered, or even environmentally triggered? What could our bodies be dialoguing with us, and how can we listen to what we truly need?

Taking a mindful step back in these moments and asking yourself what it might be can be very helpful and you'd be surprised how often a voice will come back to you.

For example, in the office at work, I used to eat lots of sweets/candy. I did it because I was bored and lacking excitement by sitting down all day. Colourful, bright, and tasty M&Ms were way more interesting than sitting down and working on my boring computer screen.

So what could I do?

FIND AN ALTERNATIVE

I asked myself what can also give me fun and joy, to combat my boredom?

I tried having a quick walk around the office. I began stretching and feeling good in my body. I had quick and pleasant conversations with people in the office. I flirted with co-workers. I read blogs I enjoyed in some down time. and eventually, I quit.

Find alternatives, because whether the craving is real or not, you probably already know the outcome to eating the food that you're craving.

Sorry for going about such a long way to say it. I wanted to say a lot more but I hope that starts to help. It can go so much deeper, and I think you will probably need to, but don't give up because you're worth the investment ; )

Lots of great ideas here! I drink a full glass of water first and then if I still want something I start with a bite at a time.

I love this answer! That mindful awareness you mention is the key to so much more independence from external influences and more relationship with the self.

Tea or protein bar

I drink a glass of water (or use one of the powder mixes) and do at least 10 mins of exercise, ie. walking in place, pushups, going for a walk (with the dogs), do yard work etc. I also make legal snacks for the week and keep them in the freezer for easy access.

I keep a few light snacks in my desk like 100 calorie packs of pretzel crisps, nuts, fruit, etc. and if I need something, I try to eat no more than 50 calories worth once while at work and finish whatever I started if I need it at night.

I grab something small with protein in it (like a cup of greek yogurt or a few nuts)..I think carbs spike more cravings while protein calms them down..also I've been drinking a lot more water and I've noticed that cravings can be related to being dehydrated as well.

I personally believe cravings are strongly related with neurotransmitters. Julia Ross has written several books that explain the research.
Understanding the reason for the craving helps to appropriately address the underlying imbalance.

Edited by: MICHELLEXXXX at: 10/21/2019 (03:09)

Eat leftovers to fill me up

I have water or I brush my teeth!

Hi. I came across this article online that talks about a special tea you can make that cures hunger pangs. It's not like the black tea or green tea you're used to. You can check it out here... detoxyourlife.health.blog and let me know what you think.

1. Have a large glass of ice water
2. Look for a healthy substitute-if I am craving sweets, I grab fruit, if I am craving carbs, I try air popped pop corn,
3. If i just have to have it, I take a small bite, chew it , enjoy it and spit it ou

I can't say I have foods that I crave. What I notice for myself at times is the Hand-To-Mouth urge. When this strikes I look for anything small that can serve that motion - raisins, blueberries, grapes, healthy popcorn.

I read somewhere that a craving is often due to a missing nutrient in your diet. Before giving into a craving, wait 15 minutes and occupy your time with something else. If you've forgotten about the craving, go about your business. If you still have the craving, give in but do not go overboard. Pinterest has many recipes for healthier options of common cravings, as well.

Sometimes I taste it
Sometimes I avoid it
Sometimes I eat it
Sometimes I take the dog for a walk instead

If I'm craving ice cream, I'll have one or two spoons. If I'm craving other stuff, I don't deny myself a taste. I've found that if I keep refusing myself, I will end up having a binge.

Hi

A cup of tea, takes time to brew, makes me take a break and helps with cravings.
One square of dark chocolate ...I have found a bar with stevia works well. Sugar continues my cravings while stevia curbs them.

Hope this is helpful.

I have some water first, then if I am still craving something sweet - I have a bite, such as dark chocolate, then a mandarin orange. I have the chocolate in a difficult place for me to reach so most of the time I bypass the chocolate and straight for the oranges. The grand-babies love the oranges so it is easy to keep them out in a bowl and easy to grab.

I have everything in moderation.

Such a good idea Justeatrealfood. I'm going to use that idea for sure.

Often if I get a craving that isn’t the best choice for health I will tell myself that I will satisfy the craving later. Later today, later tomorrow, maybe on Sunday etc. Usually the craving goes away and I’ll often forget about it. Sometimes the anticipation of waiting and putting it off for a bit/day/week builds the food up so much than when I actually have it I’m a little disappointed because it’s never as good as my mind thinks it will be. Then the next time the craving isn’t as often or as strong.

Making the craving hard to fulfill is good too. I try not to keep junk around so if I want something I have to go to the store buy it. Often that’s enough to kill the craving because let’s face it, we’re all really lazy in the end.

When I’m super craving chocolate chip cookies before my auntie flo comes to visit I will make them myself but I try and make them as healthy as I can while still being yummy enough to kill the craving.

Ice water and checking the calories, lol. Usually the water helps by occupying my mouth and filling my stomach, but checking the calorie count is usually a "Yikes, nevermind!" moment!

Everyone's posts are so good! I thought about some of the suggestions here and how I could apply them to my own struggles... and it sort of evolved into an essay, with a few added thoughts of my own. See what everyone thinks. You gals [Edit: and guys?] are all so awesome!!

Ok here goes

1. Cravings for something that I happen to already have at home, like ice cream:

a. Tactic 1: Delay. Tell myself, "At the end of the day, after I've had nutritious meals all day first, if I still want it and have a few calories left on the tracker, I'll go ahead and have some." :)

b. Tactic 2: Divert. Opt for something else instead, like a mashed banana or some cottage cheese. Think about how much better I feel afterwards physically if I eat fruit or cottage cheese instead of saturated fat and sugar.

c. Tactic 3: Decrease. A friend told me once, with many foods it's only the first bite or two that are enjoyable. After you've gotten that first taste, the rest is not that great. So why bother with a whole plate when you really only need a bite or two?

d. Tactic 4: Devour. Sometimes the item can be swapped for something else on the tracker. For example, sometimes the tracker says to eat butter. I can easily forego the butter and have some ice cream instead. There is usually some calorie and fat allotment left at the end of the day.

e. Tactic 5: Damage control. After tracking it, assess the damage, if any, and sit down and plan exactly what to eat tomorrow so it will all average out.

f. Tactic 6: Discovery. It wasn't as enjoyable as I expected. It's gone already. And it leaves me feeling physically not that great compared to the good food I've been trying to eat lately.

f. Tactic 7: Determination. Don't feel bad about the past. Just chalk up the mis-steps as lessons learned and make decisions to keep improving. Plan ahead if possible, but still don't despair.

2. Cravings while shopping:

a. Delay. Say, "I'll just go get the other stuff first and if I still want this I'll come back and get it later." That will give me time to think about it and - hopefully - change my mind.

b. Distract. There are so many things in the store, maybe I'll forget all about that thing I thought I wanted so badly.

c. Deliberate. While shopping, if it comes to mind, remember, even if it goes into the cart, I probably won't eat it until I get home, by which time I might be asking myself, "Yuck. Why did I buy this?"

d. Divert. Is there something else I could get instead?

e. Decline. Even while going through checkout I can still set the item aside instead of buying it.

f. Divide. At home, divide it into smaller portions and just eat one small portion. And track it. (See "Damage control" above ;)

g. Distance/dispose/discard/donate. If I can't give it away, donate it to charity, or throw it away, maybe I can entrust it to someone else to hold it for me until I ASK for it. That introduces an embarrassment factor. Or else store it somewhere really inconvenient. (But I kinda like the idea of an embarrassment factor.)

3. Cravings when the food is already prepared and RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME (such as at a social event), especially while watching someone else eating and enjoying it:

a. "Down the hatch." (Sorry. Gotta work on that one!)

Footnote: Regarding that last point, after much deliberation, I've developed ten personal dictums regarding birthday parties, which I hope to be able to follow diligently from now on:

1. There is nothing wrong with saying "no" to birthday cake. Appearing at a birthday party does not entail a contractual obligation to ingest cake.

2. There is nothing wrong with bringing along a banana. "I'm gonna just pretend this is cake. Happy birthday."

3. There is nothing wrong with saying I'll have "just a sliver"

4. There's nothing wrong with splitting a slice with someone else.

5. There's nothing wrong with eating just one forkful and then pushing the plate away.

6. There is nothing wrong with leaving all the frosting behind.

7. There is nothing wrong with throwing leftover cake in the trash. Cake is not food. Cake is a symbol and a decoration. When it went onto my plate it fulfilled its purpose for existence. I'm not going to eat it later, and neither is anyone else. Nobody needs it. There are no starving children anywhere who will be benefited by that partially eaten slice of cake. Therefore throwing most of it away is not "wasting food." It's probably even biodegradable. Throwing it away is better for the well-being of the universe than "someone" being stuck walking around wearing it.

8. There is nothing wrong with hosting a birthday party that features sticking candles in a banana, possibly frosted with peanut butter, possibly decorated with berries or cinnamon. Or serving everyone banana slices in cupcake cups, maybe with yogurt and berries instead of ice cream. Banana-and-berry (and apple?) kabobs frosted with peanut butter or dipped in dark chocolate, or dipped in Greek yogurt, or frosted with 2 parts Greek yogurt and 3 parts cream cheese. Hmm.. I think I'm onto something here. :)

9. There is nothing wrong with fruit arrangements made with toothpicks and styrofoam. Or maybe a birthday watermelon. Cut into an interesting shape. Or hollow out a watermelon and fill it with watermelon balls, honeydew balls, and cantaloupe balls. Maybe a few varieties of seedless grapes. Oh boy! So many fun ideas, can't wait to try them!

10. There is nothing wrong with experimenting with different cultures' birthday traditions. (Seaweed soup? Hard-boiled eggs and yams? Spicy stew? Noodle soup and colored h.b. eggs?) Hmm.. Now to convince my friends...

Ok. This was fun to write.

hth
"Losing is Everything"




Edited by: LOSINGSEVRYTHNG at: 7/23/2019 (19:59)

OH MY I was so hungry after gym, shopping for a dress and then picking up a few groceries. I almost put ice cream in my basket, then almost a cake BUT I asked myself Is this what I really want and it worked. I only bought the things I went into the store to buy, no treats no indulgences. Woo Hoo. As for the dress - nope.

It depends on the craving and the timing. If it's something that's always there, like my coworker's candy dish, I can usually tell myself "not now" and walk on by it. Sometimes, though I go ahead and give in, but I make sure I'm making a conscious decision to go ahead, enjoy it thoroughly, and get right back on track. It's working so far.

I love the HALT idea, thanks for sharing!

For starters, I use HALT, that is, am I Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired? If I do not know which one it is, then I narrow down by ruling some of them out. If Hungry, then I prepare or eat a fast, healthy meal. If Tired, I take a shower and go to bed. If Angry , I am trying to release it by writing about it. If lonely, I come on here and talk to people.

I am meal planning at the beginning of each day so that I have healthy meals and snacks available.

I also am allowing myself some sugar free sweet treats AFTER I eat the healthy meal. Just one, at the most two.

It is a process in development, but so far - so good. No binges lately.

Cravings are hard to deal with and they hit with a vengeance. Today is my first day of getting back on track as I've slipped drastically for the last two weeks. I've read the replies and I think the mindful thinking that you, Sparklie-Day suggested, is doable for me and will use it. My new mantra shall be "Is this what I really want to do." Thanks Sparklie.

I give in...sigh.....

Right now I white knuckle my way through because I realize I won't lose weight. I hope I can keep that up.

I deny that craving by telling myself, I don't really need it anyway or sometimes just have a bite or two

I'm really enjoying the great ideas everyone has. Especially to look up the calories.

A cup of plain hot tea, you have to sip it slowly, and it helps my cravings.

look up the calorie count.. that usually solves it

If the craving is for something reasonably healthy that I don't normally incorporate into my diet (e.g. watermelon or pineapple, even a hamburger), I might plan it in to my day and into my nutrition plan. But if it's for something like cookies or cake, I really try to take a moment to step back and remind my self of the big picture. The other day, I forgot to pack a part of my lunch, so I was pretty hungry in the late afternoon. I started to reach for a cookie at work. Then I said to myself, "is this what you want to do? Really?" and when I thought about it I decided to wait until I got home to have a healthy snack. Sometimes moving from mindless to mindful is all it takes.

I'm finding meditation to be very helpful

I drink water and wait about 20 to 30 minutes. Most of the time that takes care of it. If not, I try to wait until the next day.

I like the idea of the pecan and chocolate chips. Will have to try that.

Threat level 1: dates or prunes dusted with cocoa, fruit I really love but don't have on hand normally like watermelon. defrosted blueberries

Threat level 2: 1/2 pbj on whole wheat and a few side dill pickles instead of potato chips.

A whole pecan with two chocolate chips on it microwaved to melt.

HM iced coffee with almond milk and 1 tsp sugar.

Mrslivingwell
McDougall Plan Co-leader

When cravings come up I first note whether I am physically hungry or not. My cravings are usually for sweets. If I am hungry I have some fruit if not I remove myself from where the sweets are ie. avoid sweets isle at grocery store, don't shop when hungry, or try to distract myself. If I continue to crave something I will plan it into my meal plan for a day and have a small portion.