Fighting off cravings

[PianoManGidley]

Okay, up until this year, I've been overweight or obese my entire life. I never ate right and lived a rather sedentary lifestyle. I'm 6'2", and at my worst, I was 293 lbs. Now, I'm 196 lbs., meaning I've lost nearly 100 lbs. even. Also, since I started exercising and eating right in January, I've dropped my body fat down to 13.5%. It hasn't been the easiest thing in the world, but for the most part, it's been much easier than I anticipated.

The hardest struggle, though, has been with nutrition. My first few weeks, I was bombarded with temptation after temptation to break my new, developing eating habits (lean proteins; fresh fruits & veggies; low-fat or non-fat dairy products; and whole-grain breads, rices, pastas, etc.). In time, however, those cravings practically just disappeared.

But now they're back. The salty foods such as hotdogs, potato chips, etc., I have no desire for...but my sweet tooth is a much different issue. Even though I try to stem the tide there by snacking on fat-free frozen yogurt, I still crave the traditional, unhealthy stuff like cheesecake and ice cream and whatnot. It's really getting unbearable now, and I've already broken my diet a couple times so far. I really don't want to sacrifice everything I've worked so hard to achieve, because as I'm sure many of you know, with these physical changes have come many psychological changes as well--I am generally more happy as a person, I'm more social and outgoing, I've left my dead-end job in favor of a better-paying one, and I'm no longer the depressed, withdrawn, suicidal person I once was.

But I need help here--I just can't seem to get rid of these cravings. I'm not a vegan, not even a vegetarian, and I never plan to be, so please don't try to convince me to go down that route, as I love meats and other animal-produced foods way too much. But any other suggestions you would have would be very much welcome.

[mlc82]

The best advice I've heard is, any time you're about to give in to junk food, just think "is tasting this for a couple of minutes really worth wrecking my fitness/diet progress over?"

You know you're going to feel down on yourself afterward, are those couple of moments of something tasting good REALLY worth that awful feeling?

BTW: Chew some mint gum or brush your teeth when you start wanting to eat crap as well- NOTHING sweet tastes good after either of those.

[mlc82]

Some of this might help you out as well- you'd be surprised how great you can make some healthy food actually taste if you're a decent cook (I'm not sadly)!



Bodybuilding.com - Recipe Articles!

[PianoManGidley]

Thanks so much! I think that teeth-brushing option is a good one for me to remember and try next time. Right now, to keep my mind off the mint ice cream in the freezer (I live with my family still, and they're not as on board with eating right as I am, so I buy most of my own food, but it shares shelf space with other, less healthy stuff in the house), I'm snacking on some baby carrots and hummus.

And I've had enough experience in the kitchen to know how to whip up some of my own ideas on healthy meals that taste good. Thanks, though.

[Ninja]

Since you used to be obese, it could be that the wiring of your brain has gone wonky (english is not my first language, hope this makes sense ). What often happens with (ex)obese people, is that their brain mistakes thirst for lack of energy and it will tell you to consume fast energy, like sugar. There's a good chance that your cravings will go away if you drink more water. Try it!

[PianoManGidley]

Originally Posted by Ninja

Since you used to be obese, it could be that the wiring of your brain has gone wonky (english is not my first language, hope this makes sense ). What often happens with (ex)obese people, is that their brain mistakes thirst for lack of energy and it will tell you to consume fast energy, like sugar. There's a good chance that your cravings will go away if you drink more water. Try it!

Actually, I drink water almost constantly. I go through at least a gallon a day.

[Ninja]

Originally Posted by PianoManGidley

Actually, I drink water almost constantly. I go through at least a gallon a day.

Then maybe you are drinking too much, dilluting your bloodsugar? You're no longer obese: there isn't that much of you that needs to be hydrated

Or maybe it could just be that you're not eating enough, making your body cry out for sugary foods (try eating smaller portions spread throughout the day).

If this fails, it could also be lack of sleep. If you don't get enough rest, or the quality if your sleep is bad, then your body will search for other ways to get energy. I've read somewhere that 70% of all obese people sleep 6 hours a night or less! 6 hours might cut it for some people, especially if they eat very healthy and don't have much negative stress, but most adults need more than that. Quality is also important: do you still have the same matress that you had 100 pounds ago? Your body is very different now, so your matress needs are also different. Invest in a good one, suitable for your new body: it will be well worth your buck!

[wellbeing]

First off, PianoMan, congratulations on that great progress!

Mlc's idea of pausing and considering before giving into the craving is a very powerful one and, even if it buys you an hour before the craving comes back, that's an hour more than you would have had and you've built up your determination to be that much stronger.

I've also had success with allowing myself a set time (1 day a week) where I can eat as much as I want of whatever I want. When it was suggested to me, I was terrified of this strategy, fearing that I would pig out and eventually wind up worse than when I started. But, for me, it took the "forbidden" quality away from the foods I was craving and, as I started eating healthier, I found that I could tolerate less and less of the "bad" stuff and even on "free" days found myself avoiding them (because they made me feel less good than they used to).

Another trick I've used is to ask myself what I really want. Sometimes, I don't want that bag of chips but am just bored and don't want to face that. I know it's a cliche but if I'm able to figure out what I'm really feeding, I've been able to break myself of the habit of eating to fill loneliness.

Not to bore you, but a friend of mine, whose partner is reed-thin and so has filled the house with all sorts of goodies (making the house a land-mine for dieters), goes for a run or hits the gym when the cravings come--even if he's already done is workout for the day. He figures, since he can't trust himself at those times with a house full of temptation, he gets out of the house.

One last suggestion (which, I admit, is rather extreme but might be of some value): since, from your post, it sounds like your mind has hooked the idea of you being overweight with your thoughts of suicide, you could imagine each snack as the mental equivalent of poison--in effect, taking you back to that unwanted state. I hesitate to share this method with you since on this board we discuss how positive imagery is usually more productive than an image as gruesome as I'm suggesting. However, I have known a few people who have successfully used this tool to curb some of their more dangerous compulsive behaviors.

I hope this thread helps you out and know that I (and I'm sure others here) am/are rooting for you to keep up the good work!

[Ree]

Congrats on your accomplishments.... that is quite impressive! If you're at all concerned with your glycemic index, there are some desserts you can have that are quite low on the index and will not spike your blood sugar level. For example, fresh cherries steeped in red wine and lemon zest and served warm with whipped cream... yum!

Also you can eat chocolate bars that are at least 70% cacao. You'll need to get used to the somewhat bitter taste (compared to Hershey's that is) but those times when I HAVE to have chocolate a couple of squares do the job for me.

And I have a recipe for ice cream that is quite low on the glycemic index that is yummy! It's the sort you have to make and serve right away, you can't keep it in a carton in the fridge. But maybe that's a good thing

If you'd like more info just send me an Email.

[PianoManGidley]

Originally Posted by Ninja

Then maybe you are drinking too much, dilluting your bloodsugar? You're no longer obese: there isn't that much of you that needs to be hydrated

I'll keep that in mind--thanks!

Or maybe it could just be that you're not eating enough, making your body cry out for sugary foods (try eating smaller portions spread throughout the day).

This is what I've been doing since January. Although, it's more difficult with my new job, since they don't allow us to eat during our shifts.

If this fails, it could also be lack of sleep. If you don't get enough rest, or the quality if your sleep is bad, then your body will search for other ways to get energy. I've read somewhere that 70% of all obese people sleep 6 hours a night or less! 6 hours might cut it for some people, especially if they eat very healthy and don't have much negative stress, but most adults need more than that. Quality is also important: do you still have the same matress that you had 100 pounds ago? Your body is very different now, so your matress needs are also different. Invest in a good one, suitable for your new body: it will be well worth your buck!

Thanks, I'll keep this in mind, too--I HAVE recently switched out my old mattress for something less worn, but it's still not the absolute best thing I could have (such as one of those latex foam-cores or something). I'm tight financially right now, though, so I can't afford to buy a brand new mattress until later.

Wellbeing--Thanks for all YOUR suggestions, too. You've got some good ones in there, some of which I've heard before, but will keep in mind.

Ree: I've been a long-time fan of dark chocolate. Hershey's "Special Dark" is a joke to me--TRUE dark chocolate is AT LEAST 70%, as you stated. The darker, the better. The darkest I've been able to find so far, though, is only 82%. I wonder if there's anything stronger...

[mlc82]

To second what wellbeing said, I'd also recommend taking 1 day out of the week to use as a "cheat day" and lay off the discipline a bit- don't go out and binge on donuts and cake all day long, but don't torture yourself either and go ahead and enjoy some of the sweet stuff you like. Just be sure to keep it to one day of the week, and you'll have that to look forward to which may actually help you stay away from the stuff otherwise- this is what I do with Beer, and it works pretty well

[wellbeing]

Originally Posted by PianoManGidley

...TRUE dark chocolate is AT LEAST 70%, as you stated. The darker, the better. The darkest I've been able to find so far, though, is only 82%. I wonder if there's anything stronger...

There sure are! Michel Cluizel (from Paris) makes a 85% and a 99% chocolate bar, for example. Plantations (from Ecuador but made in New Jersey) makes a 90% and a 100% (no sugar or milk!) bar. I thought the 100% would be nasty (because there was no sweetener added) but they use the Arriba variant of cocoa bean which has a pronounced fruitness so that a little bit was almost palatable. In fact, a little taste did the trick with my chocolate cravings but YMMV. These are just some examples; there are more. Specialty food stores often carry them. Unfortunately, we're at the time of the year when shipping chocolate is tricky due to weather, so mail order to Texas will probably be expensive now. You may have to wait before you can order on time.

(And, thanks for your feedback. I'm glad you found something helpful in my post!)

[VacMan]

PianoManGidley,

Congrats on your weight loss, 100 pounds is awesome work!

Cravings can be tough to beat.

With cravings, a lot of the time I use the philosophy "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!"

As long as you keep your macronutrients/calories under control you can still fit in some "treats" here and there.

You can't be 100% on plan 100% of the time.

Cheat days are an incredible "asset" as they can help you mentally get through a week as well because just knowing that you'll be able to eat what you want on Saturday can help you get through the rest of the days easier.

I've created a piece of software that can help you construct diets based on the foods you want to eat, and it will help you see if those foods can fit into your diet and if they are in line with your goals.

You can find the program in my signature.

Also I do agree that eating good and healthy foods that actually taste good is a great option too.

Ultimately, you can combine eating "treats" occasionally, use a cheat day, and also eat good healthy foods.

I've started to document some great recipes that I like and make videos of how to make them along with instructions and nutritional facts for each recipe on my blog (also found in my signature.)

Good luck!

And again, congrats on the 100 pounds!

[mikeitaly]

have you ever tried to control junk food cravings using EFT?

if you don't know what it is, search for it in youtube.
first you should learn the base technique, then you can apply it to your specific problem.
if you search "EFT cravings" you can find some valuable videos.

[JSB]

Originally Posted by mlc82

To second what wellbeing said, I'd also recommend taking 1 day out of the week to use as a "cheat day" and lay off the discipline a bit- don't go out and binge on donuts and cake all day long, but don't torture yourself either and go ahead and enjoy some of the sweet stuff you like. Just be sure to keep it to one day of the week, and you'll have that to look forward to which may actually help you stay away from the stuff otherwise- this is what I do with Beer, and it works pretty well

Cheat days can be very useful for keeping a your diet on track. Every time you get a craving, write down what you want, and tell yourself you can have it on your cheat day.

You don't want to binge on 5000 calories worth of junk on your cheat day, but the point is to reduce the feeling of deprivation, and give yourself a chance to enjoy some of the foods that you've been missing.

[The Cloud]

If you can't control your stomach, at least you can control your wallet. Don't go to the grocery store hungry, and don't stock your house with any of the foods that you don't want to eat. If you fall off the wagon, so be it, because if you really want it you'll be right back on again.

Another suggestion; if you can't avoid the availability of sweet foods, then commit to eating a portion of something that you are allowed to eat before you eat the sugary snack, and then waiting 20 minutes. Commit to allowing yourself the snack after that time passes, if you still want it. I don't know if this will work for you, but it works for me.

[uberinquisitive]

I suggest you get the TAT weight loss downloads. It's a lot like EFT, but seems to work better for me when it comes to food.

For me, my weakness is fat. Butter, cream, red meat, etc.. Since I've started this TAT weight thing about 5 days ago, I've cut out the butter very easily, and decreased my cravings for red meat by a good 30%. I still eat a steak almost everyday (I know, I'm nuts!), but now I can skip a day and not feel deprived.

[WilliWibald]

When I eat lots of fruits (like half a watermelon or 10 apples), then I don't have any cravings for other sweet stuff at all. It's completely vanished. Chocolate - not interested anymore - IceCream - nope.
Back in the days when I was not eating so much fruit I found out, that drinking lots water worked for me. But that's no longer necessary.
Hope that helps. Good Luck

[Jennihul]

Ok, I second the EFT recommendation. EFT Provides Impressive Health and Emotional Freedom--New Discovery Often Works Where Nothing Else (It's practically free to learn)

Many of these posters have great ideas about what to do when you get a craving.

My advice is how to stem them from occuring in the first place. On a physical level, your brain craves for only one reason: blood sugar vs insulin. The eternal battle.

The only way to end that battle is to eat less carbs and increase your proteins and good fats. Good carbs vs bad carbs only work some of the time, for some of the people.

You have already been morbidly obese which means your blood sugar vs insulin machinery is defective from the get go. You, unfortunately, have to treat ANY bread, pasta, rice, corn or grain as pure SUGAR. Whole grains being good for you, blah blah blah, is almost meaningless. Once it is digested, yes it will digest more slowly and in fact enter your bloodstream more slowly but your body doesn't care, it will still only see SUGAR when all is said and done.

So try that trick. Less whole grains, carbs, starchy veggies, high sugar fruits and a small increase in protein and good fats.


Jennifer

[escapee]

You have already been morbidly obese which means your blood sugar vs insulin machinery is defective from the get go. You, unfortunately, have to treat ANY bread, pasta, rice, corn or grain as pure SUGAR. Whole grains being good for you, blah blah blah, is almost meaningless. Once it is digested, yes it will digest more slowly and in fact enter your bloodstream more slowly but your body doesn't care, it will still only see SUGAR when all is said and done.

So try that trick. Less whole grains, carbs, starchy veggies, high sugar fruits and a small increase in protein and good fats.

10000% agree, restrict yourself to non starchy vegetable,low GI fruits, high good fat nuts and seeds as low carb food source until your weight is normalized. Most morbidly obese people in modern day have sugar metabolic disorder ( Hypoglycemica or Hyperglycemia ) mainly caused by refined carbs.

[Rose of Cairo]

I totally agree with Jennihul and escapee on this one. The first thing you have to do is to check if you are addicted to sugar or not. From what you're writing, I bet you are. But only you can know it for sure. With sugar, I don't mean only sugar, chocolate or cakes, I also mean potatoes, rice, corn, grains, beer... Observe how dependent you are on these things.

All the willpower based advice and cheat days are maybe a great thing when you have no sugar metabolic disorder - but if you have, cheat days are the worst catastrophe ever, and willpower will lead you nowhere.

I speak from experience, I had been successfully on a raw foods diet for weeks, then I read here on this forum how great cheat days are. I had a cheat day where I ate just ONE TINY little cake. I got soooo terrible cravings that it was absolutely unbearable, I lost control and had a binge attack on sugars. And my raw diet is terribly important for me, yet I broke it Still struggling with cravings now. I personally find sugar way more difficult to deal with than nicotine. Even brown rice makes me want to eat four plates of it... followed by a pizza, two breads and an entire cheese cake.

What I'm trying to say is that if your body cannot cope with sugar, you just have to eliminate it completely from your diet. No potatoes, no bread, no rice, no grains in any form, no beer... No dairy either, because it contains lactose, which is sugar too.

Be careful with processed foods, nearly all of them contain sugar! Sometimes hidden under other names, or listed as colorants (they use caramel to create brown color). Nearly all processed meat products contain sugar too. Don't underestimate the danger with it. Even very small amounts can make you get cravings, because it reminds your body of the substance.

Btw, you mentioned depression. Sugar can lead to neurological disorders and depressions. It harms your nerves.

Take care. Love