As you begin diet number ump-teen million and one, you decide that this is IT! You are going to swear off donuts, no more trips to Starbucks, say goodbye to ice cream, workout everyday, and never eat any form of carbs again! So why do cravings STILL over whelm your thoughts?
Let’s take a look at some familiar scenarios and how to take control of those cravings!
Thought: Chocolate is a NEED, not a want, when it comes to PMS.
- Chocolate seems to be the ultimate taboo food for most women and yet, ironically considered the ”go-to” fix for all your PMS woes! Why? Chocolate increases serotonin, endorphins, and phenylethylamine, (feel good brain chemicals), leaving you with feelings of euphoria, even on your worst days! No wonder we love it! However, when chocolate is always off limits, it makes it even harder to resist when you are feeling lousy. Hence, the PMS craving…
- The FIX: Use exercise as a way to reduce your stress and increase endorphins. The reduction in stress will help to decrease those PMS cravings because you won’t feel so terrible. Also, try to eat small portions of chocolate throughout the rest of the month. When chocolate is no longer considered a “forbidden food,” the cravings will calm. Remember: no foods are off limits!
Thought: I just got dumped; time to drown my sorrows with CARBS! Bring on the pizza and donuts! Who cares, nobody loves me anyway.
- Serotonin levels drop when we are feeling depressed, and carbs are the perfect way to stimulate its production.
- The FIX: EAT CARBS and STOP feeling sorry for yourself! Your body actually NEEDS serotonin; otherwise you will continue to feel stressed and irritable. Try to stick to sensible portions though, like a small bowl of whole grain cereal. Then, call a friend, go for a walk, or just do something you love! You still have your life to lead, with or without the guy!
Thought: Let’s go to the movies and bring on the popcorn!
- Popcorn has been associated with seeing movies for a loooong time. Our brains are conditioned to want popcorn when the previews start to role! When events become linked with food, you are more likely to indulge without even thinking about it! Plus, those bottom-less seeming buckets prompt you to eat more than your body wants. Other food associations? Birthdays and cake, Thanksgiving and turkey, cookouts and smores, late night TV and ice cream…
- The FIX: Even if you are not a typical popcorn + movie goer, there is at least one event that prompts a food association. Identify the situation and then work to correct it. Try sneaking in your own mini bags of popcorn to the theater, chew gum while watching nighttime tv or brush your teeth, and allow yourself a small piece of birthday cake before you decide to binge later.
Whatever you’re craving, it’s essential to acknowledge the problem and work to correct it! Most cravings are just in your head. While the mind is a powerful thing, you CAN get through each and every craving!
How do you get through a craving?
*Still looking for guest bloggers to head up my Operation Beautiful themed week (August 30-Sept 7). Kicking off the week? Caitlin from The Healthy Tipping Point! I’m so thrilled!
I liked this post a lot. I’m still trying to figure out how to tend to my cravings. I’ve gotten much better, but I still have those times, like once a month, where I have a mini binge! Little by little I think, and hope, I’ll get the hang out it.
[...] post earlier in the week dealt with how to conquer certain cravings. If you haven’t yet checked it out, you might want to do so now. If you are all caught [...]
The way that I fight cravings is by kind of talking myself down from it. I usually ask myself a series of questions like:
Am I really hungry? Do I *need* ____? Will I feel better or worse after eating ____?
That usually gets me in the right mindset to not give in to an unhealthy craving.
I love this post..I wrote something SOOOO similar a while back (we DO have a lot in common!)
I satisfy my cravings. When I have them, I figure it’s my bodies way of telling me “I’m missing something.” So, I analyze what it may be…if it’s ice cream, I say “Am I dehydrated?” or it it the heat, etc. I grab watermelon, or make myself some banana softserve. If it’s chocolate, like you said about serotonin, PMS, etc…I think about why i am craving it, and then, I will let myself have some dark chocolate. I feel if I deprive myself, I will fall into bad habits of binging, and never feeling satisfied. My cravings come less and less since I do this, because I am never depriving myself! I don’t eat ice cream every night, but I allow myself a small treat, whether it be a few sqares of chocolate..or softserve (which is not unhealthy at all, just frozen naners), or a raw dessert I take the time to prepare! That’s my other rule..if I want something that’s a treat, I need to take the time to make it myself (unless its the chocolate hah).
Have a great night! Awesome post
I so have had this post title run through my head over and over. Sigh. I read a great post recently where the blogger asked herself if she was hungry enough for an apple. And only if the answer was yes did she eat something (healthy, but not necessarily and apple). I love that idea.
When I quit smoking I beat the craving by just being stubborn.. and maybe eating a bit of ice cream instead. But in the end I’m not a smoker anymore and do eat my ice cream in moderation.
I love bringing airpopped popcorn to movies. I’ll even bring my spray bottle of Bragg’s aminos
We definitely sneak our own snacks into the theater. Usually dried fruit, goldfish (if we must have the salty) water and fun flavored gum.
What are you looking for for your operation beautiful week? I might be interested if you are still looking.
I love this post, everything your wrote really hit home for me.
Eating carbs when craving them while stressed is definitely a good idea! Most people think it wouldn’t be but that’s because they always think of the wrong kind of carbs – healthy complex carbs are the way to go, not simple ones that are loaded with sugar and just make the carb craving turn monstrous.
Whenever I have a craving I usually drink some water, try and distract myself, or just have a little to see if I truly want it. Most of the time it really is just a craving that will pass quickly if I don’t let myself dwell on it.
Love the popcorn tip. I am notorious for just going after something because it’s there. I really ask myself if I’m hungry for a real meal or that specific food. If I’m not hungry for a proper meal, I drink some water and try to take my mind off my craving.
I love this. I always try and drink water and wait to see if I am really hungry or just bored.
Sometimes my dessert cravings can be satisfied with fruit… if not, I just go for it but don’t eat too much!
These tips and hints are so helpful! I eat chocolate almost every day, and it is NEVER off limits for me. I find that if I give myself permission to eat it daily, I don’t really want it that much (until PMS strikes, then yes, I definitely crave it! LOL) and therefore I don’t binge on it during TTOM. =)
That said, I don’t “fight” cravings, unless it’s something that will make me sick (dairy, gluten, soy, etc) — I give in, and eat a portion of it, or work it into a meal or a snack. It really does help keep the binge-monster at bay.
I really love the idea that no food is off limits. I try to always honor my cravings, because if I don’t then I get rather miserable, and my cravings just build up until I can’t handle it anymore. If I allow myself to indulge in the foods I want in moderation, then I don’t have to worry about going buck wild all at once.
i try to distract myself doing something else-the computer helps!
Such good ideas! I’ll admit that I always reach for the (dark) chocolate on really bad days. What can I say? I’m hooked
And I would love to write a guest post for you! Shoot me an email – fitnfreshblog @ gmail.com
Caitlin is so sweet! How awesome for her to contribute. I can contribute something if you like. Let me know what you need.
I really try to either allow myself just a small sample, or I try to do something else that usually makes me forget all about the urge.
These are such awesome tips!!
a hot drink ..or gum
Chocolate is a pretty easy one. I keep on hand high quality chocolate chips (ghiradelli 60%) and suck on them so they melt in my mouth. 16 of them (and they’re over-sized chips) is 70 calories and satisfies chocolate cravings. Much more satisfying than a chocolate bar. I also bring my own stuff to the movie theater–more so because I’m cheap, but it allows me a wider range of items to snack on it. Grapes, homemade trail mix and gum are on my list.
The carbs? working on it.
I eat medjooled dates!! haha that’ helps with the chocolate or cake craving!!
I distract myself: I jump in the shower, I pick up a book, I go outside, I call a friend, etc. Anything to get my mind off of food. If I am close to a meal/snack time then I will plan to have a bit of that craving in that snack/meal.