Struggling with cravings? How I fixed mine.
Cravings are monsters. The only way to make them go away is to not feed them.
This doesn't mean we can't come up with low carb substitutes which satisfy. I have recipes for Mock Mac 'n' Cheese and Spinach Lasagna which hit the spot when I want these favorites. Just check this site's Recipe Section for lots of great ideas. What it does mean is recognizing that "moderation" is not going to work. And there is a limit to substitutions. Some things we must bid goodbye Forever. There's the snag. We often have such overwhelming emotional responses to "never having X again!" that we avoid really confronting it, stop thinking, and sabotage ourselves. This is especially common if we have used our comfort foods as a coping skill (raises hand) in the past. I discovered that paring my carb intake down to 50 carbs a day, my way of starting Atkins, did wonders. I was happy and slim that way for years. But health issues, unrelated to low carbing, threw me off. Under stress, we can backslide. I’m back on track now by going Very Low Carb, what is known as ketosis, for its healing properties. An unexpected bonus is ZERO cravings. None. Not that I couldn’t handle them and/or find a way to satisfy them before. I had taken care of the emotional issues, then, with low carbing, took care of the physical issues. Either one can make us prowl the kitchen with that nagging feeling. Now, I eat a delightful meal, really enjoy it, and then I don’t think about food for hours and hours. I’m not giving up anything. I’m getting a lot. |
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I'm there and you're exactly right, the cravings are gone, no need to snack because I'm not hungry and have no cravings. I like it this way too, A Lot!
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congrats , don't forget your water:)
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And salt! More important the lower carb one goes. |
DH has suddenly confronted the Weight Creep for the first time in his life. Luckily he married a veteran of the Weight Creep wars. I'm grateful that with his new interest in dietary management, we can do this together. We've taken on the Keto Challenge at Diet Doctor (my favorite LC site besides this one).
It's not so much actual cravings as bad habits we both need to get past. Happy hour, peanut snacks (often late at night), and (for him) bread. I'm not expecting dramatic results, but I know the intervention will be healthy and enduring. Salt. Check. Water. Check. Delicious menus. Check. :D |
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I fell off the rails by going to Thanksgiving with the family, followed by Christmas....... Been off the rails since. My answer in the past has been " dont go" and that worked to keep me LC. Not like my "family" calls me at other times of the year....so why go...? My frustrations have escalated over the years as the youngsters in the family embrace alternative diets, so Grammy caters to their wishes. HEY I was in the family before them... but apparently a DIL is not as good as grandchildren. Even after nearly 20 years LC, getting LC food is only what we bring, and a ham slathered in sweet spices is the main event. Im happier staying home. :D |
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My family lives so far away that the only one cooking for Holidays is me & my husband. So we have FABULOUS LC feasts, complete with deserts I can taste. (I do pumpkin pie from scratch... I do it crustless, and for one of them, I'll replace the honey/sugar with stevia. Since I'm diabetic now, I still have to be careful of the sugars in the pumpkin, so I'll just have a couple fork-fulls, but this is a much better option.) Unfortunately, while I don't run into this at family gatherings (since I have none) I have a TON of social-gathering pot-lucks I must attend on a regular basis. And usually, I can only eat what I bring. Which generally means I eat before I show up, when I can. |
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Thank you for sharing!!! Often I feel Im alone dealing with off limits foods. (Makes me sympathetic to those that have food allergies.) One of the best Christmas dinners was here at home, and everything was LC/ OP , even the tiramisu, and another dessert. (Two desserts in case the boys didnt like one.) My favorite is pumpkin cheesecake made in a mug!! A few walnuts at the bottom is optional. Much better on the carbs. It is my go to as I cannot ( yet) make a good LC pumpkin pie. My boys wont eat a pie with out a crust, so when possible a coconut/almond crust. FUnny how now a craving is hitting.... talking food , thinking food, watching cooking shows--- all trigger a craving, some times strong, sometimes mild. Time for water to kill the craving!! :D |
I'm craving, too. Fortunately, I'm craving a pickle, so I'm going to give in. ;) (I may even eat TWO.)
(I'm also going out to meet some folks at a restaurant this afternoon, so sitting here studying the menu and nutrition info, so I know what I can ACTUALLY eat... "Safe" picks aren't always safe, like when Panera chicken is soaked in sugar.) |
Also some steaks are lightly coated in a corn starch to get a nice sear...... THAT stopped me going out to eat.
I have my big water at hand, it worked to kill the craving! |
Place I'm headed, their LETTUCE-WRAP burgers have over 60 net carbs.
What the frell are they doing -- putting bread-crumbs in them? But they have a nice chicken ceasar coming out at 7 net, 13 total. THAT I can handle... may add some avocado (bringing me to 8 net), just because that sounds really good. And yes -- just had the last 2 pickle-spears in the fridge. :D (Been pickle-craving since last night.) Think we need to grab some more, next shopping trip. (Have another jar, but we've been going through them, with 3 people in the house eating pickles!) We don't eat out a ton -- it's cheaper to cook. But when we do, I'm learning how important it is to read the nutrition-info in advance. I might have gotten excited over the lettuce-wrap burgers or zoodles they offer, if I hadn't read those numbers. Instead, I'll go for the ceasar-salad and the yummy (and safe) add-ons. (Avo... maybe bacon or shrimp.... yes, I've checked all of them.) |
Hmm. Sometimes I have a craving for a salty pretzel or potato chips. When that happens I salt up a few forkfuls of chicken salad. It usually does the trick. My other craving monster is chocolate. That one can be tougher. For a normal chocolate craving, in my fridge I keep a premixed jar of natural peanut butter blended with unsweetened baker's chocolate for just such an emergency - sort of a poor man's low carb Reese's. A few spoonfuls of that and I'm usually good to go. BUT, if it's a crazy "gotta have chocolate" craving, then I usually reach for an Atkins shake or Costco chocolate brownie protein bar. Fake food is my undoing and stalls me unbelievably. I try my best to make do with the peanut butter chocolate.
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Ketosis is the best craving kicker. I miss the days I used to be able to eat more :)
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This absolutely infuriates me. They take something that has no ^#(*&$^ business having wheat in it, and they put LOTS of WHEAT in it. Because it's cheap and addictive, I suppose. |
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