What Do You Do When Cravings Hit?

I just stole candy from my son's dresser last night. I don't even feel bad about it.

What I do is allow myself a small treat quite frequently, sometimes even daily. It reduces the anxiety around indulgence and I never feel deprived. I eat healthy, mostly leafy greens and lean meats and fruit, drink plenty of water and I run, so I feel entitled a bit! Newmans has an amazing orange dark cholocate, and I will break off a couple squares when my cravings hit. Or, Pamelas makes amazing wheat and gluten free cookies that have much better ingredients than most store cookies.

And then sometimes, I just eat the candy - it is glorious! I just ate 5 girl scout cookies about 20 minutes ago. I didn't look back......

ETA: I also do the drink a glass of water and try to redirect - but that only works about 50% of the time. Sometimes, I just gotta have a cookie....

LOL! I stick with 85% dark chocolate from Aldi. Much lower sugar content and requires less to take care of the craving.

I eat.

You've been up for 12 hours.

Sounds like its tea time.

REAL tea time, with sammies or biscuits (cookies).

Eating smaller meals more often is actually what nutritionists recommend we ALL do. I'm constantly amazed by the number of cranky/hungry/short tempered people "holding out till dinner".

Not only will eating solve that, but then one doesn't gorge in the final meal before bed.

Seriously. Try saving some lunch, or making half a sandwich, cheese/fruit/nuts... Whatever.

Cravings are cravings ladies and I am not one of the lucky ones that can substitute a serious chocolate or carb or salt craving with an apple and almonds and water. It is very odd for me, when I have tried to curtail those evil cravings, with all healthy stuff, I actually get stomach upset. Almost like my body is turning on me for not satisfying the reall craving. Soooo.....when they hit, I succumb to the yum......in moderation. I also go for the dark chocolate, it's darker and richer and a little piece kills the craving versus the entire bar. Same is said for salt....I will limit the amount of Dorito's I eat to 5 instead of the whole bag....lol.

Eat a handful of pretzels, 15 almonds & an 8 oz glass of water.

Eat an apple.

Or brush your teeth. (eating is better for your body as healhty mini
snacks are good for you.)

Get up, move around & try on your bathing suit. (if you don't want to eat).

Again, still better to have a small healthy snack.

So this is emotion eating...or boredom eating. Or are you REALLY actually biologically hungry?
Make that differentiation.

If you know you are always hungry at that time, then make sure YOU have options for snacks.
My friend, at her office, she gets hungry at that time too. Common.
BUT she has for herself, some nuts or fruit or veggie sticks. And a yogurt. And she can eat guilt free. Its healthy and it does not spoil her appetite for dinner.
And some people NEED to snack and graze... throughout the day, because otherwise, as is common in women... our blood sugar levels drop... and then we get moody and irritable and just grab anything to shove in our mouth. So, to circumvent that... always plan ahead... and then prep things for yourself to eat at those times. So that you are not just a victim of food and just grabbing whatever "junk" food is in your vicinity or within arm's reach.

Just change your idea, about what a "snack" is to you.

Or just eat the darn candy.
BUT, just give yourself one or two.
Don't have yourself eat the entire bag.

If I am just sort of generally hungry, then I have a handful of almonds (for a "treat," I keep them in the freezer. I don't know why - to me, they just taste better cold), or even some peanuts/raisins/m&ms trail mix - mostly protein, with a dash of sweet.

If I am craving something specific, I have a little bit of that, as soon as I can. I find that if I wait, and tell myself, "No, don't eat those cookies!" I tend to wait and wait and then eat a whole sleeve of Thin Mints. But if I had eaten just two when the craving started, then the craving doesn't get a chance to build, and I can stop at two.

well, its 4:25 right now and I'm eating a Golden Delicious apple. I would LOVE to be eating the soft baked chips ahoy in my pantry but alas, I am a points counter so the guilt would overtake me the minute I swallowed :-) Also, I did run 5 1/2 miles today and I don't want to undo that with the cookies, but I really would like them and the m&m's hiding in my closet for the Easter eggs...oh, and the kit kats and snickers too (sigh...crunch) :-)

Kiddo's in half-day kindergarten and home in the afternoons, so we always have a tea time between 2:30-3. A healthy plate for him and a cup of black tea, some cheese and crackers with olives, dolmas, or almonds and a nibble of something semi-healthy. Sometimes even a small plate of dinner leftovers.

Otherwise, come time to make dinner, I'm not such a nice person.

As for 'real' cravings (chocolate, salt) for me-- I do accommodate them, usually in moderation. Sometimes, tho, not so much. (moderation, that is.)
;)

Nope, not stealing as long as you replenish the supply.

I'm breastfeeding, so I have a snack every afternoon. Today I had an apple and some cheese and crackers.

After dinner is when I go for the sweets :-)

I get hungry at that time too. What I do is plan to eat a substantial snack at that time and then eat less at other times.

Well... depends on whether the craving is because I'm bored. If it is, I usually try a huge glass of water and walk around the outside of my house. Physically changing my location makes me forget I was about to eat out of boredom. But if I'm actually hungry, I'll have a small handful of pistachios or some hummus and carrot sticks. Something that is high in protein because that fills me up way more than empty sugar.

If I'm craving something, I eat what I'm craving if at all possible.

in my head i drink a glass of water, do some bicep curls, or grab a handful of baby carrots.
but usually i indulge them.
and it shows.
of course it's not stealing when you eat your kids' pre-easter candy! i mean, you bought extra to cover that eventuality, right?
khairete
S.

This is why I haven't bought any candy yet:).

Honestly, though it is during a craving that I will go to my basement and ride my exercise bike for a couple of miles. That always gets rid of any cravings I may have.

Protein
1 weight watcher's jalapeño string cheese stick 50 calories. But I used to do sargentos cheese sticks. I have to give myself time to develope a habit THEN change the habit to a better option. So if you were like me I would have to start with any protein snack. Then gradually trade up to a better option.
I have to have snacks, I can feel my blood sugar dip. Dense carbs help with that, also. Try an English muffin, I like, the Triple Health ones, put on a schemer of low fat cream cheese or peanut butter on an apple.