How do you stop craving and keep from over eating?? [ advice NEEDED ]

Hi there :)

I am also a University student so I know how hard it can be at school! Before whenever I would try to "diet" I would head straight to wholefoods and spend a crap load of money on veggies and various "healthy" items that would require me to cook, well guess what? All that food went back because I could never find the time to cook it.

At my school in the "convenience" store I get a prepackaged bowl of special K and a non-fat milk as a snack if I am feeling hungry until I can get home. In the mornings I just have a whole wheat roll with peanut butter on it, the pb helps you feel full and it has a lot of protein to give you energy, also I will eat either a lite string cheese with the roll or some strawberries. For another snack I will have 1/4 cup nonsalted, roasted nuts and that also helps me with hunger, so there are ways around eating crappy! Before I would just tell myself, "Oh, school has all bad food and I don't have time to cook or get anything healthy so I am just going to get McDonalds" and that is exactly how I gained 30 pounds in my first year of college.

Also, the food courts usually have some sort of daily fresh fruit that they offer, which is a great snack!

As far as keeping the motivation to stay away from foods that I realllly want to eat I think of this thing I learned in my substance abuse class at school...

Pain (emotional or physical) leads to making bad decisions (over eating/ eating bad foods) and those bad decisions lead to bad consequences (gaining weight/ ruining progress) and in turn leads to guilt and shame, that guilt and shame then turns in to pain and starts the cycle over again. So when I am craving something I ask myself what trigger is MAKING me want to reach for that chocolate bar instead of a banana. Then I take some deep breaths and try to clear the food from my mind. It is really helpful and I have not really cheated yet or gone over my calories per day.
Anyway, I hope this helps! Good luck and feel free to send me a message if you have any questions or need support!

-Shawnna
 
Hi, I am new here. One tip to feel full. Drink a cup of hot tea when you really feel the need to eat, and it is not yet time for your next snack or meal. Brew a teabag in a cup for water for at least 5 minutes (on a low flame), and then add a little bit of milk and brew for another minute.. add sugar (just half a teaspoon) only if you must. This keeps me full for almost 2 hours.
 
Marcie T said:
Hi, I am new here. One tip to feel full. Drink a cup of hot tea when you really feel the need to eat, and it is not yet time for your next snack or meal. Brew a teabag in a cup for water for at least 5 minutes (on a low flame), and then add a little bit of milk and brew for another minute.. add sugar (just half a teaspoon) only if you must. This keeps me full for almost 2 hours.
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Milk and tea, really? Does it taste good? Hmm...never tried that. One day I'll have to...
 
Thanx Shawnnam!

Yeah, I'm working around the unhealthy stuff at my school, and sticking with healthier options. I'm just not trying to spend any extra money on food, cuz I'm trying to save up for when I lose the weight--I wanna treat myself to this massive shopping spree!!

You know what my real problem is? Work...and the food pushers that go there! It's like at every turn, 'go get some bagels!'; 'lets go get some sushi!'; 'hey, i brought some cornbread muffins! help yourself', and I'm finding it hard to say 'no, thank you' or just not help myself to any.

[ sigh ]

I gotta get my life together...
 
Superstar922 said:
Milk and tea, really? Does it taste good? Hmm...never tried that. One day I'll have to...
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Actually it is quite good. It may take you a couple of days to get used to the taste, but it is nothing like some of the obnoxious things I have drunk to feel full.
I would like to recommend this book I am reading right now. It is called 'Don't lose your mind, Lose Your Weight' and is by Rujuta Diwekar. It is pretty easy to follow, no strict difficult rules, and I think is quite effective.
The hardest thing for me to do is stop my snack cravings. And this book helps with that.
 
Marcie T said:
Actually it is quite good. It may take you a couple of days to get used to the taste, but it is nothing like some of the obnoxious things I have drunk to feel full.
I would like to recommend this book I am reading right now. It is called 'Don't lose your mind, Lose Your Weight' and is by Rujuta Diwekar. It is pretty easy to follow, no strict difficult rules, and I think is quite effective.
The hardest thing for me to do is stop my snack cravings. And this book helps with that.
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Thanks for the book suggestion!

What bookstore did you buy it at? I'm sure it's everywhere but just in case...
 
Superstar922 said:
Whichever category you fall into, please respond on some tips and advice as to what works for you...

(1) Curbing cravings--how to you tell yourself "No, don't eat that!"??
(2) Overeating--even if there is food still left on the plate, how do you keep yourself from finishing it off even when you're already full??

( I wish I had somebody to do this :smash: to my hands every time I reached for food I don't need to be eating )
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It's called willpower. If you want to eat the food that's in front of you, you're going to eat it. But, if you have the willpower and don't want to eat the food that's in front of you, you're not going to eat it.
 
Willpower is a big part - but other things help too!

Like if you're eating in the dining hall, go pick up a salad and eat it before getting anything else. It will help you fill up faster. And use a smaller plate - it helps keep you eating less in general. I don't know if they're in your budget, but I also keep dry roasted edamame around for snacks. They're good in protein & fiber and low calorie density. The whole bag is about 500 calories, and a bag normally lasts me 2 weeks+.

Also - reading this I had to suppress some vague food guilt ;) Right now I'm drinking hot chocolate - but it's the Carnation diet and it's only 25 calories, not 200! ... Of course, last night I made hot chocolate my post workout recovery drink. The real deal with full fat milk and sugar. But I hear nothing has topped chocolate milk for post workout nutrition and the protein/carb ratio of hot chocolate should be pretty similar, so I'm using that to justify my treat ;)

Finally... my most useful tactic in dealing with cravings etc. has to use the forces of procrastination to my benefit! I am a horrible procrastinator and I have taken to putting it to use for me. "I'll just wait a little longer until I grab a brownie from the break room." Sometimes they're all gone, sometimes it just means I don't eat two or more... Or yesterday we went to a restaurant and the wonderful smell of pizza was in the air. "Maybe I'll have pizza for my birthday!" I told myself. I'm not telling myself "No pizza" I'm just saying... "I'll have pizza - just later." It's easier than the denial, and it helps me stay on track. ... I've also been postponing picking up those Reeses PB eggs that have been in stores since January. ... I can wait until it's closer to Easter, dammit ;) Go go procrastination!
 
Jeanette401 said:
Willpower is a big part - but other things help too!

Like if you're eating in the dining hall, go pick up a salad and eat it before getting anything else. It will help you fill up faster. And use a smaller plate - it helps keep you eating less in general. I don't know if they're in your budget, but I also keep dry roasted edamame around for snacks. They're good in protein & fiber and low calorie density. The whole bag is about 500 calories, and a bag normally lasts me 2 weeks+.

Also - reading this I had to suppress some vague food guilt ;) Right now I'm drinking hot chocolate - but it's the Carnation diet and it's only 25 calories, not 200! ... Of course, last night I made hot chocolate my post workout recovery drink. The real deal with full fat milk and sugar. But I hear nothing has topped chocolate milk for post workout nutrition and the protein/carb ratio of hot chocolate should be pretty similar, so I'm using that to justify my treat ;)

Finally... my most useful tactic in dealing with cravings etc. has to use the forces of procrastination to my benefit! I am a horrible procrastinator and I have taken to putting it to use for me. "I'll just wait a little longer until I grab a brownie from the break room." Sometimes they're all gone, sometimes it just means I don't eat two or more... Or yesterday we went to a restaurant and the wonderful smell of pizza was in the air. "Maybe I'll have pizza for my birthday!" I told myself. I'm not telling myself "No pizza" I'm just saying... "I'll have pizza - just later." It's easier than the denial, and it helps me stay on track. ... I've also been postponing picking up those Reeses PB eggs that have been in stores since January. ... I can wait until it's closer to Easter, dammit ;) Go go procrastination!
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LOL I like that...^^ Thanks for the suggestion!

I have to be more convincing when I tell myself "I'll have that later". Usually I find myself saying "I never get to eat these things, so one time won't hurt. It's not like I'm going to keep eating it over and over again." <--very bad mentality. And I definitely did that yesterday when I grabbed 3 slices of chicken and black bean pizza (don't worry, the slices were each less than 2-inches wide and altogether probably equally about 1 1/2 normal-size slices. Not making an excuse, just thought I should mention).

Anyway, I'm trying to really control what it is I put in my mouth, but it's hard to really have that control. B/c if I see something I like, I wanna eat it, b/c that's what I'm used to doing. And when I get into a habit, it takes me FOREVER to break it. But I'm working on it ... I'm trying. Anyway, as far as losing weight, I haven't lost a damn thing ... yet. But I'm still determined. I've come up with a new way to monitor my weight-loss which (hopefully) will cause me to be stricter with my diet; and I have incorporated new things (i.e.: I try to walk for 20 minutes every night after dinner, and I workout 2-3 times a week instead of 1-2, tho I cut my workout time in half to 1 hour instead of 2, but I'm steadily increasing my intensity). I'll post in detail my progress on my diary tho...

:)
 
I like to compare eating with spending when it comes to the whole willpower thing ..

When you go shopping, do you buy everything you see and want, no matter what your budget? Do you spend your rent money on shoes? Do you look at a computer game or book or whatever your particular fun indulgence is and say "I'm gonna have that RIGHT NOW because it might not be here tomorrow, and screw the electric bill - I'll live w/out electricity for a month"?

Most people don't do that.

So why do we think we can do it with food. When I started looking at what I eat as a food "allowance" .. just like my budget, it started making a lot more sense to me.
 
KaraCooks said:
I like to compare eating with spending when it comes to the whole willpower thing ..

When you go shopping, do you buy everything you see and want, no matter what your budget? Do you spend your rent money on shoes? Do you look at a computer game or book or whatever your particular fun indulgence is and say "I'm gonna have that RIGHT NOW because it might not be here tomorrow, and screw the electric bill - I'll live w/out electricity for a month"?

Most people don't do that.

So why do we think we can do it with food. When I started looking at what I eat as a food "allowance" .. just like my budget, it started making a lot more sense to me.
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That's a really good comparison. Most people who do that will spend and spend and spend, even if they're dead broke. It isn't until someone gets firm about it and tells them to buckle the fuck down that they start changing their ways and acting with a little willpower.

Same with food, like you said. Most people who "can't stop eating" will eat and eat and eat, even if they're completely full and not even hungry. It isn't until someone gets firm about it and tells them to buckle the fuck down that they start changing their ways and acting with a little willpower.

There is absolutely NOTHING in the entire world that will make anybody stop eating...except for their willpower. Your body tells you when to eat; it's called being hungry. Other than that, if you decide to pick up food and eat it, it's 100% your fault. There isn't any pill, magical drink or super special trick that can keep anybody from picking up food and eating it; it all boils down to willpower.
 
One thing that helps me with the "I never get to eat these things" is to put a simple twice a week limit on exceptions like that. I try to stay 'on plan' 90% of the time, and that means if I'm eating 3 meals a day, that's 2.7 meals a week I can be a little more free.

Now, this has to be within reason. "I never get to eat pizza" doesn't mean lets have a large pizza to myself ;) "I never get to have brownies" doesn't mean "Lets go make a pan of brownies and eat them all!" I also try to schedule this around working out. So... if I haven't made exceptions for myself twice before on Saturday when I go to the gym... having a Reeses PB egg is fine! Having 2 or 5 not so much... but it's quality, not quantity.

Scheduling around gym time also helps me with the procrastination a little - I tell myself I'll just have the little treat after the gym and postpone it a little more ;)
 
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I also find that by eating a properly balanced diet - healthy foods in healthy amounts -
I'm not generally hungry,
so it's easier to resist cravings because
i know they're cravings, as opposed to actual hunger.
 
Oh I'm glad to see people are still responding to this! :D

Well, for the past couple of days (since last Wednesday, I believe) I've had a pretty good handle on my cravings, and was able to postpone one of them for an entire day (yeah, my cravings never go away until i give into them. Like I can literally be thinking about eating a particular food item for days on end, until I satisfy the craving). But since that Wednesday I havent completely overeaten and I've gained a bit more control over how much i eat. It's quite liberating. :)

Now tomorrow will be a challenge. I have to stay after work at my internship for a forum discussion that lasts until about 7-7:30pm. Since we will be there after hours, the internship program feeds us dinner (how nice huh). Now previously I have been really going to town on the baked ziti or pizza or sandwiches they serve us. But tomorrow night I am scheduled to workout which means I cannot overeat prior to doing that. So I guess my ultimate test for myself assessing the progress I have made thus far, i must consume a light meal (nothing more than 1 slice of pizza and 1/2 plate of salad with no dressing, for example) for dinner so when I come home and go to workout, I won't catch cramps. Hopefully I can do this b/c at that time I know I will be hungry b/c I'm not bringing a lunch (i ate tomorrow's lunch today instead ... shit, I was hungry :)), and I don't purchase food b/c I want to save as much money as possible for the end of this month. So my lunch will be comprised of probably just fruits (but i'll have a hearty breakfast).

This is when willpower will really come into play.
 
Hey guys,

I'm new to the forum and this is my first post. Generally if you are having food cravings it usually means that your body is not getting the right mix of macronutrients (proteins, carbs and fats).

I've often found that many people who diet avoid fats and this can bring about uncontrollable cravings for carbohydrates. By eating more healthy fats such as fish oils, coconut oil, olive oil and adding more fiber to each meal, these cravings can be eliminated all together.

You also have to consider the role that brain chemistry plays in cravings. When certain neurotransmitters in your brain are low or out of balance, this too can bring about cravings for carbs.

Some of the causes of low neurotransmitters are excess consumption of sugar, over use of stimulants like caffeine and ephedrine in popular weight loss pills, alcohol, stress, low protein intake and amphetamine based drugs.

The way to correct neurotransmitter deficits is to reduce any of the above depleting factors and start to consume more highly quality protein - think grass fed meats, wild caught fish, free range eggs etc.

An excellent book on this very topic is The Diet Cure by Julia Ross.

I hope that helps!

Cheers,

Jason
 
You what I came to realize today...

The way I think about food is all completely wrong. I today I had completely fallen off my diet. :( And I believe it's because of the way I look at food, or my "diet" more specifically. I think that once I have effed up, then I believe it's okay to eff up for the rest of the day, as if what I've done cannot be undone, so why hold back now? So I'm starting to wonder, 'are these actually cravings that I'm having?' or do I feel that 'b/c I already effed up and ate 3 slices of greasy cheese pizza that now I might as well down this candy bar or this Wendy's frosting, or what have you.'

Ugh...it's frustrating! B/c I feel as tho I have a psychological attachment to food, and I'm talking far beyond the natural instinct to eat when hungry. It's like I'll start off my day perfectly fine, on the right track, then suddenly temptation pokes it ugly head and totally ruins it for me.

I mean, I know I do it to myself. So I started to ask myself earlier today "Am I really ready to be on a diet? Am I sure this is something I want to do?" And immediately I answered myself "yes, this is something I really want to accomplish." But for some reason I had a hard time believing myself.

Okay, I know this is starting to sound I bit over-done, but it's just really frustrating because I have been able to lose weight in the past, so I know I have what it takes to be committed to something, so why can't I just get it right now? I just don't know how to gain that total and utter control. Maybe what I really need is a psychiatrist....

:confused:
 
The whole "I've already screwed up my diet, so I might as well just go with it" is actually one of the most common reasons for failing diets. I've done it myself. But as someone on these boards pointed out, it's rather like tripping on the stairs and then throwing yourself the rest of the way down since you've already slipped up!

Instead you just have to say "Okay, I slipped up, but I'm not going to be 300 lbs because of one slip up. I just have to move on, and things will be fine." As easy as it is to sit around castigating yourself, it's more effective to go out and do something positive! Like get in an extra workout, or make up a healthy meal plan or whatever.
 
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