Nut addiction and head hunger

It's funny reading your post because I was just saying to someone earlier I have been really eating the same food every single day. To be totally honest I am scared to introduce new foods. For example, whole grain bread is approved for me to eat but bread was one of my favorite foods and I refuse to touch it and I don't miss it. I am just avoid even healthy additions and just basically stick to what's worked for me so far, protein, I don't even do veggies that often.

I had the same thing happen to me about 6 months post op. It like diet fatigue sets in and eating something crunchy and hand to mouth really satisfied my food obsession. And it completely slowed my Weightloss almost to a standstill.

Ask yourself what it's giving you that you need. Is it savoury? Texture? Snacking? Occupying your hands and mouth? Boredom? Habit? Dehydration? Maybe if you identify why you are overeating them you can address it properly.

Drinking something instead before eating the nuts helped as I had to wait until I could eat and that made the need stop. Or I microwaved Parmesan cheese to make up a few Parma crisps so I got the salty and crunch. Etc.

I eventually got tired of nuts and now I can take or leave them but I think this crack g hits a lot of us and it's something to monitor but also to ride out :)

Good to know that craving goes away. I think it's a combination of hand to mouth and boredom, it's worst when I am sitting at my desk.

Sounds like you may have answered your question. Maybe leaving your desk to go get them is satisfying your boredom? Perhaps you could incorporate a walk to get something else. Breaking up your boredom, and substituting something else you enjoy, visiting with a co worker? doing 15 or 30 minutes of a crossword puzzle or Sudoku?

The craving may or may not go away. I can't have them in the house. As others have suggested, find something else that doesn't trigger you but satisfies (not always easy).

For me it's anything crunchy, and seriously there are worse things to be indulging on. Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) give probably the best protein punch per crunch, and also dried chickpeas. It's a snack. Treat it as such, and pat yourself for making a good snack choice.

I can't have nuts in the house either. Especially salted ones.

This may not be as simple as what I'm about to say sounds, but ... if I don't buy it, I can't eat it.

Best wishes!

I am reading the new book The Hungry Brain, shockingly good on the findings that we humans have a dedicated system to keep us alive and fed, despite the lack of need to 'hunt or starve'.

So, since it is a huge battle to overcome the 'drives' of the most complex thing in the universe- our brain, then coping mechanisms must occur, by choice.

as others suggested don't have them in the house or at the job- that is the FIRST recommendation in the book. the others are practical (I skipped to the end chapters) like choosing food density- also suggested here- foods less processed, dense protein, closer to raw/natural, better sleep. and more.

Salts nuts are my 'none' food also, only raw slivered plain unsalted almonds I can have, and limit them IN other foods, like yogurt. Homemade popped corn was and still is a most desired 'crunchy' food, but my Ketogenic diet keeps me from spending 'carbs' on them. Again it is a choice, so we are swimming upstream against ancient survival mechanisms.

I don't care for salted dried Kale chips, but others LOVE them, they have pineapple flavor, and others. Some bake other veggies for crunchiness, that is an option.

Best of luck!

Thanks for the feedback

I find that roasted, salted ones encourage me to eat more than a portion while raw nuts never do, even though I like those as well. So, try TJ raw, unsalted nuts as a snack instead and see if that helps.