Cravings????

I strive to listen to my cravings, but I have a question: how do YOU know when they are to be acknowledged and when to suppress? 

Hi, Neecee! When I crave something, it's ALWAYS something sweet, so I know that I should suppress it. But do I?  Most of the time it calls my name so loud I don't want to wake up the world, so I give in to it.   Sad story, but true! Bren

I can't control my cravings....seriously...in my head when I am having a craving I'm like "Ok NO...no...no!" but...I eat it! I honestly need to go to rehab...do they have that? Like drug rehabs, I need to be admitted to a over eaters rehab! I'm not kidding.

Some cravings I can suppress; like if I want Burger King, and it requires me to get in the car, I can allow my laziness to take over and I won't go get it.  But if it's something in the house, like a donut or a cookie, then no, I can't.  I give in and indulge.  How badly I indulge ranges from time to time.  Some times, I can get away with just having one or two.  Other times, I binge.  Depends on my mood.

Janina, Are you restricted of what you eat with your Lap Band? I heard that you can't eat anything white (I guess that's carbs).  True or not?

Very interesting question.  For me, when I get a craving I first ask myself if it's a result of boredom, anger, frustration, etc.  In other words, am I trying to sooth my feelings with food.  If that's the case, then I walk away from the fridge and refocus on something else.  Normally it will go away.  Now if I feel a craving and know for sure it isn't due to any emotional baggage then I'll weigh what I've eaten for the last week and see if it's ok to "splurge."  Don't get me wrong, I still eat ice cream, steak, ribs, etc.  Just now I know it can't be every single day. For me this seems to work.

I've been craving Chinese Food for 2 days now, and if it doesn't go away, I might have to  splurge this weekend.  I've been doing "good" so far this week, so I feel I can indulge. Maybe this incentive will help me along the way up till the weekend.  We'll see.

try a lean cuisine sesame chicken......  not as dangerous as the number 5 with an egroll.  LOL

Christa and Nina, thanks for the laugh...you guys are so funny!! I pondered this all day (got real busy, couldn't come back and poke my head in before now). I realized i don't fight mine too often...mostly due to DH, Mr.  Food Adventurer!  As I tell you guys, we talk about what to have every day. One of us, usually him, has a craving for something or another, so that strongly dictates what we have.  Just talking about what we are going to have makes me want it all day long. So I am not sure if the craving drives it or I create a craving. Either way, most nights i eat something I truly enjoy and want. When they are not so healthy cravings, i do need to stop and weigh it and plan more detailed. Like ice cream.  Most nights, i *could* eat some. I try to do no more than 1-2 nights, like it better when I have only one a week. I try hard to not let a craving be an excuse to start a habit I will regret!

When my cravings are for not so healthy choices then they should always be supressed. My success depends on my frame of mind at the time of the craving.  This morning I had a craving for Mc'Doodles fatty sausage egg and cheese biscuits.  When I got there (because I couldn't say no..) I realized I wanted the Sausage & Egg McMuffin, the sausage and gravy biscuit, a sausage burrito, a piece of sausage and a southern chicken biscuit.  Now that was obviously a gluttonous craving.  I decided to have a single sausage & egg mcmuffin because it seemed like it was the best of all the cravings.  So to summarize, I don't always suppress but I do try to limit..