Food cravings go away?

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-20-2003
Food cravings go away?
9
Thu, 04-21-2005 - 1:55pm

Since I've been lurking on this board, and doing my own research regarding diets, exercise and weight loss, I've heard many sources say that after dieting correctly, or after successfully changing your lifestyle, those nasty food cravings go away.

Welllll.....what if I don't WANT them to go away? I mean, I LOVE food - I love everything about it. I love how it looks, how it smells, how it tastes, and almost more than anything else - I love the way I feel when I'm gathered with friends and family around a hearty meal. I'm worried that I won't get the same "warm fuzzy" feeling if I have a salad in front of me that I do when I have a thick slab of lasagna complete with garlic bread or a big juicy steak with a baked potato and sour cream. Obviously, I'll still have the same friends and family with me - but, at least in the area I'm from, it's all about the food. Or at least A LOT about it! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday - we get together with our whole family and all sit down to enjoy the feast. There's just something so very comforting about everybody digging in and hearing the same "yummy noises" coming from Uncle Bob across the table and Gramma Bobbie down at the end. WHY oh WHY would I do something to make me NOT want that? GAAAAAHHH!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-04-2003
Thu, 04-21-2005 - 4:02pm

Phoebe I totally hear you.

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-20-2003
Thu, 04-21-2005 - 4:17pm
Thanks for your input, Miranda. Yeah, I know I could just watch my portion sizes....I'm just crabby about the whole dang thing! LOL! I should be able to eat greasy pizza and a hot fudge sundae right before I go to bed every night, wake up in the morning and look like Cindy Crawford! What? Not gonna happen? Ugh. Don't mind me - it's the wrong time of the month for me to be thinking about cutting back on junk food!! ;)

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-03-2005
Thu, 04-21-2005 - 7:52pm
There is a MAJOR MAJOR difference between WANTING food and CRAVING or NEEDING food.
I love lasagne too. When it is served it makes me happy right down to my toes, I love the stuff and I enjoy it once in a while, complete with garlic bread and good company. That is a happy thing and you shouldn't try to get away from that completely.
Craving food is a whole new ball game. You won't understand it until you experience it. Craving food is that unhappy, headachey feeling when it's 2:00 in the afternoon and you have ransacked the cupboards and can't find one blinking blanking m&m and the baby is asleep and you SERIOUSLY consider waking her up to run to the store to get your fix.
Craving is the feeling that comes when you aren't hungry but eat 'just a little' of something you know you shouldn't have.
Cravings are usually followed by very unhappy, guilty, self loathing feelings.
People who love food will probably always love food. It's hard wired into us. I have a dear friend who couldn't care less what or if she eats. She's unable to give blood because she doesn't weigh enough and can't wrap her mind around eating something she doesn't like because it might be good for her. God bless her, she doesn't LOVE food.
I on the other hand, love to cook it, smell it, serve it, read about it, look at it, eat it, experience it...it is a part of most of my life. It represents love around the Thanksgiving table, it's part of most of my great memories. (I asked my friend about her wedding cake and she said 'vanilla, I guess. I don't remember.'...isn't that SAD!)
Don't worry, the best diet in the world won't stop you from enjoying a good meal.
Karen
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Thu, 04-21-2005 - 8:39pm

....like I have scrolling at the end of my posts 'Moderation Is Key'....I really do believe in that. Though what you decide to moderate on will make

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-21-2005
Fri, 04-22-2005 - 9:37am

Phoebe, I'm jumping in here late....and haven't read the replies to this yet, lol, but I have to say that it sounds like you are talking about two different things. Ok, the cravings that don't hit me anymore, because of healthier eating, are the ones that used to give me a headache if I didn't fulfill them. The mid day NEED for half a package of cookies is gone. However, LOL, my *appreciation* for good foods has only gotten bigger. For example, I can appreciate more flavors in that lasagna now....and *savor* it because I don't have it all the time. I will soon be able to have a family feast (holidays, etc) and not feel concerened at all about if I should or should not be eating it....because I know I won't eat like that every day. I love food too...but eating less of it on an average day is not loving it any less. ;) I don't miss all the huge amounts of food I was eating every day....because I really love feeling better, having more energy, and fitting into smaller clothes, lol. You'll find a good balance. You won't stop loving and appreciating food. lol... you are so funny. ;)

Kim

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-21-2005
Fri, 04-22-2005 - 10:06am

LOL....*MY* wedding cake was "cheesecake flavored"!!!! It was awesome!!!! LOL

Kim

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-20-2003
Fri, 04-22-2005 - 10:35am

Okay, I think I'm getting it now. I have always known in the back of my mind about the whole "WANT vs NEED" thing - but I forget about it while in panic mode! LOL!

As far as cravings, I don't think I have them as bad as some, but I'm pretty sure I think about Girl Scout cookies more than the average person probably does!! ;)

Thankfully, I can still muster enough will power to say no to that second brownie - but if you ask me twice.....well, okay. What the heck. Maybe just a bite....

A couple years ago, I managed to limit myself to "one sweet a day" for about 6 months. That way I didn't really feel like I was missing out on anything. If I had already eaten a doughnut in the morning, I would then turn down a Snickers bar after lunch - simply telling myself "you can have that tomorrow". That worked pretty well for me - I lost about 15 pounds. I don't really know how or why I stopped doing that - but maybe I'll start it up again.

Thanks for your support - I'm happy to know I'm not the only one with a weakness for just about anything I can shovel into my face! Maybe I can manage to find a smaller shovel....

ETA: Oh, oh, oh - MY wedding cake had 4 different tiers - all of them a different flavor. I had carrot cake, lemon cream, plain white, and cherry chip - all with butter cream frosting. Sigh....heavenly! ;)




Edited 4/22/2005 10:38 am ET ET by phoebe736

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-03-2005
Fri, 04-22-2005 - 2:34pm
Our wedding cake was one layer chocolate, one layer white and COVERED in beautiful, big, juicy chocolate covered strawberries. (dark chocolate with white tuxes painted on and some white with choc. tuxes.) I honestly only ate a couple of bites of cake for the pictures, but I downed about 750 strawberries that day!!! (the cake was wonderful, but my mouth was full of strawberries to the point where if I crammed anything else in it would have made a horrible photo opportunity!!)
Karen
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-09-2004
Fri, 04-22-2005 - 2:47pm

Okay... you guys are making me want to go home and get my wedding cake out of the freezer... Got married New Year's eve and have managed to leave it in there so far...Hee Hee!

By the way... mine is lemon with a butter cream icing.

Cheers,
Catz