Food cravings and weight loss

[QueBert]

OP stick with it, last year I started to work out and eat less food. Almost a year later I still have cravings for Pringles and Coke. *IF* I eat junk food I make sure I weigh it out to the gram. I know Pringles aren't good for you even in a small serving, but my cravings just never go away. I went about 3 months last year without eating a single potato chip, but I still wanted them bad. When it comes to a craving I'd say strict moderation works better than total avoidance, at least for me any ways. I went from a year ago eating about a bag of chips a day to maybe having 2 servings a week. Some days I'll have literally 3 or 4 Pringles with my lunch and it's just enough to satisfy my cravings, which makes it a whole lot easier than sitting and drooling thinking about junk food. YMMV but for me I will never be able to totally separate myself from junk food.

 

[QuantumPion]

OP stick with it, last year I started to work out and eat less food. Almost a year later I still have cravings for Pringles and Coke. *IF* I eat junk food I make sure I weigh it out to the gram. I know Pringles aren't good for you even in a small serving, but my cravings just never go away. I went about 3 months last year without eating a single potato chip, but I still wanted them bad. When it comes to a craving I'd say strict moderation works better than total avoidance, at least for me any ways. I went from a year ago eating about a bag of chips a day to maybe having 2 servings a week. Some days I'll have literally 3 or 4 Pringles with my lunch and it's just enough to satisfy my cravings, which makes it a whole lot easier than sitting and drooling thinking about junk food. YMMV but for me I will never be able to totally separate myself from junk food.

Yup I am the same way with fries. I used to get a large fries with lunch almost every day. Now I just get a small fries ~2 times a week.

 

[Sid59]

You can create checks and balances for yourself. I have my normal workout and eating routine. If I crave something that I really want, I tell myself to earn it by adding 10 mins to each of my cardio sessions for the week, take a longer route home, eat one less bite/meal, etc. Think of it like budgeting, you ideally don't want to spend money you don't have and go into debt so if you want to buy something nice for yourself, save for it.

I like this. I was never a bad eater but when I decided to cut bad foods, I walk/jogged 1 mile for every serving of bad food.

 

[KingSmoth]

The key is moderation.
Through 2006, my day wasn't complete unless I drank two liters of Coke, ate loads of fried and sugary food for all of my meals and snacks and finished it off with a half-box of ice cream. I'm 6'4" and at the time weighed 318 pounds so I wasn't in terrible shape, but I had a health scare and decided to turn things around for myself.
I went cold turkey and cut out all sweets, junk food, fried food, heavy breads and sodas. Yes, I did say moderation is key, but my diabetes scare(that luckily turned out to be low B levels)prompted me to act quickly. I started cooking all of my meals, eating primarily grilled chicken and fish, mixed vegetables and moderate amounts of beans or whole grain brown rice for carbs. The only things I would drink were water and protein shakes. I absolutely hated my meal plan at first, but I stuck with it because I was extremely determined. The worst thing was the sugar craving, I was used to having soda throughout the day, candy for snacks and a huge bowl of ice cream with syrup, cool whip and crumbled Oreos every night. Substituting apples and bananas outright sucked, but I stuck with it.
After sticking with this plan for a while, I learned that I could treat myself on occasion without penalty, so one night a week I would eat a hefty meal at a restaurant with friends or pick up fast food from somewhere(almost always Chick-Fil-A), then have a small bowl of ice cream for dessert. Moderation.
I began changing out different proteins and vegetables every few weeks so I wouldn't become bored with what I was eating, trying out different recipes, etc. Eventually, my cravings subsided and portion sizes diminished.
I have stuck with this for over five years now without fail. I lost over 120 pounds and have never felt better. I cannot stand the taste of any soda, I don't care for candy and the majority of ice cream/cookies/cakes/etc. just tastes way too sweet, so if I eat any it is in small amounts. I work out daily(currently building up for Tough Mudder), eat what I want(still very healthy) and kicked my cravings to the curb. It's a great feeling.
You can do it if you are determined, practice moderation and realize that it isn't a diet, it's a lifestyle change. If you reach your goal and quit, chances are you will end up right back where you started.