You don’t have to satisfy cravings

[2023a]

I’m getting a bit annoyed by people who go in about their ‘uncontrollable’ cravings. They are controllable.

Unless you’re pregnant (in which case, do what you need to do) or have a mental health condition, you don’t need to eat or drink everything you want to eat or drink. The fact that you want a litre of Diet Coke doesn’t mean you have to have a litre of Diet Coke.

This all seems very basic, but it seems some people don’t understand this. All this ‘how do I control my cravings?’ Just have the cravings? Not giving yourself said ‘treat’ won’t kill you.

Isn’t your annoyance at these people also controllable? As in, it’s ok to feel it, but no need to start a thread on an Internet forum about it?

To be fair I really lack self control so my desires for food consumes me and I give in. I don’t have the willpower, my body wants what it wants fuck what my brain thinks it should.

A lot of junk food is addictive, so it all gets into a vicious circle.
It’s easier to not consume it at all than try to eat a little of it.

Aren't you wonderful to always have the discipline and motivation to not give in to cravings.

😂

Cravings aren't really to do with with food. It's the emotion attached to it. Over eating is very rarely due to hunger etc. I think your thinking is a bit simplistic tbh.

I've just eaten half a box of chocolates gos I'm poorly and hormonal. Sorry

Pregnant women can control cravings as much as anyone else can.

And point of this thread is...?

Why does it bother you ? That's controllable!

Depends on the pregnant woman and what her hormones are doing that day, tbh. In my view, if you’re growing life in your body, eat what you want sans guilt.

I don’t believe I claimed it wasn’t?

If it really was as easy as that, people wouldn't be obese or smoke or any other number of things. But they do because cravings are part of addictions.

And I'm pregnant and should definitely ignore some of my cravings.

Why do you have and exception for pregnancy and mental health conditions but no others? Can you not imagine that people might not meet diagnostic criteria for a mental health disease but still might have short or long term problems with food cravings? Poor sleep and stress for example are things which trigger food craving and with them also cause people to be able to withstand them less.

Do you honestly think this post will have helped someone or do you think it’s more likely that you’ve added more shame onto someone who might already be struggling?

Humble bragging?

props to DarkNurseries.

Who are all these uncontrolled whiners who cannot think outside their own narrow little perspectives to understand that not everybody is like them?

People like you, OP, do nothing but damage to those for whom control is an issue. I expect you knew that and it was fully intended as a swipe.

I so wish that name-changing to post these sorts of threads came with the likelihood of MNHQ popping on to disclose the usernames used by such posters for usual benign posting...

I agree to an extent - but would add that it's worth looking at whether your "cravings" are physical or emotional.

If emotional try dealing with the emotion instead of raiding the chocolate machine. Admit that you are [pissed off] with the [twat at the end of the phone] please change as applicable.

If physical - are you actually hungry or thirsty? If so eat or drink something that will meet your need and not junk.

On the other hand, If you are working a 12 hour shift on a busy ward or similar role where you can't leave your place of work to buy decent food, carry on existing on fresh air, and don't even think about going for a wee. You lightweight.

OP - why do you think you find it so annoying?

Have you thought about perhaps excusing yourself when the out of control eaters start discussing their cravings, or perhaps avoiding these conversations? Do you have a fear that their lack of food-based inhibition will get so out of hand that you will start to look like a chicken leg or a giant can of coke or a massive Twixnto them, or something? You know, like in cartoons?

Tell me about your childhood.

Perfect reply! 😂

The problem is you eat something, it gives you pleasure so you want to eat it again for the pleasure.

So you aren't just not eating marshmallows, you're denying yourself pleasure. And your body is sending you all these messages saying find us pleasure, be happy again, the marshmallow makes you happy.

So then your mind becomes consumed with not thinking about the marshmallow or trying lots of other things to find the pleasure (is the donut better or worse? The apple doesn't work. What about sweets?) but you're also trying to live your life and work and raise kids.

If you just eat the marshmallow you can go about your day without thinking about it.

So you give in and the cycle continues.

Then supercilious people come on to the Internet to brag about how they're so much better than that so you're stressed about your inferiority and your body knows the answer.

Marshmallows .

A lot of women's cravings are hormonal. Then as said you have the emotional and addiction cravings. If you are talking about diet forums, the low calorie chocolate, sugar free jelly can be life savers. Low calorie pizza and chicken noodle dishes are possible. If you crave cheese, you're not so lucky.

I often crave weird stuff but I'm horribly anemic at the moment and it's linked. But thanks for dismissing a valid health issue.

This thread reminds me of that programme that the God-awful Katie Hopkins made demonstrating how "easy" it is to lose weight. But totally ignoring all of the complicating factors of headspace, stress, distorted relationship with food, poor sleep, etc.

OP has a big career ahead in the addiction and recovery field. I can see the TED talks now.