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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

You don’t have to satisfy cravings

86 replies

2023a · 01/02/2023 15:52

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.

OP posts:
PurpleWisteria1 · 01/02/2023 19:42

Humans are hard wired to take the east route.
Junk food is the easy route.
To overcome that takes huge strength, will power, time and taking the hard route. Being conscious of that always, every day.
Most people just can’t do it for long if at all.

PurpleWisteria1 · 01/02/2023 19:43

PurpleWisteria1 · 01/02/2023 19:42

Humans are hard wired to take the east route.
Junk food is the easy route.
To overcome that takes huge strength, will power, time and taking the hard route. Being conscious of that always, every day.
Most people just can’t do it for long if at all.

Easy route

Hups · 01/02/2023 19:48

So much is your annoyance at craving that you couldn't control the craving to type about it.
Cravy.

Forgooodnesssakenow · 01/02/2023 19:54

2023a · 01/02/2023 16:02

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.

Show quote history

What about pms hormones?

Insulin resistance hormones?

Pcos hormones?

Low thyroid function hormones?

Well done for not struggling around food. You must be so superior.v

Sleepless1096 · 01/02/2023 20:20

2023a · 01/02/2023 16:02

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.

Show quote history

When I was pregnant, I craved gin, sushi, blue cheese, smoked salmon and parma ham.

I found ignoring these cravings very hard and have consumed huge amounts of all of these (except gin) since DC2 arrived

Thepossibility · 01/02/2023 20:28

I'm not too fussed with food cravings, even when pregnant.
A glass of wine after a super stressful day however....

RainbowZebraWarrior · 01/02/2023 20:31

Hups · 01/02/2023 19:48

So much is your annoyance at craving that you couldn't control the craving to type about it.
Cravy.

Brilliant!

antipodeancanary · 01/02/2023 20:38

PurpleWisteria1 · 01/02/2023 19:42

Humans are hard wired to take the east route.
Junk food is the easy route.
To overcome that takes huge strength, will power, time and taking the hard route. Being conscious of that always, every day.
Most people just can’t do it for long if at all.

No they are not. Right from childhood children who are taught or self teach to delay gratification can be identified and that one piece of evidence is a really strong indicator for how well they succeed in life. This is particularly strong link with delayed gratification around food. (One sweet now, Vs two sweets later experiment). Really really important to teach our kids delayed gratification if they don't work it out for themselves.

RedBonnet · 01/02/2023 20:59

Last thing my friend said before she died of cancer aged 56 was 'eat the cake and drink the wine'

She knew...

PurpleWisteria1 · 01/02/2023 22:34

antipodeancanary · 01/02/2023 20:38

No they are not. Right from childhood children who are taught or self teach to delay gratification can be identified and that one piece of evidence is a really strong indicator for how well they succeed in life. This is particularly strong link with delayed gratification around food. (One sweet now, Vs two sweets later experiment). Really really important to teach our kids delayed gratification if they don't work it out for themselves.

Show quote history

Yes I don’t doubt that. A very good skill to learn.
But again, that’s a learnt skill.
Humans have evolved to eat high calorie foods and move as less as they can get away with. Basic survival - conserve energy and seek out high calorie food sources.
Seek the path of least resistance.
Fighting against this is of course critical to well being in the 21st century as you have mentioned above. But it’s not what humans revert to given a lack of discipline.
It’s hard work. A daily grind. Even for those who have had good eating / life habits growing up.

PousseyNotMoira · 01/02/2023 22:51

PurpleWisteria1 · 01/02/2023 22:34

Yes I don’t doubt that. A very good skill to learn.
But again, that’s a learnt skill.
Humans have evolved to eat high calorie foods and move as less as they can get away with. Basic survival - conserve energy and seek out high calorie food sources.
Seek the path of least resistance.
Fighting against this is of course critical to well being in the 21st century as you have mentioned above. But it’s not what humans revert to given a lack of discipline.
It’s hard work. A daily grind. Even for those who have had good eating / life habits growing up.

Show quote history

To overcome that takes huge strength, will power, time and taking the hard route. Being conscious of that always, every day.
Most people just can’t do it for long if at all.

It’s hard work. A daily grind. Even for those who have had good eating / life habits growing up.

For quite a lot of people, it really isn’t/doesn’t. I’ve never found it to be and I genuinely love food. Ditto my entire family and most people I know.

This is an interesting thread.

PurpleWisteria1 · 01/02/2023 23:14

PousseyNotMoira · 01/02/2023 22:51

To overcome that takes huge strength, will power, time and taking the hard route. Being conscious of that always, every day.
Most people just can’t do it for long if at all.

It’s hard work. A daily grind. Even for those who have had good eating / life habits growing up.

For quite a lot of people, it really isn’t/doesn’t. I’ve never found it to be and I genuinely love food. Ditto my entire family and most people I know.

This is an interesting thread.

Show quote history

Gosh I find it hard. Almost everyone I know does. Only a couple of people I know who just get fuller quicker or don’t enjoy food as much and one who is extremely health conscious as processed food / sugar and alcohol makes her ill.
The majority of the country struggles with it daily and that’s why 67% of the population is currently overweight or obese!

PousseyNotMoira · 02/02/2023 00:15

PurpleWisteria1 · 01/02/2023 23:14

Gosh I find it hard. Almost everyone I know does. Only a couple of people I know who just get fuller quicker or don’t enjoy food as much and one who is extremely health conscious as processed food / sugar and alcohol makes her ill.
The majority of the country struggles with it daily and that’s why 67% of the population is currently overweight or obese!

Show quote history

People in (or from) the U.K. apparently struggle with it, yes. I’m not British, though. Obesity rates where I’m from are considerably lower. So, I suspect this is a cultural issue.

I wouldn’t say I was particularly health conscious, and I love food. I just don’t have the connection between liking a food and therefore having to have it or having to have it to excess in the way that’s described here. And it’s not an immense hardship or through some sort of force of will, that’s just not my relationship with food.

LadyJ2023 · 02/02/2023 00:19

The NHS do say junk food addiction can be even stronger than a cocaine addiction. And much as I don't particularly eat junk food or drink pips etc I wouldn't judge anyone who did and expect to know why they do it more than normal

georgiegherkin · 02/02/2023 00:58

my primary school aged kid displays less simplistic thinking than you 😬

Busybutbored · 02/02/2023 01:07

You sound like you have a very sad and boring life OP. Have you not ever had an uncontrollable urge for something ... some chocolate, a quick shag, a delicious glass of wine? And oh how satisfying once the craving has been met.
Feel sorry for you Flowers

Mynameisnotsteve · 02/02/2023 01:14

I scoffed some crisps right before bed and knew I’d be annoyed with myself. I also knew I got the craving because I’d stayed up too late as I was putting off doing something that I needed to do before going to bed so it was all part of a tangle of tiredness and procrastination and very little to do with actually wanting to eat crisps.

JudgeRudy · 02/02/2023 01:20

How on earth do you know what someone else's cravings feel like to them? By definition aren't cravings overpowering desires? You might as well say that about any pain, eg tooth ache, childbirth, bereavement, heartbreak, etc. A true craving is painful.
You do realise everyone feels things differently right? This all seems very basic, but it seems some people don’t understand this.
Why does it concern you enough to post about it?

Nicecow · 02/02/2023 01:22

DarkNurseries · 01/02/2023 15:54

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?

Ha ha.

Perhaps give in to some of your cravings, might stop you from being such a misery guts OP😆

CuntyMcBollocks · 02/02/2023 01:54

You appear to have a very limited view OP, of who is exempt from being judged. This thread has made me think of the time when I had an uncontrollable craving for something sweet. I wasn't suffering from a mental health condition, nor was I pregnant as I was only around 12 at the time, but I knew that my body NEEDED something sugary. I was shaking and feeling very faint, and it turns out that I actually had low blood sugar levels. So, no, things aren't just as simple as you seem to think. There are a myriad of reasons why some cravings really are uncontrollable.

PinkArt · 02/02/2023 02:35

Wowsers, thanks for this OP. Can't believe all it needed to solve the obesity crisis was a sanctimonious Mumsnet post.

MissTrip82 · 02/02/2023 02:50

Hahahahahhahahaha if you’re performing your womanly function as a giver of life it’s fine to eat crap.

Otherwise you should be perfectly disciplined at all times.

Only pregnant women are a) affected by hormones and b) deserving of treats.

Makes sense.

ouch321 · 02/02/2023 03:41

I think troll.

No one can be this dopey.

ResearchMakesMeCry · 02/02/2023 05:34

I understand there is a technique used in addiction recovery called 'urge surfing', wherein you notice the craving and ride it like a wave. It's related to mindfulness.

ThreeblackCats · 02/02/2023 05:39

Well there you go folk! Remember where you were when you first saw this thread.

Op has single handed found the cure for obesity, smoking, heroin addiction, alcoholism and a host of other addictions.

just say no! Zammo had the answer but we all ignored him, thank science for op and her superior wisdom.