Guest guest Posted January 20, 2012 Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 Well....I have found that drinking a glass of wine while making dinner prevents me from snacking while eating, and then I am hungry for dinner. It's not a trick at all, but a very very pleasant thing. I really WANT to be hungry for dinner, so for me, it's just a bit of coping. Of course if I am really really hungry, I will sit down and have a little snack befo starting to make dinner. Tilley > > Suppose I feel on a tightrope ready to fall off into a cookie binge. And it's a pretty sure thing that hot coffee with milk will suppress the cookie urge. Does that sound like restriction ( " If you crave cookies, try a cup of coffee instead to save calories " ) or intuition ( " Coffee will be good, I'll enjoy it, and afterwards I probably won't want cookies anymore " )? > > I'm not trying to figure out " the rules, " just trying to figure out where my mind's at. Of course I'm the only one who can figure that out, but what's your collective take on it? > > Ellie > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 20, 2012 Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 Well....I have found that drinking a glass of wine while making dinner prevents me from snacking while eating, and then I am hungry for dinner. It's not a trick at all, but a very very pleasant thing. I really WANT to be hungry for dinner, so for me, it's just a bit of coping. Of course if I am really really hungry, I will sit down and have a little snack befo starting to make dinner. Tilley > > Suppose I feel on a tightrope ready to fall off into a cookie binge. And it's a pretty sure thing that hot coffee with milk will suppress the cookie urge. Does that sound like restriction ( " If you crave cookies, try a cup of coffee instead to save calories " ) or intuition ( " Coffee will be good, I'll enjoy it, and afterwards I probably won't want cookies anymore " )? > > I'm not trying to figure out " the rules, " just trying to figure out where my mind's at. Of course I'm the only one who can figure that out, but what's your collective take on it? > > Ellie > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 20, 2012 Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 Well....I have found that drinking a glass of wine while making dinner prevents me from snacking while eating, and then I am hungry for dinner. It's not a trick at all, but a very very pleasant thing. I really WANT to be hungry for dinner, so for me, it's just a bit of coping. Of course if I am really really hungry, I will sit down and have a little snack befo starting to make dinner. Tilley > > Suppose I feel on a tightrope ready to fall off into a cookie binge. And it's a pretty sure thing that hot coffee with milk will suppress the cookie urge. Does that sound like restriction ( " If you crave cookies, try a cup of coffee instead to save calories " ) or intuition ( " Coffee will be good, I'll enjoy it, and afterwards I probably won't want cookies anymore " )? > > I'm not trying to figure out " the rules, " just trying to figure out where my mind's at. Of course I'm the only one who can figure that out, but what's your collective take on it? > > Ellie > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 20, 2012 Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 I meant snacking while COOKING.... > > > > Suppose I feel on a tightrope ready to fall off into a cookie binge. And it's a pretty sure thing that hot coffee with milk will suppress the cookie urge. Does that sound like restriction ( " If you crave cookies, try a cup of coffee instead to save calories " ) or intuition ( " Coffee will be good, I'll enjoy it, and afterwards I probably won't want cookies anymore " )? > > > > I'm not trying to figure out " the rules, " just trying to figure out where my mind's at. Of course I'm the only one who can figure that out, but what's your collective take on it? > > > > Ellie > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 20, 2012 Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 I meant snacking while COOKING.... > > > > Suppose I feel on a tightrope ready to fall off into a cookie binge. And it's a pretty sure thing that hot coffee with milk will suppress the cookie urge. Does that sound like restriction ( " If you crave cookies, try a cup of coffee instead to save calories " ) or intuition ( " Coffee will be good, I'll enjoy it, and afterwards I probably won't want cookies anymore " )? > > > > I'm not trying to figure out " the rules, " just trying to figure out where my mind's at. Of course I'm the only one who can figure that out, but what's your collective take on it? > > > > Ellie > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 20, 2012 Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 I meant snacking while COOKING.... > > > > Suppose I feel on a tightrope ready to fall off into a cookie binge. And it's a pretty sure thing that hot coffee with milk will suppress the cookie urge. Does that sound like restriction ( " If you crave cookies, try a cup of coffee instead to save calories " ) or intuition ( " Coffee will be good, I'll enjoy it, and afterwards I probably won't want cookies anymore " )? > > > > I'm not trying to figure out " the rules, " just trying to figure out where my mind's at. Of course I'm the only one who can figure that out, but what's your collective take on it? > > > > Ellie > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 20, 2012 Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 Every time I re-read this post, I chuckle. Oh how we wish substitutes would work. Ever have your mom get you a Christmas/Birthday present that you didn't want but that she thought you'd like better than the one you really wanted? It's something like that, I think. For whatever reason, what we want is what we want; who knows why we want it. But not wanting to want it doesn't seem to work. I remember when some diet plan or other said that a good substitute for sugar was a dill pickle. The mind's a funny thing. No matter how great a dill pickle is in its time, in exchange for what you really want, it's pretty awful. And, for me, the think wanted always wound up in my mouth later, plus more. I still don't know any way out but through. I've also been thinking that the most effective way to deal with a phobia or an anxiety disorder is exposure to that most feared thing or situation. Like if someone fears flying, they go through one baby step at a time of the flying experience until it feels quite safe to fly and they realize their phobia was irrational all along. I'm thinking more and more that a lot of us have a sort of phobia about either bingeing or certain foods that maybe exposure - consciously eating them and sitting with the experience without judgment - will help extinguish the anxiety about them and thus the compulsion. I'm still working it out personally. Wish this were years down the road and I'd have a real answer. How'd the cup of coffee work? Sandarah > > Suppose I feel on a tightrope ready to fall off into a cookie binge. And it's a pretty sure thing that hot coffee with milk will suppress the cookie urge. Does that sound like restriction ( " If you crave cookies, try a cup of coffee instead to save calories " ) or intuition ( " Coffee will be good, I'll enjoy it, and afterwards I probably won't want cookies anymore " )? > > I'm not trying to figure out " the rules, " just trying to figure out where my mind's at. Of course I'm the only one who can figure that out, but what's your collective take on it? > > Ellie > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 20, 2012 Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 Every time I re-read this post, I chuckle. Oh how we wish substitutes would work. Ever have your mom get you a Christmas/Birthday present that you didn't want but that she thought you'd like better than the one you really wanted? It's something like that, I think. For whatever reason, what we want is what we want; who knows why we want it. But not wanting to want it doesn't seem to work. I remember when some diet plan or other said that a good substitute for sugar was a dill pickle. The mind's a funny thing. No matter how great a dill pickle is in its time, in exchange for what you really want, it's pretty awful. And, for me, the think wanted always wound up in my mouth later, plus more. I still don't know any way out but through. I've also been thinking that the most effective way to deal with a phobia or an anxiety disorder is exposure to that most feared thing or situation. Like if someone fears flying, they go through one baby step at a time of the flying experience until it feels quite safe to fly and they realize their phobia was irrational all along. I'm thinking more and more that a lot of us have a sort of phobia about either bingeing or certain foods that maybe exposure - consciously eating them and sitting with the experience without judgment - will help extinguish the anxiety about them and thus the compulsion. I'm still working it out personally. Wish this were years down the road and I'd have a real answer. How'd the cup of coffee work? Sandarah > > Suppose I feel on a tightrope ready to fall off into a cookie binge. And it's a pretty sure thing that hot coffee with milk will suppress the cookie urge. Does that sound like restriction ( " If you crave cookies, try a cup of coffee instead to save calories " ) or intuition ( " Coffee will be good, I'll enjoy it, and afterwards I probably won't want cookies anymore " )? > > I'm not trying to figure out " the rules, " just trying to figure out where my mind's at. Of course I'm the only one who can figure that out, but what's your collective take on it? > > Ellie > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 20, 2012 Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 Every time I re-read this post, I chuckle. Oh how we wish substitutes would work. Ever have your mom get you a Christmas/Birthday present that you didn't want but that she thought you'd like better than the one you really wanted? It's something like that, I think. For whatever reason, what we want is what we want; who knows why we want it. But not wanting to want it doesn't seem to work. I remember when some diet plan or other said that a good substitute for sugar was a dill pickle. The mind's a funny thing. No matter how great a dill pickle is in its time, in exchange for what you really want, it's pretty awful. And, for me, the think wanted always wound up in my mouth later, plus more. I still don't know any way out but through. I've also been thinking that the most effective way to deal with a phobia or an anxiety disorder is exposure to that most feared thing or situation. Like if someone fears flying, they go through one baby step at a time of the flying experience until it feels quite safe to fly and they realize their phobia was irrational all along. I'm thinking more and more that a lot of us have a sort of phobia about either bingeing or certain foods that maybe exposure - consciously eating them and sitting with the experience without judgment - will help extinguish the anxiety about them and thus the compulsion. I'm still working it out personally. Wish this were years down the road and I'd have a real answer. How'd the cup of coffee work? Sandarah > > Suppose I feel on a tightrope ready to fall off into a cookie binge. And it's a pretty sure thing that hot coffee with milk will suppress the cookie urge. Does that sound like restriction ( " If you crave cookies, try a cup of coffee instead to save calories " ) or intuition ( " Coffee will be good, I'll enjoy it, and afterwards I probably won't want cookies anymore " )? > > I'm not trying to figure out " the rules, " just trying to figure out where my mind's at. Of course I'm the only one who can figure that out, but what's your collective take on it? > > Ellie > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 Hmmm...interesting question, one we all go through I'm sure. From what's been working for me......Is it your mind or your body that is craving the cookies? If it's your body, and coffee with milk will do it, could it be the fat your body needs? If you go with eating the cookies, eat them slowly and savor them, don't feel guilty, and stop when you're full. If it's your mind, and you're not physically hungry, then the cookies are representing something you're needing other than food. That's when I'd do what I sometimes procrastinate doing, which is to sit down and write out what my thoughts/feelings are to try and figure out what it is I'm really needing. At work, it's often simply a break from the energizer-battery motion of teaching 7-year-olds. I am stressed and need some time for me, so I take sometimes only 5 minutes to simply look out the window and get out of the building, maybe fix myself some hot tea, which is soothing. Sometimes I'm lonely, so I could call a friend or take a walk through the mall. Sometimes there's something I don't want to think about. That's when I need to do what I don't want to do and sit through the feelings, learn to share them with other people, etc. On and on. Since it's now a day after you wrote about this, I'm wondering how you ended up dealing with it? Sara > > Suppose I feel on a tightrope ready to fall off into a cookie binge. And it's a pretty sure thing that hot coffee with milk will suppress the cookie urge. Does that sound like restriction ( " If you crave cookies, try a cup of coffee instead to save calories " ) or intuition ( " Coffee will be good, I'll enjoy it, and afterwards I probably won't want cookies anymore " )? > > I'm not trying to figure out " the rules, " just trying to figure out where my mind's at. Of course I'm the only one who can figure that out, but what's your collective take on it? > > Ellie > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 Hmmm...interesting question, one we all go through I'm sure. From what's been working for me......Is it your mind or your body that is craving the cookies? If it's your body, and coffee with milk will do it, could it be the fat your body needs? If you go with eating the cookies, eat them slowly and savor them, don't feel guilty, and stop when you're full. If it's your mind, and you're not physically hungry, then the cookies are representing something you're needing other than food. That's when I'd do what I sometimes procrastinate doing, which is to sit down and write out what my thoughts/feelings are to try and figure out what it is I'm really needing. At work, it's often simply a break from the energizer-battery motion of teaching 7-year-olds. I am stressed and need some time for me, so I take sometimes only 5 minutes to simply look out the window and get out of the building, maybe fix myself some hot tea, which is soothing. Sometimes I'm lonely, so I could call a friend or take a walk through the mall. Sometimes there's something I don't want to think about. That's when I need to do what I don't want to do and sit through the feelings, learn to share them with other people, etc. On and on. Since it's now a day after you wrote about this, I'm wondering how you ended up dealing with it? Sara > > Suppose I feel on a tightrope ready to fall off into a cookie binge. And it's a pretty sure thing that hot coffee with milk will suppress the cookie urge. Does that sound like restriction ( " If you crave cookies, try a cup of coffee instead to save calories " ) or intuition ( " Coffee will be good, I'll enjoy it, and afterwards I probably won't want cookies anymore " )? > > I'm not trying to figure out " the rules, " just trying to figure out where my mind's at. Of course I'm the only one who can figure that out, but what's your collective take on it? > > Ellie > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 Hmmm...interesting question, one we all go through I'm sure. From what's been working for me......Is it your mind or your body that is craving the cookies? If it's your body, and coffee with milk will do it, could it be the fat your body needs? If you go with eating the cookies, eat them slowly and savor them, don't feel guilty, and stop when you're full. If it's your mind, and you're not physically hungry, then the cookies are representing something you're needing other than food. That's when I'd do what I sometimes procrastinate doing, which is to sit down and write out what my thoughts/feelings are to try and figure out what it is I'm really needing. At work, it's often simply a break from the energizer-battery motion of teaching 7-year-olds. I am stressed and need some time for me, so I take sometimes only 5 minutes to simply look out the window and get out of the building, maybe fix myself some hot tea, which is soothing. Sometimes I'm lonely, so I could call a friend or take a walk through the mall. Sometimes there's something I don't want to think about. That's when I need to do what I don't want to do and sit through the feelings, learn to share them with other people, etc. On and on. Since it's now a day after you wrote about this, I'm wondering how you ended up dealing with it? Sara > > Suppose I feel on a tightrope ready to fall off into a cookie binge. And it's a pretty sure thing that hot coffee with milk will suppress the cookie urge. Does that sound like restriction ( " If you crave cookies, try a cup of coffee instead to save calories " ) or intuition ( " Coffee will be good, I'll enjoy it, and afterwards I probably won't want cookies anymore " )? > > I'm not trying to figure out " the rules, " just trying to figure out where my mind's at. Of course I'm the only one who can figure that out, but what's your collective take on it? > > Ellie > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 MARVELOUS reply Sandarah. " ... what we want is what we want ... " might need that tattooed onto the back of my hand so I can see it every time I eat ;-) Actually its not as big a challenge for me these days as is being able to 'see' myself in the same light that I do others and apply loving thoughts to as well. So appreciate your fabulous insights. Is this talent working for yourself too? I certainly hope so, you deserve it so much. ehugs, Katcha IEing since March 2007 > > > > Suppose I feel on a tightrope ready to fall off into a cookie binge. And it's a pretty sure thing that hot coffee with milk will suppress the cookie urge. Does that sound like restriction ( " If you crave cookies, try a cup of coffee instead to save calories " ) or intuition ( " Coffee will be good, I'll enjoy it, and afterwards I probably won't want cookies anymore " )? > > > > I'm not trying to figure out " the rules, " just trying to figure out where my mind's at. Of course I'm the only one who can figure that out, but what's your collective take on it? > > > > Ellie > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 If I can tell it's binge-worthy, I ALWAYS substitute and then try to figure out why I'm wanting to in the first place. I kind of view it as my "nicotene patch" to get thru the craving. If it's a genuine, hunger-based craving, I eat it--savoring each bite as much as possible--and am always surprised by how little of the item I'm actually wanting. (There was one nite that I thoroughly enjoyed some potato chips...you'll notice I said "chips"--as in plural, but here's what's astonishing--I ate TWO. I seriously wanted TWO potato chips, tho I think I made them into 8 savored bites. Then I realized I wanted a banana. How weird is that? And yet WONDERFUL to know I no longer feel the need to eat half the bag!) Interestingly, I'm finding I have a different kind of craving which doesn't fall into either category, but that substituting works for in a BIG way. For instance, there are times when pizza sounds good--but not to the point that I'm craving genuine delivery-style from a restaurant. So I'll buy some large portobella mushroom tops, wash, remove the stems, and fill them w/ pizza sauce, part-skim mozzarella, turkey pepperoni and/or turkey sausage crumbles, and italian seasoning; bake in toaster ~15 min and BINGO--a healthy way to quell my pizza urge! What it means in the end is that 80% of the time when the cravings aren't for the authentic item itself, I can make a fairly healthy substitute work. Interestingly, this means that when I DO decide to order Pizza Hut, it tastes AMAZING instead of like something I had a week or two ago. It's really helped me in learning to tune into my cravings and gage when to indulge in the real thing! IE since Sep 2011 To: "IntuitiveEating_Support " <IntuitiveEating_Support > Sent: Friday, January 20, 2012 1:40 PM Subject: Substituting? Suppose I feel on a tightrope ready to fall off into a cookie binge. And it's a pretty sure thing that hot coffee with milk will suppress the cookie urge. Does that sound like restriction ("If you crave cookies, try a cup of coffee instead to save calories") or intuition ("Coffee will be good, I'll enjoy it, and afterwards I probably won't want cookies anymore")?I'm not trying to figure out "the rules," just trying to figure out where my mind's at. Of course I'm the only one who can figure that out, but what's your collective take on it?Ellie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 If I can tell it's binge-worthy, I ALWAYS substitute and then try to figure out why I'm wanting to in the first place. I kind of view it as my "nicotene patch" to get thru the craving. If it's a genuine, hunger-based craving, I eat it--savoring each bite as much as possible--and am always surprised by how little of the item I'm actually wanting. (There was one nite that I thoroughly enjoyed some potato chips...you'll notice I said "chips"--as in plural, but here's what's astonishing--I ate TWO. I seriously wanted TWO potato chips, tho I think I made them into 8 savored bites. Then I realized I wanted a banana. How weird is that? And yet WONDERFUL to know I no longer feel the need to eat half the bag!) Interestingly, I'm finding I have a different kind of craving which doesn't fall into either category, but that substituting works for in a BIG way. For instance, there are times when pizza sounds good--but not to the point that I'm craving genuine delivery-style from a restaurant. So I'll buy some large portobella mushroom tops, wash, remove the stems, and fill them w/ pizza sauce, part-skim mozzarella, turkey pepperoni and/or turkey sausage crumbles, and italian seasoning; bake in toaster ~15 min and BINGO--a healthy way to quell my pizza urge! What it means in the end is that 80% of the time when the cravings aren't for the authentic item itself, I can make a fairly healthy substitute work. Interestingly, this means that when I DO decide to order Pizza Hut, it tastes AMAZING instead of like something I had a week or two ago. It's really helped me in learning to tune into my cravings and gage when to indulge in the real thing! IE since Sep 2011 To: "IntuitiveEating_Support " <IntuitiveEating_Support > Sent: Friday, January 20, 2012 1:40 PM Subject: Substituting? Suppose I feel on a tightrope ready to fall off into a cookie binge. And it's a pretty sure thing that hot coffee with milk will suppress the cookie urge. Does that sound like restriction ("If you crave cookies, try a cup of coffee instead to save calories") or intuition ("Coffee will be good, I'll enjoy it, and afterwards I probably won't want cookies anymore")?I'm not trying to figure out "the rules," just trying to figure out where my mind's at. Of course I'm the only one who can figure that out, but what's your collective take on it?Ellie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 If I can tell it's binge-worthy, I ALWAYS substitute and then try to figure out why I'm wanting to in the first place. I kind of view it as my "nicotene patch" to get thru the craving. If it's a genuine, hunger-based craving, I eat it--savoring each bite as much as possible--and am always surprised by how little of the item I'm actually wanting. (There was one nite that I thoroughly enjoyed some potato chips...you'll notice I said "chips"--as in plural, but here's what's astonishing--I ate TWO. I seriously wanted TWO potato chips, tho I think I made them into 8 savored bites. Then I realized I wanted a banana. How weird is that? And yet WONDERFUL to know I no longer feel the need to eat half the bag!) Interestingly, I'm finding I have a different kind of craving which doesn't fall into either category, but that substituting works for in a BIG way. For instance, there are times when pizza sounds good--but not to the point that I'm craving genuine delivery-style from a restaurant. So I'll buy some large portobella mushroom tops, wash, remove the stems, and fill them w/ pizza sauce, part-skim mozzarella, turkey pepperoni and/or turkey sausage crumbles, and italian seasoning; bake in toaster ~15 min and BINGO--a healthy way to quell my pizza urge! What it means in the end is that 80% of the time when the cravings aren't for the authentic item itself, I can make a fairly healthy substitute work. Interestingly, this means that when I DO decide to order Pizza Hut, it tastes AMAZING instead of like something I had a week or two ago. It's really helped me in learning to tune into my cravings and gage when to indulge in the real thing! IE since Sep 2011 To: "IntuitiveEating_Support " <IntuitiveEating_Support > Sent: Friday, January 20, 2012 1:40 PM Subject: Substituting? Suppose I feel on a tightrope ready to fall off into a cookie binge. And it's a pretty sure thing that hot coffee with milk will suppress the cookie urge. Does that sound like restriction ("If you crave cookies, try a cup of coffee instead to save calories") or intuition ("Coffee will be good, I'll enjoy it, and afterwards I probably won't want cookies anymore")?I'm not trying to figure out "the rules," just trying to figure out where my mind's at. Of course I'm the only one who can figure that out, but what's your collective take on it?Ellie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 Hey Katcha, actually my food is waay better than it was before IE. I don't eat dinner until stuffed. am way more thoughtful about food choices and generally feeling less tethered to rules. I'm also honoring what my body wants more often, as I used to override my first choices about what I'm hungry for - and I'm starting to pay attention to early hunger signs. I see that I've always ignoree them, which led to bad food choices and overeating. My primary challenge remains the diet rebel and cravings of fff's. I lost the ability to white knuckle my way past cravings a long time ago and so I don't even go there anymore. I'm one of those who thought I was truly crazy and/or out of control - and now I see undoing that struggle as just a leg in the IE journey. I think that I've used substitutes successfully from time to time - it just depends on the strength of the craving and what's going on for me over all. Sometimes it will work, sometimes it will create a backlash; depends. Maybe that's one of those things that needs a yardstick - if the craving is between 1 & 5, try a substitute; if it's 5+ probably it's best to honor it before you eat everything in sight. Something like that. But I've done it sort of automatically occasionally and it turned out to be fine. That's it; gotta run. Big Saturday ahead - and I have to eat a balanced meal and prepare for later hunger so that I don't mess up my food for the rest of the day by pretending I'll never be hungry again if I'm not right now. New lesson learned. Sandarah > > > > > > Suppose I feel on a tightrope ready to fall off into a cookie binge. And it's a pretty sure thing that hot coffee with milk will suppress the cookie urge. Does that sound like restriction ( " If you crave cookies, try a cup of coffee instead to save calories " ) or intuition ( " Coffee will be good, I'll enjoy it, and afterwards I probably won't want cookies anymore " )? > > > > > > I'm not trying to figure out " the rules, " just trying to figure out where my mind's at. Of course I'm the only one who can figure that out, but what's your collective take on it? > > > > > > Ellie > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 , I think this is a great strategy! I, too, have found that I can often make a healthy version of an unhealthy food and enjoy it even more because I don't have any food-hangover symptoms later. Win-win! I guess the key is not to make unsatisfying substitutions that leave you feeling deprived. When I truly want something that I would previously have categorized as a " cheat " food I'm going to remind myself that nothing is off-limits while at the same time focusing on how I want to feel physically afterwards...not overstuffed, not like I need a nap from the abundant quantity of food I just ate. Hopefully, this will help me find the right balance. > > If I can tell it's binge-worthy, I ALWAYS substitute and then try to figure out why I'm wanting to in the first place. I kind of view it as my " nicotene patch " to get thru the craving. If it's a genuine, hunger-based craving, I eat it--savoring each bite as much as possible--and am always surprised by how little of the item I'm actually wanting. (There was one nite that I thoroughly enjoyed some potato chips...you'll notice I said " chips " --as in plural, but here's what's astonishing--I ate TWO. I seriously wanted TWO potato chips, tho I think I made them into 8 savored bites. Then I realized I wanted a banana. How weird is that? And yet WONDERFUL to know I no longer feel the need to eat half the bag!) >  > Interestingly, I'm finding I have a different kind of craving which doesn't fall into either category, but that substituting works for in a BIG way. For instance, there are times when pizza sounds good--but not to the point that I'm craving genuine delivery-style from a restaurant. So I'll buy some large portobella mushroom tops, wash, remove the stems, and fill them w/ pizza sauce, part-skim mozzarella, turkey pepperoni and/or turkey sausage crumbles, and italian seasoning; bake in toaster ~15 min and BINGO--a healthy way to quell my pizza urge! What it means in the end is that 80% of the time when the cravings aren't for the authentic item itself, I can make a fairly healthy substitute work. Interestingly, this means that when I DO decide to order Pizza Hut, it tastes AMAZING instead of like something I had a week or two ago. It's really helped me in learning to tune into my cravings and gage when to indulge in the real thing! >  > > IE since Sep 2011 > > > ________________________________ > > To: " IntuitiveEating_Support " <IntuitiveEating_Support > > Sent: Friday, January 20, 2012 1:40 PM > Subject: Substituting? > > > >  > > Suppose I feel on a tightrope ready to fall off into a cookie binge. And it's a pretty sure thing that hot coffee with milk will suppress the cookie urge. Does that sound like restriction ( " If you crave cookies, try a cup of coffee instead to save calories " ) or intuition ( " Coffee will be good, I'll enjoy it, and afterwards I probably won't want cookies anymore " )? > > I'm not trying to figure out " the rules, " just trying to figure out where my mind's at. Of course I'm the only one who can figure that out, but what's your collective take on it? > > Ellie > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 , I think this is a great strategy! I, too, have found that I can often make a healthy version of an unhealthy food and enjoy it even more because I don't have any food-hangover symptoms later. Win-win! I guess the key is not to make unsatisfying substitutions that leave you feeling deprived. When I truly want something that I would previously have categorized as a " cheat " food I'm going to remind myself that nothing is off-limits while at the same time focusing on how I want to feel physically afterwards...not overstuffed, not like I need a nap from the abundant quantity of food I just ate. Hopefully, this will help me find the right balance. > > If I can tell it's binge-worthy, I ALWAYS substitute and then try to figure out why I'm wanting to in the first place. I kind of view it as my " nicotene patch " to get thru the craving. If it's a genuine, hunger-based craving, I eat it--savoring each bite as much as possible--and am always surprised by how little of the item I'm actually wanting. (There was one nite that I thoroughly enjoyed some potato chips...you'll notice I said " chips " --as in plural, but here's what's astonishing--I ate TWO. I seriously wanted TWO potato chips, tho I think I made them into 8 savored bites. Then I realized I wanted a banana. How weird is that? And yet WONDERFUL to know I no longer feel the need to eat half the bag!) >  > Interestingly, I'm finding I have a different kind of craving which doesn't fall into either category, but that substituting works for in a BIG way. For instance, there are times when pizza sounds good--but not to the point that I'm craving genuine delivery-style from a restaurant. So I'll buy some large portobella mushroom tops, wash, remove the stems, and fill them w/ pizza sauce, part-skim mozzarella, turkey pepperoni and/or turkey sausage crumbles, and italian seasoning; bake in toaster ~15 min and BINGO--a healthy way to quell my pizza urge! What it means in the end is that 80% of the time when the cravings aren't for the authentic item itself, I can make a fairly healthy substitute work. Interestingly, this means that when I DO decide to order Pizza Hut, it tastes AMAZING instead of like something I had a week or two ago. It's really helped me in learning to tune into my cravings and gage when to indulge in the real thing! >  > > IE since Sep 2011 > > > ________________________________ > > To: " IntuitiveEating_Support " <IntuitiveEating_Support > > Sent: Friday, January 20, 2012 1:40 PM > Subject: Substituting? > > > >  > > Suppose I feel on a tightrope ready to fall off into a cookie binge. And it's a pretty sure thing that hot coffee with milk will suppress the cookie urge. Does that sound like restriction ( " If you crave cookies, try a cup of coffee instead to save calories " ) or intuition ( " Coffee will be good, I'll enjoy it, and afterwards I probably won't want cookies anymore " )? > > I'm not trying to figure out " the rules, " just trying to figure out where my mind's at. Of course I'm the only one who can figure that out, but what's your collective take on it? > > Ellie > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 24, 2012 Report Share Posted January 24, 2012 I made a lot of substitutions when I first started trying to limit salt in my diet because of an inner ear disorder. I didn't know about IE then, but too much salt made me dizzy, which was really unpleasant. What I was trying to do was find things that I liked that didn't have much salt in them, but what I came up with truly pleased me. I use garlic and lemon juice in just about everything, and I soon came to prefer that to heavily salted soups or stews. There s a lot of exciting seasoning mixes with no salt. A pot of chili tastes great with about a half teaspoon of salt and a little lemon juice, and smoky chipotle peppers. For my quesadillas, I mixed a little salsa (very salty) with balsamic vinegar--yum. I think it,s okay to think about health, but you have to keep what you LIKE in the forefront. One can do both. And then, a little chocolate torte never hurt anyone anyway. If I went to a potluck tomorrow that had cheesecake, I would probably have a slice of that (and perhaps nothing else). Tilley > > > > If I can tell it's binge-worthy, I ALWAYS substitute and then try to figure out why I'm wanting to in the first place. I kind of view it as my " nicotene patch " to get thru the craving. If it's a genuine, hunger-based craving, I eat it--savoring each bite as much as possible--and am always surprised by how little of the item I'm actually wanting. (There was one nite that I thoroughly enjoyed some potato chips...you'll notice I said " chips " --as in plural, but here's what's astonishing--I ate TWO. I seriously wanted TWO potato chips, tho I think I made them into 8 savored bites. Then I realized I wanted a banana. How weird is that? And yet WONDERFUL to know I no longer feel the need to eat half the bag!) > >  > > Interestingly, I'm finding I have a different kind of craving which doesn't fall into either category, but that substituting works for in a BIG way. For instance, there are times when pizza sounds good--but not to the point that I'm craving genuine delivery-style from a restaurant. So I'll buy some large portobella mushroom tops, wash, remove the stems, and fill them w/ pizza sauce, part-skim mozzarella, turkey pepperoni and/or turkey sausage crumbles, and italian seasoning; bake in toaster ~15 min and BINGO--a healthy way to quell my pizza urge! What it means in the end is that 80% of the time when the cravings aren't for the authentic item itself, I can make a fairly healthy substitute work. Interestingly, this means that when I DO decide to order Pizza Hut, it tastes AMAZING instead of like something I had a week or two ago. It's really helped me in learning to tune into my cravings and gage when to indulge in the real thing! > >  > > > > IE since Sep 2011 > > > > > > ________________________________ > > From: EHamilton <imagainst_the_wind@> > > To: " IntuitiveEating_Support " <IntuitiveEating_Support > > > Sent: Friday, January 20, 2012 1:40 PM > > Subject: Substituting? > > > > > > > >  > > > > Suppose I feel on a tightrope ready to fall off into a cookie binge. And it's a pretty sure thing that hot coffee with milk will suppress the cookie urge. Does that sound like restriction ( " If you crave cookies, try a cup of coffee instead to save calories " ) or intuition ( " Coffee will be good, I'll enjoy it, and afterwards I probably won't want cookies anymore " )? > > > > I'm not trying to figure out " the rules, " just trying to figure out where my mind's at. Of course I'm the only one who can figure that out, but what's your collective take on it? > > > > Ellie > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 24, 2012 Report Share Posted January 24, 2012 I made a lot of substitutions when I first started trying to limit salt in my diet because of an inner ear disorder. I didn't know about IE then, but too much salt made me dizzy, which was really unpleasant. What I was trying to do was find things that I liked that didn't have much salt in them, but what I came up with truly pleased me. I use garlic and lemon juice in just about everything, and I soon came to prefer that to heavily salted soups or stews. There s a lot of exciting seasoning mixes with no salt. A pot of chili tastes great with about a half teaspoon of salt and a little lemon juice, and smoky chipotle peppers. For my quesadillas, I mixed a little salsa (very salty) with balsamic vinegar--yum. I think it,s okay to think about health, but you have to keep what you LIKE in the forefront. One can do both. And then, a little chocolate torte never hurt anyone anyway. If I went to a potluck tomorrow that had cheesecake, I would probably have a slice of that (and perhaps nothing else). Tilley > > > > If I can tell it's binge-worthy, I ALWAYS substitute and then try to figure out why I'm wanting to in the first place. I kind of view it as my " nicotene patch " to get thru the craving. If it's a genuine, hunger-based craving, I eat it--savoring each bite as much as possible--and am always surprised by how little of the item I'm actually wanting. (There was one nite that I thoroughly enjoyed some potato chips...you'll notice I said " chips " --as in plural, but here's what's astonishing--I ate TWO. I seriously wanted TWO potato chips, tho I think I made them into 8 savored bites. Then I realized I wanted a banana. How weird is that? And yet WONDERFUL to know I no longer feel the need to eat half the bag!) > >  > > Interestingly, I'm finding I have a different kind of craving which doesn't fall into either category, but that substituting works for in a BIG way. For instance, there are times when pizza sounds good--but not to the point that I'm craving genuine delivery-style from a restaurant. So I'll buy some large portobella mushroom tops, wash, remove the stems, and fill them w/ pizza sauce, part-skim mozzarella, turkey pepperoni and/or turkey sausage crumbles, and italian seasoning; bake in toaster ~15 min and BINGO--a healthy way to quell my pizza urge! What it means in the end is that 80% of the time when the cravings aren't for the authentic item itself, I can make a fairly healthy substitute work. Interestingly, this means that when I DO decide to order Pizza Hut, it tastes AMAZING instead of like something I had a week or two ago. It's really helped me in learning to tune into my cravings and gage when to indulge in the real thing! > >  > > > > IE since Sep 2011 > > > > > > ________________________________ > > From: EHamilton <imagainst_the_wind@> > > To: " IntuitiveEating_Support " <IntuitiveEating_Support > > > Sent: Friday, January 20, 2012 1:40 PM > > Subject: Substituting? > > > > > > > >  > > > > Suppose I feel on a tightrope ready to fall off into a cookie binge. And it's a pretty sure thing that hot coffee with milk will suppress the cookie urge. Does that sound like restriction ( " If you crave cookies, try a cup of coffee instead to save calories " ) or intuition ( " Coffee will be good, I'll enjoy it, and afterwards I probably won't want cookies anymore " )? > > > > I'm not trying to figure out " the rules, " just trying to figure out where my mind's at. Of course I'm the only one who can figure that out, but what's your collective take on it? > > > > Ellie > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 24, 2012 Report Share Posted January 24, 2012 I made a lot of substitutions when I first started trying to limit salt in my diet because of an inner ear disorder. I didn't know about IE then, but too much salt made me dizzy, which was really unpleasant. What I was trying to do was find things that I liked that didn't have much salt in them, but what I came up with truly pleased me. I use garlic and lemon juice in just about everything, and I soon came to prefer that to heavily salted soups or stews. There s a lot of exciting seasoning mixes with no salt. A pot of chili tastes great with about a half teaspoon of salt and a little lemon juice, and smoky chipotle peppers. For my quesadillas, I mixed a little salsa (very salty) with balsamic vinegar--yum. I think it,s okay to think about health, but you have to keep what you LIKE in the forefront. One can do both. And then, a little chocolate torte never hurt anyone anyway. If I went to a potluck tomorrow that had cheesecake, I would probably have a slice of that (and perhaps nothing else). Tilley > > > > If I can tell it's binge-worthy, I ALWAYS substitute and then try to figure out why I'm wanting to in the first place. I kind of view it as my " nicotene patch " to get thru the craving. If it's a genuine, hunger-based craving, I eat it--savoring each bite as much as possible--and am always surprised by how little of the item I'm actually wanting. (There was one nite that I thoroughly enjoyed some potato chips...you'll notice I said " chips " --as in plural, but here's what's astonishing--I ate TWO. I seriously wanted TWO potato chips, tho I think I made them into 8 savored bites. Then I realized I wanted a banana. How weird is that? And yet WONDERFUL to know I no longer feel the need to eat half the bag!) > >  > > Interestingly, I'm finding I have a different kind of craving which doesn't fall into either category, but that substituting works for in a BIG way. For instance, there are times when pizza sounds good--but not to the point that I'm craving genuine delivery-style from a restaurant. So I'll buy some large portobella mushroom tops, wash, remove the stems, and fill them w/ pizza sauce, part-skim mozzarella, turkey pepperoni and/or turkey sausage crumbles, and italian seasoning; bake in toaster ~15 min and BINGO--a healthy way to quell my pizza urge! What it means in the end is that 80% of the time when the cravings aren't for the authentic item itself, I can make a fairly healthy substitute work. Interestingly, this means that when I DO decide to order Pizza Hut, it tastes AMAZING instead of like something I had a week or two ago. It's really helped me in learning to tune into my cravings and gage when to indulge in the real thing! > >  > > > > IE since Sep 2011 > > > > > > ________________________________ > > From: EHamilton <imagainst_the_wind@> > > To: " IntuitiveEating_Support " <IntuitiveEating_Support > > > Sent: Friday, January 20, 2012 1:40 PM > > Subject: Substituting? > > > > > > > >  > > > > Suppose I feel on a tightrope ready to fall off into a cookie binge. And it's a pretty sure thing that hot coffee with milk will suppress the cookie urge. Does that sound like restriction ( " If you crave cookies, try a cup of coffee instead to save calories " ) or intuition ( " Coffee will be good, I'll enjoy it, and afterwards I probably won't want cookies anymore " )? > > > > I'm not trying to figure out " the rules, " just trying to figure out where my mind's at. Of course I'm the only one who can figure that out, but what's your collective take on it? > > > > Ellie > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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