cravings

[nikiniki9doors]

so end of first day and Im already craving high carb products in worst way ... not joking I dont ever think about bread, chips etc outside of eating them but I am constantly thinking about all of them after dinner ... is it common to have withdrawals and this soon? or is my mind just trying to sabotage me ... and if anyone else has experienced this ... does it go away after few days? Im literally getting a headache from it.

[friedpie]

We didn't have the bread craving trouble you're having, but my husband found it difficult not to have bread for a sandwich or toast with breakfast.  He did discover Healthy Life sugar free bread at the store and that really made a difference for him and said not having bread would have made this lifestyle more difficult to stay with.  He doesn't eat it everyday and you just have to figure the carbs into your daily amount. 

Stick with it girl because this works.

Friedpie

[owensmath]

Niki,
It's just like withdrawing from anything else that someone is addicted to. A lot of people get headaches, strong cravings, sick feeling,e tc... for the first few days. Ride them out, knowing you are doing it right, and then you will feel so proud of yourself when you are on the other side of the withdrawals.

[ShihTzuMom1]

Yes, just ride out the cravings and try to have some alternatives on hand so you don't give in.  Buy some pork rinds, pecans or almonds for the chip crave,  Make a One Minute Muffin for the bake goods crave, and a tray of veggies in the fridge for when you just gotta have something.  Also the sugar free jello with Reddi Whip is something that helps as well.  Use these things as your crutch while you are detoxing and they will help you to not grab the wrong thing.  We have all been there and it is well worth it to get to where you don't have those nasty urges. If you have a favourite that you are missing, just ask Umpa, Doug or anyone on the forum and they will help you find an alternative that is FTS friendly, so then there is never any reason to cheat because there is always an alternative.  You just have to force yourself to be a little organized to have things on hand to grab first if you need it.  I find that a food diary also helps, that way you don't panic at meal time because you don't know what you are going to eat and just eat whatever.  Keep plugging along, you can do it!!!

[mouseissue]

nikiniki9doors ,

Welcome to the FAT To Skinny family!!! 
We are all here to support and help you (and each other) be successful with the FAT To Skinny lifestyle.

Most all of us had withdrawals in some form or another during our first couple of weeks on the program.
Be encouraged!... They WILL PASS!!!
In time, those "unhealthy" cravings will subside.

Before F2S, I was a potato chip freak.
Everyday in the afternoons a couple of hours before dinner, I would have to have a LARGE helping of potato/corn/tortilla chips.
Eating a couple ounces of pork rinds (0 net carbs) quickly eliminated those chip cravings.

As Shihtzumom1 suggests, get yourself some plain (salted or unsalted) almonds, walnuts, and/or pecans.
They too are great and healthy snack food with only about 2 grams net carbs per ounce!

By the way... If you find your tummy or digestive tract getting uncomfortable during the withdrawal transition, I found low-carb yogurt instantly helped. If you have it BE SURE it's low-carb (4 or less net grams per serving). Regular yogurt is loaded with sugar!!!

[JenCrowther]

Be strong we are all here for you. I too had bad cravings. I had to purge my house of all temptations. Sometimes I have very little willpower. I found that if I went for a walk or drank a large glass of water, the craving was gone by the time I finished. This forum is a great place to get ideas to replace what you might be craving.

[umpa]

List your cravings on ask umpa Niki and we will replace them.

[Doug Varrieur]

I went CRAZY with bread cravings the first week. Sherri and I were big bread bakers.....we made a fresh loaf every two days and not just old plain bread.....nope we made all the fancy loaves. We LIVED on bread!

How did I handle it?

I stood naked in front of a full length mirror and forced a good stare........then I created an alternative to cure the craving.

Now all you need to do is follow the family lead and use the creations we've come up with..... standing naked in front of the mirror is optional 

[Rena]

My husband gets this way when he sits down to watch TV. For years, TV and eating have simply gone together for him. It's really hard to fight off the craving. He plays computer war games and has found they're so intense that he can't eat when he's playing. So, if he's having a bad night, he does that instead of watching TV.

Good luck and I hope you're cravings have subsided by now.

[umpa]

Keeping your hands busy is s good idea! I was taught though to pay attention to cravings because you may be craving something your body needs.(minerals,iron,calcium,etc)

[SherriPie]

nikiniki9doors,

I am your girl when it comes to cravings. That first two weeks were tough, I measure it up to a druggie needing a fix. All I could think about was sugary sweet foods, pizza, cheesebread and frosting. It was really hard and even the third week was tough but the bright side is that it completely stopped by the end of my third week. I had always been consumed by food cravings and when they stopped it was like I was free. I had never felt like that before and it changed EVERYTHING. Once you get through the cravings you will feel amazing and never want to feel that way again. I think that is what is keeping me on this lifestyle. I am so certain that if I slip up that those horrible feelings and those cravings will come back that I just don't allow myself to eat the wrong thing. And with FTS it is so easy to find good things to eat that it almost feels like you're cheating anyway.

So hang in there and really get to know those cravings, when they're gone you are going to be loving your new life!