Training & Nutrition - how to combat the cravings????

hi all,

i'm usually pretty fit and pretty conscious about what i eat. i ride alot and race cross and mtb. BUT, this past year has been bad...ridiculous work schedule + winter injury + divorce + lots of stress + lack of sleep = approx 24#. i'm happy to say that all that is behind me and i'm now faced with how to lose the extra weight. i'm 5'8", usually about 138-145, and would like to get back down to that.

my problem is this...over the past year i basically stopped caring and got addicted to carbs, bread, sugar, and chocolate. i never drink soda, and i never drink caffiene. i'm allergic to dairy so i dont eat ice cream or sugary yogurt or anything like that. but i will eat 5 multgrain toaster waffles with syrup at a time. i'm almost embarrassed to admit that.

i'm having a REALLY hard time controlling the cravings for bread / carbs / sugar. geez, it's like heroin.

any advice? thanks in advace for the help...

my advice:

1. stop buying junk food. it all starts in the supermarket. it doesn't matter if they are "multigrain", waffles with syrup is still crap.

2. there's a theory that the taste of sweet foods sets off hormonal signals to eat more, causing cravings. hence two solutions: 1 try not to eat sweets in the first place. 2 if you eat something sweet and start to get cravings, stop immediately and have a fistful of carrot sticks or something like that. then distract yourself. still hungry? eat more carrots. works for me.

as someone who has been down that road many times before the biggest thing for you is going to be will power to start. You are going to have to cut out anything with white flour, yeast, and sugar (dairy is already out). Nothing that will give you a insulin spike. You are going to have to go atkins for a little bit to break the insulin cycle you have created alot of veggies (nothing sweet like carrots) and meat (protien). Have few carbs and any that you have should be complex. Have plain oatmeal in the morning for instance (a few blueberries or strawberries is ok, just a few to start). This will seem fine for a few weeks and then the body is going to rebel and this is where your will comes in. If you are still stressed you will have a harder time with this. The body is using the food to create a beta endorphin to mask the tough times you are having, getting things worked out mentally and being in a place where you are ready for this will help the most.

Every time you find yourself in the kitchen scouring the cupboards and fridge for more food, grab a glass of ice water and drink it first.

Fruit. The more you eat the more you want it. It's true. Really. If you gotta have something sweet, fruit will fill the bill. Hard to beat fresh cored pineapple, or fresh honeydew and cantalope. And Mangos. Cant for get the mangos. Mmmmm...

When I stopped drinking alcohol, I started getting the craziest sweet tooth EVER! My body was so used to getting a lot of sugar all the time I was craving it really bad.

Now when I really want sweets, I just go brush my teeth... It helps quite a bit, and my chompers and gums are happy too :)

When you eat fruit don't eat them by themselves on an empty stomach. Eat 5-6 walnut halves or almonds. This will may your body work a little harder at digesting and your blood sugar won't spike quite as much.

Good luck

thanks for the help guys...

There is some great advice here. Here is my contribution:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/fitness/2007/diet_guidelines.pdf

When I stopped drinking alcohol, I started getting the craziest sweet tooth EVER! My body was so used to getting a lot of sugar all the time I was craving it really bad.

Now when I really want sweets, I just go brush my teeth... It helps quite a bit, and my chompers and gums are happy too :)

The same thing has happened with me, after I quit drinking I can't get enough Sugar! Chocolate, Ice Cream, Crème Brule. If I brushed my teeth every at every sugar craving my teeth would be nubs now. Careful it's easy to "over brush". I'm happy if I maintain my weight 167 @ 6 foot tall. For the most part I eat healthy, indulge sometimes in the sweets and then ride my ass off!

Sex....lots and lots of sex.

I read once that a craving for chocolate is often a shortage of manganese in the diet. Some nuts and vegetables supply manganese. Someone else suggested pressing your ear lobe between your thumb and first finger as a type of acupuncture effective in nixing cravings. I like a little moderate exercise or a cup of hot tea, too. Someone else also suggested giving in to some cravings in moderation so you do not begin to feel deprived. That leads to an out of control binge. I also like some sour hard candy, like a lemon drop to reduce a craving. Cravings usually pass after a few minutes.