day 6 of eating clean... help with cravings!

[nicholeraine]

I just started eating clean last Wednesday and while I enjoy the foods I've made I am getting horrible junk cravings... I used to eat $10 worth of junk food every night... I'm a stress eater too, and just found out I need to be tested for Tuberculosis... please help me stay on track in this stress!

Sweet recipes would be nice, and tips on staying focussed. I should also mention that I'm breastfeeding and this appears to make my cravings worse. I was packing on weight up until I started eating clean.

Also, do you think a cheat meal or day would help me stay focussed in the long run? I told myself no cheat days until I've been eating clean for 2 months..

[twinnett]

What does your diet look like?

[nicholeraine]

Originally Posted by twinnett

What does your diet look like?

Here's today...

meal 1:
1/4 cup oat with half a scoop of protein powder and 6 raspberries
2 tbsp greek yogurt
1/4 cup almonds

meal 2:
1/4 cup trail mix and an apple

meal 3:
weight watcher's whole wheat tortilla with half pack of soy chicken strips(cooked in 1 tbsp olive oil), spinach, 1 tsp parmesan cheese

meal 4 will be:
steamed veggies and 1/2 cup hummus

meal 5 will be:
cottage cheese meatloaf(taken out of the recipes here)

meal 6 after my workout will be:
homemade protein bar(recipe off this site again)

I'm tracking it on myfitnesspal.com ... not too worried about macros right now since I'm breastfeeding but I try for high protein and about 2100 calories/day.

[kimm4]

Originally Posted by nicholeraine

Here's today...

meal 1:
1/4 cup oat with half a scoop of protein powder and 6 raspberries
2 tbsp greek yogurt
1/4 cup almonds

meal 2:
1/4 cup trail mix and an apple

meal 3:
weight watcher's whole wheat tortilla with half pack of soy chicken strips(cooked in 1 tbsp olive oil), spinach, 1 tsp parmesan cheese

meal 4 will be:
steamed veggies and 1/2 cup hummus

meal 5 will be:
cottage cheese meatloaf(taken out of the recipes here)

meal 6 after my workout will be:
homemade protein bar(recipe off this site again)

I'm tracking it on myfitnesspal.com ... not too worried about macros right now since I'm breastfeeding but I try for high protein and about 2100 calories/day.

Couple things:

Meal #2 and #4 need some protein. What's your breakdown in terms of grams for protein, carbs and healthy fats? Seems that your carbs are higher than protein...so there's an off balance. Looks like you need more healthy fats...which is big reason for hunger/cravings...

[Lyd]

Originally Posted by nicholeraine

I just started eating clean last Wednesday and while I enjoy the foods I've made I am getting horrible junk cravings... I used to eat $10 worth of junk food every night... I'm a stress eater too, and just found out I need to be tested for Tuberculosis... please help me stay on track in this stress!

Sweet recipes would be nice, and tips on staying focussed. I should also mention that I'm breastfeeding and this appears to make my cravings worse. I was packing on weight up until I started eating clean.

Also, do you think a cheat meal or day would help me stay focussed in the long run? I told myself no cheat days until I've been eating clean for 2 months..

1. A cheat meal is good...revs the metabolism and more importantly keeps you sane.

2. I live and die by FF Jello, "Tofutti" 35 calorie ice-cream fudge bars and Extra Bubblemint Gum.

3. If you don't already, add some splenda and cinnamon to your oats....awesome!! Even better with some banana!

[Lyd]

Originally Posted by nicholeraine

Here's today...

meal 1:
1/4 cup oat with half a scoop of protein powder and 6 raspberries
2 tbsp greek yogurt
1/4 cup almonds .

JMO but I'd rather eat....I'd axe the PP and have a cup of whites.

Originally Posted by nicholeraine

meal 2:
1/4 cup trail mix...

Trail mix...most likely not very "clean". Usually loaded with sugar and very high calorie. Unless you love, love can't do with out it you could make better choices which would give you more bang for your calories.

[nicholeraine]

Originally Posted by Lyd

JMO but I'd rather eat....I'd axe the PP and have a cup of whites.



Trail mix...most likely not very "clean". Usually loaded with sugar and very high calorie. Unless you love, love can't do with out it you could make better choices which would give you more bang for your calories.

The trail mix is nuts, seeds, and raisins with nothing added to it. Is that still a bad choice?

[nicholeraine]

Originally Posted by Lyd

1. A cheat meal is good...revs the metabolism and more importantly keeps you sane.

2. I live and die by FF Jello, "Tofutti" 35 calorie ice-cream fudge bars and Extra Bubblemint Gum.

3. If you don't already, add some splenda and cinnamon to your oats....awesome!! Even better with some banana!

Thanks! I can nearly see myself hitting the convenience store tonight for buffalo wing flavoured pretzels.... scary thought only 6 days into this!

[Traffica]

Originally Posted by nicholeraine

The trail mix is nuts, seeds, and raisins with nothing added to it. Is that still a bad choice?

Pre-preparred or did you gather it all together yourself? I had a lot of trouble getting trail mix not totally loaded up with sodium.
I drink chocolate milk when I get a chocolate cravings, and make my own chips. I use a mix of yukon gold and sweet potatoes, cut them into very, very thin slices, spray lightly with cookong oil, sprinkle with salt and bake them until crispy. Not the very best, but if the craving really hits me it helps.

[tiff_7_17]

How much water are you drinking? Seems little and silly but whenever I get a wild crazy craving I have a few glasses of water first and give myself a minute to let it settle...and then re-evaluate. Sometimes you are actually just thirsty.

If you went from eating lots of junk to eating none, obviously your body is going to react strongly. Do the best that you can...I've been following a strict meal plan for the last few weeks (that I eased into gradually...but even then i've always eaten healthy foods...just too much of them!) but my birthday is next week so i'm going to take a day and have whatever I want. After a few weeks of hard work, you've definitely earned it...but you have to just be able to limit it to that one meal or day.

I second the splenda motion...I have splenda, cinnamon and blueberries in my oatmeal and it makes it go from boring to one of my favorite meals! Also, as bad as artificial sweeteners are...they do help. I let myself have sugar free jello also as was already mentioned, and the odd diet soda (but don't go too crazy on either of those).

[.pearl.]

def. a cheat meal will help you...cravings have been the hardest part...but there are always healthy options to the 'bad stuff'
ff, sf, choc. pudding is awesome though sometimes i still feel guilty eating that..lol
make a protein shake/smoothie with strawberries, bananas, milk, a bit of nat.pb, a bit of vanilla extract, (ice if you want) and that def keeps me going you can add oatmeal too and make it a breakfast shake
have you tried 60/80% dark chocolate? i eat that once in awhile (though i've been good and haven't been craving it as much)
try to distract yourself...are the cravings coming around the same time? maybe try to be doing something else at that time...
you said that you were thinking about hitting the store b/c your cravings were so strong..well make that not an option! no late night runs to the store..don't stop by on your way home from somewhere...if you get reminded by commercials on tv..think about the fattest person you know stuffing themselves with that object and how you DONT want to look like them...or about how HARD you're working out at the gym...
if there is ever a time where i can't get in those last few reps at the gym i blame it on something, esp if i had cheated recently...."damn if i hadn't had those chips these leg curls wouldnt' be so hard"

trust me...junk food is addicting! like cigarettes! it's hard to go cold turkey which is what it looks like you're doing..so take a break once in awhile (no more than once a week) after awhile you will feel bad/guilty about eating it...
and think about your kid!! you want them to grow up healthy and strong right? start by setting a good example for them! kick the habit! you can do it!

[.pearl.]

2. I live and die by FF Jello, "Tofutti" 35 calorie ice-cream fudge bars and Extra Bubblemint Gum.

gum! yes! sometimes you get cravings b/c your mouth is bored..lol, at least that's the way i put it...
so i have sf gum EVERYwhere....
the low cal/sf ice cream options aren't that bad!!! granted they aren't as 'rich' but still hits that sweet spot!