Cravings...

[KnottedYet]

15% fat.... ouch.

My rule for cravings is: eat.

If the only reason for the craving is from your head, you'll get your fill pretty quick and be done with it. (Eat a whole truck load of chocolate guilt free, and pretty soon you'll be craving steamed broccoli and salads.)

If the craving is from your gut, you'll stop craving when you stop needing something from the item. I crave red meat, beer, and vegetables. If I eat them to contentment (2-3 beers a day, 1 meal with meat, at least one huge plateful of steamed vegetables) my cholesterol improves tremendously and I'm a nicer person.

The important part for me is to dump the guilt. If you snarf the chocolate (or the cheese, or the beer, or the steak, or whatever), but feel guilty the whole time, you won't reach any level of contentment and you'll just keep right on snarfing. Smell the thing. Savor the thing. Take pictures of it. Sing songs of gratitude for it.

Repeat as necessary.

[marni]

I find that if I am craving sweets, it is because I am low in protein. You might also want to try substituting some really garlicky hummus for the peanut butter.

I am slowly learning to fight my cravings by accepting them and giving into to them at highly diminished amounts, slowly and with many pauses to savor Mindufl eating is always good.

Peanut butter in one of my downfalls so good luck with that.

[azfiddle]

mmmmmm Nutella... there is an unopened jar in the pantry....

[Bike Chick]

If I'm craving something and it continues to nag at me, I give in to the craving. I just eat a small amount, savor tiny bites and make it last. If I eat it slowly, I find that I don't even finish it a lot of the time because I get satisfied. I don't try to analyze why or stress over it--that just totally doubles the guilt.

[Crankin]

Catrin, why don't you use a small amount of olive oil to replace that cooking spray? That will up your "good" fat content. I also eat a handful of either walnuts or almonds with dried cranberries for a snack daily. If I am lazy, I buy the Trader Joe's pre-mixed trail mix that comes in little packets, with the above ingredients. It's about 110 calories and some fat, but extremely satisfying. I even eat it on the bike. Since I am allergic to peanuts, this is a great mixture for me.
I also throw the nuts and cranberries into a dish of non fat Greek yogurt for breakfast.

[jessmarimba]

While I "crave" sweet foods, I know that's all in my head. The foods I crave and can't stop craving until I have some are usually vinegar-related. I have no idea what that means.

But peanut butter is a pretty unique taste, and if you were a PB&J kid it might be the "comfort food" factor that is getting you...?

[Catrin]

While I "crave" sweet foods, I know that's all in my head. The foods I crave and can't stop craving until I have some are usually vinegar-related. I have no idea what that means.

But peanut butter is a pretty unique taste, and if you were a PB&J kid it might be the "comfort food" factor that is getting you...?

I wasn't a PB&J kid, though I did love PB sandwiches and tomato soup I suspect that, in the end, it is the fat that I am really craving - I tend to be really strict where this is concerned (at the advice of my nutritionist). I just ran out of PB this morning, and I have chosen to not replace it for now. I mean, I went through an entire jar in a little more than a week

I did, however, just pick up some avocados, walnuts, a trek mix, lofat Kefir and more olive oil. I suspect the cold weather has something to do with this - and there is a role for healthy fats as long as we don't overdo it.

Nutella isn't allowed in my kitchen - it is just TOO yummy to have around