cravings and how to deal with them
almost all of us in the ED community have cravings. they are fucked up, stressing, frustrating and hard to cope with. but good news: they don't last forever!! thank god they go away. so the only secret is to distract yourself while you're craving and wait for it to pass. here are just a few tips that ALWAYS work out for me!! all of these are activities that actually take time and help, because we all know petting your cat for 3 minutes doesn't make cravings go away.
🍇 take a bath/shower, duh. and take a lot of time in it, like an hour. talking for myself, i never want to put anything inside me again when i'm just finished having a shower and feeling hella clean.
☕ make coffee. at least two mugs of it. don't add any kind of milk, because it makes you bloated, extra calories, and you don't get the full "caffeine experience", if you will. if you don't like black coffee, obviously don't add sugar!! you can add a few packets of sweetener in it, sweetener has almost no calories. caffeine also boosts your metabolism, decreases your appetite and helps weight loss when you have 200-400 mg every day.
🍵 you can have any tea you like as a replacement for coffee. of course it doesn't have that much caffeine but it still helps you with cravings. and since we're in summer, you can make your own iced tea with any flavor you like!!
🍑 and don't forget to drink lots of water!! with all that coffee and tea in your system, your bod is gonna have a hard time if you don't have enough water. 2-3 L is ideal! i myself always forget to drink water which is crucial for weight loss, so i'm using an app called Drink Water Reminder to keep track of my water intake.
🍋 go outside for a walk/run and listen to your favorite music. just the feeling of burning calories always prevents me from binging or eating anything at all.
🥑 keep a weight loss journal, and take a lot of time making it. don't rush things, be tidy. always carry your journal to places you can, so that whenever you need motivation or just help in general, you can look at your journal. here are just a few things you can do/write on your journal:
print your favorite thinspo pics and glue them on your journal
list all of your rules (ex. don't eat after 5pm, daily calorie limit, no purging, no skipping breakfast etc.)
write down your exercise routine
make a list of things to do when you want to binge, like this one lol
make a movie watchlist to distract yourself when you need it
write down your goals (not just for your weight, but all your goals)
🍒 make mood playlists and discover new music according to your taste.
🥝 watch a movie/read a book you haven't seen/read before and try to pay attention to it.
🍍 brush your teeth and chew sugar free gum!! a classic, always works.
🍌 whatever you want to binge on at that moment, get that food and throw it away. it might sound gross, but if you really feel like you can't cope with the feeling, this is the only solution to it. besides, next time you go to grocery shopping you won't want to pay for anything that's not safe for you to eat, because you will know you might have a craving and throw it away again - and basically waste all your money.
🍏 make your meal plan for the next day, or week if you can. you can write down plans on your journal as well, or just any other place like your Notes.
🥥 if you like drawing, draw! i usually draw thinspo and it helps me so much. and if you don't draw, it's definitely worth giving a try!!
🍉 sleep if it's around night-time. i know many of you have problems sleeping, i used to too but meds literally changed my life. you can use melatonin, or if it doesn't work for you, see a doctor and ask for prescription meds like i did.
when you're craving, do NOT:
🥦 take "just one bite". never, ever, just no. stay away from it, my friend. we all know from experience that eating doesn't satisfy, it just leaves you wanting more and more. it will increase your appetite and make everything harder for you.
🥕 chew and spit. just like the first one, this is not a smart choice. swallowing is a part of eating and you won't feel satisfied at all because it won't make you full. remember cravings are a result of hunger. and there is a risk of just losing control and eating it, so just no.
🍆 don't smoke. yes, it does decrease your appetite and yes, it does calm you down but that shit isn't worth it, believe me. i smoke and regret it every time. just don't do it. it's not healthy, it's addictive, it smells disgusting and you know it. there are so many other ways to take care of yourself when you're craving. besides, your body is already going through enough shit because of EDs.
