problem: I crave food at night. Sweets AND salty. This often leads to the consuming of a whole bag of chips or the baking of a sheet of brownies. This is not good.
solution: in all honesty, I’m going to crave what I crave. So let’s stock up things that will satisfy those cravings without giving me cankles and diabetes.
implementation of solution:
phase 1: purchase a bag of chips, but those thick, slightly burned kettle cooked chips. I can only eat a few at a time because they are so…hearty, compared to a sleeve of pringles.
result: hey, these are kind of gross but I only eat a few chips now! I can’t believe this actually worked.
phase 2: purchase a bulk box of fat free puddin’ cups from Costco. They are individually portioned, small, and eating one at night should satisfy my sweet tooth.
result: pudding cup consumption the past two days: 6
damn. more research needed.
My sister makes pretzel sticks dipped in white or milk chocolate, though I suppose you could do dark if that was your thing. You could make just a handful at a time - the hassle might dissuade you from making more, but you get sweet and salty at the same time.
I LIVED for pudding cups when I was in the field and trying to get in shape for my wedding. Some of those dark chocolate/no-fat/100 calorie ones are still somehow so decedant!
I keep a bar of super-dark (60% or upward)chocolate in the freezer. I can eat just a couple of squares at a time, because it satisfies my chocolate craving. A Hershey bar? I scarf down two at a time, because there ain’t enough chocolate in them thar bars.
Carrie - yes, but I would eat handfuls and handfuls of them. At least that’s what I do with the bag of Saris chocolate covered pretzels my mom sends me for Easter every year
DF1 - mmmm…nuthin’ better than puddin’
Cybele - I have done that as well. I like those individually wrapped Ghirardelli squares, because again, portion control. Which works! Sometimes!
Maybe I should make some more Cocoa Absolute candles–just found my Cocoa Abs. yesterday…
oh yeah. chocolate scented candles would SO cut down on my cravings…
Maybe freeze the pudding cups so they take longer to eat?
I like those Quaker rice cakes, or those little 100 calorie packs sometimes. I try to eat as well as I can throughout the day/week, so that when a really nasty craving hits and I give in, I don’t feel so bad.
You might try http://www.sparkpeople.com I lost 20 pounds using them, they are 100% free and you can set up your own webpage, blog, post questions, concerns, whatever on their boards. They help you determine what your goals are and what you need to do to reach them. You track your food and exercise and they have thousands of articles to help educate and motivate.
OK - I sound like an ad, but I had really good success and anything that is free, is great in my book!!
I have heard that getting the dark chocolate kisses and sucking on them instead of chomping down will help with satisfying a sweet craving. You’ll end up just eating one or two instead of half the bag.
I sometimes forget to eat.
Noodle–I get the sugar free/fat free instant pudding boxes (but you have to make the up with nonfat milk so they stay fat free), then when the pudding has set I dish it into a bowl with an equal amount of low-fat whipping cream–the stuff from the can. If you fold those two together, it makes the pudding more like mousse and doubles the volume, so one serving ends up being enough.
At least that’s what works for ME!
ESC!
Get thee to a Supermarket and purchase 94% Fat Free Microwave Kettle Korn. It is both salty and sweet and you can eat The Whole Dang Bag yourself and not feel bad about it. If you don’t like Kettle Korn, go for the 94% Fat Free Microwave Popcorn and add some Cheese Sprinkles (Find them in the Seasonings Section or sometimes find them with The Microwave Pocorn.)
I eat A Bag every night. I used to eat The Whole Bag Of Ruffles.
xoxo,
TDR