@Plaid Pants2 wrote:
I want and need to get my cholesterol numbers down, so I am trying to eat healthier.
For example, yesterday I had a bowl of steel-cut oatmeal, one apple, 23 roasted un-salted almonds, veggie platter, a smoothie made with soy milk, two slices of high fiber toast with vegan margarine.
I am finding myself not feeling satisfied after eating. I am craving the foods that I know are not good for me, such as hash browns, french fries, hamburgers, cheddar cheese, cream cheese, pancakes, real butter, steak.
I really want to get my numbers down, but I also want to eat.
I'm trying to be good and do the right thing, but it's hard.
How do you deal with food cravings when you want to be healthier?
@Plaid Pants2 Everything that you listed with the exception of french fries and pancakes, in my opinion, are perfectly fine to eat as long as you keep the toppings/condiments which are usually the real culprits in check and aren't eating or overeating these things at every meal.
As others have said, you can find healthy french fries and other cleaned up versions. There are lots of natural options even in the supermarket freezer section these days. Just have it as a treat every once in a while.
And if you have the time and inclination, slicing up some sweet potatoes, spraying them with oil, tossing some spices on them, and throwing them in the oven for 15 minutes is quick and easy. Or pan fry them for your hash browns. There are tons of cleaned up recipes online.
In my personal experience, my cholesterol did not come completely down and under control until I got rid of sugar. It had nothing to do with the fat that everyone thinks it does, at least for me. I actually now eat a fairly high fat diet but from natural foods like peanut butter and cheese. Everything I eat is real and that was the key for me.
It was all about getting rid of sugar. And it is in everything. If you can do a week of fighting the cravings (it is like coming off a drug), you'll probably lose 5 pounds immediately from all the inflammation going down in your body and, in my case, it also lowered my cholesterol right down to normal levels. This included white flour which basically turns to sugar in your body too.
Do I have ice cream or a cookie every now and then? Yes. But I usually wait a week when I get a craving to make sure it is real. If it's still there after a week, I go ahead and buy myself ONE candy bar, ONE tiny single serving of ice cream, etc... so I don't start up unhealthy habits again. I found once I came off of sugar, I honestly didn't crave it much at all.
To specifically fight cravings while I have them:
Flavored teas if you like tea to satisfy whatever flavor your mouth wants,
Gum is tricky because I find artificial sweetners increase my cravings but a lot of people find it helpful,
Distraction (bath, brushing teeth, going to bed, take a walk, read, work a puzzle, etc) which works 99% of the time because I crave/pick when I am bored and not really hungry,
And the ultimate giving in but ONLY after a significant period of time.
I listen to my body and balance the 90% good with the 10% or so bad. You have to be human and the bad stuff your body can handle as long as it's a once in a while thing.
Have your pancakes and hash browns. Just have them on Sunday only and use real honey not the maple syrup sugar concoctions.
Sub sweet potatoes for your hash and fries and pan fry in good oils or bake, no deep frying. If you don't cook, there are all natural freezer brands but watch the ingredients to make sure it's natural.
Make your hamburger a turkey burger or get really lean beef and make sure your mayo, ketchup, etc is real eggs, pure oil, vegetables, etc and not loaded with sugar and not overserved.
Cheese has to be cheese only and cream cheese and steak can be treats to be eaten sparingly when you want something a bit different and not everyday staples.
As for real butter, I used to use Land of Lakes because I do the real food only thing but I had to use unsalted which was becoming hard to find.
For me, I found that salt was in the same category as sugar and kicked up my cravings immensely. I also got tired of fighting the hard spread on real butter which is why I finally switched to the oil based brands (Smart Balance) which are actually better for cholesterol fighters like me. I eat butter every day on my toast but have to be careful which brand I choose. You'll find one that works for you.
My bottom line advice: Limit, don't deny, and go as real as you can. In my opinion, when your body recognizes 90% of what you feed it, it does what it's supposed to do with the food and stops making so much cholesterol to patch up the damage from the sugar and other processed junk.
Congratulations on taking control of your health. I hope you find you feel better with a healthier diet too. Good Luck!
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