Go me

[elizilla]

So for two weeks now, I have successfully avoided buying pop and tortilla chips at the supermarket. I have managed to start my mornings without a big glass of Dr Pepper and a handful of Tostitos. What I want to know, is when will I stop craving it?

Comments

[encorecrazay.livejournal.com]

You'll never lose your craving for Dr Pepper and I've been off it for 4 months. P.S., the headquarters for DP is just up the road from me at Waco (about a 100 miles). http://drpeppermuseum.org/

[tomatoe333.livejournal.com]

What a coincidence! I had tostitos and Dr. Pepper for dinner! (ok, ok, I balanced it out with some salad).
I don't think I could give up soda completely, but I've switched over to 99% diet soda. Mmmmm... diet cherry vanilla dr. pepper...

[the-mad-elf.livejournal.com]

Heh, 2 to 3 weeks is normal for your body to make that sort of change.
It works better if you have some healthier substance you can replace them with.

[elizilla]

I was going to learn to drink diet pop but I don't like it, and if it's going to be hard to learn to drink something else anyway, why not go straight to water?

Giving up the chips is more of an afterthought but it seemed like a good idea.

I'm making small changes in the hope I can stick with them, since this kind of thing has to be a lifetime habit, not some temporary deprivation that I survive for a little while only to go back to my bad old ways. So I'm letting myself have stuff I make at home even if it's cookies. I figure at least it means taking more time to make whatever the snack is, and it gets me out of the habit of tearing open a bag of high calorie something from the quickie mart. Another advantage of cookies is that I usually don't feel like eating them right away, when I've been smelling them cooking for the past two hours. Too bad I don't have a house full of roommates to feed them to anymore; I could just sublimate the sugar urge into cookies for everyone else. :-)

[the-mad-elf.livejournal.com]

Water is the best choice! If, however, you feel the need to something sweet and carbonated there are a few things you could try: Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper is surprisingly good. Diet Coke with Splenda does not have that after taste associated with regular diet pop. Meijer has "Crystal Quenchers", sparkling fruit waters that are really quite good.

If you want a chip substitute there are a variety of rice cakes that fit the bill. Fat Free Pringles are also a nice treat.


I'm making small changes in the hope I can stick with them, since this kind of thing has to be a lifetime habit, not some temporary deprivation that I survive for a little while only to go back to my bad old ways. So I'm letting myself have stuff I make at home even if it's cookies.

That's really the key to success in terms of improving your diet. You are definitely on the right track.

[rmeidaking.livejournal.com]

For me it was Coca-Cola rather than Dr. Pepper. I found that I need the caffeine, so I did a hunt for "Calorie-free caffeine". I wound up with Diet Mountain Dew. Other people find that Green Tea works fine, or Morning Thunder, or something like that. My problem with tea was that I didn't like it plain, or with an artificial sweetener; YMMV.

I found that the carb cravings went away after about a month. They will still come back in the presence of gooey doughnuts, though! :-) I think it may be a bit like quitting smoking. The desire never really goes away; you just have to keep saying that *today* you're going to resist. String together enough 'todays' and pretty soon your jeans are getting loose. At least, that was my experience.

Don't forget to congratulate yourself every day, and cheer yourself on. Go you!

[talyen.livejournal.com]

Wow, great!

Water is a great alternative! At least, I think it's a good choice between the diet alternatives, which also seem to be addictive and may later turn out to be bad for you. Not to mention their tastes! (ew)

Depending on what it is, usually if there's no other addictive property, a habit takes 21 days to create. Even a heavy smoker takes 21 days to get most of the nicotine out of their system, so I'd go with three weeks to stop craving Dr. Pepper. (:

Having an alternative will help. The cookie idea is great! More work, still a reward/treat, and by the time it's there, much less appealing.

[jeffreyab.livejournal.com]

Try having a bowl of fresh vegetables or fruit handy to replace the tostitos.

Green tea is a good flavoured substitute for pop.

[xtatic1.livejournal.com]

Good for you for making the effort. I love water, so putting aside soda wasn't so hard for me. I also like several different teas, and I use coffee for my caffeine infusion (which I know won't work for you). Another drink alternative is this: mix 1/2 glass of club soda with 1/2 glass of fruit juice. Vary proportions (more soda, less juice for fewer calories) at will. Voila - Instant Italian soda!

According some studies I've seen it take about 34 days for your body to adapt to a new pattern, a.k.a. habit. I would say it will take at least that long for the cravings to die down. There are good carb alternative to the chips too, that aren't nasty tasting IMO. Trader Joe's has this puffed corn flavored with white cheddar. It's 140 calories for 2.5 cups, 5mg fat (I think) and relatively little sodium. It's kind of like nibbling air, constency-wise, but it does take the edge off the craving for snack food.

[treebones.livejournal.com]

Don't know. But go, you, regardless. (: