Aimee's Adventures
Message Board!!!
Week Ending Saturday May 19, 07
Topic of the Week: Craving Vs Urges
“The pain of passing up food is temporary, but the rewards of weight loss are forever. “
Author is unknown
What is the difference between the two?
Consider the two scenarios:
Scenario I
“Gary is craving a cinnamon roll. He used to get them every morning. But he has not had one for the 8 weeks that he has lost wt on WW program. “
Scenario II
“Tina went to the movies after a huge satisfying meal, as she passes the popcorn she decides that she wants some, even though she is full.”
CRAVINGS are about a particular food item, while URGES are about feelings and situations.
Cravings: What can you do?
1. Acknowledge it
2. Avoid Self –Judgment(s)
3. Remain calm
4. Consider the consequences
5. Step into Action: ASK yourself: Does it Fit my program?
a. If yes then change the portion or size or quantity, count the points and enjoy!
b. If No, then use an alternative food (see further notes on this)
Analyze “What does the craving imply? Why are we having it?” Learn from it and keep an eye out for its return and deal with it in the same winning way.
Perhaps in Scenario I Gary has deprived himself of a cinnamon roll that he actually CAN have on WW program IF he chooses to count the points. OR he could have half of it for less points. Depriving one’s lf of life’s pleasures such as chocolate or cinnamon rolls is not practical. We will give in to a possible binge if we do not allow ourselves the pleasure.
URGES: What can you do?
1. Be aware
2. Remain Calm
3. Manage the situation
4. Remove the temptation
5. Eat Something else
6. Do something else
7. Note results analyze what worked what did not. Write in your journal.
Watch out for the TRIGGERS of Feeling DEPRIVED that can set CRAVINGS in motion.
More Specifically:
1. Going without for a long period of time of your favorite food, dessert flavor.
a. Eat something else that is just as satisfying for lower points with the same flavor and texture:
i. Instead of Cinnamon Roll try toast with margarine, cinnamon and sugar (less fat less points), French toast with cinnamon, maple syrup, WW Cinnamon Bar, Quaker Oats Bar or other granola and cinnamon or oatmeal with cinnamon.
ii. Instead of Hershey’s try a WW Dark Chocolate Raspberry Bar or Carmel Chocolate bar. Chocolate syrup on Frozen Yogurt or low point ice cream like Skinny Cow or WW Ice Cream Sundae. A Chocolate Smoothie.
2. Eat similar flavors and textures in your daily WW program.
3. Actively search or create low point foods as substitutes.
Urges are about FEELINGS and SITUATIONS, especially those that make us feel uncomfortable or like a child.
Watch out for the TRIGGERS of Feelings that can set URGES in motion:
1. anger
2. tired
3. hungry
4. lonely
5. situations
6. feelings
7. Feeling of being Deprived or different or singled out? But everyone else is having it why can’t I?
Watch out for the Situational TRIGGERS that can set URGES in motion:
4. The smell of the popcorn t a movie theater
a. Rent a movie, eat healthier choice pop corn for lower points instead.
b. Take your own popcorn or Carmel, BBQ or Ranch corn or rice or cakes or Soy Crisps. Be sure to place them in a portioned controlled bag or container.
5. The recall of the taste of chocolate and the satisfaction or feeling one gets from it.
6. Visiting mom or grandma must have her specialty cookies, cake, pasta, tamales or your favorite family favorite (???).
a. PLAN the points or eat HALF.
b. Avoid or Destroy the temptation
i. Go to the house after supper or after the goodies are eaten.
ii. Ask to take it home instead, BUT when you get down the block through it in the neighborhood trash, or pour salt all over it.
7. Being at a baseball game: must have the hot dog.
a. PLAN for it in your daily points or 35 weekly points
b. Bring your own low or FF hot dog/bun! Use the stadium condiments!
8. Commercials or magazine ads that trigger food urges make a low calorie or low fat substitute recipe or find a substitute in the market. OR plan to have this on a specific day and count/plan the points.
9. Specific Days, Time of the Day or Thoughts
a. Snack Time I have to have a snack with my co-workers.
i. Bring your own snack, ask the vending machine to stock what you want.
b. Sight: I see it therefore I want it.
i. Think of the consequences, but remain calm. Make and informed decision.
10. Ask for support from co-workers to eat healthier, bring in snacks, no food lunches or dinner.
11.
Employ the FOUR WAY APPROACH:
1. Attend Meetings Weekly
2. Eat Wisely
3. Move More
4. THINK FIRST!
That is the best of my recollection!
Jean Cat
My take:
It seems I have the hardest problem with THINKING FIRST. Thinking things through or the consequeness before I place the food item in my mouth! I am getting better. But it is a daily fight to prevent the ‘passing of food from my lips to my hips! ‘
My question is: Does it REALLY matter what is the difference?
To me it does NOT matter what the difference between an URGE or a CRAVING is; as long as I respond or ACT accordingly to change the behavior. I must have a PLAN for either. Then I must also learn from it and try to implement what worked before each time the same type of situation or feelings or cravings arise. URGES and CRAVINGS are a part of life because we are HUMAN. So they are inevitable, how we deal with them are the only things we can change.
Side Note:
Interestingly Over Eaters Anonymous, a 12 step program, states that we should not get hung up on people, places and/or things. This is very similar to WW stating that Feelings, Situations and Food (craving) may be obstacles. We must learn to jump over the hurdles and avoid the obstacles.
PRACTICE is what makes a fine hurdler. We must PRACTICE to jump over our obstacles. A hurdler did not become a champion by one practice!
Hope this helps someone!
All is open to YOUR interpretation!
PLEASE share with us your ideas too!
Respectfully,
JeanCat 
I do not record the meetings.
I try to take notes and sometimes rely on my memory.
But I have to admit I do better, pay attention better since I tell myself I am responsible for THIS thread!
Perhaps I am getting more out of the meetings now!
I enjoyed the topic too!
JeanCat
This thread is great and so appropriate. The topic for this week was one I had really never thought about before. I always sort of lumped urges and cravings together. In looking at them separately, I can say that what I have most are urges. With the points system, I can have anything, so cravings aren't such a big deal. What I notice is that once I get a "taste" for something it just keeps at me. I would consider that an urge. One thing I found that helps me a lot is to drink something. For example, in the evening I always save points for an ice cream treat. Once the treat is gone, I ALWAYS want more. If after I finish, I go and drink even a couple sips of crystal light to kind of change that "taste," it often quells the urge to eat another treat. This has been working for me for a couple weeks, so I think there is something to it. Does anyone else have any ideas for quelling those urges?
Uki 
An urge to me is just a physical thought, and I have to change my thinking pattern.
A craving to me is a mental thingy...and then the obsession sets in, again I have to change the pattern, busy myself such as taking a hot bubble bath, and wait that 20 min or so and its gone...
Its not that I'm hungry, its just an old habit of idle time, its also for ma hand to mouth type of action. old habits are hard to die and change.. its a slow process for just one day...
I have to be careful too with the ice cream I have 1 I want more.... I'll have that ice cream at night when I'm on the way out the door.... none out there, they're all in the freezer.... lol.......
Dear ALL,
I attended two meetings today! I was late for the first 11:30 am one and I missed the introduction and review of last week. I missed what this week's intro was. towards the end I felt better, but still felt like a fish out of water. Much like our friend who said she is hard of hearing and likes the review.
Any way what I wanted to add to this topic is that the leaders are now reviewing from the week before and didn't use to do that. I think that is great! They seem to be tying in the week before to the next week. Much like Beck's does. See Patty's Becks Diet Thread.
Anyway I also attended the 4 pm meeting to get the FULL picture. I probably would not have done it except I felt an obligation or responsibility to this column/thread or community since I am doing the last Week Ending Reviews per AIMEE's suggestion.
So I stayed. BOY was I GLAD I did! It is amazing how DIFFERENT a leader presents the SAME topic and what you getout of it. Now to be fair it could be that I have just been reviewing the topic over and over between WW my postings your comments on this thread AND Patty's posting of Beck's which seems to be coinsiding with WW.
For example NO RUBBER BAND that Tobe spoke of at either of my meetings. BUT this 4 pm leader really hit the nail on the head when she said:
1. Cravings are something you have been thinking about for a long time , you have been wanting it, andyou probably have gone a while with out it that is why you are craving it. (Okay I got that part before) Here is the thing she said which no other leader had said (I have had three fo them on the same topic): You SHOULD yeild or Give into the craving in one of the methods outlined previously. {eat what you wanted or craved but count the points or subsitute a lower point item). Learn from it. In addition ifyou choose a lower point item the the next day or so, as soon as you can, PLAN to have that food item or snack so that you donot feel deprived and count it. She said it is important so that you do not feel deprived and that you do not go off program and find that you don't get back until 50 pounds later or ???never!
2. Urges are something triggered by sight and association. Such as the ballpark -baseballgame/hotdog
-wedding/wedding cake w/frosting
smell of popcorn or attending a movie/movie theater popcorn w/butter
- grandmas house/her special cookies
All feel like MUST haves at that MOMENT in time, but had you NOT attended the wedding, move or gone to grandmas you would not have wanted the associated foods. Therefore you must NOT yeild or give in UNLESS you PLANNED for it inyour points system BEFORE hand. You MUST train yourself NOT to give into URGES unless they are PLANNED.
It is possible to give into an URGE if you can ADJUST your points for the DAY. However that does not teach you NOT to give into the URGE. You have yielded. And if you yield to the urge (feeling) points or not, you train yoruself it is okay to eat when you feel the URGE and eventually there willcome a time (as in your past) when you do not have points to spare and you give in to the urge....and teh pounds come creeping back!
To me an URGE is much like a temptation. Calling me, but I don't have points left over to spare. I must learn to say no.
A craving is something that I really would like the flavor or taste of and I understand that if I do not yield to it or plan for it, my feelings of deprivation will make me FEEL like I am 'DIETING' and this will sabotage my weigh loss to the point of no return.
I can HONESTLY SAY that I NOW truly see the DIFFERENCE and understand that the ACTION that I take is slightly different. And WHY it MUST be to TEACH me
to THINK first and NOT REACT!
Thank you All for your patience in my ability to explain it further and hopefully better.
The REVIEW by the leader really helped me.
Grateful to this community,
JeanCat
