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Congratulations on your weight loss success...that is great! It is good news to, because you know you can lose weight, and now the trick is to learn how to maintain weight loss.

I would highly recommend meeting with a Registered Dietitian (R.D.), who can better answer your questions. The reason? You would be able to provide more in-depth information regarding your eating patterns, what you are eating, how many calories you are consuming from each type of food, what you are denying yourself, etc. You might be eating healthy and exercising...but there is also a balance of feeling good about each of these aspects of your life that they are sustainable and maintainable. "Anyone" can lose weight, but it is the slow, sustained weight loss that is the key (10 pounds in 9 days may not be on the right track for you; this type of fast weight loss is usually not maintainable). The key is to find what type of eating and exercise you can do for a LIFESTYLE..not just to lose weight.

As far as "why crave junk food?" Because it is manufactured to taste good (extra sweet, extra salty...whatever you want at the time), it is advertised to comfort us emotionally and physically, and it is typically super-convenient...usually easier, quicker, less mental and physical energy to get our hands on than what is necessary to make a healthy meal.

Your real question, though, is how to lessen the craving, right? The key to lessening the craving for junk food is going to be individual to each unique person, and talking through your struggles with an R.D. would help immensely. Everyone struggles with a certain craving, but some people have different plans ahead of time.
A few options:
- set aside one small (100 calorie) craving per day as a snack, choosing if it is sweet, salty, creamy, etc. Afterwards, some people brush their teeth, drink water, chew sugar-free gum, do something active, and know that you can have another small "craving" snack the next day.
- set aside one meal per week that you eat your favorite "junk food craving", and be sure to eat this in moderation (portion-control). You can incorporate this "treat" into your weekly regimen and not deprive yourself of your favorite thing. The most important aspect of sustainable weight loss is to make sure you are consuming less calories than you expend almost every day. Plan to have some extra salads, veggies and fruit, maybe an extra walk with friends, on the day you plan to indulge in your treat-for the week.
- find a healthy alternative, or make a big batch of it yourself ahead of time! There are recipes on the internet for literally every snack you can think of, and healthy versions you can make for yourself that lower the fat, calories, sugar, salt, and/or preservative content.
- Lastly, some people have also severely lessened the amount of salt or sugar in their diet (whichever you "crave"), and have added it back slowly once they felt the "craving" was gone. This would be best done with the advice of an R.D., but it can work it you feel you can not be satiated with a small amount of sweets or salty food...your tolerance may be at the point where you need more and more sweetness and/or salt added to food. This method can also backfire, as people who deprive themselves of their favorite foods can end up "binging" on large amounts of this very food they were avoiding.

Please know: there are no "bad" foods. Every food is OK in moderation, when consumed within healthy guidelines of calories in and calories out.

Again, those are just a few real-world examples. You can figure out what's best for you, as far as managing your cravings, and finding exercise that is best for your body (hint: mix-up the exercise every few months!).

Good luck! Let us know if you need to talk further, or if we can help you find some local resources. There are also successful weight loss groups, through Weight Watchers or your local hospital that can teach you about healthy eating (and not a specific "diet").

September 1, 2011 - 7:54pm

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