[quote]I read somewhere that your tastebuds’ “programming” lasts for two weeks. For example, if you’re a chocolate maniac, laying off the chocolate for two weeks means that you’ll stop craving it for good.[quote]
Doesn’t work that way for me. I’ve been off chocolate, pizza, etc, for considerably longer than 2 weeks, and definately noticed no decrease in craving! 
While I cant speak for all, I assure you GARBAGE food, hardly appeals to me lol. Or maybe Im missing out on some of dem ritten apples and half eaten pizza leftovers mixed in with a delicious fruit peel salad and itty bits of sauces from empty jars?
In the end it all comes down to only ONE thing: discipline. You have to train yourself to eat only what you need to eat. Ive been doing so for several years and quite honestly I can do with no junk food even if its right in front of me. Your mind gets used to it and stops asking for it - or at least mine did.
Remember, there's no magic pill thatll make staving off those delicious foods easy - only self-discipline and commitment will build the toughness of mind you need to eat only what you need to eat and not have the urge to devour the local McDonals and Pizza Hut, followed by Carmel Ice-creams and topped off my the local mexican restaurant.
First of all, if I want a hamburger, I go to either where Ko works (the Heathman), Chez Grill ( a very good place up the street from us), The Bomber or we just grill up some burgers at home. It’s a treat that way. And so I have never considered burgers garbage food. Burgers are almost a staple food in our home.
If I want a pizza (a rare occurance), we have our “choice” pizza joints. Again, it makes it into a true treat. Something I do deserve.
And char’s suggestion is a good one; one that I often recommend to people who are trying to break themselves into “clean” eating: get up and do something first before “caving” into a craving. Usually people eat when they’re just bored. So, do something. And yeah, don’t keep “garbage” in your home if you don’t want to eat it.
And I would never, ever consider any of what McD or any other similar “joint” has on their menus as “food”. Uh uh. That crap is well, garbage.
Another thing: as you improve your physique, your eating habits will improve and that “garbage” will become unwelcomed by your body. As your body grows it’ll desire clean foods as it’s “fuel” source. You’ll soon enough out-grow this taste for “garbage”.
Everyone who has posted so far has some great ideas for you BodyIQ. I agree with all of them (dicipline, control, and removing yourself from cheating situations) so I wont repeat them in length.
When I diet for a show, I find that sugar free Metamucil works really well. It slows down gastric emptying and keeps my blood sugar levels constant. I dont get hypoglycemia as easliy when I take this fiber. What I do is have one tablespoon in water with some lemon juice and 1/2 a pkg of sugar twin sweetener in the mornings, and in the afternoons if I’m hungry and it’s not “time” to eat. It tastes like lemon-aide, but is a little thicker.
If I crave sweets, I drink herbal tea with sweetner in it. I find that Equal (aspartame) and diet pops that contain aspartame actually make me crave more sweet things, so I use Sugar Twin or Sweet’n Low which are sodium cyclamate. These really satisfy my hunger and makes me feel happier when I start getting irritable a.k.a bitchy: (dieting sucks sometimes)
Another thing to consider is are you lacking something else in your diet, and that is why you are having these cravings? Are you taking your essential fats? and are you meeting your post-workout recovery nutrition requirements after each and every workout? These are two important areas where control will become comprimised if they are missed.
Finally, ask yourself how badly do you want to acheive your goals? If it’s not that important to you, go ahead and reach for that pizza. But, if you want to look and feel a certain way, you will not cheat.
cassanova, very good points made, and one I want to reiderrate is that you really have to make sure you are eating enought througout the day, especially post workout. I find that when I eat a bit more after a workout, I have to remind myself to eat later on, however if I dont get enough in, my mind and my body are both screaming at me to eat.
What ‘does it’ for me is the ingredients list. Maybe it’s just because I’m a chemist, but I’ll feel physically sick to my stomach when I read “corn syrup solids, partialy-hydrogenated soybean oil, butter oil…” Thinking about what this means in real terms inspires a march to the organic produce section. Repeat with me: “French fries? Starchy white potatoes cooked in hot fat and flavored with chemicals and sugar. Hostess cupcakes? The creamy filling is vegetable oil shortening and tons of sugar, and the rest of it is sugar, flour and flavoring.” You know the words… 
this is why i became a powerlifter. Contrary to popular belief i eat pretty good about 90% of the time. I eat good until i really crave something and then i have it. The reason for my recent gain in size has been the increase in calories from the good food(beef, oatmeal, protein shakes, chicken)i have been eating. Although the nine tacos i ate last night didnt help any.
I have much control, dedication and discipline. So I rarely break loose unless I know it’s okay for a cheat meal, or I make a substitution.
When out or when tempted, I’ve found that some protein will curb my craving. Many times, when I have a craving for something sweet, I have a protein shake.
If you’re out, and can find a place to eat, just get something with plenty of protein. Works like a charm.
Other tips would be to carry a GROW bar, raw nuts or another portable food to hold you over as needed.
I had a deep fried twinkie on a stick this weekend. Would that be considered junk food?
Nope. That’s good eating. I myself use Krispy Kremes as a means of staving off any cravings for sweets, but I dip them in melted butter so I won’t crave fats either. The other thing that helps me not get the midafternoon hunger pangs is to eat a bucket of KFC right around 1 pm, and only get the extracrispy; that regular low-fat stuff tastes like celery.
I just read an interesting article in Tricycle, a Buddhist quarterly, on this very issue. A couple points were very helpful; take what’s useful to you:
"Intention is the key; everything else rests on this. We all
have different triggers for overeating; know yours. Also keep in
mind what your goals are—not to eat, not to go off your diet—and
which foods are important for you to avoid. Consider which
emotions make you feel the most vulnerable, and when you feel
that way, turn to meditation, affirmation, or visualization for
support. Then, set and hold the intention not to pick up a trigger food…
Mentally follow the entire process of giving in to the desire
to eat. See the whole cycle from beginning to end. If you take the
first bite, where will that lead? What has happened in the past?
How will you feel the next day? If, instead, you refrain from
eating, how might you feel?"
I find the second point especially helpful. I also find deflection helpful–a quick distraction will generally make a craving go away for me. Regular cheat meals are also an important part of craving management, in my experience.
This is all very interesting, but I find that the best way to control cravings is to just eat a small amount of what you’re craving. Don’t keep it in your house, though. If you want chocolate, go buy a 30g chocolate bar in your local corner store. This won’t bang up your diet, and will do more psychological good than physical harm.
Don’t know if it’s been mentioned yet, but here’s my personal strategy to overcome cravings:
Diet Cherry 7-UP on crushed ice
Tastes great, no caffeine, no dark colorings. Also, phenylalanine blunts appetite, correct?
Give it a try. Diet Cherry and Vanilla Cokes rock as well.
Try the new Diet Mtn. Dew Code Red1
Thanks for the support on this thread! I think I’ve got some extra motivation to keep things on the right track now.
Looking back at my recent dieting:
For about a month I was on a rather strict keto style diet with an overfeed each week. It seems those overfeeds made it very difficult for me to go right back to the keto style the next day.
So for now I’m going back to the John Berardi “Lean Eatin” style. It’s time to get my “ducks” back in order! It’s worked for me in the past and I’ve been very disciplined while on it.
No doubt I’ll run into a few bumps in the road and that’s where I’ll put the newe tips into action.