Addiction & I need help.

So. I have been doing AWESOME on my diet. I have went from a size 24 to a 16 & a weight of 270 pounds to 197 pounds. However I see that all slipping away and FAST unless I get my addiction under control.

I have recently discovered that I crave Pumpkin ANYTHING. The flavor Pumpkin Pie in, on or around ANYTHING. I started out by making the pumpkin pie recipe & pumpkin fluff that CC posted. However this was not satisfying to me at all. I then discovered that most delicious thing in the world. A PUMPKIN PIE BLIZZARD.

I however can not stop eating them!! Since discovering them last week I've already consumed two & a third about 2 minutes ago! I get the small blizzard however it's still 500 calories! I am actually going over my calories some days by 500 just to have my pumpkin fixation!

I don't know what to do. This is serious & I'm not kidding! My fiance and I are trying to get pregnant and I am actually due for my period either yesterday or tomorrow. I have been having such strong pumpkin pie cravings that it's making me wonder if I'm not pregnant? However I have been having all signs that my period is coming.

I just don't know what to do to get myself back on track & to start eating healthier again. I do great all through the day while I'm at work with logging my food and eating healthy. But I think about pumpkin pie ALL DAY LONG. And when I get home it's almost too overwhelming!

Hmm you may be right.  You may be pregnant.  I remember my sense of smell was much, much more sensitive the first trimester with each pregnancy.  Perhaps its the smell of pumpkin that you enjoy. 

Pumpkin in itself is not bad - its the sugar, eggs, butter, etc thats added to it thats bad.  Its actually just a squash.  Can you just have some baked pumpkin with a spritz of spray-on butter and maybe a couple teaspoons of brown sugar or honey or maple syrup?  Add all the cinnamon and nutmeg you want if its the smell that you enjoy.

Bottom line - if you want pumpkin, eat pumpkin,  but enjoy it responsibly and make allowances for it in your diet.  Eat slowly and inhale deeply to make every bite count.

Girl I feel your pain!! My vice is not pumkin (although I do love pumkin pie) but rather eggnog.. eggnog anything and everything (especially chai + eggnog, dammit, Starbucks!!!!) And this is absolutely the worst time of year for that, obviously. 

In fact I am so worried about going overboard when they start selling it that I'm actually extremely thankful for once that I have a lactose sensitivity!! lol .. and even still I am worried.

Anyhow, I am sorry that I didn't provide you an answer.. I am just commiserating... and congratulations on the weight you have lost so far! I believe you , and all of us can make it through the holiday season !  oh.. and maybe the fact that you are due for your period soon has something to do with you feening for pumpkin, I know I always get the worse cravings around that time.

Best of luck !!

Sher.. now that you say that.. this fixation with pumpkin all started when a friend gave me a pumpkin pie candle...

Yeah food scented candles are generally NOT helpful if you are trying to lose weight!

Well in my case I think this will help! Whenever I'm craving that blizzard and about to throw 500 calories away I'm going to just light my candle and sit here and enjoy it calorie free!!

Awesome I hope it works for you.  Anyway I think you know whats setting you off and knowing is 90% of the battle.

Keep us posted on any baby news!

I shall! Ill add ya as a friend!!

Why don't you buy canned pumpkin and mix it in with plain yogurt and some sugar and "pumpkin pie spice" -- I think you can buy this in the grocery store.  You could even freeze it for 15-20 minutes so it gets thick and cold like a blizzard...

Pumpkin itself is not bad for you, high in vitamins and fiber. 1 cup is only about 80-100 calories. Buy the most natural, unsalted pumpkin you can find. Maybe try mixing some canned pumpkin with vanilla or plain yogurt. Eating desert is not bad unless it gets out of hand. This is how I handle it. Everyone is different. I cannot have desert/sweets in the house. It is my biggest weakness so twice a week I allow myself desert. I get just enough for one serving. Maybe takeout at a local restaurant or 1 slice of cake/pie from a bakery and eat that. Then do not allow myself anymore until then next allowed day. It is all about will power. Without will power any weight loss plan will fail. So find what works for you and stick with it.

Flybe that sounds like a good idea!!!

P.S. No baby.. =(

I became addicted to the Tagalong blizzard - but now you can't find it at any DQ (trust me I called every DQ in a 50 mile radius lol).  It was rough at first, but with the temptation completely gone, I don't have to rely on my dubious willpower.  Now that my addiction is gone (until next year), I don't want anything from there.  I don't know if its reasuring, but maybe this will also happen with the pumpkin one.

My favorite recipe involving pumpkin is a soup my mom makes for Thanksgiving and Christmas every year. Her recipe uses cream, but I make it with 1% or skim milk depending on what I have available. The recipe simply calls for canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin filling), onions, garlic, chicken stock, whatever seasoning you like, and the cream (or milk.)

Would a savory pumpkin recipe satisfy your craving, or is it a sweet craving?

I wish pumpkin was more readily available here in Wales... I grew up in Canada, and pumpkin sums up all my autumn happiness

When I'm due on, I normally get dairy cravings, usually cheese, thats only been happening for the last year lol However, when I fell pregnant last August, all I wanted was butter... lashings of butter on everything for an entire week. I wasn't fussed on the taste, I just had to have it lol Soon stopped though as I miscarried. My waistline has since forgiven me lol I thought it was really weird as I never had cravings wth my first...

Congrats on your success!

How about roast pumpkin soup? Scrummylicious!

I have two things I love to do with straight canned pumpkin:

1: Mix it with cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and a little bit of sweetener, then microwave it and top it with vanilla yogurt and almonds.

2: Pumpkin pie oatmeal!  It sounds gross, but is heavenly: it's pretty much the above mixed into oatmeal.

Yeah Pumpkin pie blizzards are the greatest thing ever, thank God they are not available year round! If you cut back 100 calories a day, you can have one a week guilt free!

I'm addicted to anything pumpkin as well.  I also am addicted to anything with an apple/cinnamon/nutmeg spicey flavor too, so this time of year is particularly dangerous.

Definitely do a recipe search on this site for Pumpkin...I have found a lot of great recipes that won't break your diet, but will help satiate your craving for pumpkin. All the ones I've tried were great, and there's also a bunch that I'm hoping to try in the next few weeks including a delicious-sounding breakfast muffin that's high in fiber (which helps to curb hunger cravings).

Rosered, Pumpkin Pie oatmeal sounds AWESOME! I've been adding apples and cinnamon when I have steel cut oats in the morning, but I'm gonna have to try that.

Hi.  My name's Natalie and I'm *also* a pumpkinaholic >_<  My particular craving is the pumpkin spice latte and pumpkin cream cheese muffin at Starbucks.

I second (third/fourth/fifth :P ) the idea of searching for healthy pumpkin recipes.  It's a healthy food, so why does everything it's in seem to have a day's worth of calories and fat?!?  Cream of pumpkin soup...mmmmmmmm..........

I found this fantastic room spray that smells *exactly* like a fresh-baked pumpkin pie!!  It's made by Febreeze, and it's one of their seasonal sprays.  Thus, it will unfortunately be gone in the near future, but I bought a couple of cans and I want to buy one of the oil candles.  Once it's gone, I suppose I'll have to make do with The Body Shop's pumpkin home fragrance oil.

Now, I can see a potential for the smell making you want sinful pumpkin sweets *more*....but it helps me, so I thought I'd mention it ^__^;;

OH GOD NAT! I love the pumpkin muffins at Starbucks!! I am doing everything in my power not to go to Starbucks & get one!

By the way I tried this alternative to the Pumpkin Blizzard that someone suggested to me:

Mix canned pumpkin pie, splenda, pumpkin pie spice & cool whip together. Chill & eat. It's a slice of heaven!!