Do You Know These Tricks To Help Conquer Food Cravings?
Food cravings are crafty -- they appear from nowhere and hit you
just when you least expect them, don't they?
And the critical thing is that the way you respond to your food
cravings might just make or break your success at weight loss
and maintenance.
That's why you need simple ways to deal with cravings whenever
they pop up.
Now, veering off from your eating plan occasionally will not be
earth-shattering, but if you make a habit of giving in to your
eating impulses, your moments of weakness will certainly catch
up with you.
The good news is that if you can remember these tips that I am
going to share with you today, you will be able to conquer those
pesky cravings of yours!
1. Avoid being hungry
Eat 5 times a day -- 3 meals a day with 2 planned snacks, but
remember to moderate your portions for each of your meals.
Once you start eating 5 times a day instead of the usual 3,
you'll find that you'll be hungry less often, and you'll
automatically have fewer cravings throughout the day.
On top of that, eating 5 times a day also helps to boost your
metabolism level, so you'll be burning more calories throughout
the day than before. And that's why this is my number one tip!
2. Catch your cravings early
If you can catch your cravings early, you have more control over
them.
So, when do cravings start? A craving starts with a thought of
something good to eat. It can be triggered by encountering a
situation in which you see or smell tempting food, or by just
thinking of something good and dwelling on the idea.
After a while, you'll be able to recognize the situations which
are likely to make you start craving for certain foods.
The moment you catch the cravings coming on, you can start to
put the tips below into use. The earlier you can catch your
cravings, the better chances you have of overcoming them.
3. Ride out a craving
Believe it or not, you can simply wait out a craving. Sometimes
we may even mistake a craving for actual hunger. Don't dwell on
thoughts of food or eating -- distract yourself!
By playing the waiting game for about 20 minutes, it can help
you to distinguish between the craving and actual hunger.
In the meantime, get busy by doing something else to distract
your mind: take a walk, play a game, or concentrate on your work
projects. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that the
craving has subsided after some time has passed. If you still
want something 20 minutes later, chances are that you are truly
hungry. By giving yourself a little time to take a pause before
giving in, you may find the craving will disappear altogether.
4. Drink your water
Sometimes all you need is just a glass of water, that's all!
Many times, we can mistake dehydration for hunger or cravings.
Take a moment and drink a glass or two of water; it may be just
what you need.
And this has another side benefit too -- even if you were truly
hungry, the water will help to make you fill fuller (without
adding any calories to your daily intake), so you'll not need to
eat as much later.
5. Temporarily ruin your taste buds
After drinking your water, if you find that your craving still
does not go away and you cannot stop thinking about eating, what
you can try to do next is to disrupt your sense of taste or
smell.
Try a strong mouth mint. Or you can brush your teeth or dab some
cologne or strong smelling ointment under your nose.
This may only work for a while, so you must get busy doing
something else to take your mind off eating. After a while, you
will find yourself not thinking of the craving, and before you
know it, it is already time for your next meal.
6. Giving in to your craving BUT only just a little
You will face the biggest danger about cravings when you give in
to them.
What happens to a lot of people is that when they give in to the
craving, they also lose control of how much they eat too.
Thus, please be extra careful when you decide to eat something
to satisfy your cravings.
Don't overdo it. Eat an amount that seems reasonable and
appropriate.
For example, you should never allow yourself to finish an entire
carton of ice cream or a whole bag of chips in one sitting. What
you can do is to take a small serving out and put the rest away.
Alternatively, you can buy small portions to begin with. In most
cases, you will find that the first few bites actually satisfy
the craving anyway!
7. Don't fool yourself
If you are dying to have a chocolate chip cookie, you know that
the low fat energy bar is not going to do the trick. So, what
should you do?
Well, there's no point trying to fool yourself.
That's right, go for the "bad" choice. But remember:
"Moderation, moderation, MODERATION!"
It is fine to allow yourself to indulge in what you really want,
provided you watch your portion size. You will not feel
deprived, and you'll be able to sustain these new healthy eating
habits for the long haul.
On the other hand, if you abstain completely from all your
favorite foods, you are more likely to eat that energy bar AND
the chocolate chip cookie.
Easy, right? I'm sure they'll be able to help you manage your
cravings better. So go ahead and try out the 7 tips above...
_today_!
Copyright 2005 Tracy Lee