April 3, 2008 by Kavit Haria
15 Ways To Curb Out Your Food Cravings
Following on from part one: What do food cravings mean and why do I get them?, this article gives you 15 ways you can curb your food cravings next time you feel them cropping up.
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One of the biggest challenges to stop smoking, quit alcohol, while you’re on a diet or are pregnant is to curb your cravings. Some people manage to sail through the cravings not having a problem, but there are many who succumb to the pressure and satisfy their needs whilst also then having to deal with the side effects.
Willpower alone is not enough. Smokers who have quit only to go back and restart within a few days are examples of willpower not being enough. However, whatever cravings you have, there are ways to curb it and that’s what we’re going to explore here.
Here are 15 ways to curb your food cravings:
1. Recognize the feelings. The first step is always to be aware and know when your food cravings are coming up. Identify what causes the craving - does it happen just after you get bored, have nothing to do or when you’re working? Once you identify it, you can immediately work on creating another trigger when it happens.
2. Get a glass of water. When you have a craving, drink a glass of water. It’s usually good to have a bottle of water with you as the feeling of laziness can easily creep in.
3. Eat some fruits. When you get a craving that wants something sweet, have a juicy apple, orange of fruit of your choice. Bite away, take your mind of the craving and indulge in the fruits knowing they’re giving you natural sugars, vitamins and nutrients.
4. Get enough sleep. When you’re hungry, get some rest.
5. Adopt a never give up approach. In the big scale, cravings only last for a very short period of time. Adopt a can-do approach that will keep you going when you get a craving.
6. Exercise. When you feel a craving crop up, get up, stretch, do some exercise, occupy yourself, get your blood flowing and increases feel-good endorphins that cut down on cravings.
7. Eat in small amounts throughout the day. Spread your meals out throughout the day in 5 to 6 sessions but also decrease the amount you eat each time. This keeps your appetite spread in the day and also allows you to have shorter time periods in which you’re not eating.
8. Beware of medications. Certain medication can stimulate appetite so if you’re on medication, then ask your doctor how to decrease the cravings its giving you.
9. Get rid of all the junk in your house. Clear out all the things you have and would junk on from the store, the cupboard, cabinets and fridge. When not in the house, you can’t have it, so help yourself and make it easy for you to beat cravings.
10. Put healthy foods in the fridge. Opposing the last point, when you get rid of the unhealthy stuff and make space in your fridge, get some healthy foods you like and put them in your fridge for when you get hungry.
11. Eat breakfast. Don’t skip breakfast. Having a healthy breakfast will set you up for a better day, less cravings and more fuller and healthy body.
12. Natural appetite suppressant. Some people opt to suppress their appetite taking something like Hoodia Balance to overcome cravings and sleep well.
13. Chew gum. Keep something in your mouth and exercise by chewing gum. Sugar free is best and gives you something to chew on.
14. herbal tea. Different teas have different health benefits. I like herbal teas at night and have them with just hot water, no sugar. It’s a great way to fill your tummy with something warm without sabotaging your weight loss.
15. Take up a hobby. You usually get cravings when you’re couching in front of the TV or doing nothing. Take up a hobby whether it’s playing a particular game, arts and craft, music or whatever. Do something you enjoy. Boredom is one of the biggest reasons why people raid their fridges late at night.
How have you reduced your food cravings, if ever? Do tell…
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Tom Parker says:
Hi Kavit. Another great list. Point 9 ‘Get rid of all the junk in your house’ is a particularly good way to deal with cravings. I make a concious decision when I go for a big shop not to buy multi-packs of chocolate, crisps etc. Then even if I do get the cravings later on the junk is not easily available. This often means I can ignore the cravings but even if I don’t I still burn a few calories by walking to the shop to get a chocolate bar, bag of crisps etc.
Another suggestion I would add to the list is ‘Wait for an hour once the cravings kick in’. If you wait for that hour and still feel hungry then go and eat something. I know it’s easier said than done but by waiting for this extra hour instead of giving in immediately you will burn additional fat and also determine whether you are genuinely hungry or just experiencing cravings.
April 3, 2008 at 2:09 pm
15 Ways To Curb Out Your Food Cravings | 8ZU says:
[…] Original source […]
April 3, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Dan B says:
Great advice, and a great site!
April 11, 2008 at 3:16 am