Don’t let your cravings sabotage your weight loss efforts! Cravings don’t have to control you or your life – check out these incredible tips from experts on how to stop cravings for good!
Distract Yourself
Have you ever found yourself so wrapped up in something that you’ve forgotten to eat, drink water, or go to the bathroom? It’s not an ideal situation but there’s a logical explanation for why this happens!
When you occupy yourself with something, it’s difficult for thoughts of cravings to sneak up on you. How can you distract yourself? Recent studies suggest playing problem-solving games! Adam Gilbert, certified nutrition counselor and the founder of MyBodyTutor, says, “In 2016, two studies published in the journal Appetite found that when participants were distracted, they were less tempted by food. Researchers found that playing Tetris for just three minutes was enough to disrupt the craving. Play a level on Candy Crush or give your thumbs a workout on the Xbox—the point is to do something engaging. What can you lose yourself in: texting a friend, reading a book, watching Netflix, getting outside? The key is deciding what you’ll distract yourself with before the cravings come on.”
Beat The Craving
Don’t think about it. This is probably the most popular advice when it comes to banishing a craving, however, this is only a short term method according to Gilbert.
If you deny yourself from thinking about it, you’ll inevitably only think about it even more – which will lead to a fixation, which will lead to you caving in! Gilbert explains, “Eventually, you’ll likely give in because you can’t take the internal debate anymore. ‘Should I eat this?’ ‘I shouldn’t eat this!’ ‘You work so hard. You deserve it’ ‘I’m not going to feel good afterward.’ ‘Treat yourself!’ On and on the food noise goes. You know that if you give in, and eat whatever it is you’re fixated on, you won’t have to listen to the noise in your head anymore.”
Prevent The Craving
The best way to kick a craving? Gilbert says the best way to get rid of your cravings is to get to the source of the craving and decoding why you have this craving. Getting to the root of the craving can help you along your weight loss journey for sustainable, practical weight loss.
Generally, you know what you need to do to lose weight. Eat more vegetables, watch your portions, and find ways to keep active. It seems simple, but why do we always end up indulging in the things that hurt our weight loss efforts?
Gilbert explains, “Let’s unpack that like the package of cookies you crave at 3 p.m. Are you stressed, frustrated, overwhelmed, bored, or in need of a quick escape from whatever you’re doing? When you have an overwhelming desire to indulge, it’s sometimes because something in your life feels overwhelming at the moment. Ultimately, cravings are a signal. It’s a signal that something is bothering you. It’s a signal that you’re emotional about something. Like emotional eating, the key to getting over cravings is to figure out what you really want.”
This doesn’t mean that all cravings are rooted in emotional eating. Sometimes we just want to eat something because it tastes good! It’s fine to have that slice of pizza, fries and that yummy slice of cake every now and then. As long as you’re not feeling guilty about it later, it’s totally fine to indulge every now and then! Gilbert also reminds us that sometimes it’s better to tell yourself that you can have that doughnut, candy bar or burger later. You’ll have it someday, just not today.
When you’re trying to lose weight or maintain your weight, it’s important to keep your cravings in check! Oftentimes after we give in to a craving, we’re left feeling guilty or disappointed in our choices and this can potentially lead to disordered eating. Take control over the situation and learn the source of your craving! That way you can eliminate nagging cravings for good!
