7 Ways To Curb Your Food Cravings When Trying To Lose Weight
Food cravings are the bane of most people’s lives when they’re trying to clean up their diet and lose weight. They may feel hungry all the time, or suddenly crave for specific foods in the middle of the night.
If they’re trying to avoid sweet snacks, their minds may be constantly thinking about doughnuts or ice cream. It’s like you’re fighting a battle with yourself.
For those who are used to emotional eating and need junk food to feel good, food cravings are a very real struggle. To help prevent this urge I`ve listed below 7 ways to curb your food cravings when trying to lose weight, give it a try and see how you get on…
1. Eat small meals
Rather than eating 3 large meals, you may wish to eat 5 or 6 small meals spaced throughout the day. By ‘grazing’ every 2 or 3 hours, you never get a chance to feel extremely hungry where you could end up overeating during dinner.
It goes without saying that your 6 meals should be wholesome and nutritious. You want to be on as clean a diet as possible. The goal here is to stave off hunger.
2. Indulge occasionally
When you’re trying to be more sensible about what you eat, trying to do too much too soon can be counterproductive. We’re all creatures of habit.
By indulging occasionally in the foods you love, you not only give yourself an emotional break, but it also motivates you to keep going.
For example, if you’re used to eating 3 scoops of ice cream every night, reduce the portion size to one or two scoops. That’s not a big difference initially, but it still makes a difference and you’ll not be craving for ice cream daily like you would if you cut it out completely.
Over time you can drop it to one scoop and finally you’ll reach a stage where you only indulge in ice cream once every 3 or 4 days and you’ll still be happy.
3. Avoid highly restrictive diets
Restrictive diets can be very demanding on your mental and emotional state. If you’re used to eating whatever you want, whenever you want, the results of embarking on a restrictive diet to try to lose weight will cause food cravings. This will without doubt be extremely difficult to control.
Remember, slow and steady change is what you’re aiming for.
4. Drink water often
Sometimes thirst can be mistaken for hunger. Water is also important for staying hydrated so ensure you drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water a day. It will help also keep you satiated for longer and you’ll be less likely to develop food cravings, which is ultimately what you want to deter.
5. Reduce sugar consumption
Sugar is a highly addictive substance. If you find it extremely difficult to give up your sweet snacks and simple carbohydrate foods, that’s usually because you’re addicted to sugar and the blood glucose spikes that come from consuming it.
Seek to gradually reduce your sugar consumption until you’re consuming the bare minimum daily. You’ll soon discover that you no longer crave the processed foods that you couldn’t live without before. Congratulations! You’re no longer a sugar addict.
6. Eliminate temptations
To continuously improve your well being, be sure to only have healthy food in your home and refrigerator. Keep some fruit in your fridge to satisfy any cravings for sweet foods. Other than that, it’s best not to keep foods that you shouldn’t be eating in your home.
You’ll constantly be battling your willpower and your mind will find itself constantly thinking about eating these treats. No temptations equals no choice, which equals no struggle.
7. De-stress daily
Spend time de-stressing daily. Do whatever helps you to have a laugh, relax and feel more lighthearted. This can vary from person to person. But as long as you feel less stressed, what you’re doing is working.
When you’re more relaxed, you’ll be less likely to have food cravings. You won’t be struggling with emotional eating because you’re feeling good about yourself.
Just to reiterate, these 7 tips are highly effective for curbing food cravings, so give them a try today and don`t forget to make them part of your lifestyle on a long term basis.