Top Strategies To Stop Your Cravings
We’ve talked a lot about cravings: how our mood influences them, how to eat right to be able to avoid them and even how sport can help us reduce them.
Still, what do we do if we’ve done all the right things and still can’t manage them?
Sure, it’s easy to just say that you won’t have that cake and that you can fight it, but most of us don’t have the power of self control and we end up giving in to our cravings.
For those who have a sweet tooth, know that there are a few tricks you can try. I know they’ve always worked for me.
Don’t shop for sweets
This was my number one mistake. I used to buy a lot of sweets, like biscuits or ice cream. I always used to promise myself that I’ll finish those sweets in a month or maybe two, but of course I didn’t. Don’t fool yourselves, unless you know you can keep your promise. It’s better not to buy sweets at all. If you don’t have any sweets at home, then you won’t be tempted. Moreover, most people would rather give up on eating sweets than going all the way to a store to buy them.
Be prepared and plan ahead
If you’ve made a habit from eating something sweet while you’re working at your computer or watching your favorite movie, at least be prepared for this. Instead of binging in the refrigerator and eating all the ice-cream you can find, substitute that ice-cream with a smoothie. I always have fresh fruits and yoghurt or milk in my refrigerator. Smoothies are easy to prepare, they’re sweet and much healthier than any other desserts.
Choose carefully where you go out
I used to go out with my friends to places where they serve coffee with small treats or to places where you could have your coffee with the most delicious cakes. Now I’m only going to coffee shops where there are not temptations, no cakes, no sweets, just plain coffee.
Also, beware of the syrups or creams in different specialty coffees. They might open your appetite for sweets. Asking for the help of your friends might also help you handle these cravings better when you go out.
Think your timing
If you simply can’t give up on your favorite dessert, at least have it in the morning or at noon, but not in the evening, or else your body won’t have enough time to consume that energy that sweets provide you with. Also, try to buy only the low-fat or low-calorie version of your favorite dessert. If you don’t like that version and prefer to stick to the original one that is high in calories, try to eat for the rest of the day low or medium caloric foods, to compensate.
However, don’t do this too often. Depriving your body of all the nutrients it needs just to be able to have your dessert can be dangerous and unhealthy.
I hope these strategies will help you, like they helped me. And remember that having something sweet once in a while doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. Don’t let cravings depress you and always stay positive, even when you think you’ve ruined your diet by eating a dessert.
Related Posts
RSS Trackback URL 3. April 2011 (14:46)Filed under: Tips by Alice in Dietland
2 Comments»
Crazy Things People Do To Stop Their Cravings | DietMotion
29. September 2011 | 15:25 h[...] though we’ve already talked about cravings and how to deal with them it seems like it’s never [...]
5 Healthy Snacks for Your Salt Craving | DietMotion
18. April 2012 | 14:38 h[...] like sweet cravings, salt cravings are a real threat because they can spoil your plans to stick to a weight loss [...]