Weight Loss - Learn how to stop food cravings
You’re sitting at work at 3:00 P.M. and you have an overwhelming urge to eat the last doughnut in the box in the coffee room. What makes your body suddenly crave foods that are not good for you and how do you stop yourself from giving into these cravings? Read on to learn how to stop food cravings ruining your weight loss goals.
What Causes Food Cravings?
Food cravings are a normal occurrence for most people, especially if you are on a diet and limiting certain types of foods. Generally, when a food craving hits it is usually for foods that have simple carbohydrates. Donuts, cookies and candy are those quick pick-me-up foods that the body is telling you it wants but you know you shouldn’t have. This makes learning how to stop food cravings rather difficult. These are not only foods that taste good; they are foods our brain equates with rewards or feeling good. Remember the warm, freshly baked cookies in your grandma’s kitchen or the chocolate birthday cake your mom made when you were twelve? These feel-good images become deeply ingrained in our consciousness and whenever we need a quick fix we turn to what we think will make us feel better.
Food cravings can develop for different reasons. Tiredness, stress, anger and depression can all make you crave salty and sweet foods as well as foods rich in carbohydrates. Denying yourself certain foods while dieting can make food cravings even stronger. Bad eating habits can also be the culprit. If you are used to eating chips at night while watching television or enjoying a candy bar after dinner every evening then your brain will crave these foods. Cravings happen because we become used to dealing with our emotions through food or treat food as a reward. They also happen when your body is trying to tell you it is in need of certain foods to function properly.
Stop Those Food Cravings
Whether you are on a diet to lose weight or trying to maintain your current weight it can be difficult to do this when food cravings intervene. So how can you stop food cravings and make them go away?
Eating right to begin with helps keep you from craving fattening foods while keeping your energy high throughout the day. First, you need to start each day with a healthy breakfast. Eating a breakfast containing too many simple carbohydrates and sugar will only fill you up for awhile and then make you crave more soon afterward. Instead, eat a breakfast that contains protein, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates. An egg, peanut butter on whole-wheat toast and a piece of fruit will get you further along into the day without setting you up to crash and crave. Since breakfast sets the tone of the day in what your body is eating it is important not to start it out with a sugar high.
Lunch should be the biggest meal of the day and should contain a mixture of protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. Dinner should be the smallest meal of the day and eaten early in the evening so food will digest before bedtime.
Keep high protein or complex carbohydrate snacks around for your mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks so you won’t be tempted to sneak a pastry from the coffee room. Energy bars, nuts or fruit will fill you up enough to curb the desire for sweets.
Understand Your Craving Triggers
Even if you eat a balanced diet other triggers can cause your brain to crave unhealthy foods. Watch for these triggers so you understand exactly what sets off your cravings. Is stress at work causing you to crave chocolate? Is an unhappy relationship sending you off to the bakery for chocolate cake and cookies? Once you know what your triggers are you can try to use other means in which to deal with these emotions. Yoga, meditation and exercise can help alleviate stress better than food. Talking over your problems with a friend or family member may help reduce your need to reach for the cookies. Separating food from emotions is an important step in eliminating the cravings that are sabotaging your healthy eating plan.
What if you really need that piece of chocolate? It’s okay to give in to food cravings once in a while. Actually, it helps you to control your food cravings if you allow yourself a little treat every now and then. Have that piece of chocolate, eat that scoop of ice cream or have the piece of cake occasionally. Having it occasionally actually makes it a treat you can enjoy without guilt. Food cravings come for many different reasons but you can conquer them by eating a healthy diet and understanding what triggers them. Being in control of your food cravings will not only help you with your weight loss but will help you find a balance in your emotional health too.
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