Do you often crave for snacks, even though you have already had a meal?
These food cravings can be intense or uncontrollable desires for specific foods and stronger than normal hunger. The types of foods that people crave are variable, but these often are processed junk foods that are high in sugar.
If this often happens to you, you may be facing a problem losing weight and keeping it off. But no need to worry, as you can prevent this unhealthy craving.
Here are simple ways that you can do to prevent or stop unhealthy cravings:
Drink water
Thirst is often confused with hunger or food cravings. If you feel a sudden urge for a specific food, try drinking a large glass of water and wait a few minutes. You may find that the craving fades away, because your body was actually just thirsty. Not only reducing food cravings, drinking water before meals may also help with weight loss.
Plan your meals
By already knowing what you are going to eat, you eliminate the factor of spontaneity and uncertainty. If you don’t have to think about what to eat at the following meal, you will be less tempted and less likely to experience cravings.
Avoid getting extremely hungry
Hunger is one of the biggest reasons why we experience cravings. To avoid getting extremely hungry, it may be a good idea to eat regularly and have healthy snacks close at hand.
Stress can induce food cravings and influence eating behaviors, especially for women. Women under stress have been shown to eat significantly more calories and experience more cravings than non-stressed women.
Mindful eating is mindfulness practice in relation to foods and eating. It allows you to develop awareness of your eating habits, emotions, hunger, cravings and physical sensations. It also teaches you to distinguish between cravings and actual physical hunger.
Sleep deprivation disrupts the fluctuations, and may lead to poor appetite regulation and strong cravings. Getting quality sleep may be one of the most effective ways to prevent unhealthy cravings.
Don’t go grocery shopping hungry
It’s not good to go grocery shopping when you are hungry or have cravings. First, you can get any food you’re craving for at the grocery stores. And second, grocery stores usually place unhealthiest foods at eye level (summon candies and chocolates near the cashier counters). The best way to prevent cravings from happening at the store is to shop only when you’ve recently eaten. Besides that, eating before you go to supermarket also reduces impulsive buying.
Seven Steps to Success with Food:
- Eat when you are hungry.
- Eat sitting down in a calm environment. This does not include the car.
- Eat without distractions. Distractions include radio, television, newspapers, books, intense or anxiety-producing conversations, and music.
- Eat only what you want.
- Eat until you are satisfied.
- Eat (with the intention of being) in full view of others.
- Eat with enjoyment, pleasure, and gusto.
