Food cravings are one of the most difficult things to manage when trying to eat healthier. Many people crave desserts such as cookies or other high fat sweets. The most important thing to remember is willpower will not completely stop food cravings. Many of your cravings are due to emotional eating. Emotional eating, eating when stressed from not dealing with problems, is very difficult to control. These cravings are controlled by the complex chemicals in your brain called neurotransmitters. We have learned that when we eat certain foods they activate the feel good neurotransmitters. These chemicals take away our bad feelings and everything feels better-but it doesn't last. Most cravings are this response in action. Finding the source of your stress and dealing with it will help stop food cravings.
One strategy to combat this type of craving is to learn to effectively manage stress without using food. When you get a food craving, ask yourself how hungry you feel. If you are not physically hungry, stop and wait 15-30 minutes. During this time ask yourself "Why do I want this food?" "What will it do for me?" If you have determined you need it to relieve stress or boredom, find something else to do. Going for a walk or run is a great way to relieve stress. It also produces the feel good chemicals in your brain. Sitting down and listening to upbeat music is also another good way to relieve stress. Write down at least 15 activities you can do instead of eat. Place this list on your refrigerator. When a food craving hits, pick an activity from this list and do it.
If you feel that emotional eating is not the cause of your food cravings, you may be in a diet mind set. This is the belief that you must never eat anything that is a "bad" food. Most diets have a list of "good" and "bad" foods which many dieters feel they must stick to religiously. Since forbidden foods are always more appealing, you develop a strong craving for what you think you should never have. What many dieters fail to realize is that all foods can be included in a healthy diet -- even desserts.
The key to not overeating is to eat high fat foods in moderation. Practice the 90/10 rule for healthy eating. This rule says eat 90 percent healthy foods, and the other 10 percent the high fat foods you enjoy. The majority of the time eat a healthy and balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grain and lean meats, such as chicken. Do not skip meals or eliminate entire food groups. This will only cause you to eat more at the next meal. Attempting to starve yourself will not make you lose weight. It will only make you eat more when you do have a meal. Practice these strategies and food cravings will become a distant memory.
