Create a blog post subtitle that summarises your post in a few short, punchy sentences and entices your audience to continue reading.
1. PLAN your treat!
If you want to give yourself a treat meal - always SCHEDULE it. Choose a day or night once a week where you allow yourself a 'break' and are more relaxed with what you eat. Make it into a date on a Friday night , or a Sunday lunch. This way you won’t be tempted to stray beforehand. If you know your treat day is coming up, you will be motivated to work extra hard at the gym, or eat super healthy for the days leading up to it
2. Pick a TREAT for one meal - rather than TREATING all the meals on a day.
Treat meals are better than treat days,because guring a weight loss process, you’re focusing on smaller portions and healthy food overall. By overloading yourself with bigger portion sizes - you might end up going back to the old habits. Also on Treat days, you will eat way more calories than the one meal because all your meals will be treats throughout the day.
3.Mindfulness
A recent study found that sometimes the best way to beat cravings is by changing your mindset.
Focusing on the Mindfulness tips below proved to reduce the desire for unhealthy foods.
Try focus / get distracted by thinking about something other than food
Accept and allow thoughts as something you don't need to act on
Focus on the negative long-term consequences of those unhealthy food choices
4.Reduce stress levels
Interestingly acute or sudden stress tends to suppress appetite, whereas longer-lasting “chronic” stress is associated with cravings for high-fat calorie-dense foods. Food cravings can arise to satisfy emotional needs, calm stress and reduce anxiety.
Feeling stressed →emotional eating & cravings for comfort foods → to higher BMI’s.
Stress may also cause weight gain even without food cravings. Stress results in higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, which can increase abdominal fat.
Top Tip - Get Support. Loneliness or anxiety can make you reach for comfort food that’s not good for you. When you feel that happening, call a friend. It can lift your spirits and may help you get past the urge.
5.Drink plenty of water
Hunger and thirst can produce very similar sensations, potentially leading people to confuse the feeling of thirst for hunger. Some people find that food cravings reduce when they stay hydrated throughout the day.
6.Get enough sleep
Sleep studies reveal that not getting enough sleep can alter the body’s hormonal balance. These are the hormones Leptin & Ghrelin that control hunger & satiety. This hormone imbalance may contribute to overeating and weight gain.
7.Eat enough protein
A healthy diet should contain plenty of lean protein, as it helps reduce cravings. Research shows that eating protein can suppress appetite and reduce ghrelin, the appetite hormone.
8.Avoid hunger
Strong feelings of hunger may lead a person to crave more calorie-dense foods, such as processed or high calorie / high sugar food. Eating when hunger begins can help curb these cravings.
Maintain a regular eating pattern - eating small regular meals throughout the day.
9.Chew gum
Chewing gum keeps the mouth busy and may help reduce both sweet and salty cravings.
10.Change the scenery
Some food cravings may be due to long-term habits, which can be difficult to replace. For instance, if someone gets take-out on their way home from work every day, this journey may cause cravings. In situations such as these, people can try to form new habits.
For cravings at home, it may help to take a walk around the block, take a shower, or even call a friend. These activities may help distract from a craving long enough for it to subside.
11.Leave It at the Store
If you know you’re likely to give in to a salty urge, don’t let chips sneak into your shopping trolley. Instead, stock up healthier alternatives.
12.Single Servings
Create a buffer for when you do have a treat!It may seem economical to buy the “bigger” bag of chips, but that makes it harder to control how much you eat. Smaller bags can fix that. If you can’t resist a snack, at least keep track of how many calories and your portion size.