Time To Take Control Over Those Food Cravings

One of my greatest problems with the control of my weight is the
fact that so much self disipline is needed to achieve any
tangible results. Ah, but I hear you saying, “Whats new about
that” We all have that problem! Tell us something new!

Well yes we do all know that that is the biggest problem is it
not. Lets face it, eating is one of life’s greatest pleasures,
and we would be pretty abnormal if this was otherwise. After
all, most of us are “regular” people. How many of us stick to
the perfect diet all the time, we all have our struggles with
food to a greater or lesser extent.

If we can recognize an awareness of this problem, and also make
a point of knowing a little bit about our health, and also
proper food nutrition, we are then much more likely to make
wiser decisions about our choices of food.

Many people struggle with food “cravings,” and reasearch tells
us that it is fairly common for food “cravings” to occur at
certain times, quite often around bedtime. Your guard may be
down, or you may have had an unusually hard day, and off you go
on your not-so-merry way, intent on finding that tasty treat.
Fatigue and stress often combine to take their toll on the best
of intentions, so please don’t worry about it, rest assured you
are not alone.

When food “cravings” are out of control, what started out as a
bedtime snack, quickly turns into a full blown feeding
frenzy…not something most of us fully understand or
appreciate. We head to the kitchen and every other possible
place where food can hide, quickly clearing a path as we go.

Most food cravings are not about satisfying a nutritional need
or imbalance. They seem to be more emotionally related, or God
forbid, are caused by plain old gluttony. Exactly why we
over-indulge is not completely understood, however our knowledge
about this subject continues to grow.

These Are Some Of My Thoughts On How To Control Food
Cravings.

If the food isn’t available, you can’t eat it. Empty the cookie
jar and keep it that way! Keep healthy food choices on-hand. It
is important to recognize the feelings and emotions that will
lead to a food craving. Do you have food cravings when you’re
bored, or maybe you are feeling lonely, or is it stress that is
the trigger.

If you can identify the trigger which leads to that craving,
then you are half way to winning the battle, because you will be
able to deal with the emotion that is making you desire a
certain food.

Sometimes, even recognizing that a craving is about to happen
doesn’t seem to help, but please do not give yourself a hard
time about it, what is done is done, do not feel guilty because
after all there is always tomorrow. Why not call one of your
friends and share how you were feeling at that time, because it
is a very good idea to make good use of your support network.

Self-control and discipline by themselves will not cut it! If
you depend totally on yourself for control, you will fail.
Forming caring and supportive relationships is really essential,
so if you do not currently have a support network, start
building one TODAY.

Get enough sleep. When you are feeling really tired, you
are more likely to crave things, and with me personally, it is
usually chocolate, possibly you are the same.

Never give up. When you go off the rails, do not despair,
get a grip, do whatever is necessary to re-gain control, because
you really must get that control back. Try to practice restraint
most of the time, but do not get obsessed and un-balanced in
your weight loss approach. Think moderation and not total
abstinence at all times!

Exercise. This will increase the feel good endorphins
that will help cut down on your cravings. Try to get at least 30
minutes of physical activity every day. I hear so many people
say that they just cannot fit in any excerise, believe me you
can, we are talking about 30 minutes here, at the worst, it will
mean you will have to get out of bed that bit earlier.

An early morning brisk walk will do wonders for the spirit and
the soul, and will help set you up for the rest of the day!

Use moderation. Instead of stuffing yourself with every
kind of food hoping that your cravings will disappear, eat 100
to 200 calories of whatever it is that you happen to be craving
for at at that particular moment in time, but you must stop it
at that!

Substitute with low-fat foods and complex carbs. If you’re
hungry for chocolate, eat non-fat chocolate yogurt or mousse, or
try fig bars or raisins for a sweet craving instead. You will be
amazed at how this will help.

You must try and never skip a meal. It is much wiser to
eat something if even only an apple, every three to five hours.
Try six smaller meals, or regular meals with nutritious snacks
in between.

Try and remember that hunger cravings are very frequently stress
related. Practice other ways to cope with stress, a walk in the
park for example, spiritual connections, a cozy fireplace, or
even take a bath. You see, all of these stimulate neurochemicals
that activate regions of the brain which increases a feeling of
well being. Relaxation techniques really can be beneficial in
reducing the levels of stress which you may be experiencing.

So the bottom line is to try and substitute pleasurable
experiences for comfort foods.

Beware of certain medications which can stimulate your
appetite. Certain drugs which are used for the treatment of
depression and bipolar disorder can be appetite stimulants.
Other drugs, both prescription and over the counter, may
influence appetite as well. If you are on a medication and
troubled by food cravings, discuss this with your doctor or
pharmacist.

You may well be able to find an alternative that doesn’t send
your food cravings out of control.

Distract yourself. What’s that old expression…idle
hands are the devils workshop, so get busy! Do anything other
than give in to your desire for food, and keep doing it until
the cravings subside.

One final thought for you. Take a look inside your refrigerator
and kitchen cabinets and do some general “house cleaning.”
Throw-out all that unhealthy stuff that is waiting to sabotage
your diet, and start shopping more wisely. A little forethought
and careful planning will go a long way for improving your
chances of success.

One of my golden rules is that I NEVER go shopping when I am
hungry! Absolutely fatal!

So to conclude, remember that control is the key, eat healthily
and in moderation at all times, but do not forget that at the
end of the day you are only human. If you do give in to
temptation, don’t beat yourself up about it, tomorrow is another
day, live long, enjoy your life, and most of all be happy!

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