Food cravings are literally the enemy when it comes to weight loss. They are intense and most of the time an uncontrollable desire for a particular food or two, which is usually stronger in comparison to normal hunger.
Food type cravings differ according to person but it is most often on over-processed junk foods highly packed with sugar.
Junk food cravings are responsible for why a lot of people suffer problems with over-weight.
Here are a few tips for stopping junk food cravings:
Drink Water
Being thirsty is often, mistaken as being hungry or craving some food. Try drinking an entire glass of water as the first step each time a sudden urge to eat any food whatsoever is felt and then allow some time to wait, might be a matter of minutes. You might notice that the craving is gone because you were never originally hungry rather the body just needed water.
Also, drinking a lot of water has a variety of health benefits. For middle-aged and older adults, drinking water before eating reduces appetite and supports weight loss.
More Protein
Increasing the amount of protein you consume might result in curbing your appetite and help you not to overeat. It as well drops your craving and keeps you feeling filled up for a longer time.
According to research, it was revealed that in overweight people, consuming a breakfast rich in protein cut down cravings greatly.
Some other research revealed that in men, high protein consumption of about 25% calories lowered cravings by 60%, and besides, the desire for that night craving snack also reduced by 50%.
Distance Yourself from the Craving
As much as possible, try to give the distance between you and the food you are craving. For instance, do a brisk walk or have a shower to distract your mind from it. Rechanneling your thoughts and changing your environment is both helpful in stopping the craving. According to research, chewing gum helps cut your appetite and food cravings.
Plan Meals
If possible, draw out a plan for your daily or weekly meals. This strategy helps you to eliminate the spontaneity or impulse factor. If there is no uncertainty concerning the next meal, it will be less of a temptation to impulsively eat, therefore resulting in cut or zero cravings.
Avoid Extreme Hunger
Hunger is majorly responsible for most cravings. To avoid cases of extreme hunger, a good idea you might want to adopt is eating regularly and having healthy snacks within your closest reach. Avoiding staying hungry for a long time hunger might just be able to completely cut off the craving.
Avoid Stress
Allowing stress could lead to heightened food cravings and alter your eating behaviors. Most people when under stress tend to consume more calories and have doubled cravings according to research.
Also, being stressed increases the cortisol levels in your blood, which is a hormone that could be responsible for weight gain, particularly in the midsection area. Make a conscious attempt to limit stress around you by intuitive planning, meditating, and generally taking things slower.
Get Sufficient Sleep
The regulation of your appetite is significantly influenced by the hormones secreted in the body during the day. Depriving the body of sleep disrupts the release of these hormones, and could result in poor appetite management and intense cravings. According to a particular report, people who were deprived of sleep happened tended to end up more obese, in comparison to those who got a sufficient amount of sleep. From all this information, it is obvious that good quality sleep might just be the top tip to cutting cravings completely.
Having Proper Meals
Lacking essential nutrients and a sufficient amount of food could both be responsible for some cravings. Always endeavor to eat a properly balanced diet whenever you have to eat. By doing this, your body is supplied with the necessary nutrients needed and there will be no cases of extreme hunger almost immediately after eating.
If you feel the need to indulge in a snack from time to time between meals, ensure it is something healthy. Try whole foods like fruits, nuts, vegetables, etc. Do Not Go to the Supermarket Hungry
The supermarket is most likely where you want to avoid when you are hungry or craving something because of the easy access to a variety of food both healthy and tempting unhealthy food.
