(Just a disclaimer as well- I USE THESE TIPS MYSELF! YES! Dietitians have cravings too. We are all human. I will tell ya...my personal biggest challenge is at 3:00 pm when my son's gold fish start looking pretty tasty...but I digress.)
20 Tips to Control
Your Cravings
1. Eliminate triggers.
ü Weight-proof your home! Throw out the junk. If it’s not
there, you can’t eat it! If you can’t throw it out, put all the tempting foods
on the same shelf in the same cabinet if possible and DON’T EVEN OPEN IT! It
may also help to tape a motivating quote to the inside of the cabinet door as a
reminder of your goals.
2. Plan ahead.
ü Make a plan. Plan all of your meals, snacks, portions,
and the times of day you plan on eating them.
3. Prep in advance.
ü Now that you’ve planned, pre-prep and pre-portion
everything out the weekend before. This is a key step in executing the plan you
have made.
4. Avoid temptation.
ü If driving past your favorite ice cream shop makes you
crave ice cream every day, change your route! If walking past the bakery or
snack isles at the grocery store trigger you to crave things you know are not
part of your plan, don’t even walk down those isles!
5. Brush your teeth.
ü If your craving is intense, go brush your teeth! You may
be surprised at how much this little step can help!
6. Eat on schedule.
ü You’ve planned your meals. You’ve prepped your snacks.
Now, eat them on schedule! It is much easier to say “no” to tempting foods when
you are not hungry.
7. Distract yourself.
ü Make a list of distractions you can use instead of
turning to food. For instance: polish your nails or tinker in the garage.
8. Let it go.
ü Learning to manage your stress levels is key to
controlling cravings, as many times the cravings are stemming from emotional
eating and turning to food for comfort.
9. Go for a walk.
ü Go outside and get some fresh air. Going for a walk will
not only help distract you from your cravings, but will help with stress
management and improving your mood as well!
10. Review your motivators.
ü Know what motivates you. Make a list, and do those
things.
11. Drink your water or unsweetened herbal tea.
ü Drinking a tall glass of water or a cup of herbal tea can
help curb cravings. Give it a try!
12. Wait it out.
ü Don’t think you need to give in to every craving you
experience. Wait it out. Set a timer. The less you give in, the easier it gets
over time.
13. Get enough sleep.
ü Make sure that you get enough sleep. Lack of sleep makes
it harder to say “no”. Take a nap if you can and/ or need to.
14. Eat your vegetables.
ü Make sure that you are fueling your body with nutrient
dense foods. Were all adults here, don’t bypass your vegetables!
15. Chew gum.
ü When the cravings hit hard, try chewing gum to help!
16. Take small steps.
ü Take it one day at a time. Some days you may even need to
take it one hour at a time.
17. Get support.
ü Recruit an accountability buddy who you can call or text
when you’re struggling to help.
18. Remember your goals.
ü Write your goals down. Write down the reasons why you
want to get healthy, and review them during the weak moments. Do you really
want to compromise your goals which you’ve been working towards for months for
a craving you’ve had for only an hour?
19. Find an alternative.
ü Find a healthy alternative to meet your craving that
still fits into your plan. Discuss with your dietitian and/ or doctor to come up
with some ideas.
20. Keep a journal.
Log your meals, the time of day, and how you
were feeling to keep track of which times and feelings are your biggest
triggers. Awareness is to the issue is key to putting a plan in Hopefully this list can help someone out there stay strong! Remember your goals! Lets make it a fantastic week!
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