Ending Food Cravings

Ending food cravings can be diminished over time, by incorporating these healthy diet habits, and strategies into your life.

Food cravings can originate from different causes. but these strategies will help to end food cravings:

• Do not skip meals, ever, for any reason. It is best to eat smaller meals more often that keep your blood sugar balanced, and keep hunger under control.


• Always eat breakfast. People who skip breakfast set themselves up for food cravings later in the day. Eat a breakfast that is full of fiber and protein to keep you full and stop cravings. Trader Joe’s High Fiber cereal is great. Do not eat high carbohydrate breakfast items like bagels, donuts, pastries, or similar foods, because they will trigger cravings later on also.


• Make sure you eat an afternoon snack that is healthy, and also includes fiber and protein. Eat real foods with little sugar in them, and do not grab processed sugary baked goods, or items from the machine in your break room. See the snack list. Protein shakes are also a good choice. The late afternoon is a time when food cravings hit with a vengeance, so plan a great healthy snack.


• Do not eat simple carbohydrates like cookies, cakes, chips, candy....when you are hungry, or you will have huge cravings. If you really need a small portion of a simple carbohydrate, eat it for dessert when you are not hungry. This will prevent cravings. Remember whatever you eat on an empty stomach, you will later crave!


• Buy smaller serving bags, or 100 calorie bags as substitutions for simple carbohydrates that you love and eat them after a meal when you are full.


• Always carry a healthy snack with you like nuts and fruit in a baggie when you leave home. You do not want to get stuck out and be starving and grab foods that will cause cravings. Be prepared! I leave nuts in my car!


• Eat three balanced meals each day, plus one or two snacks. Keep your fiber and protein high at all meals, and this will help to avoid cravings by keeping your blood sugar balanced and hunger down. Do not let yourself reach the starving point!


• Avoid all processed food and sugar and refined breads. You will be amazed at how your cravings decrease. Skip the breadbasket at the beginning of the meal when you are hungry.


• Eat 3 healthy snacks before you give in to cravings. Maybe a plain yogurt, handful of carrots, and an apple. You will be full and this can help!

• Distance yourself from the foods that you crave. If you are at the mall and smell cinnabuns, get away quickly, and the craving will pass.


• Remind yourself that if you practice healthy eating, that your body will not crave foods as often. Practice helpful thoughts.


• Try drinking tea, or water. This can help if you are thirsty.


• Practice Distraction. Most cravings pass fairly quickly. If you can have a preplanned list of craving distractions, this can help. You could call a friend, take a walk, read, just any activity that you enjoy that will distract you!

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Cravings can leave you feeling that you have no willpower because they are so strong. Rather than trying to fight cravings, which is a losing battle because your brain can outsmart you every time, practice healthy diet habits and add these Lifestyle Solutions. You should find that your cravings will diminish over time! Ending Food Cravings, is well worth the effort that it will take!