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5 Ways to Eliminate Food Cravings

For a lot of people, eliminating cravings for sweets and unhealthy snacks can be one of the most effective steps toward weight loss, or a consistent health routine. The trouble is that, by nature, cravings can be difficult to suppress or ignore! While different strategies work better for different people, we’re positive these simple tricks will get you on the right path to controlling your cravings!

Determine Your Hunger Level

As often as not, a food craving is based on taste and desire, rather than actual hunger. Sometimes, the first step toward suppressing a craving is identifying that there may be no actual hunger. This takes a lot of discipline, and may be more effective at some moments than at others, but it’s still worth keeping in mind. The next time you’re facing down a craving, try to pause and focus on your stomach for a moment to determine if you still feel full or not.

Find Healthy Sweets

Sweets are the main culprits for many people who regularly experience food cravings – and fortunately they’re some of the easiest problems to control! As mentioned in our previous piece about ways to help maintain a healthy weight, natural reduced-calorie sweeteners can be a good place to start when it comes to certain things like tea or coffee. However, taking this idea even further, you can continue to look for natural sweet foods that don’t just amount to fattening decadence or empty calories. Coconut-based treats are becoming popular alternatives to ordinary candies, for instance, and a lot of people have luck simply substituting fruit for sweets. Try dates, if you haven’t before!

Don’t Skip Meals (Or Water)

Simply put, if you don’t eat and drink regularly your body will feel an increased need for substance (often due to blood sugar or dehydration), and you’ll be likely to respond by overeating, or indulging in a rich snack for immediate gratification. Try to drink water regularly throughout the day and eat three meals (with an occasional healthy snack mixed in) and you may find that your cravings all but disappear.

Indulge Now And Then

One of the worst ways to cut back on something is to attempt to quit it altogether immediately. The sudden change usually just results in more cravings, and makes it harder to stay disciplined. Instead of trying to cut out junk food or sweets entirely, try leaving a specific day that can be your “treat day” once a month, once a week, or whatever works for you. Don’t go crazy with it, but give yourself something to look forward to now and then.

Find A Distraction

True cravings are in your head, not your gut, and that means you can often get rid of them through psychology. The best method: find a way to occupy your mind until the craving subsides. This might mean exercising, reading a book, listening to music, or any number of other activities, but you may be surprised how well it works!

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