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Stop Your Cravings With These Tips

Arnold

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Get Shredded!
Stop Your Cravings With These Tips
by Jennifer Joslin

The easiest way for me to summarize this is to understand this simple phrase: “Eat to Live. Don’t Live to Eat.”

Sounds pretty basic right? Or what does it even mean? Well, you have to start having a positive relationship with food and you need to control the way you utilize your food. This is a simple concept to some, but maybe a little harder to others. Food is used as a fuel source for you. You should not demonize food, but you should be aware of the foods you eat. I am not trying to have you look at food in a negative manner either. Trust me, I love food. I eat food that I need to eat in order to have a healthy mind and body. I use the food necessary to obtain the goals that I have set for myself.

I’ve done it all, whether it be starving myself to get the desired body I believed I wanted. To eating when I was depressed or stressing. Honestly, it is easy to have a bad relationship with food. Sometimes, we create this unhealthy relationship with food without even realizing we are doing it. There are two things you need to realize a food addiction can come in both forms 1. An access of food which leads to obesity. 2. A deficit of food which leads to eating disorders such as anorexia. Neither is better or worse than the other. However, creating a healthy lifestyle is essential and it will allow you to enjoy the foods you enjoy without over indulging or cutting foods you love from your diet. Let’s get the mind right. A healthy mind about food will allow the body and the actions you take towards food to follow. This will lead you towards a desirable outcome and help you achieve your goals.

Substitute whole fruit for sweet-cravings:

Did you know that a good majority of the time your body may be craving sugar because it is dehydrated? It is true. Also, it is important to stabilize your blood sugar levels. By eating small, wholesome meals throughout the day, you can stabilize your blood sugar levels which also help reduce cravings of sugar. Avoiding processed foods will also allow the body to kick the habit and cravings of sugar. Try to satisfy your cravings with fruit (My go-to: A handful of mixed berries. You can consume a decent amount of berries to satisfy the sweet-cravings and they are relatively low in calories.)

Set boundaries with unsafe food:

This tip is kind of in the eye of the beholder. Everyone has different boundary levels and, well, “different strokes for different folks”. With this, you need to be aware of your problem foods and find a method that can allow you to safely remove or at least reduce the amount you consume these foods. Depending on how well you can handle the boundary that you set, this can work very well. For instance, I have found that either having ONE cheat meal a week will allow me to stay strict throughout the week and indulge a little on my cheat day. This is more of a way of keeping me motivated throughout the week so that I can eat my meal and feel accomplished without sabotaging my hard work that I’ve made all week. Some people may not be able to do just the one cheat meal. Okay, that is fine, everyone is different. For you, I recommend IIFYM. Basically, the majority of the food you eat all day is healthy and wholesome (lean meats, veggies, complex carbs, healthy fats). The difference is that you can also throw in a few cheats here and there AS LONG AS IT FITS YOUR MACROS. This will allow a little flexibility in your diet and allow you to keep a healthy relationship with your foods.

Follow a structured meal plan:

This is basically up to you. I have found many plans that work well for me. The method that I have found to be the most beneficial is setting a specified amount of fats, proteins, and carbs (along with a calorie goal) and follow that by tracking my food consumption every day. Eating “clean” doesn’t have to be stressful. You just have to be aware of the foods you are consuming. Furthermore, this will keep you from overeating or choosing “fast” food. You will start to develop habits of preparing your own food and home prepared meals are more nutritious and calorie dense. (Calorie dense means you can only eat so much before you end up feeling full. The good thing about this is that the amount of calories consumed is a lot lower than fast food options.

Learn healthy coping strategies:

Some people use food as a way of coping with the stress in their lives. This causes individuals to over-eat or create a bad relationship with food. This is when individuals end up demonizing food or over-indulging in food. The best thing to do to deal with stress is to find healthy habits (walking, reading, meditating, writing, drawing, working out) you name it… the list will go on. The good thing about working out is that it causes your body to release endorphins (the feel good hormone). This will ZAP that bad mood and help boost a good mood.

Seek professional advice:

I’ll be honest, I am not a professional. I am not an individual that can say you need this or you don’t need that. I will say, if you really cannot kick your bad habit then maybe there is a thyroid issue or other deeply rooted issues that are causing you to over-eat or under-eat. So, if my advice is not sufficient, by all means, seek professional advice.

Ditch artificial sweeteners:

Artificial sweeteners kind of “sugar-coat” the situation. I will post this article Click here and feel free to read the studies indicating why artificial sweeteners are not any better to you than regular sugar. I will say that these “low-sugar, sugar-free” alternatives have many effects on hormonal imbalances which contribute to weight gain. Again, check the link to read more in-depth on this concern.

Clean house:

By this, I’m referring to the “snacky” foods. IT is EXTREMELY easy to over-eat on snack foods. They are highly palatable. Palatable is defined as a food or drink that is pleasant to taste. Trust, why do you think they say “Once you pop, you can’t stop.” There is truth to it. It has all the salt that you could ever desire. However, there could be other things that could satisfy this need that your body is craving. I’ve made it a rule of thumb, “don’t buy it, won’t eat it.” So, I only buy and indulge in my snacky foods on my cheat day. Other than that, I don’t keep them in my house.

The top nutrients that are causing your salt and sugar cravings are as follow:

  • Magnesium – Fix by eating: nuts, seeds, potato skins, dairy, and broccoli. Or try an Epsom Salt bath.
  • B Vitamins – Fix by eating: chicken salmon, yogurt, yolks, avocados, potatoes, dark leafy greens.
  • Zinc – Fix by eating: oysters, crab, liver, eggs, green peas, and nuts.
  • Omega-3 – Fix by eating: salmon, sardines, and canned tuna.
  • Iron – Fix by eating: meat, poultry, and fish.

This one is by far one of my favorite tips. This tip is basically --- if you have a goal, make a plan. Have a plan? ACTION. ACTION. ACTION. If you have a definitive plan and goal that you want to achieve. I have given you the keys that are necessary to help you get started on your new journey. Don’t let food control your life and definitely don’t be afraid to eat either. Just be wise with the food options you choose. Don’t let food make you a victim to your body. You have all the necessary tools to overcome this addiction and take control of your life and body.

Source: https://www.healthost.com/blog/view/732137/stop-your-food-addiction
 

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