Anyone on a diet is well aware of the biggest challenge that lies ahead. It is known as food cravings. It is often considered the worst adversary of any dieter.
It means that when a person cannot control their urges for unhealthy food. Food cravings are a perverted form of regular hunger.
Although they are different in type, they are essentially sugar-enriched junk foods. So food craving is also called sugar craving.
Whether you are trying to stay fit or lose any weight, food craving poses a dilemma. It is, in fact, considered the most common reason that hinders weight loss. Here we are giving you 9 very easy ways to stop food cravings.
1. Drink Plenty Of Water!
There is a basic human urge that has confused people to think of food cravings. This urge is Thirst. Sometimes when you are experiencing an untimely hunger or urge for sugar enriched food, then you should drink a big glass full of water.
After a few moments, you will experience decreased hunger. This has happened because you only were thirsty.
We all know that drinking enough water also benefits our health. If you are someone in the age group of older to middle-aged, then drinking a glass of water before a meal can actually help you eat less. It is a great natural way to lose weight.
2. Mindful Eating Is Very Important!
Mindful eating refers to a way of practicing a special kind of meditation called mindfulness. It helps a person to develop awareness about their food habits, physical sense, emotion, and any other type of sense.
In contrast to food consumption, mindfulness makes a person be aware of their food intake. Through this mindfulness eating, a person can understand whether the hunger is physically real, or it’s just the food craving talking.
Mindfulness lets you control how you will react to your craving. You can plan your response to hunger instead of mindlessly eating. It also enables a person to enjoy the meals they are having. You will be able to eat properly because of it.
You will also be able to chew down foods properly. On the plus side, you can save yourself from other unwanted distractions like your phone or TV as well.
3. Avoid The Supermarket When You Are Hungry!
If you are hungry, then there are a few bad places to be with food cravings. Grocery markets are on the top of that list. Honestly, you will have access to any junk food you can think of.
Besides, any supermarket has the tendency of placing junk foods in an eye-catchy place where it is bound to catch your attention.
Although it is a sales tactic, having access to junk food during a craving is a bad kind of motivation for your cravings. So it would be wise to go to the grocery store only when you are full after a healthy meal.
4. Eating Proper Meals Is A Must!
Apart from hunger, if there is a shortage of key nutrients, it can also trigger cravings. So it is compulsory to have proper meals at the right time. It helps our body to get all the necessary nutrients it needs.
Ensuring proper nutrition also helps fight food cravings. So if you eat healthily, you will only get hungry at certain times.
Chances are, an exception can happen. In case of an exception, please make sure to avoid unhealthy food.
It is normal to feel hunger between mealtimes. In those cases, try any healthy alternative to junk food. There are a bunch of alternatives to reach for, like seeds, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
5. Make Your Meals Planned!
It is always a good strategy to plan the upcoming meals. It does not matter if you do it daily or on a weekly basis.
This helps someone to be certain about their food intake. This, in turn, causes uncertainty about eating.
If you can be tension-free about your next meal, you can control your food cravings on a much better level. This will reduce the number of cravings you will experience.
6. Sufficient Sleep Is A Key!
Hunger is affected by human hormones, and they tend to fluctuate periodically. One of the key factors that can affect hormone balance is sleep deprivation.
This imbalance will cause cravings to happen regularly. It is also a good cause to have a bad diet regulation.
Many studies have supported the fact that people who have a high rate of sleep deprivation are most likely to have health issues.
A study shows that people with low sleep have an increased risk of being obese and face health issues.
The risk factor is 55% more than the people who have proper sleep. So, in short, good sleep is also a good way to prevent food cravings.
7. Learn To Control Your Hunger!
Stress is one of the most common key factors that influence food cravings. This is, in particular, true for ladies.
Women who are in a more stressful situation have a higher calorie intake than anyone else. They also experience more food cravings than any non-stressed person.
The fluctuation in the stress level increases the release of a hormone called cortisol. This hormone accelerates the rate of weight gain, especially in our belly area.
So, you should avoid stress at all times. You can do this by meditation or planning ahead. You always have to slow down when handling stress. It helps to regulate the cortisol level in the blood.
8. Keep Distance From Craving!
The most common factor behind food cravings is hunger. If we get way too hungry, we are prone to have food cravings.
So we must not get extremely hungry. We can do that by eating meals on time. We can also maintain easy access to healthy snacks for untimely hunger.
If a person is prepared to avoid hunger and untimely hunger, it is fairly easy to fight food cravings.
9. Get More & More Protein!
If there is a way for you to increase your protein intake, then you should do it. Because in case you take more protein, then it will help you to fight a craving for longer.
It does that by making you feel satisfied and full for a longer period of time. This is why when we try to lose weight, we are encouraged to take more protein.
A scientific study on overweight teenage women shows that breakfast with high protein foods reduces food cravings significantly.
Final Thoughts!
Food cravings are a very common phenomenon. As a matter of fact, around 50% of people in the world regularly experience food cravings regularly.
This is a key cause of binge eating, food addiction, or, most importantly, weight gain. If you have a clear knowledge of the triggers of food cravings, then you will be able to fight them effectively.
You can also use this knowledge to be healthy and stop weight gain. So, you should practice mindfulness, increase protein intake, and, most importantly, plan your meals accordingly so that you can stop food cravings from taking over.
