Banishing your food cravings is one of the fastest ways to lose weight. Cravings for fatty, sugary and such ‘great’ food are just parts of the brain associating these types of food with satisfaction so your mind naturally presents these options to you before any others. There are different types of cravings that you need to recognise and alter so that the excess weight can start to fall off.
Psychological Cravings
Sugar cravings are a common craving for most people, when carbohydrates such as sweets, chocolate, bread and sugar are eat your body turns them into blood sugar which if not burnt off is converted into fat and stored till later. Often the fat is not burnt off and then the weight piles on.
Cravings Related to Thirst
Your body naturally craves food and particular nutrients to remain chemically balanced. Cravings come normally when your body is actually thirsty, this is where people normally mistake hunger for food instead of having a drink. If you feel hungry drink some water, if the hunger doesn’t pass then you eat something small and healthy.
Emotional Cravings
There are three emotional cravings that your mind will link to you eating, these cravings often lead to weight excess weight gain.
1. Craving Comfort
When a craving comes and it’s for a ‘little something’ a ‘little treat’ this is normally an emotionally craving. What is the craving for? Is this craving linked to wanting to be relaxed, are you eating due to stress?
2. Craving Love
The famous saying is ‘the way to a mans heart is through his stomach’, food and love are linked throughout life. Do you choose chocolate to try and meet your needs for love? No amount of chocolate can make you feel loved, special or wanted its food. Rather than resorting to food look at the depth of your reasons, addressing painful things in life can change a lot of things not just your weight.
3. Craving Security
The basic needs for everyone are wanting all your problems to go away, the need to be taken care of, relieving stress, and avoiding fear. Often when were stressed we opt for snacks, if something happens we often tend to turn to food rather than facing the issue.
Your cravings may be emotional or physical, to satisfy your cravings take your mind off food and distract yourself. Grab a glass of juice or water and keep busy, watch a film, read a book, call a friend or go for a walk. If they are emotional address the issue, ask yourself if you really want to answer to the craving and potentially gain weight. Break the cycle, opt for a healthier option and remember where you want to go and don’t caught up in the moment.
