• Ask yourself the following questions when you feel the urge to eat:
a. When did I eat last?
b. What am I craving?
c. Am I hungry or has my appetite been stimulated?
d. What is my reason for wanting to eat?
• If you are craving ice cream, don't eat carrot sticks and celery. Have a reasonable
serving of ice cream to curb your craving. Many times when you don't satisfy your
cravings you will find they you eat twice as many calories just trying to fight it.
• When you feel hungry between meals, have a sugarless cup of tea or coffee -
caffeine inhibits the appetite.
• If you are craving ice cream, don't eat carrot sticks and celery. Have a reasonable
serving of ice cream to curb your craving. Many times when you don't satisfy your
cravings you will find they you eat twice as many calories just trying to fight it.
• Don’t shop for food when you are hungry. If you are hungry when you are
shopping, you will be more likely to buy foods that are not on your grocery list. So
be aware of your craving and don’t shop hungry.
• Brush your teeth after dinner to prevent you from evening snacking.
• Replace butter or margarine with butter buds or fat free buttery spreads. These are
really good and you won't feel deprived.
• Eat breakfast. You'll be less likely to overeat later in the day.
• Place baskets of fruits and vegetables in a bowl on the table for easy reach.
• Eat 5-6 mini meals to avoid high calorie cravings. Satiety- Foods that satisfy your
hunger and blood sugar levels will leave you less likely to snack. Eating more,
smaller meals, each day keeps your blood sugar levels elevated and does not allow
you to get hungry.
•Make room for cravings. Have a cookie now and then; just drop something else
that day.
•Drink skim milk instead of whole milk. Low-fat milk (1%) has 2.5 grams of fat per
cup. If you drink the recommended 4 glasses per day, you have consumed a
whopping 10 grams of fat, just in your milk! 2% milk is even worse, with 5 grams of
fat per cup!!
•Drink water -- a glass every one to two hours will keep you full.Cut 100 calories a day (replace that candy bar with an orange and banana) and lose
a pound a month.
•Get rid of treats in the house. If the kids must have them, fine, buy stuff you don't
like and they do.
•Use visualization. Picture yourself as you would like to be and focus on that picture
as often as possible. Find an old photo that you like of yourself when you were
thinner. Have copies made and put one in your purse or wallet, on the refrigerator
door, at your desk, on the bathroom mirror and anywhere you can think of to help
you visualize your new, thinner self.
•If you're a late-night eater, have a carbohydrate, such as a slice of bread or a
cracker, before bedtime to cut down on cravings. Keep an orange slice or a glass of
water by your bed to quiet the hunger pangs that wake you up.
•Avoid finger foods that are easy to eat in large amounts. Avoid consuming large
quantities of fattening liquids, which are so easy to overdo. And this includes
alcoholic beverages. Keep plenty of crunchy foods like raw vegetables and airpopped
fat-free popcorn on hand. They're high in fiber, satisfying and filling.
Substitute activity for eating. When the cravings hit, go to the gym or health club if
possible; or clean, or walk around the block. Exercise! Walk, run, bike, swim, or
otherwise get yourself moving for at least 30 minutes a day. Your exercise pace, by
the way, should make you sweat a little, but should not cause you to become
breathless.
•Wait at least 10 minutes before you eat so that your action is conscious, not
impulsive.
•Distract yourself away from your cravings by engaging in an activity that requires
concentration. Always wait 10 minutes before eating what you’re craving. You can
also take a 20 minute walk right away and burn off the calories before you eat it.
Get away from the food so you won't be tempted.
•Determine how important it really is for you to eat the food your craving and how
much do you really want it. Pay attention to when and what you are eating. Ask
yourself: "Do I really want to eat this?" Never eat on the run-wait until you arrive.
Otherwise, your body won't even realize you have eaten..
•Decide what amount is reasonable and appropriate, eat it slowly and enjoy!
•Carry a little sport bottle at all times. If you feel hungry, take a drink. This works
great and it helps to curb your appetite.
•Never starve yourself, especially before going out to eat (or you will binge). Never
skip meals, you must have some kind of nourishment regularly or your body's
starvation defenses will kick in, lower your metabolism, and store fat. Use
nutritional meal replacements or have a smoothie instead of skipping or eating
very low calorie meals.
•Ask the family for support or join a support group.
•Take vitamins, to be sure you get the proper nutrients. When your body get proper
nutrients, craving are diminished significantly.
•If you use food as a reward, establish a new reward system. Buy yourself a nonedible
reward. Every time you want to run out and get fast food, and resist, put the
money that you would have spent in your reward jar and when you lose ten pounds
use the money to buy yourself a new outfit or something else you have been
wanting.
•Eat beans: add a handful to salads and soups to curb hunger pangs longer.
Make a friendly bet with a few of your friends that you will still be on your program
in four weeks time. Better still; make a bet with a person to whom you would hate
to lose.
•Toss out your stash of chocolates, hard candy, packaged fruit snacks, cookies,
cakes, Danishes, even granola bars. Also for regular mayonnaise, sour cream,
regular salad dressings, and guacamole.
•Buy outfit 2 sizes too small and every time you are tempted to eat try it on and
take a very long look in the mirror.
Mind what you eat: too often, we eat without even noticing or appreciating the
food. Think about your last meal. Can you recall what you had, or if you enjoyed it?
Try to keep a diary of everything you eat each day for one week. Think about
whether or not you were hungry or just bored.
Write down, what you were doing at the time when you decided to eat. Were you
really hungry or just looking for something to do? In the week you keep a diary,
keep track of what you ate when you were hungry, and what you ate when you
were bored.
This will give you a pretty good idea of what you're cravings are, depending on
your moods. Try to avoid doing the things that make you want to eat when you're
not hungry. If you must do these things, keep a bowl of carrot sticks and celery or
cut up fruit, where you can grab them instead of high calorie snacks.
•Keep a diary of your eating and your feelings, far away from the kitchen. Document
everything that you eat before you eat it. Describe how you feel health wise as you
progress. Describe how you feel when you cheat your self. |
