One of the common questions I get from clients is ….HOW do I control myself when I start craving unhealthy foods?  Sometimes nothing else will seem to do but a chunk of chocolate.

Caving into the urge is the ultimate diet double edge sword.  The pleasure is short lived, followed by the guilt and followed by eating more to deal with the guilt.

When you’re face-to-face with that tempting treat, the internal struggle in your head is actually real – part of the brain tells you that you must have it, while another attempts to suppress that desire.  This is evolution at play.  It is the way that humans is wired.

What can we do to fight the urge and make the healthy choice. The answer probably isn’t what you might think – it is not about willpower and trying to wrestle with it.  Those urges are fueled by “feel-good” brain chemicals like dopamine which are released when you eat certain types of food, creating a rush of euphoria that your brain wants to enjoy again and again.

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Before you get hit with that insatiable urge for chocolate fudge ice cream, arm yourself with information that can help prevent you from giving in.  Remember, your reward is a fit, strong body that is capable of almost anything – as well as being able to fit into those jeans hanging in the wardrobe which is not a bad reward either.

1. Consider the consequences of giving into the urge.

One of the best ways to break a fixation on food is to consider the negative, long-term consequences of eating it.

Every time the food you crave pops into your head make space for a pause rather than jumping straight into action mode.  Say to yourself “HEY STOP!”  Ask  yourself……

How will I feel after I actually eat it?

Will the help or hinder me in reaching my goal? ……you know the answer to that.

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I sometimes imagine how hard I would have to work to burn those extra calories off in the gym and the urge fades fairly quickly.  Now imagine the benefits of  choosing a healthier option. Often by the time you go through this thought process the urge has weakened.

2. Have a back up plan to fight the urge – distraction is powerful.

Just a five-minute distraction is often enough to beat a food craving.  The cravings will subside believe me. Create an action plan for yourself when the cravings hit. It could be that you leave the house for a 5 min walk, go brush your teeth, go put on some hand cream, phone a friend.  You decide but know in advance what the plan is.

3. Eat regularly and include protein and healthy fats with all meals and snacks.

When blood glucose levels drops very low, hunger hormones kick in which will override self control.  If you are hungry and your blood sugars are low and there are highly refined foods in front of you no amount of self talk will work in this situation.

4. Don’t buy highly refined calorie dense foods – if it is not in the house you cannot eat it!

This is one of my favourite phrases.  It is easier to give into an urge for a bag of tayto if you know there is a six pack hidden at the back of the press.  But if you had to get in the car and go out and buy them you will be less inclined to follow through.

5. Get your 7 to 8 hours sleep a night.

The quality of your sleep the dictate your food choices the following day. Leptin is a hormone that is tied closely to regulating energy intake and expenditure, including appetite, metabolism and hunger. It is the single most important hormone when it comes to understanding why we feel hungry or full.  When present in high levels, it signals to our brain that we’re full and can stop eating.

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When leptin is low, we feel hungry and crave food. If you do not sleep well it is very hard to control leptin levels and food cravings. When you go to sleep, your leptin levels naturally rise – after all, you want to be sleeping, not snacking, so your body knows  your body will adjust by making you hungry again. Research has found that shorter sleep periods (6 hours or less)  lower overall daily leptin levels, causing an increase in appetite and increased cravings for energy dense foods such as white refined foods. So it is important that we take measures to try and improve your quality of sleep so your body can rest well to maintain its natural hormonal balance, allowing you to look and feel your best.

6. Practice stress relief techniques.

When you’re under a lot of stress, the body triggers the release of a hormone known as cortisol which signals the brain to seek out rewards, including comfort foods loaded with fat and sugar.

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When you reach for an unhealthy food in response to a negative feeling, like sadness or anger, you’re inadvertently creating a powerful connection in the brain that perpetuates the cycle, so the next time you face a similar problem, your brain will probably tell you to turn to a bag of Tayto or that bar of dairy milk  that has your name on it.

Practicing stress relief techniques such as deep breathing, meditation is also  a great way to stop that unhealthy pattern.

Good luck!

Helenxx