Hot fudge brownie sundaes, greasy tubs of chips, cheese and garlic, ooeey-oh-so-gooey pizza… it can be tough to resist the temptation.
Didn’t Oscar Wilde once say he could resist everything but temptation? Yup, we’re like that too.
If your junk food cravings are taking over and it’s affecting your mood, your weight loss goals and your everyday life, we have some top tips for you…
Here are seven ways to control your cravings…
Control Tip Number One: Set The Limits
Restricting yourself from every single type of crave-worthy food that you’ve ever enjoyed could be asking a bit much. We can easily predict the moment you’ll break down in a frenz of sweat and tears and you’ll awaken from your binge stupor surrounded by chocolate, cake, crisps, chips, everything in the house with a high salt content… Oops. Start off with a few limitations and add more to the list as you go.
Control Tip Number Two: When You Indulge, Indulge…
What we mean is allow yourself an indulgence each day to avoid feeling deprived and, when you do indulge, choose treats made with real, rich ingredients like dark chocolate or full-fat icecream. You’re far more likely to feel satisfied after a few bites which means consuming less calories, fat and sugar.
Control Tip Number Three: Find Healthy Alternatives
If you know that a few bites won’t satisfy you (see Control Tip Number Three), find a healthier alternative so you can enjoy the treat in full. Low-calorie desserts will satisfy your cravings too..
Control Tip Number Four: Make Goals
If you have a holiday or a wedding coming up, it can be a great incentive not to fall off the healthy eating bandwagon. Use the power of a goal to keep cravings at bay.
Control Tip Number Five: Change Eating Habits
Sometimes we eat or indulge just from habit. There could be a certain event or place that your cravings kick in: you could be used to a cappuccino every morning or a bar of chocolate after dinner. Change your habits. If it’s the coffee shop that prompts you every morning, skip the shop and make a coffee in work instead. If it’s an icecream you watch with your Friday night DVD, reach for a frozen yoghurt instead.
Control Tip Number Six: Limit The Drink
Alcohol impairs our judgement. How many nights have we scoffed into a extra-big burger meal with added chicken nuggets just for the sake of it? Beware of junk food cravings on nights out or think about reducing your alcohol intake.
Control Tip Number Seven: Sleep
It’s always part of the advice, isnt it? So it must be important, right? When we’re tired and don’t have time for a nap, we tend to reach for a high-calorie pick-me-up. Get to sleep early enough so you feel energised the next day and don’t need that high-sugar pick-me-up.
Cover Photo: Heritage Recipes
