Fighting Food Cravings

Imagine this…its 3pm and you find yourself dipping into the candy jar. Sound familiar? We’ve all experienced cravings at one time or another. Some struggle with this more often than others. If you ever find yourself craving high fat or sugar foods, then these tips are just for you!

1. Eat at regular intervals – eating at least every 4 hours or so can help to prevent low blood sugar and intense hunger.

2. Don’t forget Breakfast – studies show that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day just as our mothers taught us! Those who skip breakfast take in more total calories over the course of the day. Eating breakfast can help prevent those mid-morning cravings.


3. Balance out your diet – include a balance between all food groups: grains (preferably whole grains), fruits, veggies, proteins, dairy, and fats, oils, and sweets.


4. Moderation vs. deprivation – many times deprivation of a certain food or food group leads to cravings and overeating. This can be a mental deprivation often driven by diet-like thoughts (i.e. cheesecake is a “bad” food, so I shouldn’t eat it) or physical deprivation (i.e. low carbohydrate diets or skipping a meal). Instead choosing a diet that is well-balanced and allows for indulging once in a while can help to stave off cravings.


5. Limit caffeine – while caffeine initially acts as a stimulant giving us energy, it ultimately results in low blood sugar which leads us to experience hunger and cravings for carbohydrate.


6. Limit artificial sweeteners – overuse of artificial sweeteners can cause cravings in some individuals (not to mention digestive distress!). The taste buds and brain get accustomed to taking in a high level of sweetness and begin to expect sweetness for satisfaction which may increase the desire for high calorie sweet foods.


7. Get some sleep – those who don’t get adequate sleep (about 7-8 hours per night) have been found to have higher levels of Ghrelin, a hormone, circulating in their body which increases appetite.


8. Check in with yourself – before giving in to the craving, see if you can notice what might be prompting that desire for food…extreme hunger, boredom, procrastination, or loneliness (just to name a few!). If your desire to eat is not driven by physical hunger then hold off on eating and see if you can find a more direct solution to the cause of your craving (i.e. if you are lonely, then visit a neighbor or call a friend).


9. Delay – again, if your desire to eat is not driven by actual physical hunger then see if you can delay giving in to the craving for 5-10 minutes. You may find that the craving passes or lessens in intensity if you engage yourself in some other activity. Journaling is a great way to not only delay giving in to a craving but also to explore any thoughts or feelings that are leading you to want food!


10. Use curiosity instead of criticism – if you do overindulge, don’t beat yourself up. Instead get curious about what may have set you up for that craving and use that insight to make a more positive choice in the future. Criticism only increases shame and guilt…usually leading to further overindulging.

For a realistic approach to weight loss and fighting food cravings, pick one or two of these tips. When you are comfortable with those one or two changes then come back to this list and challenge yourself again. To increase your success, get support from family, friends, and healthcare professionals such as your doctor and a registered dietitian.

About the Blogger:
Ursula Ridens is a registered dietitian and founder of Ursula Ridens, RD Inc. As a provider of Real Living Nutrition Services she specializes in weight management and emotional eating using a non-diet approach. To learn more about Ursula or to work online with her, visit http://www.ursularidens.com/.