17 Surprising Ways To Combat Cravings

When you’re on a diet or even just making some healthier lifestyle choices, it is sometimes impossible to resist the urge to have a piece of chocolate, or a slice of pizza. Some people can think of almost any reason to justify giving into their cravings, but in reality, cheating on a diet will cause more harm than good. This list is a compilation of unique and interesting ways to maintain that healthy lifestyle and achieve your fitness goals by battling food cravings when they strike!

Get Your Emotions Under Control

It is true that a mentally stable person will make healthier dietary choices. If you are eating for the purpose of sustenance/enjoyment, rather than to satisfy a deeper emotional need, you will find that you have a lot less trouble restraining yourself from that late-night fast food run.

Take A Multi-Vitamin

Often, when a person craves a certain food, it is because their body needs whatever vitamins or minerals are found in that food. If your body has all of the nutrients it needs, you will find yourself craving less junk!

Cheat Every Once In A While

Consider it a reward for good behavior. Tell yourself that if you’re good all week, you can have that ice cream cone or slice of cake on Saturday! Learn to enjoy food instead of shoveling it down your throat.

Choose Carefully

If every person actually stopped and considered the long term results of their food choices, they would choose a lot more carefully. Think about the health risks associated with constantly eating unhealthy foods!

Take Healthy Foods With You

When you’re out of the house, whether you’re on a road trip, at work or simply commuting somewhere, always have a healthy snack with you to resist the temptation of buying unhealthy food. Nuts and fruit are good choices, as they are both tasty and filling.

Stay Hydrated

Oftentimes, people mistake their thirst for hunger, and put the wrong thing in their mouth. Drink some water first. If you still feel hungry, then have a small snack of fruits or vegetables!

Don’t Go Places That Will Tempt You

While you know which shops stock the foods you love, such as that delicious yet super-high calorie cake at the bakery, restrain yourself from going there. Also, don’t try to convince yourself that if you go there, you’ll get something healthy, because once you see it, you’ll most likely give in to your cravings.

Drink Tea

Herbal and green teas have both been shown to be mild appetite suppressants. Not to the point where it suppresses your natural appetite, but enough to help you resist your cravings!

Talk Positively About Yourself

If a person constantly assumes that they will fail, they will fail. Speak well of yourself, and set high expectations, and learn to like yourself the way that you are!

Find Ways To Inspire Yourself

Whether it be looking through fitness magazines, looking on a fitness page on Instagram, setting a goal for yourself like running a marathon or doing a handstand, find something that motivates and inspires you to stick to your plan!

Visualize Success

This sounds strange, but actually works. This is the same technique that athletes use – picture themselves winning. Picture yourself saying no to that cheeseburger, or ice cream, and you’re more likely to actually do it!

Try To Reduce Your Stress

It is proven that when under stress, the human brain produces cortisol, which causes a person to crave comfort or rewards, often in the form of unhealthy foods. Keep your stress under control by practicing breathing techniques or taking a yoga class.

Get Some Sleep

If feeling hungry, take a slight nap! This has been proven to lower levels of leptin, which causes the body to feel hunger.

Clean Out Your Fridge

And cupboards! Make sure that there is nothing in there that will tempt you. Examples include: boxes of cookies, tubs of ice cream, frozen pizzas, fast food coupons, or bags of chips. Stock up on fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.

Brush Your Teeth

This way of avoiding eating is odd, but true! If a person has a fresh, clean mouth, they won’t want to ruin it by eating that slice of garlic pizza.

Distract Yourself

If you can’t stop thinking about that chocolate muffin, try going for a quick five minute walk (not to the bakery) or playing a quick game of Sudoku or Solitaire to get your mind off of the craving.

Eat

Yes! If you are actually hungry, then set aside some time for yourself to eat a healthy meal or snack. Starving yourself is the worst thing you can do to your body and will only hurt you in the long run.