We have all given into a craving before. I’m completely guilty of it myself. There is bad food surrounding us. It’s extremely easy to get your hands on it and there are advertisements for it everywhere you look. I’ll give you the secret to stop junk food cravings. There are a bunch of little things that you can do to make those cravings get out of your head.
First you have to realize that cravings are all in your head. It’s completely a psychological thing that you have complete control over. The quicker you realize that you are in complete control, the faster those thoughts about junk food will leave you alone.
Just telling your cravings to get out of your head is not as easy as it sounds. After you tell yourself that you are mentally strong and you won’t let the craving win, there are some small things that you can do to curb your appetite.
First of all go grab a glass of cold water and finish it. The water will somewhat fill up your stomach. You can give your water a little more flavor by adding citrus fruits, mint, berries, or some crystal light. This way your taste buds get a little relief but the calorie intake is almost irrelevant.
The next thing you should do is look at a clock or stopwatch. Cravings can last around 5 to 20 minutes. Keep time on the clock and tell yourself that you aren’t going to eat anything until a certain time. Chances are your craving for a certain bad food will pass and you can concentrate on getting some better food choices.
Looking at a clock is a great distractor. Distracting yourself will take your mind off of the craving. Other ways to distract yourself are by meeting up with a friend, going for a bike ride, playing with a pet, or going to the gym.
Brushing your teeth can be another good distractor from craving. Use floss and mouthwash too. The toothpaste will curb some of the desire for sweets. After you brush you will have less tendency to eat right away because you have a clean mouth. Eating will just negate the fact that you just brushed.
Wait a little while after you brush so you don’t ruin your clean mouth. Before you eat anything else go grab a grapefruit. They have fat burning qualities that you can read about in 5 Fat Burning Substances In Food That You Should Add To Your Diet
Grapefruits are filled with vitamins and they jumpstart your metabolism. It will also fill up your stomach a little bit and take away some of your hunger. After doing all these things I almost guarantee that you won’t be craving your favorite junk food.
If you are still not satisfied stop and think for a second. Where is your craving coming from? This exercise is used in Alcoholics Anonymous. Food cravings can be very powerful and it is a psychological urge just like alcoholism, so the same principle should work. Ask yourself if you are tired, bored, angry, lonely, or hungry? If you are truly hungry then check when your last meal was.
If you haven’t eaten a meal in a while then plan a meal responsibly. Go to the grocery store and go straight to the fresh produce section. NO DETOURS!!! Cook a healthy nutritious meal and forget about that junk that you were planning on eating earlier.
I hope this article helps you get rid of those terrible cravings. We all get them, it’s only human nature. And the fact is, we are constantly bombarded by ads for garbage. At the end of the day just keep yourself busy so your mind doesn’t have time to think about bad foods. Drink water and brush your teeth frequently. If you are hungry snack on a grapefruit. Remembering these things are lifesavers for me. They will work for you too! Share this article on facebook to help your friends curb their cravings. If you liked this post please tweet us as well!
About Adam Pegg
