Weight loss is hard enough, but when cravings for certain types--or any--food are involved, it can be tortuous. Food cravings can be a huge detriment to the weight loss process, particularly if you are constantly suffering from them or--worse yet--succumbing to them. In some cases, cravings can be connected to your brain chemistry--dopamine, a neurotransmitter that affects mood, is sometimes released when you eat, causing you to associate eating with happiness. This can cause food addiction if you're not careful, but there are several things you can do in such a situation to combat food cravings and ultimately lose weight.
Step 1
Eat breakfast in the morning before leaving for school or work. Consuming calories might not seem like a shortcut to weight loss, but the body needs breakfast in the morning to function properly. People who skip breakfast often find themselves seeking out sugar and the energy boost it provides. This adds unhealthy calories to your body and provides poor energy for the body to run on. Breakfast also gives your metabolism a boost, which will help you process food more efficiently.
Step 2
Remove foods from the home that may be causing you cravings. Once they're out, make sure not to bring them back into your home. The less you see of these foods, the easier you will find it to go without thinking of them. A craving only intensifies when you have tempting foods in direct sight. You don't have much to gain from testing yourself with these foods--throw them away, give them away or destroy them to keep yourself from eating them.
Step 3
Lower your stress levels. Some people eat when they are stressed out, so high levels of stress can trigger food cravings and binge eating. Focus on eliminating stress from your life by freeing up your schedule, giving yourself personal time to relax, and even using relaxation tapes or similar programs to relax the mind and body.
Step 4
Take a quick nap when a craving hits. Cravings are more likely to occur when you are tired, according to Reader's Digest. Fighting through this fatigue--and the craving--may seem like the bold route to take, but it's much easier to quell the fatigue and stop the craving with a quick nap.
Step 5
Brush your teeth when you get a craving. According to registered dietitian Molly Gee of the Baylor College of Medicine in an article in Reader's Digest, brushing your teeth and/or using mouthwash creates a clean, fresh feeling in the mouth. This clean feeling will delay your desire to eat in an effort to maintain your mouth's cleanliness.
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