Being surrounded by grocery store shelves piled with sweet snacks and restaurants with all-you-can-eat buffets can do serious damage to your body, if your will power is low. If a ravenous appetite and persistent cravings are making you feel unhealthy or hindering your weight-loss progress, don't lose hope. Some simple tips and mind tricks can help you curb your need to indulge and give you the strength to take full control of your diet.
Avoidance
The more you cave in to a craving, the weaker your resistance will be to that trigger food in the future. Rid your house of go-to junk foods such as ice cream, potato chips and cookies, and replace them with fresh fruits and vegetables. Also vary your routine, if necessary, to avoid passing by the tempting aroma of your favorite cookie shop or the comforting sight of your favorite restaurant.
Neutralizing Cravings
You won't be as likely to want to dig into fatty or sweet foods if you have recently brushed your teeth. Being minty fresh can temporarily negatively affect the flavor of enjoyable foods. Also, having a newly clean mouth may reduce your desire to dirty it with foods, according to registered dietitian Molly Gee in a Reader's Digest article. Chewing gum can also help because it temporarily staves off hunger sensations and the gum's sweetness can satiate your desire to eat something sweet. However, stick with sugarless gum to reduce your sugar intake. Similarly, you may be able to slow down a revved up appetite by drinking a glass of water as soon as you start feeling tempted.
Healthy Snacking
Since fiber helps you stay full longer, your appetite may get the best of you more often if you don't eat enough fiber-rich foods. Curb your appetite during meals by starting each meal with a nutritious salad or a cup of vegetarian chili. Also start your day on the right foot by eating oatmeal or whole-grain toast in the morning and snacking on foods such as grapes, berries, carrots, celery and whole-grain crackers between meals.
Deception
Eating from a large plate can cause you to eat more food than you need. Conversely, eating off a salad plate can help you cut calories by tricking your mind into thinking you're consuming more. Another way you may be able to ward off a sweet tooth after a meal without increasing your calorie intake is to take a whiff of a vanilla-scented product such as a candle or lotion, according to Psychology Today magazine. The positive association your body forms with this scent can fool you into feeling as though you have satisfied your craving.
Distraction
If you know you're not actually hungry and just having a craving, it should only last about 10 minutes, according to Dr. John Foreyt in a "Reader's Digest" article. Find a way to keep your mind occupied during these 10 minutes and you will be out of the woods until your next craving hits. Try an activity you know will fully immerse you, whether it is meditating, running an errand or talking on the phone to your best friend.
Exercise
According to a 2008 study in the "American Journal of Physiology," getting 60 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise helped regulate the release of two appetite hormones and reduced appetites in study participants. If you're trying to lose weight while curbing your appetite, an added bonus of getting in an hour of exercise a day is the extra calories you will burn in the process.
References
- "Psychology Today"; Smell Your Way Thin?; Rachel Herz, Ph.D.
- "American Journal of Physiology"; Influence of Resistance and Aerobic Exercise on Hunger, Circulating Levels of Acylated Ghrelin, and Peptide YY in Healthy Males; David Broom, et al.; Aug. 19, 2008
- Fit Day: Portion Control
- Reader's Digest: 10 Ways to Control Your Cravings
- "Time": The Science of Appetite
- "Chicago Tribune": Curb Your Appetite
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