How to get your cravings under control

At 10 am it’s chocolate, by noon it’s fries, at 3 pm you can’t live without that Coke, and by 9 pm you’re spoon-deep in a tub of ice cream. Sound too familiar? If you feel like you’re constantly craving one food or another, it’s very likely that you’re simply not eating properly.

First, you may just be hungry. Do you get enough calories from protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates? Do you eat at regular intervals? When you’re hungry you’re more likely to crave high-calorie, high-fat foods. Cravings are also often related to dips in blood sugar levels, which happen when you don’t eat regularly enough. If you experience a dip in blood sugar, you’re likely to look for a quick fix in the form of chocolate or other candy.

Eating regular, well-balanced meals, with plenty of low-fat protein (eggs, fish, lean meat, legumes) will ensure that your blood sugar levels are stable and that you are getting the calories you require throughout the day. This can make a huge difference in getting your cravings under control.
Smart snacking on fruit, nuts, seeds (pumpkin, sunflower etc.) chopped vegetables, homemade soup, yogurt or low-fat cheese will also help you prevent a mid-afternoon blood-sugar slump and the cravings that accompany it.

Kin mind that lack of certain nutrients can lead to cravings. For example, lack of protein may cause you to crave ice cream, lack of carbohydrates may cause you to crave fries. The same goes for micronutrients – chocolate contains zinc and magnesium, so your afternoon Hershey’s bar may simply be satisfying a physiological need for more broccoli. Although, if you’re craving chocolate sometimes no other food will hit the spot – there’s a reason Hershey’s doesn’t make a Broccoli Bar!

When people want to lose weight or change their eating habits, they often deem certain foods “forbidden”. This may seem noble, but in reality it’s just a set-up for cravings. Saying “I’m never going to eat any chocolate at all” is a sure-fire way to end up craving it a week later. It’s better to have the occasional, planned treat than to deny yourself a food altogether. Restricting a certain food group, such as carbohydrates, also pretty much guarantees a craving. For example, if you eliminate bread from your diet for an extended period of time, it's bread that you’re most likely to crave.
Staying interested in what you’re eating is key to preventing cravings. A monotonous, boring diet in which you only eat certain foods will inevitably lead to cravings.

The problem with many cravings is that they get out of control when you don’t satisfy them initially. For that reason, it’s best not to eat "around" the food you are craving. If you really feel like having a piece of candy, have it. Don't try to substitute it with a range of other foods if you think you'll end up eating the candy anyway. If you obsessively avoid the food you’re craving, you’re also far more likely to binge on it eventually than you would if you have a small amount when you first crave it. But be warned, this advice can be dangerous if you ignore the “a little” part. If you know you can’t stop at a little, it’s best not to start at all.
If you are facing a craving that a small portion won't fix, try putting the 'Four Ds' into practice.

• Delay for a few minutes and the urge will pass
• Drink water
• Deep breathe
• Do something else to take your mind off eating

Everybody experiences cravings now and then, whether for physical, emotional or any other reasons. It’s nothing to stress about and nothing to feel guilty over. The most important thing to remember when dealing with cravings is not to let them get out of control – learn to recognize what’s going on with your cravings at a physical and an emotional level, and try to prevent the craving if you can. If you can’t prevent it, remember that sometimes satisfying your craving a little, before you go craving mad, is the best way to respond.