Tips to Help Control Food Cravings

Food cravings can be triggered by various things including low blood sugar, stress, and other emotional triggers. The best way to take control is to understand how to balance your meals and snacks to avoid the traps that trigger food cravings.

1. Do not skip meals. Eat three meals a day and include snacks when needed. Try not to let more than 5 hours go between meals and snacks. This will help keep your blood sugar stable and avoid getting to the place where you are extremely hungry. Low blood sugar and extreme hunger can be a dangerous combination and almost always leads to overeating. Plan ahead and keep healthy snacks around.

2. Include protein, fat, and carbohydrate at each meal and snack if possible. Instead of bringing an apple for a snack, try having half an apple with some peanut butter or a slice of cheese. This will help keep your blood sugar more level throughout the day.

3. Keep food records. Food records are invaluable to help identify your eating patterns. For example, you may experience sugar cravings every afternoon at 3 p.m. This could mean that you need to eat an appropriate snack at this time or it could mean that what you had for lunch may not have been the right choice. It also could indicate a high stress time for you where a quick break might be in order.

4. Avoid very low calorie diets. Eating less than 1200 calories a day will likely lead to food cravings because it is basically a starvation diet. There are few people who need to be on this low of a calorie level and studies show people who go on very low calorie diets have increased food cravings and can become preoccupied with food. If you are unsure what calorie level is right for you, contact a Registered Dietitian in your area by going to www.eatright.org/cgi/findanrd3.cgi or get a metabolism measurement. Go to www.healthetech.com to find out who can run a metabolism measurement for you in your area.

5. Include whole grain carbohydrate sources with each meal. The fiber content of these foods helps to keep blood sugar levels stable to avoid any blood sugar drops which can lead to food cravings. Look for

3 grams fiber or more per serving on the nutrition label.

6. Clean up your environment! Avoid keeping trigger foods in your house or office if possible. It will be hard to choose healthy snacks when a bag of chips and a package of cookies linger on your shelf. The less temptation you have, the better.

7. Don't be too rigid! Enjoy your favorite desserts and snacks once in a while. If you completely eliminate them, you will become focused on these foods and end up eating too much. Enjoy your favorite treats once in awhile.

Once you have the craving:

If you really crave a food (i.e. chocolate), you have two choices:

1. Allow yourself a small portion when you feel the craving (i.e. 2 Hershey kisses a day) or find a substitute (i.e. Swiss Miss sugar free hot chocolate or Chai tea).

2. Try to wait 15 minutes before giving in to a craving. Try to engage in another activity such as journaling, or taking a walk. Sometimes even a 5 minute distraction can help ward off the cravings.

If you do give into a craving and eat more than you would have liked, do not beat yourself up. Try to learn from the craving. What could you have done differently to have prevented the craving? Then- Let it go! We are all human. Guilt will only make things worse and we have to allow ourselves learning curves.

© Meri Raffetto, 2005

About the Author

Owner of Real Living Nutrition Services, Meri Raffetto is a Registered Dietitian and a recognized professional in the area of nutrition and wellness. She has developed online weight management programs that focus on a healthy, non-diet approach to weight loss. For more information or to sign up for our free newsletter, visit http://www.reallivingnutrition.com.

---

Diet Preparaton -- The Impact of Sleep and Stress

When you have started a diet in the past, how... Read More

The Tao of Weight Watchers Part One

Weight Watchers inspired me to change my eating habits, lose... Read More

Five Really Tough Dieting Tips

If you are losing, trying to lose, or think you... Read More

Fast Weight Loss for Special Occasions

Losing weight quickly is not advisable as most of the... Read More

Body Composition And Weight Loss: They Are Related!

The world today has more obese and overweight people than... Read More

Remembering The Titanic: Top Ten Weight Loss Mistakes Others Make But We Can Avoid

Patrick Henry once said, "I have but one lamp by... Read More

Secrets Of Weight Loss

One thing's for sure, in this day & age, if... Read More

Child Obesity ? Who is to Blame?

As we look around at the current generation of children,... Read More

Breaking Research: Whats a Dieter To Do?

Every day, it seems, a new study pertaining to weight... Read More

The Practical Way to Lose Fat

Today's society is about speed. We no longer have to... Read More

After WLS Patients Must Give-up Coffee, Tea, Soda and Alcohol to Sustain Weight Loss

Dieters are often told ? drink water. Drink a minimum... Read More

7 Ways to Stop Nighttime Snacking in Front of the TV

Stop Being Influenced by Food Ads on TVThere is much... Read More

What Every Woman Needs!

As a woman, your body is very complex. Throughout every... Read More

Hollywood Weight Loss Secrets ? Five Things to Avoid!

As an employee of famous fitness star Kathy Smith, personal... Read More

Fast Weight Loss - 7 Day Diet Program for Quick Weight Loss

Do you have a big event coming up? Perhaps you... Read More

America Health Watch

America loves fast food. Last year, consumers spent billions of... Read More

3 Guilt Free Fat Burning Food After Dinner Snacks

Want an after dinner snack? Jealously watching your family consume... Read More

Go for Scientific Weight Loss

Considering the US Center for Disease Control's advice is a... Read More

Eating Food Just to Be Rid of It

What to Do with the Leftovers?Okay, tell me if you've... Read More

Is Body Mass Index or BMI a Real Measure of Obesity or is It Flawed?

Body Mass Index (bmi) A Misleading measure of ObesityMany professionals... Read More

Best Diet Type -- Losing Weight for Your Wedding

Choosing the right diet type is the most important decision... Read More

LapBand Surgery. The Rules of the Road...Part 1

When you begin the decision making process to have Weight... Read More

Quick Weight Loss Secrets

The Secrets have been in our family recipes, some even... Read More

Weight Loss Options -- Infrared Radiant Heat Saunas (IR Saunas)

Infrared Radiant Heat (IRRH) is a form of radiation that... Read More

Confessions From A Fat Doctor

I never intended to get fat! I am not exactly... Read More

Weight Loss with NO Dieting! The Five Mindsets for Success

Any dietary plan on the market has some portion of... Read More

Move, Move, Move for Greater Weight Loss

The loss of fat comes from fat cells all over... Read More

The Truth About Dieting And Weight Loss

You may not like what I'm about to say, but... Read More

Ultimate Weight Loss: Fight Fat and Win

As if you needed another reason to hit the snooze... Read More

Atkins Diet Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) Carbohydrate Ladder

The Atkins low-carb diet consists of four phases: Induction, Ongoing... Read More

Diet Tips for Weight Loss: Free Diet Tips Which You Cant Afford to Miss!

Obesity is a disease that is not caused by a... Read More

Loose 10 Pounds by Drinking Water?

Drink plenty of water. Our body needs a lot of... Read More

Gastric Bypass ? The Nightmare for Food Lovers

While the gastric bypass may seem like the perfect solution... Read More