It’s a constant battle for most of us. We want to eat right to be healthy and maintain a weight that makes us look and feel good, but sometimes that cheesy pasta dish just shouts louder than the healthy salad. Or you have the late-night munchies and the chips are calling out to you in a way the apple never does. So you cave and then you feel bad, vowing not to be pulled in again, only to feel bad the next time you give in to a not-so-healthy food craving. And on it goes…
It’s important to make good food choices, but it’s also important not to feel deprived. The trick is to find a balance and make room for not such great options some of the time. Here are some ways to take control of your food cravings:
Have healthy choices readily available
Have bags of cut up veggies and baby carrots in stock at all times so you’ll be able to grab them easily when you’re too hungry to work on preparing a healthy snack. Make healthy dips like hummus and guacamole regulars in your refrigerator and you’ll always be prepared!
Snack between meals
Yes, you read right! You know how it is when you feel like you’re starving- you want to eat everything! Eating every three hours will keep your blood sugar steady and prevent that starving feeling that will sabotage your self-control.
Choose healthy alternatives
Who doesn’t love popcorn? It’s much lower in fat and calories than potato chips and it even has fiber, which is good for you! And while nuts do have a lot of fat, it’s the good fat plus lots of other stuff that’s good for you, making nuts a healthy crunchy snack. And when you’re craving sweet, there’s nothing like a banana.
Visualize yourself resisting
Okay, I realize this sounds a little hokey, but the truth is that your mind is an incredibly strong tool and you actually have more willpower than you think you do. Picture yourself fitting into those skinny jeans, or feeling proud of yourself for taking control, and that piece of cake might not look as good as it did at first. And sometimes, the only thing to do is to actually…
Indulge that craving
If you feel deprived you’ll feel discouraged, and no one wants to know that there will never be any more cake or chocolate, or pasta, or whatever it is that does it for you. So it’s important to give in sometimes if you’re smart about it. Here’s how to do that: plan for it, exercise portion control, and make sure you enjoy every bite!