Cravings can be caused by so many different sources that it’s almost impossible to offer a single solution that will work for everyone.

Where does the craving come from?

If it’s due to psychological causes, such as boredom or anxiety or habit, you may be able to fend it off just by changing activities.

If you notice that the craving is always linked to a certain activity (such as reading or watching television), try changing your routine — go for a walk, talk on the phone or just wait it out for 15 minutes. Very often you’ll find that the craving has lost a lot of its strength by the time the waiting period is up.

Some cravings for food are actually thirst in disguise. Since most of us walk around under-hydrated, half the time what we perceive as hunger is really thirst. You can test that by drinking a couple of glasses of water, preferably with a slice of lemon, waiting a few minutes and checking to see if you’re still hungry.

What do you crave?

Sugary foods: Craving mostly sugary foods could be linked to low levels of serotonin and endorphins. If this applies to you, a diet higher in protein and high-quality fats may help. Try eliminating refined flours, sugar and alcohol. These play havoc with your blood sugar and set you up for cravings, whereas protein, fat and fibre will tend to keep blood sugar levels more even and help keep cravings at bay.

Fatty foods: Your body may be telling you that you are low in essential fatty acids. Try eating more fish, or supplementing your diet with fish oil or flaxseed oil. If you choose the supplement route, make sure you are also taking a multiple vitamin or mineral high in antioxidants such as vitamins E and C and selenium.

When do you crave?

Have you ever noticed that foods that seem irresistible at night, such as birthday cake after dinner, don’t seem very appealing at eight in the morning? That to me seems like a good argument that it’s not the food itself that’s calling you, it’s your own fluctuations in blood sugar and insulin during the day that make you susceptible by the time evening comes around. How can you smooth out the blood-sugar roller coasters that feed the need for sweets later in the day? Once again, try a diet that’s higher in protein, good quality fats, vegetables and the occasional fruit and lower in processed, manufactured junk (commercial cereals, breads and pastas).

If you munch try to avoid eating carbohydrates by themselves; instead, mix them with some protein and fat, like an apple with a little cheese or some peanut butter. Nuts are also a great snack, but watch the quantity. Protein snacks are another option. Think of things like sliced turkey with tomatoes. Also most raw vegetables can satisfy your need to munch on something while doing absolutely no damage to your weight loss program.

Don’t Diet – Make Lifestyle Changes

Below are a few pointers about how to control your weight for life rather than just for that diet you are trying to stick to. Remember you need to think of this as a lifestyle change and not a diet.

Don’t eat more calories than you burn.To lose weight, eat fewer calories than you burn.

Think about what you eat. Is it going to make you look or feel the way you want? Will it bring you closer to your goal? Or, will it make you feel miserable, run down and take you further from what you want?

The saying “You are what you eat” is true. Before eating a food, ask yourself “Do I want to BE that?? Or do I really want to EAT that??

Eat smaller portion sizes. At home most of us still load our plate with the mindset of when we were younger and more active. This is one of the most difficult adjustments for a lot of people. You absolutely cannot eat the amount of food you would like, sorry.

If certain foods haunt you and you cannot eat them sensibly, consider giving them up.

Eat s l o w l y. This will give your body the opportunity to sense the food coming in and register fullness. When you are full, bad foods lose much of their appeal. Also don’t eat in front of the TV, you do not take in what you are eating or exactly how much you are eating.

Dessert is a habit, not a physiological need for survival. Habits can be broken. Just get out of the habit.

Just because you feel the desire to eat, does not mean you are in need of food. It is important that we understand the difference between hunger and appetite. Hunger is the true physiological need for nutrition. Appetite is a desire to eat and has nothing to do with need. Most people consume food based upon appetite – environmental and learned eating behaviors. Heard this one before? After eating a large meal you utter the words, “I need something sweet”. This is a conditioned response, possibly going back to the days of clean your plate and you can have dessert. Listen, I just saw what you ate. You don’t need anything.

Do not buy junk food. If it is there, it is too easy to eat it. (Refer back to think about what you eat.) Also, if you have a craving for junk and it is not there, then no harm done. Just sit back down and finish watching TV.

If you must order pizza, get thin crust (no cheese in the middle or other stuff like that), ask for “easy on the cheese”, steer clear of the pepperoni and sausage (try chicken, Canadian bacon, or ham), but feel free to pile on the veggies. Instead of ordering pizza, make one using the pre-made crusts available at stores. Use the thin crust, low-fat or non-fat cheeses, low-fat ham or turkey, and your other favorite toppings.

Know when you are going to eat. If you know that you will be eating every 4 hours, stick to that plan. Do not eat before or after, even if someone is trying to get you to or if food is available.

Eat sweets, biscuits, cakes, pies, doughnuts and ice cream in moderation, you don’t really need to eat them on a regular basis.

This is by no means an all-inclusive list, but I think you get the point. There is no secret to weight loss and control. In today’s society, it takes diligence and restraint. High calorie, palatable food is everywhere. The big problem is that few people move much during their day. This lowers the caloric requirements for maintenance. If fat loss is the goal, then calories must be below maintenance. This leaves little room for error or extravagance.

Ultimately it comes down to the dreaded “L” word. Lifestyle. If you want to eat whatever you want, then you have two choices:

1. Move a lot.
2. Gain weight and stop complaining and looking for places to lay the blame.