Cravings are no fun, but we all get hit
with the occasional (or sometimes, more than occasional) urge to scarf down a
sweet treat ASAP. Of course, giving in to temptation once in a while is
perfectly fine. But when dreams of fudge brownies or apple pie a la mode invade
your brain on a constant basis, they can mess with your weight loss goals.
The good news is that even though cravings can be tough, experts agree
that they rarely last more than half an hour. So if you can find a way to get
those goodies off your mind for just a little while, you should be able to
escape the siren call of the cookies altogether. Here are 7 tactics that can
help.
Go for a walk.
It's no
secret that cravings are more likely to hit when you're tired or stressed. But
exercise can boost your energy levels and mood, quelling the urge to eat. And a
short stroll might be all it takes to reap the benefits. When study
participants were placed in stressful situations, those who walked for 15
minutes were less likely to crave chocolate compared to those who stayed
sedentary, found one Austrian study of overweight adults.
Take a few deep breaths.
Next time
the urge to stress eat strikes, try a simple yogic breathing technique. Inhale
deeply for four counts, hold your breath for seven counts, and exhale for eight
counts, then repeat for four cycles. The exercise gives you a minute to pause
and regroup, as well as turn off your body's fight or flight response so
you feel less stressed, says meditation teacher and massage therapist Kathleen
Lisson, CMT, CLT. Once you're calm, eating a chocolate bar might not feel like
the most important thing in the world.
Have a clean snack.
Craving
cookies or candy isn't always the result of boredom or stress. If it's been
more than a few hours since your last meal, your blood sugar might be
starting to dip, says University of Delaware clinical instructor of nutrition
and registered dietician nutritionist Sharon Collison. Bring it back up with a
combo of complex carbs and protein—like an apple with ¼ cup nuts, or a pear and
a piece of string cheese. Once you've refueled your tank with good-for-you
stuff, you might find that your sugar hankering has all but disappeared.
Guzzle water.
Grab a glass
and start sipping, pronto. "Anytime I crave sweets or carbs, I drink
two—yes, two—full, 8 oz glasses of water," says chiropractor Rubina Tahir,
DC. It's not unusual to confuse hunger with thirst. Plus, all that water in
your belly will literally fill you up, leaving you less interested in that tray
of doughnuts.
Touch your ear.
It might
sound surprising, but certain acupressure points on the ear are thought to
suppress appetite and help quell the urge to snack. Try gently pressing the
Shen Men or "Hunger Point" for a full minute, and your craving should
pass, says Debra Gerson, LAc, Dipl OM, FABORM, founder of Botanica Wellness
Sanctuary.
Grab your phone.
Even if you
consider yourself a multitasking superstar, your brain can only juggle so much
stuff at once. Which might be why one British study found that
playing a videogame like Tetris for just 3 minutes can slash cravings by up to
70%. So go ahead and give yourself permission to play Candy Crush. Not a gamer? Try texting a friend or watching
a funny video instead. If it takes your mind off of food, it'll probably help.
Tell yourself you’ll save it for
later.
When all
else fails and that brownie or cookie won’t get out of your head, give yourself
permission to indulge, later. When healthy eating and lifestyle
blogger Dee Nand gets hit with a craving, she tells herself that she
can have the cookie or brownie at the end of the day. Waiting allows her to
enjoy it that much more—and encourages her to keep making good choices
throughout the day.
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