How to handle food cravings!
So you want to know how to handle food cravings?!
Here’s a hint…
It’s not that you need more will power and discipline.
Food cravings come down to psychology and how habits are formed in the brain.
Habits are formed in the hind part of your brain, which can’t differentiate between what’s a “good” habit and a “bad” habit. This part of the brain only knows what’s hard-wired as a habit for you.
So, when it’s triggered and you experience a craving… maybe when you get home from work or after finishing a large dinner… That’s your hind brain sending you an “urge,” or a signal to indulge in the craving.
Every time you satisfy that urge, you strengthen the association with the trigger, which will tell your brain to send you that urge again the next day.
Every time you deny or ignore the urge to indulge, you weaken the association and start the process of breaking the habit.
The FIRST thing to do when you have a craving, is recognize that it’s JUST a habit! You have to recognize your food cravings and identify them as a habit that’s programmed, rather than a biological need for survival.
The next step is trying these tricks…
- PAY ATTENTION! When do you get food cravings? What do you crave? How do you feel?
- DELAY! When you get a craving, delay acting on it for 15-20 minutes.
- DISTRACT! Distract yourself by calling a friend or folding laundry.
- REPLACE! Replace the food you’re craving with a healthier option or a physical activity.
Step by step, you can start to deny the urge to indulge. The best part is, you get to be in control of teaching your hind brain that you don’t need a sugary treat every day in order to survive!
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