No matter how hard we try or how dedicated our intentions may be to stick to a diet, no one is perfect. We all struggle with food temptations. Being aware of this and arming yourself with some nutritional diet, health, and food knowledge can mean less chance of giving in to cravings and making wiser decisions.
Almost everyone struggles with cravings while on a diet. Most cravings happen at a certain time of day, such as right before bedtime. Bedtime cravings may be hard to not give into because you may be at the end of a long tiring day and just do not have the will power that you may have had earlier in the morning. Stress as well as fatigue make it harder to say no.
The problem with giving into a craving is that many times, it leads to a severe overindulgence and that small bedtime snack you decided to have turns into emptying the cookie jar or finishing off a bag of chips
Cravings are very rarely caused by a nutritional need or lack of balanced nutrients. In most cases they are emotionally triggered or just a desire for a certain food because of taste. The emotionally complexities of cravings are complicated and vary from one individual to another, but there are some ways to combat them or at least not to give in to them as often.
First of all, try not to keep snacks and unhealthy food available. Obviously if you can't get to it, you can't eat it. This may not be an option if you live with someone who insists on having snacks in the house such as a spouse or another family member. If you are tired, you a much less likely to indulge if you have to go to the store or drive somewhere to get a snack than if you have the snack available in your own home.
If you must or insist or keeping snacks, buy snacks that come in small packages and eat just one package. You are less likely to eat as much as you would if you were eating from a large bag. Also, try to think if there is some lower calorie or fat version of whatever you are craving. If you want something salty or crunchy, do you have anything else that will satisfy that craving other than chips?
Try to figure out what emotions trigger your cravings. Do you just need comfort and food gives you that? Once you have identified what it is you need emotionally, try to find some other way to fill that need. Maybe a nice bubble bath and some great smelling aromatherapy lotion would make you feel comforted and happy.
Make sure that you are not skipping meals during the day because that means that by the end of the day, you are starving plus you are tired which is a very bad combination for someone trying to resist cravings. Eat 5-6 small low calorie meals a day to keep from being hungry.
If you do occasionally give in to a craving, don't beat yourself up and don't let it side track you from your goal. Realize that we all make mistakes and resolve to make less of them. When you do give in, try to think moderation.
Interesting article on the subject here
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