You are sitting in your office as the clock strikes 3. You had lunch, but still have that uncontrollable pang of hunger, which you just cannot resist.
You reach for your bag to take out that packet of chips and start munching away. Except for annoying your co-workers with that irritating munching sound, you are also hurting yourself. You are in dire need of tips to prevent food cravings.
These untimely cravings for food are one of the major reasons for weight gain among people. Like Rachel’s sister once told Joey on Friends: “A minute on the lips, forever on the hips!”
The latest statistics suggest that snacks comprise about 25% of regular food intake which averages around 600 calories a day. 600 calories every day means 18,000 calories in a month.
Now if you are going to consume an extra 18,000 calories a month, how do you expect to stay fit and live long that too without any kind of exercise?
Here are a Few Tips to Prevent Food Cravings
1. Killing the Temptation
If you couldn’t stop yourself from buying that box of pies, you have to make amends! Like the mafia would say, it needs to be taken care of.
You have to destroy that box of chocolate! Not just run water over it or throw it far away but destroy it!!! The sense of accomplishment you feel after the destruction of that box is unmatchable!
2. Stop stressing out
One of the best tips to prevent food cravings is to take a chill pill. Stress is a major reason for those pangs of hunger. If you can learn to deal with stress, you might just end up saving yourself from gaining those unnecessary pounds through trans-fat.
One technique can be to close your eyes and take deep breaths and relax yourself. You could try thinking of a happy place or a happy memory, whatever floats your boat.
3. Brush your way out of it
This is one of the more handy tips to prevent food cravings. Gargle using a mouthwash or brush your teeth. You wouldn’t want to mess up your minty fresh breath, which might give you enough reason and strength to get over the desire to eat unhealthy and fattening foods.
4. Stay Strong with caffeine
Instead of reaching for that bar of candy, go for a latte or cappuccino with skimmed milk. The caffeine is not going to gratify your cravings, but it will definitely help you avoid consuming those unwanted calories by suppressing your appetite.
The warmth is helpful in distracting you from your need to gratify that untimely hunger pang.
5. Nutty Delight
Another one of the tips to prevent food cravings is to eat an ounce of nuts (12 almonds, 6 walnuts or 20 peanuts) with two glasses of water. After 20 minutes pass, the chemistry of your body will change and the craving for food will entirely extinguish.
6. Try avoiding the trigger
You will crave what you like to eat. So to get rid of the problem by changing what you eat altogether. This is going to be helpful in weakening your previous cravings and enhancing the new ones.
This does not take long and can be achieved in as less as five days. For example, when you get hunger pangs, eat an apple instead of cookies. Slowly, you will start craving apple instead of cookies, which is actually healthy food and beneficial for your health.
7. Power naps to the rescue
The more tired you are, the hungrier you will feel. So whenever you are fatigued, take a 20-30 minutes long power nap. Except for killing your hunger, you will feel fresh and rejuvenated making it one of the best tips to prevent food cravings.
8. Fine! Indulge yourself, but in limits
You try hard to control your hunger pangs, so sometimes, it’s ok to let go and enjoy that sweet, creamy ice-cream. However, make sure you get a small cone and not the large one.
If you want to get a pack of cookies, buy only one so that you are able to control the temptation of eating more. Also, the day you do indulge in these sugary delights, make a deal with yourself to go for a brisk 15 minute walk.
At the End
These tips to prevent food cravings should help you get over your weakness. Obesity is the main cause of diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, infertility, ulcers, gallstones and many more diseases.
Giving into these unwanted hunger pangs is like signing your own death warrant! If your aim is to have a long, happy, disease-free life, quit munching those trans-fat laden snacks!
