CRAVINGS: They’re a nightmare, aren’t they?
Here’s 4 ways to beat ’em…
We all crave the naughty stuff every now and again. Yes, myself included. But it’s whether you give in to or control these cravings that will eventually define whether you will get the body you want. There are a pile of reasons we crave foods, from habitual ‘cravings’ where we want something because we always eat/drink it (you know, that midmorning biscuit and coffee, or the sarnie on the drive home), to hormonal imbalance, where your body has kind of gotten things mixed up as a result of what’s previously gone on inside you. If we continually give into cravings, they won’t go away, and you won’t get the body you want.
That’s pretty simple. So how can you control these pain-in-the-arse cravings that seem to be plaguing your fat loss, fitness, and health mission? Well, below I’ve outlined 4 very simple things that you can do to crush these cravings and stop them inhibiting your efforts. So check ‘em out and crack on.
1) Keep hydrated
Often, people get food ‘cravings’ when, in actual fact, they’re just in need of hydration. You see, when your body needs water, your brain sends out messages telling you it needs some water. Sometimes though, these messages get misinterpreted as hunger, which means you end up eating food you don’t need and probably won’t burn off—and usually it’s not the good food either. So, often the first thing to do when you’re ‘craving’ foods is neck a glass (better still a pint) of water. Over the day, you should be looking for 1 litre of water per 50 lbs of body weight. So if you’re a 150-pound person, you need 3 litres a day minimum.
2) Brush your teeth
This is always a winner. Not sure if there is actually any science behind this, but it works. Have you ever eaten straight after brushing? Doesn’t taste too great does it. Brushing your teeth or even swilling around some mouthwash will pretty rapidly get rid of these cravings. Not only that, but it’ll leave you minty fresh. If you’ve got a sweet tooth like me and are trying to stop hitting the desserts in the evening, as soon as you’ve eaten your main course, pop to the bathroom, swill around some Aquafresh, and spit it out, then you’re good to go. If I’m out for dinner or grabbing something on the run, I’ll often hit some gum straight after eating, as this will have a similar impact and kill my sugar cravings.
3) Get your 8 hours every night
If you find energy levels lagging during the day due to lack of sleep, you probably find you need a ‘pick me up’, so end up tossing some pennies in the vending machine, popping to the shop for a sarnie, or loading up on Lucozade. If you get plenty of sleep (and your nutrition is good, of course), however, you’ll find your energy levels are higher, and you won’t feel the need for these fixes. Plus, if you’re sleeping, you aren’t eating! If you’re typically a late-night binger, get yourself to bed half an hour earlier, read a little, then get your head down.
4) Eat plenty of fibre, fat and protein
Yup. Fibre will help keep you feeling fuller for longer by slowing down the absorption of sugar within your body, so make sure you oad up on fibrous foods during the day. Foods like veggies, fruits, wholegrain rice, etc are all fiber-rich, so get ‘em down. Fats and proteins are going to help you make sure you remain satisfied too. If you’re not hungry, you won’t need to eat. So ensure your diet is loaded with proteins and healthy fats, such as poultry, beef, eggs, coconut oil, oily fish, etc.
So that’s it—4 super simple ways YOU can kill cravings from now on.
Andy Sloan PS: Here’s a Free Week Training With Me
