Food Triggers and Cravings: How to Cope Part One
Food Triggers and Cravings: How to Cope Part One
Welcome once again to this Health and Fitness blog. Here is another fascinating snippet of health related news for you to read all about:
“To diet is to “no” thyself”* Hmm… Diets are tricky whether you are wanting to lose weight or simply maintain. All too often it can seem like a never ending struggle with self control. However, more than half the battle is “knowing” yourself rather than simply saying “no”. As you learn more about when you overeat, you can put strategies in place to cope better with food triggers and cravings. Better yet, you can revamp your diet and lifestyle such that the need to say no becomes rare.
What's your passion? If you need a distraction from food spend time doing SOMETHING related to your passion!
In part one I’ll cover some of the things you can do to understand your situation better. I’ll also touch on some tips to manage the food triggers and cravings you encounter with your current diet. In the next article I’ll cover how you might improve your diet and lifestyle to avoid the need for having quite so many coping strategies. It is possible to maximize your satisfaction with the food you eat and still have a low calorie and nutritious diet. Believe it or not healthy eating can be enjoyable.
Know Yourself
The single best way to identify and better understand your food triggers and cravings is to keep a food diary. You can keep it simple but like it or not getting a handle on when you overeat and what causes you to overeat is priceless. Keep a record of the sights, sounds, and smells that trigger you to overeat or bring on a craving. Track when you eat, where, and how much. Look for and record all situations that lead you to overeat.
For example, do you enjoy eating chips, crackers, popcorn, or other snack food while watching TV? If you enjoy eating a little something every so often that’s fine. On the other hand, if you do this on a regular basis it’s a habit that could be problematic. Worse yet, if you find yourself getting something to eat as a result of simply turning on the TV, that’s a food trigger.
Something I’ve learned is that I cannot have potato chips in my house. My husband knows this but he does most of the grocery shopping. And he likes to buy me chips on occasion because he knows how much I love them. I know he means well but it’s a problem. Potato chips are a HUGE food trigger for me! It doesn’t matter if they are out of reach, out of sight, or hidden. If there are potato chips in my house and a moment of weakness hits, I WILL find the chips!
Another way food diaries might help is to have a place to write about your feelings when you have the urge to eat more than you need. Expressing your emotions on paper can help lessen the urge.
Like it or not keeping a food diary can mean the difference between succeeding with weight loss or not. People who keep food diaries for weight loss have been shown to lose more weight and be more likely to keep it off. Knowing yourself and accepting what works and what doesn’t matters!
As you gain more knowledge about your eating habits you can begin to lessen impact of food triggers and possibly reduce the occurrence of cravings. (Read my previous article to learn more about food cravings and what they mean.)
The Value of Distraction and Emotional Release
Distraction can be just as effective for adults as it is for children or pets! The key is to be prepared in advance.
Let’s say you have a meal plan that provides you with an “appropriate number of calories” each day. What do you do when it’s NOT TIME for a planned meal or snack and you have an urge to eat? There are three things to keep in mind.
1. Start out by asking yourself if you would be willing to eat a carrot, apple, or something else nutritious and low calorie that may not be a favorite. Some people call this the carrot or apple test because these two foods are more likely to sound appealing if you are actually hungry.
If you say no to the carrot, apple, or other less than exciting nutritious food, then chances are good you are not actually hungry. This may help you distinguish if you NEED to eat but it won’t take the desire away. If you are actually hungry and it’s not time for a planned meal or snack, I would suggest you eat a small amount of something filling and satisfying such as a few nuts, some lean deli slices of turkey, or a small wedge of cheese. These are good sources of protein that might take the edge off your hunger and keep you feeling more satisfied till your next meal or snack.
2. If you are not genuinely hungry it’s time to distract yourself. One coach I read about encourages her clients to create lists of favorite music to listen to whenever confronting a persistent craving. Songs can provide an emotional release in addition to a distraction.
The list of possible distraction ideas are endless. You simply need to make up a short list of the ideas that might be most helpful for you. Keep your list handy for when your perceived hunger is preventing you from thinking clearly. You could play with your pet, enjoy comedy, take a relaxing bath, read a good book or magazine, get in touch with your friends on facebook, call someone up, find something to be passionate about, take a walk, etc.
For an excellent list of potential food triggers and strategies for handling the triggers you’ll want to read an article written by Dr. Michelle May on coping.
3. Third, know that a food craving will generally begin to subside in intensity and simply go away if you give yourself a chance. With a bit of distance and enough time away from the food calling your name, it is possible to overcome a craving.
[NOTE: If you don't know how many calories you need while on a diet or otherwise there's a way for you to figure this out with a fair degree of accuracy. As much as 90 percent or more of the American population cannot accurately estimate their needs. International Food Information Council Foundation, 2011] Be careful of the assessment tools you use online. Most are inaccurate.]
*Thanks to Daniel Wurona for the diet humor.
The tips I’ve shared today can help you cope better with the food triggers and cravings you experience with your current diet. In the next article I will cover how making improvements to your diet and lifestyle will go a long way in minimizing your coping struggles.
Till next time, watch those calories and eat healthy food!
You may be able to get the full story by clicking here:
Women and Weight Website
Also, check out this great weight loss and health site for more ways to lose weight and stay healthy.
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