How to Fight Cravings

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1Fighting Cravings for Sugar

2Fighting Cravings for Snacks

3Fighting Cravings for Meat

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Article Summary

A craving is when you have a strong desire to do something, such as eating something that tastes really good. But sometimes you may be having too much of a good thing. Using some simple tactics, you can find a way to overcome your cravings to eat something that you should not eat.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Fighting Cravings for Sugar

1. 
   1
   Identify the source of your craving. People get cravings for different reasons and at different times. Some people crave sugar when they see a sugary drink. Others crave sugar at night. Still others get cravings for sugar when they have not eaten enough. Once you figure out the source of your craving, you will be better able to fight it off.
   EXPERT TIP

   

   Claudia Carberry, RD, MS

   Registered Dietitian

   Claudia Carberry is a Registered Dietitian specializing in kidney transplants and counseling patients for weight loss at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She is a member of the Arkansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Claudia received her MS in Nutrition from the University of Tennessee Knoxville in 2010.

   

   Claudia Carberry, RD, MS
   Registered Dietitian

   Claudia Carberry, a Registered Dietitian, advises: "No one knows for sure what causes cravings. A lot of cravings seem to be habits that people have developed over time. So, changing your habits and routine can help combat cravings."
2. 
   2
   Throw out sugary foods. If you find that every time you open the kitchen cupboards and see chocolate, you begin to crave it, just throw it out. Removing the presence of sugary foods from your life may be enough to crush your craving.
3. 
   3
   Supplement your craving. Sometimes, giving your body something it needs when it asks for something it wants is enough to make a craving go away. Every time you start to crave sugary treats, try eating a piece of fruit instead. Fruit has natural sugars that are far healthier than the sugars found in chocolate and candy. So try eating an apple, orange or strawberries instead of a candy bar.
4. 
   4
   Adjust your timing. If you find that you crave sugary snacks on a nightly basis, try eating dinner a little bit later in the evening. If you are still full from your meal when a craving hits at night, you may be better able to fight it off.
5. 
   5
   Adjust your habits. Cravings can become a part of daily activities. Many people find that their craving for sugary snacks hit its peak when they are unwinding at night. If you find that watching T.V. on a nightly basis increases your craving for sugary foods, then replace your television time with a short, but brisk, workout or walk. Your body will thank you for it.

   • Sometimes a small portion of the food you’re craving can meet your need without derailing healthy eating habits. Rather than eating a whole candy bar when you crave chocolate, try addressing your craving with 2 or 3 chocolate chips.
6. 
   6
   Chew gum. When you really want something sugary to eat, try chewing a piece of gum. Make sure it is sugarless and calorie-free. This should satisfy your craving for something sweet without all the negative health side-effects associated with eating sugary snacks.
7. 
   7
   Try Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). To do these, simply tap on emotional acupressure points while repeating a mantra about not wanting sugar. There are many tutorials online that can help you locate the points most relevant to you. This may help shift any mental or physical attractions to those sugary snacks.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Fighting Cravings for Snacks

1. 
   1
   Replace unhealthy snacks with healthy snacks. Some people snack on junk food too much. Snack foods can be high in unhealthy fats and carbohydrates. However, this problem can be solved by replacing junk foods with healthy snacks. Each time you start to crave a bag of chips, eat vegetables, low-fat yogurt or mixed nuts instead. This won’t solve the problem of over-snacking, but could really help your overall health by cutting out the unhealthy foods often associated with snacking.

   • If your craving is for a healthy food, embrace it! Certain foods are both nutritious and satisfying.
2. 
   2
   Eat adequate meals. Your craving for snacks may be the result of not eating enough at meal times. Try eating meals with larger portions of vegetables and other high-fiber foods to keep you feeling full longer. Making sure you get enough of the recommended food groups at meal time just might make the snack cravings go away.
3. 
   3
   Take a hot shower. When the craving for junky snack foods hits, try taking a really hot shower. Make sure the water is hot enough to be slightly uncomfortable, but not hot enough to burn your skin. Stand under the hot water for 5 to 10 minutes. When you get out of the shower, you should find yourself feeling a little hazy, but you may no longer be craving that junk food.
4. 
   4
   Eat at different times. If there is a particular time of day when your snack craving hits, you may be able to fix this by adjusting the time at which you eat your meals. If the craving hits in the mid-morning, try moving breakfast forward by an hour or lunch back by an hour. If it hits at night, eat dinner later in the evening. You want to eliminate any signals your body may be sending to your brain, telling it that it is hungry between meal times.
5. 
   5
   Drink water. Any time the snack craving hits you, try drinking a glass of water instead. It may suppress your appetite. Also, people rarely stay adequately hydrated, so you will be helping your overall health as well.
6. 
   6
   Distract yourself. Many of our cravings are purely psychological. With this being the case, simply take your mind off snacking for a while by engaging it in something else. Read a book, do a crossword puzzle, or tend to some overlooked work around the house.
7. 
   7
   Set a fixed snack schedule. People have different metabolisms and their bodies need energy at different times throughout the day. Try setting a fixed snack schedule where you allow yourself one or two snacks a day, at strategically set times throughout the day. If you build snacking into your daily schedule, you may find that your appetite for snacks has been sufficiently fulfilled.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Fighting Cravings for Meat

1. 
   1
   Be patient. Newly converted vegans and vegetarians often find that their craving for meat is strongest when they first switch to their new, animal-free diet. If you can steel your resolve and get through the first few weeks, the cravings should go away on their own, provided you are getting the proper nutrients from your new diet.
2. 
   2
   Throw meats away. Why are you still keeping that steak or pork in your refrigerator? If you are serious about committing to a no-meat diet, then you should remove all temptations until you are confidently and comfortably set in your vegetarian lifestyle.

   • Consider donating meat you do not need to a food pantry or soup kitchen in need.
3. 
   3
   Get more iron. Vegetarians who have meat cravings may not be getting enough iron. The cravings are often your body’s way of telling your brain that you are missing something from your diet. If you don’t eat meat, that something is likely iron. Try taking some iron supplements and see if your craving for meat goes away.
4. 
   4
   Eat some fake meat. Maybe you just miss the taste of meat. That’s okay too. There are a number of soy-based products out there, designed to simulate the flavor and texture of real meat. Try eating a veggie burger or some tofu-bacon to simulate the taste of meat without actually eating meat.
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Expert Q&A

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• Question

  How do I stop cravings?

  

  Claudia Carberry, RD, MS
  Registered Dietitian

  Claudia Carberry is a Registered Dietitian specializing in kidney transplants and counseling patients for weight loss at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She is a member of the Arkansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Claudia received her MS in Nutrition from the University of Tennessee Knoxville in 2010.

  

  Claudia Carberry, RD, MS

  Registered Dietitian

  Expert Answer

  This article is for you! Make sure you are eating adequate meals and a diet high in vegetables and fruit. This will help alleviate some of your cravings.

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