How many times has this happened to you? After a great start at eating healthy in an attempt to lose weight, the cookies begin to call you from the cupboard. Pretty soon, half the box is gone, along with your latest attempts at weight management.
Many people think that the only way to lose weight and keep it off is by eliminating high-fat, high-calorie foods entirely. Many weight control programs today call these foods “addictive” and recommend giving them up forever. While you think giving up such foods may help you gain better control over your eating, the truth is you’re actually giving up control. Your craving for the foods you love will remain and may even become stronger. To adopt a healthy eating plan that includes the foods you crave, try these tips:
Eat at least three well-balanced meals a day. Even if you’re trying to lose weight, don’t skip meals. You’ll only be hungrier for the next one, and cravings between meals can become overwhelming.
Give up guilt. Believing you have cheated on your diet and completely ruined your chances of succeeding produces guilt and feelings of failure. Give yourself permission to eat favorite foods in moderation and without guilt.
Accept food cravings as a normal part of living in a food-oriented society. Almost everyone experiences food cravings, regardless of whether they struggle with their weight. The more you understand your cravings, the better you can manage them. While you cannot control the fact that cravings occur, you can control your reaction.
Think “management” instead of “control.” “Control” implies an adversarial relationship with food; it’s generally a constant struggle to maintain control. “Management” is much easier. When we manage something, we work with it to achieve our desired results.
Look at cravings as suggestions to eat, not commands to overindulge. Overeating does not have to be an automatic response to a craving. When a craving begins, determine how you want to deal with it. It is truly up to you.
Believe that cravings will pass. A craving is similar to a wave in the ocean. It grows in intensity, peaks, and then subsides if you do not give in. Picture yourself as a surfer who is trying to ‘ride the wave,’ instead of being wiped out by it. The more you practice riding the wave, the easier it will become.
Disarm your cravings with the five D’s.
• Delay at least 10 minutes before you eat so that your action is conscious, not impulsive.
• Distract yourself by engaging in an activity that requires concentration.
• Distance yourself from the food.
• Determine how important it really is for you to eat the craved food and how much you really want it.
• Decide what amount is reasonable and appropriate, eat it slowly and enjoy!
Stop labeling foods as bad, illegal or forbidden. It’s not the food itself that’s the problem, but the quantities you consume and how often you consume them. You can eat some of what you want— even if it is high in fat, calories or sugar—but to reach your goals, you may not be able to eat all of everything you want.
Aim for moderation instead of abstinence. Avoiding things you fear only reinforces the fear. Occasionally practice enjoying reasonable amounts of favorite high-fat or high-calorie foods. You may be happier and better able to stay with a well-balanced plan for healthy living.
Exercise regularly. Just as it is important to successfully manage your weight, exercise is key to managing food cravings. In addition to burning calories, regular exercise may bring relief from tension due to anxieties about food cravings. It is also another way to delay, distance, and distract yourself from food.
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Laura Shammah is a nutrition counselor practicing in Brooklyn.
