We all have been there: warm chocolate chip cookies, creamy chicken alfredo, and that big bag of salty potato chips. They just simply want us to eat them. But let’s face it, those just aren’t great options to jumpstart a healthy lifestyle!
From my many years in the food and weight loss world, I have learned how to enjoy the foods we love without breaking the calorie bank. Here I provide 5 ways that can help you overcome those food cravings and stay on track!
- Food Prep– If your lifestyle is as crazy as mine with four girls, I have to prep food ahead of time in order to stay on track with my healthy eating. If you just pick two days out of the week to cut all your veggies and prepare your proteins, you will be set up for success when those busy days happen. (PS. it only takes 45 seconds to cut up a red bell pepper, so no excuses!)
- 20 Second Rule– If you feel a craving coming on, take 20 seconds to do something else! Whether it be calling a girlfriend, throwing a load of laundry in, checking the mail, just do something else for 20 seconds and reevaluate if that craving is really still there.
- Indulge in the Craving– What!? You mean I can eat that bag of chips? WEL
LLL not exactly. Find an alternative choice to your craving. Salty craving? Eat sea salt edamame beans. Sugar craving? Find a piece of fruit! It is not all about avoiding the craving, just finding a better option
4. Learn Your Triggers– If there are certain events that are going on in your life where you feel as if food is your comfort- address them! After a long day at work, instead of indulging in a chocolate fudge candy bar, jump on your treadmill. If you can learn about what drives you to eat, you can learn how to drive that into a more positive activity.
5. Self Care– If your cup is empty, you can’t give to yourself or other people. You need to find something that fills your cup. Whether it’s gardening or going for a walk or reading a good book, you need to find self fulfillment before you are able to give 100% to your new lifestyle.
With these tricks, it really is possible to still eat the foods you want without feeling guilty! Here at Fit America PA we believe in you!
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