How to Handle Food Cravings

This week I received an email from an Annoymous reader with some really good questions that I'd like to address.  This is what the email asked:

Dear Tony,

I have recently started trying to eat a healthier diet in order to lose about 20 pounds and so far have been doing pretty well. However, I am struggling with one particular aspect of the healthy eating and I am hoping you could help me out.

I start off the day with great expectations for eating healthy and working out. I eat a good breakfast, go to the gym, eat healthy snacks and then a good lunch. Then around 2:00pm / 3:00 pm I start having really bad cravings for foods such as chocolate and chips…. (this also happens at nighttime too). It is very frustrating having these cravings and sometimes I give into them and feel bad afterwards because I was doing so well. Am I doing something wrong that is making me have these cravings? Is there something I could do to prevent them? Is there something I could do to stop having the cravings as I am having them? I feel like I would be able to reach my weight loss and healthy eating goals a lot faster if I didn’t have the aforementioned obstacle. Any suggestions you have will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Anonymous

First of all, do not feel like you are alone in having cravings. Afternoon munchies are probably the number one reason most people fail to lose weight when they start to eat healthy. Everyone will fall victim to their cravings once in a while and I am no exception. However I have certain foods that I go to in order to satisfy the craving I have and it has worked very well. 

First off, one thing that will reduce cravings is eating 5-6 small meals a day spaced 2.5-3 hours apart. By doing this it keeps you full all day and will cut back on your feeling of needing something else. To figure out how big your meals should be calculate how many calories you want to eat to lose weight, then divide that number by the amount of meals you have. If this fails in stopping your cravings there are certain foods you can turn to. 

The number one thing I recommend for satisfying your sweet tooth is fruit because it is naturally sweet and will fill you up.  You can also go to the store and get sugar free chocolate syrup and dip the fruit in it. It seems like its unhealthy but its almost guilt free, this syrup ( by Hershey) contains 15 calories per 2 table spoons compared to regular which is 100 calories. 

If your weakness is salty and crunchy, then I also have the solution. At most grocery stores they sell a type of potato chip called pop chips. These chips are air popped which makes them significantly lower in fat than regular potato chips. By air popping them it also keeps the glycemic index of them low so they will also keep you fuller for longer than regular chips. They come in big bags or individual 100 calories bags. If you cannot find the 100 calories bags check the serving size and eat the amount of calories you wish - I believe about 23 chips equates to 100 calories which I feel is a pretty good serving to calorie ratio. 

If you are looking to try to eliminate these cravings for the most part I suggest you fall back on these as little as possible but know you always have the option to go to them ( when I say fall back on these foods as little as possible I am not talking about fruit.) Try going a full week while only using them 3 times, then the next week twice, and the next once, until you eventually realize you’re only eating them once or twice a month. I know it sounds crazy but it worked for me, I would eat chips 1-3 times a week and it slowly trickled down to the point where I haven’t had a chip in months ( literally ), because I just don’t feel like I need them anymore.

Thanks for sending in such a good question.  I hope this helps!  

Tony's Tip:  Try making this for a quick, low fat and low carb meal:

Grill one or 2 pieces of boneless chicken breast.  The George Forman Grill has become my best friend.  I use mine constantly.

Then slice up some fresh veggies.  For this dish I like to use colored sweet peppers, mushrooms and asperagus.  Throw them into a frying pan.  Add about 1/4 cup of water.  Place a lid on the pan and let the veggies steam for about 5 minutes.

Then slice up your grilled chicken and add it to the pan for a minute.

Once it's all heated thru, remove and plate it!

Doesn't that look good?  Try this for a quick and easy lunch or dinner recipe.

Tony isn't a licensed nutritionist yet, so he can't give anyone advice on what  to do.  Please consult your doctor for his professional opinion on a diet/nutrition program that will work for you.

Tony's blog is a journal of his experiences and what has worked for him.   He lists general guidelines and suggestions only.  He is NOT a professional.