can you post a link for tips on prevent cravings or wanting to eat? thank you xx

So one of the hardest habits/issues to deal with when trying to lose weight is CRAVINGS. Cravings stem from the habit of wanting to eat food for the taste, rather than the energy or nutrients it provides. Of course, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ENJOY your food or the taste of your food, but you shouldn’t eat solely for the pleasure of eating. You should always remember that you should eat to satisfy hunger, not to fullness, but to contentment. Food is an energy source and a nutrient source, and should generally be regarded as such.

Sometimes, cravings get the best of us, though. What should you do?

Well, there are several things you should think about and try:

1. Drink water, first. Cravings are strange sometimes, and can be fixed by hydrating yourself.
2. Have you eaten enough today? if not, have a healthy snack. If you want something sweet, have a piece of fruit.
3. Are you being too strict on yourself? if so, have 1 serving of whatever it is you want: if it’s chocolate, 1 1-inch piece, if its baked goods, 1 2x2inch piece.
4. if you’ve been liberal with the sweets, then you might have had a sugar crash. so have something sweet but has a low glycemic index such as having whole wheat toast with a bit of agave nectar or greek yogurt with mango or blueberry.

Sometimes cravings are just a habit (just like for the most part, appetite is a habit). so you just have to suffer through a week or two of not eating certain things or eating at certain times until your body adapts.

other things you can do include:

eat healthfully. if you eat a very healthy diet consisting of lots of nutrient dense foods, you can eat more while still being within your calorie limit.
drink plenty of water. thirst is initially felt as hunger.
exercise daily. it helps regulate your blood sugar levels.
treat yourself. if you don’t let yourself have something sweet/salty/whatever (WITHIN REASON, WITHIN YOUR CALORIE LIMIT, and AT THE RIGHT SIZE/PORTION) you can set yourself up for a huge binge and you’ll strengthen the craving. just remember to stay within limitations.
find healthy alternatives. sometimes, you can find healthier options, such as rather than having a mocha from starbucks (280+ calories), you can have coffee with some hot chocolate mix in it (130 calories). or you can have a cupcake made with applesauce instead of oil (see skinnytaste.com)
try not to lament on the object of your cravings. if you think about how much you want it and how you shouldn’t have it all day, you’re just going to want it more. decide how you’re going to handle it and then move on. like “oh i want a brownie. but if i make brownies, i’ll eat more than 1 serving. so i’m just not going to make any or have any.” and that’s that. move on. go do your homework, or make plans, or workout, or get on tumblr. whatever.

<3 itstheskinny