Food cravings make dieting an uphill battle. Despite our best intentions to stick to the diet, we get those urges that continuously gnaw at our determination to keep losing weight.
It’s as if foods TALK to us, constantly occupying our mind until we cannot think of anything else.
Food cravings are eating away our resolution until we succumb. Oh, if only there weren’t those cravings!
What Causes Food Cravings?
Low carbohydrate dieting instructions cause, at its worst, a game based on very little nutrition and all too much self-discipline. Our intentions are good and we set goals which are frankly far too ambitious.
This is a problem with low carbohydrate diets.
We do this because the desire to lose weight is by far greater than our knowledge about nutrition and the needs of the body.
We are, in fact, quite brave. But a successful weight loss attempt should have a BALANCE between KNOWLEDGE and SELF-DISCIPLINE.
Furthermore, this balance should be biased in favor of knowledge because that will greatly diminish the NEED for self-discipline, as you’ll see later on in this article.
Need For Self-Discipline
As things stand now, the exaggerated need for self-discipline (caused by a diet which doesn’t balance the body) makes our dieting attempts very vulnerable for failure.
Self-discipline is intimately connected with self-respect. Once you commit yourself to keeping certain regimen, you also put your own self-respect on the line.
That’s the wager with which we whip ourselves to stick to the rules we’ve set for the diet.
The most important part of this self-discipline is, of course, not to fall for temptations.
And once we DO fall for those cravings… well, it tends to be the end of the diet.
We give up because we cannot resist the temptation.
We justify it by the current situation. Too much stress, must concentrate on something right now… and so on. “I’ll try again at a better time…”
Or, worse still, we think less of ourselves and despise our lack of willpower.
Putting yourself down won’t help, of course. And falling for the temptation would not have to mean the end of the diet as one would simply CONTINUE just like before submitting to the craving.
But it’s a mind-thing, really. Once I know there’s something I can NOT get, must NOT eat… well, that “cannot have, must not taste” thing tends to DRAW my attention to it more and more, right?
And once I fail… well, that’s that, then, isn’t it? I’ve FAILED… so I no longer try it.
Put like that it’s obvious, of course. But being in the situation, hungry and confused, it’s much easier to fall prey for the desire to quit.
Make no mistake. Cravings are a strong and mighty enemy for anyone wanting to lose weight!
The Psychological Side Of Food Cravings
Food cravings and urges are partially in our mind. As children, we wanted many things and didn’t always get what we asked for.
Similarly, in adulthood, we don’t always get our way.
The mental side of this tends to put overdue importance to whatever we cannot get.
It’s just the way we’re built. Given a choice between two equally desirable things, we tend to want the one which is rarer or of which there’s LESS.
The price of gold and diamonds is a good example of this. The immensely high value of these commodities is directly dependent on their scarcity.
Gold and diamonds are pleasing, of course… but many common materials are just as pretty and yet, due to their abundance, inexpensive and, thus, far less desirable.
Another psychological side to this has to do with childhood.
It Starts As A Child
Sugar is far more addictive to a child than to an adult due to the non-development of all senses and experiences.
As children, we were placated, comforted and rewarded by goodies… and disciplined by not getting these pleasure-producing edibles.
Thus, snacks containing either sugar or starch (and fat) have subconsciously become a “valuable currency” for us, representing a high quality of life.
Almost like money, they give us the sense of wealth and well-being… but unlike money, they’re always very fattening and never rich in the nutrients which our body needs.
And with snacks, goodies and other fast-food-oriented edibles, our intake of food has become very deficient in vital nutritional elements which the body needs to run itself properly.
Among the things we like, the preference is biased toward whatever there’s LESS of… or, that which we cannot (or should not) have.
Thus, with a diet, we start craving for those things which we have forbidden ourselves due to the goal of weight loss.
Theoretically, you COULD indulge in cravings once in a while during a diet — provided you do so in moderation both on terms of the quantity of the fattening foodstuff and not too often — and still keep on losing weight.
In fact, it’s not a bad idea to allow yourself a treat of this kind once a week — few pieces of chocolate, a cone of ice cream… whatever is your chosen weakness — rather than cutting it off totally and then continuously longing after a taste of it.
Going at it with a disciplined “allowance for a weakness” can make a big difference in how you feel about yourself and the diet.
But that’s only one side of it.
Nutritional Imbalance Is The Main Cause Of Cravings
The actual CAUSE of most cravings comes from a nutritional imbalance in our daily food intake.
The body tries to correct its nutritional deficiencies through creating these food cravings.
In wild animals it works as their “supermarket” and “all-you-can-eat dinner table” is very basic and unconfused by advertising or packaging.
For us, the missing link is our intelligence. We feel an urge and then CHOOSE from the huge selection available to us from supermarkets and restaurants.
Theoretically, we have the same instinctive knowledge that wild animals possess but it is clouded by our intellect. We try to choose the foodstuffs and the selection is nothing short of confusing.
Thus, we satisfy a craving with something that doesn’t contain the specific nutritional elements which would give the body what IT is craving for.
This causes a host of side effects, most of which are recognizable as NEW food cravings.
I’m sure you’ve noticed how it goes. You get a craving for chocolate, eat it… and soon feel an urge to have something salty after all that sweetness. So, you go for potato chips.
After those, you become thirsty… and drink some soft drink which has been laced with sugar and additives.
After a while, these cause you to go for something else… and so it continues.
It’s as if the selection of foodstuffs plays a game with our taste buds, causing us to jump on a chain of consequential cravings each causing a new one.
Of course, at the end of such a binge we feel somewhat awkward. The nutritional deficiencies causing the binge are still unsatisfied but now there’s a lot of sugar, fat, salt and starch in our body… and we’ve definitely put on a few pounds of weight.
How Food Cravings Can Make Your Diet Fail
Let me put this in no uncertain way:
It is VITAL to balance the nutrition so that food cravings are minimized.
The fewer cravings you have on your diet, the likelier you are to succeed.
It’s the DIET that has to balance your nutrition so that the body isn’t continually craving for something. Otherwise, you won’t have much chance of success.
There are a couple of rules of thumb about this:
The more your diet is dependent on willpower, the less balanced it is in terms of fulfilling the nutritional needs of the body.
The higher the need for self-discipline, the likelier the diet is to fail.
Reversely, the more your diet is based on balanced nutrition AND the better basic understanding you have on what your body needs, the likelier you are to succeed. And the lesser need there is for self-discipline within that diet.
Now, it might be difficult for any overweight person to believe that food cravings CAN be eliminated almost totally by a correct diet.
But it’s certainly known to all of us how all-but-impossible a diet becomes UNLESS those cravings can be lessened remarkably.
And the difference is nothing short of miraculous…
Correct Diet To Eliminate Food Cravings
Although these cravings appear to wield such immense power over our self-discipline, their actual force is totally dependent on CONTINUATION of the wrong type of diet.
Amazingly, once you correct your diet, it only takes 2-5 days to almost completely eliminate most cravings!
ALL cravings will be very much subdued. Most cravings will simply vanish.
And with a sensible diet allowing you to indulge those few remaining food cravings every now and then, the coast is clear for a comfortable and successful weight loss phase with a sense of well-being and satisfaction you’ve never experienced with any other diet!
Read Also: Foods That Suppress Appetite Naturally.
Here’s a few basic tips…
Drink More Water
Water is a great way to reduce appetite and food cravings. If you drink half a liter of water, your stomach will send a signal to the brain that it is full.
However, the problem is that the water leaves the stomach quickly, so the effect will pass quickly. Therefore, water should be drunk regularly throughout the day.
Not only that, the liquid generally contributes to satiety, and especially soup. If you start a meal with soup, your appetite will be lower, so you will ingest fewer calories.
Read Also: How Much Water Should You Drink Every Day?
Protein Is Your Friend
If you are wondering how to reduce food cravings, the answer is simple – eat more protein. Few things can provide a feeling of satiety like protein, so they are a great way to reduce food intake.
Proteins control blood sugar levels for longer, which directly controls food cravings, especially between meals.
Moreover, proteins protect your muscles, which means that by losing weight you will lose only fat deposits and not the muscles that are the strength of your body. Protein should represent 25-30% of your daily calorie intake and your appetite will be lower.
Therefore, include more eggs, meat and fish in your diet.
Read Also: Low Carb High Fat Diet Guide.
Fiber
In addition to protein, fiber also provides a feeling of satiety and is a great way to reduce food cravings. Scientists claim that fiber expands the stomach, and slows its emptying. Food takes longer to digest and appetite decreases.
Fiber is one of the carbohydrates that are not easily digested. This means that you will need less food, and you will feel full longer. This way you will lose your appetite and at the same time have enough energy.
Foods that contain a lot of fiber include beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, whole grains, but also fruits, vegetables and seeds (chia seeds, flax seeds).
Omega-3 Fats
Omega-3 fatty acids can reduce appetite and food cravings. These fatty acids increase the feeling of satiety and delay the feeling of hunger, which contributes to reduced daily calorie intake.
Foods with the most omega-3 fatty acids are fish oil, olive oil, coconut oil, salmon, avocado, chia seeds, flax seeds, almonds …
Get Rid Of Your Food Cravings!
Don’t stack the odds against your success by trying to suffer through cravings with sheer willpower. I’ve nothing but respect for your self-discipline… but the enemy is far too powerful for anyone to withstand for weeks and months.
Instead, correct your diet so that it gives the body what it needs… and the body will not crave for anything else.
That’s the way to end the endless cycle of cravings – a pitfall of low carbohydrate dieting instructions.
And you’ll be amazed how easy it is to lose weight and keep on the course toward your ideal weight!
