Empowering Ways to Beat Cravings to Lose Weight and Lower Blood Sugar

What Are Cravings? 

Cravings are strong desire or urge for a specific food, type of food, or flavor, often for hyperpalatable foods like fast food, sweets, fatty, salty, or high-carb items. 

• Cravings are not physiological hunger or a need for a nutrient
• Common triggers include cues (like seeing food), boredom, taste, emotions, stress, fatigue, and blood sugar fluctuations
• They can be like addictions because if they become habits, it can take greater amounts of those foods to satisfy the craving.

Commonly craved foods tend to be high in sugar, sodium, fat, or carbohydrates. Common examples are chocolate, pizza, burgers, burritos, chips, French fries, cookies, and ice cream. They’re calorie-dense and low in nutrients like fiber and antioxidants. 

Concerns with Cravings

Food cravings can contribute to a cycle of weight gain by leading to increased consumption of "hyperpalatable" foods (e.g., fast food, sugary beverages), which can cause stronger cravings, more hunger, and less satiety. They can lead to lower consumption of high-nutrient foods. 

Preventing Cravings with a Healthy Lifestyle

Exercise: Overall, exercise can reduce cravings. Greater effects are seen from an intense workout than a light one (like a walk). Physical activity can help by decreasing the hunger hormone ghrelin and increasing satiety hormones like GLP-1 and CCK.

Sleep: Adequate sleep can lead to decreased hunger, decreased and weaker cravings for sugary, salty, and fatty foods, and a greater ability to resist cravings Prioritize sleep and practice good sleep hygiene.

Stress Management: Stress can trigger the release of stress hormones (such as cortisol) and the "fight or flight" response, making your body feel it needs fuel. This often leads to cravings for high-calorie, sugary, salty, or fatty foods.

Manage Hunger: Prevent blood sugar swings and promote fullness by eating regular, consistent, and balanced meals and snacks that include protein, high-fiber carbohydrates and healthy fats

Preventing Cravings by Avoiding Triggers

Screen Use: Watching television, using tablets and other devices, and scrolling through social media can be triggers for cravings.

• Commercials often advertised high-calorie foods like burgers, pizza, candy, chocolate bars, and sugary drinks. 
• Mindless eating while watching television or using a devie can lead to overeating.
• Frozen meals, salty snack foods, and other high-calorie foods are common with device use and television watching. 

Consider these strategies for reducing cravings.

• Eat only after serving yourself and sitting at a table or another designated eating area.
• Use social media outdoors or only in places you don’t associate with eating
• Distract yourself during commercial breaks so you’re not focusing on high-calorie foods that are being advertised
• Keep high-calorie snacks out of the home, or pack them up and put them in the back of the fridge or pantry so you’re less likely to eat them.
• Prepare healthy snacks like vegetables so that they’re easy to access when you go to the kitchen.

Environmental and Social Cues: Drive-throughs, billboards, easy access to unhealthy food in the office, eating at restaurants, and being with friends or family members who are choosing unhealthy foods can trigger cravings. 

Consider these strategies.

• Take a different route so you’re not passing a favorite drive-through or a billboard with an ad for a food you like.
• Have healthy snacks available so it’s easier to choose them than to accept fast food or what’s offered to you in the office or elsewhere.
• Ask friends and family members to order or eat healthy with you or to share a meal at a restaurant. 
• Tell others about your healthy eating intentions for accountability. 

Healthy Responses to Cravings

Instead of saying "NO!" to a craving, try saying "YES, but..." to validate your feelings and empower yourself to decide your next move. A good strategy can be to delay giving into the craving. Tell yourself, "I can have what I'm craving, but only after I..."

‍

Consider these options.

• Take a walk
• Phone a friend
• Sit or stand outdoors or in another room to remove yourself from the situation.
• Wait for 5–10 minutes (set a timer)
• Have a cup of ice water or a small amount of a healthy, low-calorie food (e.g., a cup of carrots or celery, a small salad).

Know Yourself for Your Best Options

Here are some strategies for different personalities. Choose the one that works for you!

1. Have a small amount when a craving strikes. Serve a small portion in a plate of bowl. Place it on the table, sit down, and savor it. Feel proud of enjoying it responsibly.
2. Plan for small treats regularly.  Then routinely include treats. Plan for them so you can enjoy reasonable amounts within a healthy plan.
3. Avoid high-calorie, low-nutrient foods. Stay away from temptations and find healthier options or swaps. 

Use Healthy Swaps

Try these ideas.

‍

Going Forward

• Note cravings and try to identify what foods or situations triggered them
• Identify healthy lifestyle strategies** you can try to prevent cravings
• List strategies** you will try for healthier outcomes if you do get cravings

‍