We've all made this ONE terrible mistake.
We've all started out well on a new healthy eating regime only to get a couple of days in and give into frustrating temptations for our favourite junk foods. Whether it's the calling of a vending machine or your colleague bringing freshly baked doughnuts to work, there are temptations EVERYWHERE.
In fact, these temptations only seem to be magnified when you're making a conscious effort to ditch a few pounds. It's a scary cycle that most weight loss hopefuls never escape from.
In this short post I'm going to share 5 of my best tips for dealing with these nasty temptations, so you can finally stick to your good nutrition habits and see long-lasting weight loss results!
1. Food preparation: if you know that you'll be tempted by a naughty snack when 3:00pm rolls around, have a healthy alternative nearby that you can quickly grab when the cravings hits. Raw veggies with oil-free hummus, fresh fruit etc. Prepare a healthy snack in the morning and take it with you when you leave for work or school.
2. Allow the craving to pass: this takes a touch of will power but simply accept the fact you're experiencing a craving and then let it go. Easier said than done of course, but when you get in the habit of saying "NO" to your cravings, you very quickly begin to feel in full control of them.
3. Treat the stress: many people are drawn to junk food in times of stress, especially in the workplace. Your body needs energy to fight the cortisol release when you experience stress, so it naturally gravitates towards the most calorie-dense foods. Ask yourself where there is unnecessary stress in your life and work on fixing that, rather than just reacting to it by making poor food choices.
4. Don't skip meals: so often I see weight loss newbies limiting their portions or even skipping meals altogether in a desperate bid to get slim. Realise that by doing this, you are more likely to give in to your worst temptations as the ravenous hunger kicks in. Make sure that you're full and satisfied at the times when you most get cravings and you'll be much less likely to give into them.
5. Eat the RIGHT foods for you: this one requires a slightly deeper level of self-analysis, but try and figure out which foods allow you to best manage your cravings. For some of us, too much savoury food throughout the day makes us crave sweet treats at night. If this is the case for you, try eating some delicious, ripe fruit early on in the day and have your more starch-based savoury meals at night. Observe which foods/meals allow you to manage your cravings best.
There's a lot of deep, psychological that can go into fixing this stuff, but hopefully these 5 steps will send you in the right direction for now. By the way, there's lots more free advice for getting control of your cravings (amongst other weight loss related issues) available at my YouTube channel.
All the best,
Ryan
P.S. - If you're looking to take your results to the next level and get the clarity, accountability and support needed for guaranteed weight loss, I'm taking applications for my Vegan Slim & Sustain Program here.
