Are any of you worried about your waistline, going into the holiday season? I’ve been on a healthy eating kick lately and I don’t want to backslide because of the scrumptious temptations that surround us this time of year. Does anyone else melt for chocolate?
I have a few well-used tips that I use to avoid cravings. They’ve helped me make good, conscious decisions about food:
Change your posture - I know what you’re thinking, what does posture have to do with eating, right? The next time you’re craving something you’ve sworn off of, stand up straight, look up, and smile. Shifting your physical body has been shown to shift your state of mind. I promise, I’ve done this at the grocery store standing in front of Ben & Jerry’s Netflix and Chill ice cream and been able to walk away without buying. It works!
Change the feeling - Whatever your guilty pleasure food is, see it coming flooding at you. Really get into the image in your imagination. So much chocolate, pie, chips, or whatever your weakness is, see a ton of that item rushing toward your face - so much, so fast that you’re drowning in it. Give that image a minute and then see how you feel about the item. You’ll be surprised how effective this can be in stopping a craving.
Change your thoughts - Cravings are based in the mind not in the stomach. In order to stop the obsessive thoughts over eating something, tell yourself you can have it at the end of 30 minutes if you still want it. Then, go do something engaging. Don’t watch TV or surf the Internet. Do something that you enjoy and that is active, like exercise, a creative project, or playing a game with your kids/dog/self. Once you get your mind off it, you’re likely to go on doing the new activity and forget about the craving.
Try these out and see how they work for you. If you have success, share it with me on Facebook or Instagram I’d love to hear your thoughts!