How to Stop Cravings for Food

When you’re trying to lose weight, you need to arm yourself with strategies that can stop cravings for food.  However, there are different kinds of cravings, and not all of them can be easily soothed.  Below are a few common causes for cravings, and tips for how to make them go away.

Thirst

When you experience a craving for food, you may in fact be thirsty.

Remember that a craving is just your body’s way of getting your attention to communicate a desire for something.  Unfortunately, since your body doesn’t speak to you with words, you may misinterpret the signals.

Whenever you experience a strong craving for something, your first thought should be, “Am I thirsty?”  Drink a glass of water and wait 10-15 minutes.  If the food craving persists, move on to the next possibility.

Vitamin Deficiency

Being deficient in certain vitamins and minerals can trigger food cravings.

For example, being low on iron can cause you to start craving red meat, and magnesium deficiency can trigger cravings for chocolate.

You can stop cravings for food related to vitamin deficiencies by making sure you are getting the full recommended daily servings of all four food groups.  Be sure to eat enough vegetables, fruit, protein, grains, dairy and healthy fats. Avoid refined sugars because they will trigger even more sweet cravings.

If you think you may not be getting enough nutrients from food, you’ll want to find a high-quality vitamin supplement and take it every day.

Emotional Cravings

Finally, cravings can be triggered by emotional issues.

These kinds of cravings are far more common than the two described above, but luckily they are easier to identify and stop in their tracks.  When you notice that you are craving something, take stock of your emotional state at that moment.  Do you feel depressed, anxious, angry, bored, or lonely?

You may be trying to calm unsettled emotions or fill an emotional void with food.  If you suspect that may be the case, you can stop cravings for food by finding a way to make yourself feel better without eating.  Watch a funny television show that boosts your mood.  Call a friend and chat until you feel better.  Go for a walk.  Write in a journal.

Do anything you can to work through uncomfortable emotions, and the food cravings will fade away easily.

To stop cravings for food, you simply need to identify what the trigger is and take steps to neutralize it.