It’s that time of the day again. Mid-afternoon, you’re feeling in need of a pick-me-up and, depending on your predilection, you find yourself hankering after some chocolate or a packet of salty chips, even though you are not particularly hungry. It’s the same routine every day. You tell yourself that it’s only a passing phase and that you can easily put an end to this annoying habit yet, in reality, it’s impossible to ignore the craving.
Beware the guilt trip
Once you’ve satisfied your sugar or salt craving, the all-too familiar guilt trip sets in as your well-intentioned efforts to stick to a healthy diet and avoid high-calorie, low-nutrient food have gone out the window, yet again. But what’s even more frustrating is that tomorrow, at precisely the same time and probably the same place, that uncontrollable urge for junk food will rear its ugly head all over again.
Cravings, schmavings
A very real addiction, uncontrolled food cravings can thwart weight loss efforts and render sufferers helpless to stop the vicious cycle. However, there are ways to minimise the damage and get back on track.
Feed the craving ... but only a little
Sydney Dietitian Susie Burrell explains food cravings as a programmed response in the brain for very sweet or very fatty and salty food that presents at the same time every day. Continuing to reinforce the craving by allowing yourself to give into it will only prolong the behaviour, making the habit harder to break. But depriving yourself isn’t a good idea either, as this often leads to gorging later on.
“A craving is only a problem if you can’t control it,” she said. “That’s why, for some people, neutralising the craving can work very well.”
Distracting your taste buds with something low calorie can work wonders, Burrell said. Some experts recommend aromatherapy for the same reason.
"If you do want something sweet, have it with a cup of green tea, which has a neutral flavour. That way you are feeding the craving but having it in controlled portions,” Burrell said.
Avoiding weak moments
It’s worth remembering that the food you crave provides only short-term happiness. Depriving yourself will only increase the temptation, so allow yourself to indulge occasionally but make sure you do it in sensible amounts.
You are more likely to give into the craving when you are:
- Tired, stressed or emotional
- Very hungry
- Not eating regularly
- Not eating in a balanced way
- Drinking alcohol
- Exposed to the craved food
Try to avoid these situations as much as possible and, if you do succumb to the craving, don’t beat yourself up about it. Accept temporary defeat and then take a deep breath and continue on your weight loss journey. Don’t let a little setback stop you from reaching your ultimate goal.
No excuses
Food cravings rarely indicate a nutritional deficiency so forget blaming your craving on a lack of salt, sugar or fat in your diet. The top five craved foods include milk chocolate, ice-cream, chips, commercially-baked biscuits and cake so it’s hardly likely your body will be crying out for any of those empty calories.
In most cases, cravings are the result of chemicals in the brain known as neurotransmitters that affect mood and desire for specific types of foods, rather than a deficient diet.
“Unless you have unregulated hormones, such as an insulin deficiency or fluctuating glucose levels, cravings are generally triggered by the brain being programmed over time to look for specific foods,” Burrell said. “A lot of the problem has to do with being bored so try to get out of the environment in which you usually eat this kind of food. But sometimes, it’s simply a case of being hungry so it’s important to identify what the trigger is. And if you do give into the craving, at least limit the portion.”
Try these substitute foods to quell the urge:
- Dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate (it’s harder to gorge on dark chocolate)
- Greek yoghurt with berries, vanilla and cinnamon instead of ice-cream
- Crispy vegetable sticks with hummus dip instead of chips
- Peanut butter on crisp bread instead of sweet biscuits
- Biscotti instead of cake