| - | How to stop the cravings?
Controlling your cravings is key to weight loss | Summary: While everyone knows the secret to dieting and weight loss (eat less, exercise more), it is not easy to do it. What we lack is knowledge of what it means to eat less, how many calories are we really consuming, and if we are overeating. And for many people, the problem gets worse because they cannot stop the cravings and succumb to the temptation. Result: no weight loss or unable to maintain the lower weight once it is lost. (Related: How to get a celebrity body) | | | | |
| Samantha in Indianapolis writes, "I have tried lots of diets but I can't stick to them. Please give me a diet that will stop me craving and eating lots."
I think your problem is not the diet, but lack of discipline (Binge eating). A diet is merely a way to control what you eat and in what quantity. Everything else depends on how you follow it. Thus, another diet is not what you need to lose weight, but it is good to follow a diet so that you eat only in proportion to your lifestyle. People magazine recently highlighted three women who lost half their body weight by following a simple diet and exercising regularly. Their biggest reward, apart from a great body, is to be featured on the cover of the magazine. (Related article: Review of online diet programs)
So what can you do to stop the cravings? - Start with small steps. So instead of trying to cut your calories by 30%, try cutting just 5% in the beginning.
- Eat small meals but several times a day.
- Always eat a good breakfast.
- Eat low calorie snacks when you feel the cravings. Try an apple (or any other fruit) rather than a cookie. Such foods have a lot of volume and make you feel full, but don't have as many calories.
- Develop an image in your mind of how you want to look in the future. A recent episode of a television program featured a woman who would look at a specific model in a swimsuit catalog and one day she was able to buy the same swimsuit and fit into it.
- Invest in a program to improve your will power. There are many resources available, including online education, books, DVDs, etc. so that you can become a more disciplined person. You may also need to ask yourself if you have self-esteem problems.
- Finally, every time you achieve your small goal, reward yourself by shopping or taking a weekend off or doing whatever else pleases you.
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