(From blackdoctor.org)
Cravings can sneak up on you as often and unexpected as that aggravating little itch you get on your nose. One minute, you’re innocently going about your day – the next, you’re in the clutches of desire. In a recent study from Tufts University, 91% of women said they experienced strong food cravings. These urges are fueled by feel-good brain chemicals such as dopamine, released when you eat these types of foods, which creates a rush of euphoria that your brain seeks over and over. What you need is a plan that stops this natural cycle and helps prevent unwanted weight gain. The next time you’re hit with an insatiable urge for a double-chocolate brownie, ask yourself these four questions to get to the root cause, then follow our expert tips tailored to your trigger.
1. Am I stressed out?
When you’re under pressure, your body releases the hormone cortisol, which signals your brain to seek out rewards. Comfort foods loaded with sugar and fat basically “apply the brakes” to the stress system by blunting this hormone. When you reach for food in response to negative feelings such as anger or sadness (like potato chips after a fight with your spouse), you inadvertently create a powerful connection in your brain. The food gets coded in your memory center as a solution to an unpleasant experience or emotion.
Do This!
• Stimulate happiness. Women especially have a profound emotional reaction to music. Create upbeat playlists to listen to whenever a food craving strikes. The songs provide a distraction and an emotional release.
• Wait it out. People give in to cravings because they think they’ll build in intensity until they become overwhelming, but that’s not true. Food cravings behave like waves: They build, crest, and then disappear. If you can “surf the urge,” you have a better chance of beating it altogether.
• Choose the best distraction. What you’re really craving is to feel better. You’ve heard the trick about phoning a friend or exercising instead of eating. But taking a solo walk won’t help if you’re feeling lonely. Instead, identify your current emotion – bored, anxious, angry – by filling in these blanks: “I feel ____ because of ____.” Then find an activity that releases it. If you’re stressed, channeling nervous energy into a workout can help; if you’re upset over a problem at the office, call a friend and ask for advice.
Can a drink a day keep the pounds away?
2. Have I been eating less than usual?
If you’re eating fewer than 1,000 calories a day or restricting an entire food group (like carbs), you’re putting your body in prime craving mode. Even just 3 days of strict dieting decreases levels of the appetite-reducing hormone leptin by 22%. Experts note that “restrained eaters”–dieters who severely limit calories or certain foods–aren’t necessarily thinner than regular eaters; they’re actually about 1 to 2 BMI points higher, or the equivalent of 10 to 20 pounds, as their self-imposed food rules often backfire. According to research from the University of Toronto, restrained eaters are more likely to experience cravings and to overeat the “forbidden” food when given the chance.
Do This!
• Lift any bans—safely. Plan ways to enjoy your favorite foods in controlled portions. Get a slice of pizza instead of a whole pie, or share a piece of restaurant cheesecake with two friends.
• Don’t “eat around” food cravings. Trying to quell a food craving with a low-cal imitation won’t satisfy your brain’s memory center. For example, if you’re craving a milkshake, yogurt won’t cut it –especially if you’ve been depriving yourself. You may even take in more calories than if you’d just had a reasonable portion of what you wanted in the first place. Munching five crackers, a handful of popcorn, and a bag of pretzels, all in the name of trying to squash a craving for potato chips, will net you about 250 more calories than if you’d eaten a single-serving bag.
Want to lose weight? Dance it off!
