CRAVINGS

22/09/2019


FAT LOSS, FOOD, CRAVINGS AND HABITS

If you have been following me for a while hopefully you understand that for fat loss to happen you need to be in a calorie deficit, consistently. If you have been a client of mine then you will understand in more detail that the body adapts quickly to your calorie deficit and by just doing more activity and eating less will not always be the solution you need.

We are not better than our bodies and the sooner we can learn this the better we can work to achieve our goals. If you have health complications then this makes your journey a little more difficult but never impossible.

If you are pushing your body to its limits in the gym (or outside) and restricting the energy you provide it then you are going to have some big problems dealing with fat loss, concentration, sleeping, sex!! YES, SEX!! Food is energy and there is no way you will ever trick your body for too long if you yo-yo diet or constantly restrict what you feed yourself. Your body will become efficient at using the energy you provide it to do what it NEEDS to, not what you want it to do.

If you get cravings regularly then your body is telling you it needs food. Always reaching for the coffee to get through your day? Maybe it is just lacking real 'energy' so you will keep carving 'food' until you eat it!

Your body is screaming at you to eat those sweets or that ice cream or crisps and cheese on toast, whatever food type it is and yet when you finally do eat you eat like you have never eaten before! 2 biscuits turn into a whole packet?! This never helps you lose the weight you want. And if you constantly give yourself cheat days or treats then you are just mentally torturing yourself!

Now aside from your body needing you to actually feed it there may be another reason why you crave foods, habits. Those moments you get home from work and open the wine to relax. The time you spend chilling on the sofa watching the TV after a long day. Your boss has been a total prick all day and you go home all stressed out. Arguments with your partner. These can all be moments where you have created a habit where you use food/drink as a way to help you.

Deal with the issues another way. Recognise the problem you have and sort it out without giving yourself energy it doesn't need.

Some easy tips to help are to write down your mood at that time the craving hit, what you were doing, where you were.....and then ask yourself what are you going to get from eating the food you are craving? Will it make you feel better, give you what your body needs...get you closer to your results?

What else can you do when you get a craving attack?

  • Drink 250ml of water! Right now, drink it, you may be dehydrated
  • Why do you want to eat that food? Write it down, unless you are hungry you don't NEED food.
  • Read a book, call a friend, call your grandma, play with your kids, do some push-ups! Just do anything to distract yourself for 15 minutes
  • Promise yourself you can eat it tomorrow, you will be glad you waited.

If the craving doesn't go then remember the following;

DON'T REACH FOR THE SUGAR!

EAT WHOLE FOODS

EAT SOME PROTEIN

DRINK SOME WATER

We can enjoy all types of food as long as you make sure you feed your body everything it needs to help it work the best it can.

If after changing the way you eat you still get cravings speak to someone who can help you, it may take a little trial and error but when you discover how your body works best it is priceless!

Make better choices to create a better you.

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