7 Mistakes That Make Cravings Worse
Break these habits to control your appetite.
— -- intro: Cravings—such a dirty word when you're trying to lose weight or keep it off.
No matter what your "I-want-it-now" food is—pizza, burgers, ice cream, cupcakes—you probably wrestle with what you want to do (eat it now!) with what you "should" do (go eat veggies).
Unfortunately, it's true that many of our daily habits actually make cravings more intense and frequent, making healthy decisions harder. That doesn't mean you can't do something about it.
Learn the biggest mistakes that make cravings even worse to get yours under control.
quicklist: 1category: Mistakes That Make Cravings Worsetitle: You skimp on breakfast url:text: Maybe you're not hungry in the a.m., but eating some calories now can keep cravings at bay later.
In one study in the Nutrition Journal, overweight girls who ate a 350-calorie breakfast with at least 13 grams of protein had reduced cravings for sweet and savory foods compared to breakfast skippers.
Researchers aren't exactly sure why, but protein may help stimulate the release of dopamine, a neurochemical involved in the brain's reward centers that can help manage cravings. A half-cup of cottage cheese, 2 hard-boiled eggs, or a cup of cooked oatmeal with two tablespoons of peanut butter will do the trick.
The 20 Best Foods to Eat for Breakfast
quicklist: 2category: Mistakes That Make Cravings Worsetitle: Your serving is too bigurl:text: You've got a craving for brownies, you're going to have some, and you're okay with that. So you take three. Thing is, you probably only needed half, suggests a 2013 study from Cornell University.
Research on 104 students found that people who were given small snack-sized portions of chocolate, apple pie, or potato chips reported feeling as satisfied as those presented with larger servings—and they ate 76.8% fewer calories. So take a small serving, eat it and enjoy, and then wait 15 minutes until the yearning for more subsides.
quicklist: 3category: Mistakes That Make Cravings Worsetitle: You don't eat anything url:text: Craving candy? Try eating a bowl of super-sweet sliced strawberries. What about chips? Crunch on salted, in-shell pistachios. Substituting what you're jonesing for with a similar-tasting healthy equivalent should be enough to satisfy you, says Marisa Moore, RD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
"Cravings are short-lived and soon you'll forget about it but will have helped your health with a good snack. It's a win-win," she says. However, if chips—and only chips—will do, count out one serving, eat them slowly, and be done.
14 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism Right Now
quicklist: 4category: Mistakes That Make Cravings Worsetitle: You don't know why you're craving something url:text: You can't get your hand out of the bag of cheesy crackers. If you don't understand why, you can't do anything about it, says Christine Palumbo, RD, a faculty member of Benedictine University in Lisle, IL. She recommends keeping a cravings journal. It doesn't have to be anything fancy—just jot down a few notes on your phone. When a craving hits, log your emotions: you're tired, anxious, stressed, bored. Eventually, you'll pick out common patterns, and you can deal with the causes head on, rather than trying to eat as a solution.
quicklist: 5category: Mistakes That Make Cravings Worsetitle: You don't pair the food you crave with something healthy url:text: Cravings aren't all or nothing. You can satisfy your yearning while still eating healthy by pairing a larger portion of healthy foods with a small amount of what you think you want. It works because it makes meals more fun and tasty, but still gives your body the nutrition it needs to function at its best, suggests a Vanderbilt University study.
The researchers call it a "vice-virtue bundle." So here's how to do it: order the salad with grilled salmon with a side of fries or get a piece of grilled chicken and veggies with a small bowl of mac and cheese. Fill up on the good stuff, and eat a quarter to half a portion of the splurge.
quicklist: 6category: Mistakes That Make Cravings Worsetitle: You pile on the guilt url:text: It's your friend's birthday and there is cake. If you eat a slice, will you feel joyous or wracked with guilt? Delighting in delicious food rather than feeling shame about eating it may be key.
People who said they associated chocolate cake with celebration had more control over their eating habits and had less trouble maintaining and losing weight, reported a 2014 study in the journal Appetite. One reason? Feeling guilty may make you try to ignore your thoughts, a strategy that actually backfires, causing you to obsess over the cake even more.
quicklist: 7category: Mistakes That Make Cravings Worsetitle: You try willpower url:text: Straight-up willpower doesn't always work. "It leads people to feeling like failures when they give in," says Moore.
A winning strategy: distraction. One study found that three minutes spent playing the game Tetris reduced the strength of food cravings better than a control condition where people spent the same amount of time waiting around. A 15-minute walk can also help reduce chocolate cravings, reports a 2013 UK study. Since cravings usually don't stick around long, you just need to stick it out momentarily
This article originally appeared on Health.com.