Curbing Unhealthy Food Cravings
Learning How to Eat Mindfully Will Help You Enjoy Food More
May 31, 2009
Everyone has those moments. You’ve had a bad day, you’re at your wit’s end, and all you want to do is veg in front of the TV with a pint of ice cream. You know you’ll regret it in the morning, but you just don’t have the heart to care right now. By learning how to be in tune with your body, you’ll feel altogether better about yourself – and your cravings won’t seem so impossible to overcome.
Recognize Your Unhealthy Food Cravings
Purposefully trying to ignore a food craving will most likely bring it more prominently to your attention. It may seem counter-intuitive, but deliberately avoiding your craving will make you think about it more.
Instead, take a minute to think about what it is you’re craving, and why. If you allow yourself the headspace to confront your food cravings, you allow yourself permission to come up with a solution to handle it; one that doesn’t involve running to the refrigerator.
Imagine How You’ll Feel if You Give into Your Cravings
Before giving in, visualize yourself eating your ‘weapon of choice’, whether it’s nachos or chocolate. How do you feel when you’re done? Satisfied? Guilty? Energized? Depleted? When you can imagine how it will make you feel, you’ll have a better idea if you’re eating out of boredom and comfort, or if you’re really listening to your body’s needs.
Give Yourself Time to Think
Make a deal with yourself: wait half an hour after the onset of a craving before giving in. That’s it - just thirty minutes.
This ‘grace period’ will give your body enough time to connect to your mind. You’ll have the chance to ask yourself why you’re craving something that isn’t good for you. During this time, give yourself a non food-related treat. Take a small walk; pick up a good book; call a friend you haven’t talked with in ages. You may be surprised to find that in half an hour you no longer crave an unhealthy distraction.
Try Satisfying Your Cravings – In Small Portions
Perhaps you’ve tried everything, but your craving just won’t go away. Now is a great opportunity to practice satisfying your craving without overdoing it. Serve yourself a few scoops of ice cream. Enjoy the smell, the texture, and, of course, the flavor. If you can make it a decadent experience, one rich with sensory delight, you’re more likely to be satisfied after only a small portion. Savor every single bite.
If You do Give in, Accept and Move On
What people often forget when they’re beginning something new, is that everything takes practice. Remember when you were back at school – were you expected to score straight A’s without studying? No way!
If you do binge, don’t give up. Just remember how it makes you feel so that it will give you incentive for the next time. Don’t feel bad over something that you can’t un-do. Instead, use it as motivation for the future.
Eating should be a pleasant experience. When you can teach yourself to truly enjoy the experience, you won’t feel panicked into mindless eating. But first, you have to allow yourself the chance to learn. Practice patience, and self-kindness, on your way to healthier eating.
