How to Overcome Cravings Without Feeling Deprived
Have you ever tried to overcome a craving by simply trying to avoid it? It doesn’t work very well because you end up obsessing over it even more. But today, I want to show you how to overcome your cravings without feeling deprived.
You’ve probably heard someone use the psychological trick where they tell you not to think of a white bear. Instead of not thinking about it you end up only being able to think about it.
Click the audio player if you’d prefer to listen to the post.
The ironic process theory
It’s called the ironic process theory. It’s the psychological process you experience when you try to deliberately suppress thoughts but instead think about them even more.
And this is why it’s so difficult to try and will something out of your mind.
So, let’s come up with a better solution.
How to overcome cravings without feeling deprived
What I’m about to share is what I’ve used to help women lose pounds and gain energy – but what’s just as powerful as their results is that they’re keeping their results!
Here’s what I’m going to cover in this post: Why we crave junk food → Taste thermostat: what is it and why you need to know about it → 3 ways to overcome junk food cravings
Why we crave food
So, why do we crave junk food? Maybe you have more of a sweet tooth. Or maybe you’re the savory type. Either way, if you experience junk food cravings, it’s because they’re designed to make you crave it. These foods trigger the reward centers in our brains. And that’s why they’re so satisfying and so addictive.
High-fat content
Food rich in fat is hyper-palatable, and that’s why people are more likely to consume these types of foods in excess amounts. This would include most comfort foods. People who turn to food when they’re stressed don’t typically end up eating a bunch of fresh fruits and vegetables. Instead, they turn to foods that are high in fat.
Sugar
When we consume sugar it releases opioids and dopamine in our bodies. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is a key part of the “reward circuit” associated with addictive behavior. In fact, studies have shown it to be more addictive than cocaine.
Food engineering
Junk food is engineered for craving. Take America’s favorite cookie, for example, the Oreo. I don’t actually know if it holds that title, but it certainly should. Anyways, the texture of the Oreo is the perfect combination of crunchy cookie and creamy center. And that’s why the generic kinds aren’t any good: the taste and crunchy-to-creamy texture ratio is all off.
Artificial flavoring
I’m sure you’ve noticed how an apple-flavored food tastes nothing like an actual apple. That’s because it’s not actually an apple. Apples aren’t addicting because they aren’t loaded with excess sugar that triggers a dopamine hit activating your brain’s reward system.
The taste thermostat and your cravings
Have you ever heard of the taste thermostat? It’s a little like your home’s thermostat: It’s not good when it’s turned up too high.
Have you ever wondered how some people can eat so healthy and actually seem to enjoy it? You’ll see them enjoying a piece of fruit like it’s a piece of chocolate cake!
It all has to do with something called the “taste thermostat.” And it needs to be reset in order for our brain and taste buds to enjoy more subtle flavors of fruit and vegetables.
Your taste thermostat is what allows you to enjoy the perceived flavor of food. If your taste thermostat is high, then you won’t enjoy the subtle flavors of whole foods. But when you lower it, you’re able to notice and enjoy the flavors of fruit, vegetables, and other whole foods.
The typical western diet consists of foods that are filled with artificial flavors. That’s why our pallet is used to exaggerated taste profiles. It’s accustomed to flavors created for pre-packed foods rather than the natural ones found in whole foods.
And that’s why we’re more prone to enjoy a bowl of Apple Jacks more than an apple. That prepackaged cereal was engineered to tap into your brain’s reward center.
Lowering the thermostat: Thankfully, like the thermostat in your home, your taste thermostat can also be lowered.
There was a two-week study that focussed on resetting people’s taste thermostat. They did it by simply introducing more whole foods like fruits and vegetables – nothing crazy.
95% of the participants in the study said: “sweet foods and drinks tasted sweeter or too sweet, and … said moving forward they would use less or even no sugar.”
And here’s the crazy part: According to the study, most of the participants stopped craving sugar within just one week.
3 practical ways to overcome junk food cravings
Now that you understand how the taste thermostat works let’s talk about 3 practical ways to overcome junk food cravings.
Put a sign up in the pantry
I literally mean, to put a sign up in the pantry or if you don’t have a pantry put it on the cupboard door that says “stop” or “are you truly hungry” so that it causes you to pause. This is a really simple but powerful way to overcome cravings because oftentimes we aren’t even hungry when we head to the pantry for a pop-tart or chips.
Or it’s just been a habit for so long that it becomes habitual to head to the pantry in the afternoon when you’re bored. But having a visible sign up causes you to pause and then you’ll have a chance to assess if you’re truly hungry or if you can choose something healthier.
Having visual cues is a powerful way to stop unhealthy habits.
Make the healthier option easier (put junk food up and away)
Your environment either encourages or discourages your healthy habits. It’s important that you create an environment that will reduce your need to rely on willpower.
We can do this by placing healthy foods at eye level and at the front of the fridge or out on the counter. And putting the unhealthy options and treats tucked in the back of the pantry or in the storage room.
The easier something is to grab the more likely you will be to eat it. So by making the healthy choice easy you’re setting yourself up for success and preventing yourself from having to rely on willpower.
It’s important to create the type of environment where the habits that you want to form will thrive – an environment that makes them obvious and easier to incorporate each day.
If/then strategy
Let’s talk about the next strategy. And that’s the if/then strategy.
The “If/Then strategy” is perfect for anticipating how you might be tempted to give in to excuses. It allows you to plan ahead so IF you are hungry or snacky THEN you will have a plan in place. This will help you choose healthier options because you’ve already determined ahead of time what you will do instead of choosing something unhealthy in the moment.
So practically. You can plan this out, and say If I’m hungry while watching TV in the evening THEN I will have popcorn.
Or if I’m hungry in the afternoon THEN I will have an apple with peanut butter.
You create a plan to keep you from failing.
Anticipating what can go wrong is one of the best tools you can use to prevent you from giving in to the excuses that will arise and prevent you from reaching your goals.
Conclusion
So, the moral of the story is: stop trying to overcome your cravings by avoiding them. It’s not going to work. They will always be there unless you put these strategies into action. Once you do, then you will be able to overcome your cravings without feeling deprived.
So which strategy are you going to implement to help you overcome your cravings?