TEMPTRESS! in the office.
One minute, you're innocently going about your day—the next,
you're in the clutches of desire. Your object of lust: a chocolate cupcake with
buttercream icing. Next thing you know, you're licking frosting off your
fingers.
What just happened? You were struck by a food craving. In a study
from Tufts University, 91% of women said they experienced strong food cravings.
And willpower isn't the answer. These urges are fuelled 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 a greedy 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. Ask yourself: Am I stressed
out?
When you're under pressure, your body releases the hormone
cortisol, which signals your brain to seek out rewards. 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.
Do this:
Stimulate happiness. "Women especially have a profound
emotional reaction to music," notes Bulik. She asks her clients to 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," says Bulik. 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, she says.
Choose the best distraction. "What you're really craving is
to feel better," says Linda Spangle, RN, a weight loss coach in
Broomfield, CO, and author of 100 Days of Weight Loss. 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," says Laurie Mintz, PhD, a
professor of counseling psychology at the University of Missouri. Instead,
identify your current emotion—bored, anxious, mad—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.
2. Ask yourself: 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 three 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.
Do this:
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.
3. Ask yourself: Am I getting enough sleep?
In a University of Chicago study, a few sleepless nights were
enough to drop levels of the hormone leptin (which signals satiety) by 18% and
boost levels of ghrelin, an appetite trigger, by about 30%. Those two changes
alone caused appetite to kick into overdrive, and cravings for starchy foods
like cookies and bread jumped 45%.
Do this:
Have some caffeine. It can help you get through the day without
any high-calorie pick-me-ups. It won't solve your bigger issue of chronic sleep
loss, but it's a good short-term fix until you get back on track.
Portion out a serving. You probably don't have the energy to fight
it, so try this trick: Before you dig in, dole out a small amount of the food
you want (on a plate) and put the rest away.
4. Ask yourself: Am I a creature
of habit?
You may not realize it, but seemingly innocent routines, such as
eating cheese popcorn while watching TV, create powerful associations. "The
brain loves routine. The thought of letting go of these patterns can cause a
fear response in an area of the brain called the amygdala. "Once the food
hits your lips, the fear response shuts off in a heartbeat.
Do this:
Eliminate sensory cues. Smells, sights, and sounds all act as
powerful triggers. Watch TV in your basement or bedroom so you're far away from
the kitchen full of snacks.
Picture yourself healthy. Try Maurer's "stop technique":
Every time the food you crave pops into your head, think, Stop! Then, picture a
healthy image (say, you lean and fit). After a while, your brain will dismiss
the food image and the craving will subside. "One of my clients did this
four or five times a day, and within 2 weeks, she stopped turning to sweets
every night after dinner," he says.
Shift your focus. Australian researchers found that distracting
your brain really does work. When a food craving hits, divert your attention to
something visual not related to food, like typing an email.
Conclusion:
The more we eat healthy, the less natural it feels to reach for a
piece of cookie or a bag of chips when we get hungry. It is then not a matter
of depriving ourselves or forcing ourselves, but simply a conscious recognition
of respecting what feels the best for our body in the long-term run.
When we eat healthy, we physically feel good. We mentally have
more energy to do the things that matter. When we are both globally conscious
and personally healthy in our eating choices, we are contributing to the
welfare of the planet. Our decision to practice healthy eating habits has so
many consequences in so many ways.
Eating healthy, after all, is not about losing your ability to
enjoy indulgences. It is a matter of gaining so many things that will affect
you for the rest of your life: a longer life, a wholesome sense of self-esteem
and the joy of respecting your body for all that it does for you. Amen!
Inbox me at FemCoreNutrition@gmail.com for
any further questions.
Femcorenutrition
H24Endurance
Femcorenutrition
H24Endurance
