Muscle Nerd Articles How To Conquer Food Cravings!Mmmmmmm! My wife is baking cookies as I write this article!
Do YOU have insatiable food cravings?
Everyone does, right?
Maybe for you it's CHOCOLATE...or POTATO CHIPS...or LIME JELL-O!
Whatever it is for YOU, food cravings are one of the reasons so many diets FAIL. After a few weeks of depriving yourself, you mindlessly scarf down your "secret sin" food and then wallow around in self-guilt.
Sound familiar?
Well, here are 4 TIPS TO CONQUER YOUR FOOD CRAVINGS...
Food Craving Tip #1: Time Your Indulgence
The best time to eat your "guilt foods" are shortly after training. This is when your body can actually USE the common insulin spike from eating sugary foods to help your muscles recover from your workout. That helps you build or maintain muscle which will in turn help you burn more fat.
Food Craving Tip #2: Find Healthier Alternatives
Eating the WRONG foods isn't an "all or nothing" ordeal. So many people say, "If I'm gonna blow my diet, I may as well blow it BIG!". Wrong answer! Choose low-fat egg nog over full fat...dark chocolate over milk chocolate...bake without the lard, full fat butters, or hydrogenated oils that recipes call for and use "healthy" oils instead. One of my favorite "desserts" is sugar-free vanilla pudding mixed with vanilla protein powder!
Mmmmm...muscle-building goodness for late-night cravings!
Food Craving Tip #3: Cheat, Cheat, Cheat!
When you're trying to lose weight, a "cheat day" can actually HELP you achieve better results! If you've been programming your body to deal with reduced calorie intake, it can adapt and try to hold on to body fat because it feel it needs to conserve that valuable fuel source. But by adding a "cheat day" in (no more than once a week!), you can jolt your sleepy metabolism into letting go of more body fat.
Food Craving Tip #4: Plan Your "Make Up"
Too often when falling off the wagon, people see it as "failure" and just give up. Instead, when you know you're going to be "cheating", PLAN for how you're going to compensate. So if you find yourself at a party and the voices in your head are screaming for chips and dip, mentally COMMIT to hitting the gym the very next day with the intention of burning off those extra calories!
Do YOU have insatiable food cravings?
Everyone does, right?
Maybe for you it's CHOCOLATE...or POTATO CHIPS...or LIME JELL-O!
Whatever it is for YOU, food cravings are one of the reasons so many diets FAIL. After a few weeks of depriving yourself, you mindlessly scarf down your "secret sin" food and then wallow around in self-guilt.
Sound familiar?
Well, here are 4 TIPS TO CONQUER YOUR FOOD CRAVINGS...
Food Craving Tip #1: Time Your Indulgence
The best time to eat your "guilt foods" are shortly after training. This is when your body can actually USE the common insulin spike from eating sugary foods to help your muscles recover from your workout. That helps you build or maintain muscle which will in turn help you burn more fat.
Food Craving Tip #2: Find Healthier Alternatives
Eating the WRONG foods isn't an "all or nothing" ordeal. So many people say, "If I'm gonna blow my diet, I may as well blow it BIG!". Wrong answer! Choose low-fat egg nog over full fat...dark chocolate over milk chocolate...bake without the lard, full fat butters, or hydrogenated oils that recipes call for and use "healthy" oils instead. One of my favorite "desserts" is sugar-free vanilla pudding mixed with vanilla protein powder!
Mmmmm...muscle-building goodness for late-night cravings!
Food Craving Tip #3: Cheat, Cheat, Cheat!
When you're trying to lose weight, a "cheat day" can actually HELP you achieve better results! If you've been programming your body to deal with reduced calorie intake, it can adapt and try to hold on to body fat because it feel it needs to conserve that valuable fuel source. But by adding a "cheat day" in (no more than once a week!), you can jolt your sleepy metabolism into letting go of more body fat.
Food Craving Tip #4: Plan Your "Make Up"
Too often when falling off the wagon, people see it as "failure" and just give up. Instead, when you know you're going to be "cheating", PLAN for how you're going to compensate. So if you find yourself at a party and the voices in your head are screaming for chips and dip, mentally COMMIT to hitting the gym the very next day with the intention of burning off those extra calories!
