18 May 5 ways to kill your food cravings! ? ? ?

#1 – Don’t keep your trigger foods at home! Okay so this may be an obvious one but it’s so important to make sure you don’t keep large quantities of comfort food at home. If you do then you’re more likely to binge! My trigger food is chocolate, once I start eating it I can’t stop ? Therefore, I rarely keep chocolate in the cupboard – I’ll just buy an occasional bar when I want one ?

#2 – Drink more water!? We often mistake being hungry for thirst, so make sure you’re drinking at least 6-8 glasses of water a day! I also recommend drinking a large glass of water if you feel hunger coming on suddenly, then wait at least 10 minutes to see if the hunger persists? More often than not we’re eating out of boredom and not actually due to real hunger!

#3 – Plan your meals and snacks! ? I advise planning your meals and snacks for a few days in advance. You’re much less likely to eat unhealthy foods if you’re well prepared. A further benefit is that it’ll also save you money ? Cooking a large batch of food is a great idea if you don’t mind eating the same meal for a few days in a row – once it’s done just shove it in a container and heat when you require it ?

#4 – Eat more protein ? If your current diet is extremely carbohydrate heavy it’s likely that you’ll feel hungry more often than a person eating a higher protein diet. Why? Well protein takes much longer to digest than carbs so it’ll keep you fuller for longer! If you are exercising a lot then it’s also important to keep protein intake high to allow for adequate muscle growth and recovery ?

#5 – Keep stress levels to a minimum where possible! So I know it’s not always possible to lead a stress free life, but trying to keep stress to a minimum will reduce your food cravings dramatically. Planning more in advance, taking a few minutes to yourself to unwind or even trying meditation are all great ways to keep stress at bay ? When we get stressed our cortisol levels (the stress hormone) increase – and this has been linked to weight gain! Basically what I’m saying is just chill out guys ?

Hopefully these 5 tips will help you reduce those pesky food cravings!