Tag: deprivation diets

How to Curb Your Cravings Without Depriving Yourself

iStock_couple eatingsweets - cravings

Have you ever found yourself craving an entire bag of potato chips or a huge bowl of ice cream on a bad day?  Or, maybe some days seem harder than others to stick to your normal eating habits?  If so, you are NOT alone.

Research is showing us that controlling cravings is a lot less about will power and a lot more about creating new habits or in some cases addressing a nutritional deficiency.

Know What Your Cravings May Mean

If you’ve been finding it hard to satisfy your cravings, here’s what some of those cravings may mean and how you can curb them without feeling completely deprived.

    • Cravings for salty foods.  A craving for salty foods could mean that you are dehydrated or have a mineral or electrolyte imbalance.  It can also be caused by cutting back too much on your carb intake.  If you find yourself craving salty foods for no apparent reason, try drinking plenty of water and make sure that you are eating carbs with each of your meals.  Choose recipes with interesting spices and herbs to satisfy your craving for savory foods.  Add salted nuts to your diet.  Nuts make great snacks, taste great on salads, and work well in stir-frys.  Remember to pay attention to serving sizes which is usually around 1/4 cup or 16-18 nuts.  A small handful of nuts can go a long way.
    • Sugar cravings.  Research shows that a person can become physically addicted to sugar which means the more you eat, the more you want.  If you find yourself craving sugar often try grabbing a piece of fruit instead.  Deprivation can lead to binging so if sweets are one of your favorites it’s a good idea to incorporate them into your diet in moderation.  When you do decide to have a sweet treat avoid the artificially sweetened diet foods which can cause more intense cravings. Instead, eat small amounts of the real deal instead.  You are better off enjoying a piece of pie made from scratch or a 1/2 cup of real ice cream than you are eating  most processed desserts.
    • The late night snack.  Late night snacking can be triggered by a number of different things.  You may be over tired, justifiably hungry, or simply bored.  A lack of sleep can affect hunger controlling hormones so if you know you’ve been sleep-deprived, focus on getting at least 7.5  hours of sleep per night.  If you notice hunger pains in the evening and it’s been several hours since you’ve had dinner, you are probably hungry.  Eat a light snack that won’t interrupt your sleep.  If you’ve just eaten and you know you’ve been getting enough sleep you may be bored.  Try redirecting your attention to an activity unrelated to food.  Things like reading, stretching, organizing, folding laundry, or playing with a pet are all great ways to keep your hands busy doing something other than snacking.
    • When you’ve had a rough day.  There’s a valid reason you turn to Mom’s chocolate cake when you need a little pick me up on a bad day.  Eating “comfort foods” gives you a boost of serotonin and dopamine, which are feel-good transmitters that act like anti-depressants.  While it’s true that elevating your serotonin levels helps fight depression, turning to the sweets to elevate your serotonin levels may not be the best choice. You may feel great for a moment after eating a large piece of cake. However, when your blood sugar drops, you can go right back into the dumps and may experience guilt for sabotaging your weight loss goals.  Try experimenting with the lighter versions of comfort foods like a whole grain macaroni and cheese or berries with a small piece of dark chocolate on the side.  Or, turn to alternative sources of pleasure like taking a walk with your dog, enjoying a hot bath, or sipping on a glass of wine.

We all have food cravings from time to time. It’s knowing how to deal with them that will make or break our weight loss and/or management goals!

To your health and success!

Shared with love,
Jennifer Ledford

How to Lose Weight Without Feeling Deprived Or Hungry

Woman is Hungry Dieting

My friend wants to lose weight, so we were discussing weight loss the other day. She loves to cook and has a very healthy diet.  My friend believes it’s all about portion control.

Hang on! Here’s a trick you can use that goes way beyond portion control!

She’s right that reducing portion sizes can spur initial weight loss for many people. Or, at the very least stop the weight gain! However, after 20 plus years of helping people lose weight, I’ve learned that there’s more to it than portion control. For long term weight loss and management, you want to pay attention to portion sizes AND the calories in your food choices!

When you hear low calorie, you often think you have to give up on flavor or the foods that you really enjoy. Unless you frequent fast food chains on a daily basis, that is simply not true. The trick to losing weight without feeling deprived is substituting low-cal recipes for the original recipe.

Here are six yummy recipes you can convert to be lower in calories:

1) Buffalo Wings — 52 calories each. You have to eat a lot of wings to get full (maybe 10, so that would be 520 calories)! Buffalo Chicken Thighs from Cooking Light Magazine — 318 calories per two thighs.

2) Traditional recipe of Sesame Beef Stir-fry — 563 calories per serving. That doesn’t include the rice! Sesame Beef Stir-fry from Cooking Light Magazine — 230 calories per serving.

3) One plate at an Indian Buffet — 900 calories. Indian Spiced Chicken and Rice from Fitness Magazine — 376 calories per serving.

4) Homemade Macaroni & Cheese is a whopping 858 calories per serving! For some that’s half of their daily calories! Creamy Light Macaroni Cheese from Cooking Light Magazine — 390 calories per serving.

5) Traditional Pork Tacos — 419 calories per two tacos. Chipotle Pork Tacos from Cooking Light magazine — 299 calories per two tacos.

6) One battered large piece of cod — 556 calories. Never mind the fries! Crisp Crusted Fish Fillets via cooking light magazine — 291 calories per Serving. [minor changes to this section for consistency in formatting]

In most of these examples the caloric difference is major! Over time these extra calories add up for either weight loss or weight gain!

Wouldn’t you like a little dessert and still maintain your weight?

Maybe you are happy with your weight and just want to maintain. If that’s you, congratulations! Choosing the lower calorie meal allows you extras like dessert or a glass of wine without gaining a pound. If weight loss is your goal, the lower calorie meals will allow you wiggle room to splurge a little without sabotaging your efforts!

If you eat out often, try making the low cal version of your favorite dishes and bring the leftovers for lunch. By replacing traditional restaurant dishes with the lighter versions you are cutting down on the calories. Plus you will save time and money!

When eating out becomes less of the norm and more of a treat you are more likely to lose weight.

Can’t avoid eating out often? Here are some tips: 

  • Subscribe to a free calorie tracker like loseit and learn how many calories are in the typical restaurant meals you eat.
  • Look for the lower calorie meals on the menu and order them!
  • Choose fruit for snacks.
  • Substitute high calorie drinks with lighter fare (a glass of wine has less calories than a traditional margarita).
  • Save splurging for the weekly dinner with your spouse, friends, family, etc.

For more tips on how to eat out and still lose weight, go to my most recent article on this subject.  Here’s the link.

It is totally possible to lose weight without feeling deprived or hungry! Moderation in the Webster’s Dictionary is defined as “to lessen the intensity of.” Choosing lower calorie versions of your favorite meals and correct portion sizes fits this definition!

What secrets can you share that have helped you lower your daily calories? Is there anything specifically you would like to ask me? I love to hear from you! Please comment below!

Blessings!

Jennifer