10 tips to Beat the Cravings.

Over the years I've read various magazine's theories and watched countless documentaries by the amazing Anna Richardson and so many more on how the lose weight, how to stop wanting sugary snacks all the time and I thought I'd share with you some of my favourites that are easy to incorporate into your daily routine. 

1. Before each meal drink 2-3 glasses (250ml or more per 'glass') - This simple tip stops you over portioning at home or over ordering in a restaurant. Whether you are thirsty or not drinking water suppresses your appetite so you only eat what your body actually needs. Try this before you think about snacking on something and if you're still craving sugar eat an apple. It gives your body the same feeling of a sugar boost but has healthy benefits such as vitamin C and roughly four grams of fiber per medium apple.
2. Only eat at a table or designated eating spot - To avoid eating pointless junk, eating three set meals a day at a place designed for food intake sends signals to your brain to avoid you grabbing convenience food on the go or sitting on your sofa being inactive whilst piling in pound popping food. Eating whilst doing something is a distraction so we are often unaware of how much we are eating because it seems quick and unsatisfying. Sitting down and watching your plate and concentrating on your food gives your brain time to process the intake and feel full once finished. Cutting your food into smaller pieces and chewing properly paces your body to digest the food so you don't bloat or get heartburn from eating to quickly. It means your cravings for more food after will be reduced significantly and that means no extra weight.
3. Don't eat late at night - Eating late at night seems to be the solution to all our midnight munchies, but it's just another simple way of adding excess weight we don't want. I avoid eating after 7 or 8pm unless it's a special occasion you can't avoid. By doing this you should feel full up until around 10pm when ideally you should be winding down and starting your nightly routine for bed. If you are up late at night your body seeks unnecessary foods to stay alert, so by getting an earlyish night you wake up refreshed wanting a healthy substantial breakfast that will stop you pigging out during the day.
4. Keep your finished result out - Whenever eating something from a wrapper, packet off a plate or whatever, leave the finished results out in front of you. This tells your brain that you must be full because you've clearly eaten, obviously don't leave it there all night but for a good hour or until you move onto your next task.
5. Portion your meals - Your breakfast should be the biggest meal of the day. For some that sounds awful but a few glasses of water before your bowl of super food fueling oats with natural honey is a really healthy way to boost your metabolism with a low fat content. Teaming this with homemade super food smoothie made of vitamin filled fruits will keep you going until lunchtime. Your lunch should be half your breakfast, this is because breakfast needs to be biggest to get your through the day and be burnt off through exercise and being active until recharged with a light lunch. Lunch is great place for lean meats (non-fatty) such as turkey to give you plenty of protein, pair it with some veggies like broccoli and spinach to send you through the rest of the day until dinner. Dinner needs to be smaller than your lunch because it's the latest time of eating which means less time to be burnt off! This is a perfect chance to nourish your body with something like a vegetable soup that contains lots of healthy nutrients that will do wonders in your sleep. Remember the sizing as eating breakfast as a King, lunch as a Prince and dinner as a Pauper.
6. Eat a specific times - If you want your body to stop wanting sugar or crisps at around 11am you need to get a rhythm with your food, if your body is used to eating say at 7am, 1pm and 7pm it won't be hungry until those times; meaning snacks won't be needed. Your body will appreciate the healthy foods it's being given at those times and  be less inclined to want anything in between.
7. When in the mood for a binge make something that takes a while to prepare - If you're feeling in the mood for an intense hit from chocolate or crisps stop and take the time to prepare a food that will actually give you health benefits. By the time you've prepared it you'll be less inclined to eat it! Or if time really is an issue then pre-plan your snacks in small snack pots with things like parma ham and salad or hummus with carrot and celery sticks. Simple snacks that can be ready to go and give you a satisfied rather than sluggish feeling.
8. When out shopping make sure you've already eaten an endurance enhancing food - Shopping with friends can seem like the perfect time to indulge in a treat 'just this once' but that's the second your diet goes out the window because a chocolate biscuit here and there does add up and 'treats' don't treat your body nicely. Instead before you go out have some oats that are high in fiber to keep you energised and keep sipping water to stop that feeling of being hungry. When food shopping budget yourself and stick to a list, if you're full when you go then you won't be enticed by empty calorie snacks that won't keep you satisfied. The budget will help you stay away from offers on these foods and keep you focused on buy five different fruits and five different vegetables.
9. Pause between second helpings -  When feeling hungry for more don't rush to get another load, take take five minutes then have 2-3 glasses of water and wait another 5-10 minutes, usually you should feel full and unable to fill yourself with more food, but if you are then give yourself half of what you think you want and then have another 2-3 glasses of water afterwards. You should be satisfied and full.
10. Think about how you'd feel if you had something unhealthy - Before having a binge on something you know you shouldn't move past the satisfaction of your craving and think about what damage it would do. Is there a benefit to that slice of cake? No. So stop. By saying no once you'll find it much easier to reject it the second time and then if you continue it should feel like second nature to say no to what you don't need.

All these tips are from my own memory not something I have 'googled' any likeness to internet findings are purely co-incidental and not intentional.