Some days will be harder than others as you start your journey and notice that you have cravings like no other..
It makes it hard to want to lose weight and reach your goals when someone next to you is eating whatever they want and stuffing their face with pizza while you opt for a salad.
Sometimes you might even give in and say, "Screw this, I'll just have one slice." Then you realize about 30 minutes later you had 3.... oops!
The thing is, it happens. It is inevitable that it will happen at some point.
Being prepared and understanding your cravings can help tremendously in knowing what to do and what it means when you are craving anything to know how to combat it and even knowing when to indulge and when not to.
What Does It Mean When You Have Cravings
When you have a craving it usually means that you are lacking something in your daily nutrition. Whether it is water, more calories, or more nutrients of something that your body is trying to tell you that you are not getting enough of.
I remember when I had all of the cravings under the sun when I first decided I was going to start losing weight and eating healthier.
I mostly craved sugar as I was addicted to it, but later I learned it was because I hardly had any energy and I was wanting all of the sugar to combat my tiredness.
Dehydration
The most common sign of when a craving hits is that you are dehydrated and we tend to mistake our thirst for hunger in many cases.
So how do you tell the difference?
Signs of Hunger:
- Empty feeling in your stomach
- Stomach gurgling or rumbling
- Dizziness, faintness or light-headedness
- Headaches
- Irritability
- Lack of concentration
- Nausea
Signs of Thirst:
- Dry skin
- Feeling sluggish
- Dry-eyes
- Increased heart rate
- Headache
- Nausea
- Dizziness
To help keep your cravings at bay, don't wait until you are thirsty to grab a drink. Grab a drink of water and wait 20-30 minutes and see if you are still hungry and then grab a healthy snack or meal if you are.
Caloric Intake is Too Low
You do good all day and then when you get home at the end of the day, you realize you want everything you can get your hands on and can't stop eating...
Usually a pretty good sign that you didn't eat enough that day for the amount of activity you have been doing.
Women get so scared to eat more. Especially if you have lost any amount of weight, but the truth is that you can not 'diet' forever. You will have to eat to maintain or eat in a surplus eventually.
Your body knows what's up and will be trying to tell you again and again if you are not eating enough, so try and learn to listen to what you body needs.
No Balance in Your 'Diet'
If you have cut something completely out of your nutrition and a doctor didn't tell you to and then find yourself craving something that you have cut out... you don't have balance.
There are plenty of diets out there that tells you to cut out carbs, fruits, fats, etc... but if your doctor hasn't told you to or you don't have a close deadline for something that you are preparing for like a bikini competition or photo shoot, why are you doing it to yourself?
Cutting something out for the long-term is never really a good idea or sustainable long-term.
Easy Swaps to Make
If you are craving chocolate, try having nuts, seeds, and fruits instead.
If you are craving chips or something salty, try having cheese or green leafy veggies instead.
If you are craving bread or pasta, try having meat, whole grains, chia seeds, or nuts.
If you are craving fast food, try having fatty fish, whole grains, or avocado instead.
If you are craving sweets, try having sweet potatoes or fruit.
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