Dealing with cravings

Q: How do I deal with cravings?

A: Some researchers speculate that cravings are driven by the body's attempt to acquire the nutrients it lacks. "Carbohydrate cravings can simply be from hunger because your blood sugar levels are too low," says Susan Schiffman, Ph.D., professor of medical psychology at Duke University Medical Center.

Seven Tips for Managing Cravings:

1. Drink water!
This is my favorite tip. In my training career, many clients have reported cravings for sugary or salty foods disappearing after following my recommendation that they drink a glass of water before indulging. The hunger mechanism is well perceived so the body can send hunger pangs when you are mildly dehydrated in an attempt to get you to drink something. After all most people have a beverage with food. Try a tall glass of water with a squeeze of lemon before you indulge. If it goes away, your body simply needed some fluids.

2. Cleanse your palate.
Stop eating your trigger foods and allow your cravings to weaken. Studies have shown that what you eat often is what you crave.

3. Get rid of the evidence.
When you've given in to a craving but "come to your senses", destroy it! Put it in the bottom of the garbage, pour water or salt on it. Make it undesirable so you do go back to it. You might "waste" the money, but you'll save your hips.

4. Brush your teeth.
Might sound crazy but when your teeth feel clean you don't really want to cookie dough or potato chip bits to mess it up.

5. Plan or avoid.
Sitting with friends who order mountains of fries or huge desserts while you sip water can be excruciating when your new habits are in their infancy. If you don't want to be the odd person out, share a dessert with the group or order a low cal dish like sherbert or fresh fruit. If all else fails avoid such settings until you have your routine down pat.

6. Give yourself permission.
This goes back to planning. Schedule your cheat (aka treat) days. No one expects you to abstain from the foods that you love but aren't good for your waistline indefinitely. Enjoy your treats in moderation and occasionally.

7. Give yourself ten minutes.
Cravings usually last a short time. Get up and get busy. If you're truly hungry and not simply eating emotionally or out of boredom you'll know.

You can't drink calories, can you?

Many people "forget" that there are calories in the juices, drinks and latte-mocha-frappa beverages they consume as if somehow they all disappear when the ingredients are liquefied.

For the record, this is so not true!

In fact, several studies have pointed to the consumption of calories from beverages as one cause of the alarming number of overweight and obese people in the United States. Studies suggest that when people consume more calories from beverages, they don’t compensate by eating or drinking less. This could be both because there is nothing to chew and because caloric density per ounce quickly skyrockets.

A fresh orange, for instance, has about 45 to 86 calories depending on the size and most people are happy to eat just one. A simple glass of orange juice can contain the juice of as many as 8 or 9 oranges depending on their original size, and has about 122 calories per eight ounce glass. A Sunkist Naturals Orange Cream Smoothie is fortified to include protein and has 180 calories per eight ounce serving. The problem is, however, it comes in a 15.2 ounce bottle which is almost two cups. Question: who only drinks half the bottle? So after a few gulps you've consumed close to 360 calories! Go to a juice bar for a similar beverage and you could easily push 500+ calories.

And what about that morning/noon/afternoon coffee? Who among our coffee drinkers just orders (or makes) their coffee black? If you do, www.calorieking.com lists it at a mere 2 calories per cup. Those flavored, iced, and blended coffees and frappuccinos, on the other hand, can easily top 600 calories in one beverage!

So, if you're looking for a way to slim your figure, start by slimming your beverage choices. Drink responsibly:

1. If you're thirsty, drink water. This is one of the most important tips because you're more likely to over-consume if you are trying to quench your thirst.

2. Drinks other than water are treats. Add them to your daily consumption wisely.

3. Read the package. Compare the serving size to the number of serving available. Also, note the nutritional content. Is there added sugar or protein? Choose wisely.

4. Ask questions. Many coffee shops and restaurants have the nutritional content available upon request. Many also post the nutritional content online. You'd be amazed what you can find out with a little investigating if you REALLY want to know.

Slim Belly Eating



March is National Nutrition Month and a great time to take a serious look what you're eating.

A study released in the February 26th issue of the New England Journal of Medicine compared a variety of diet plans emphasizing varying degrees of fat, protein and carbohydrates, and found that you can lose weight with any eating plan that will help you to eat fewer calories. So, that means whether you prefer South Beach or Slim Fast, the end result is less calories in than calories out (burned). You can even treat yourself occasionally as long as you don't over do it.

Top strategies:

1. 80/20. Just like it sounds, healthy eating 80% of the time, 20% don't tell me what you had (within reason, of course.

2. The Weekend Rule. Treat yourself either with a meal choice or dessert on one day of the weekend. This is my favorite strategy when training for competitions.

3. Just a Bite. Eat a treat everyday, but only allow yourself a few controlled bites.

4. Write it Down. A recent study showed that people who wrote down what they ate were more likely to lose weight and keep it off than those who don't.

5. Use Small Plates/Utensils. A recent study showed that people who were given a large bowl and ice cream scoop served themselves and ate a whopping 60% more than those who were given smaller versions.

Check our fitness blog regularly this month for regular posts to help you eat healthy and slim your waistline.

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