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Winter brings about a lot of amazing things: pumpkin spice lattes, fresh pies, warm chocolate chip cookies, fall-inspired cupcakes, and tasty peppermint bark. Is your mouth watering yet? Ours are. With all these amazing goodies that come around this time of year, how can you keep your cravings in check?
You might not be aware of it, but there are a few common mistakes that actually make your cravings worse. Read the list below to ensure you can say "no" to that pumpkin cream cheese cupcake after a good workout.
1. You use Instagram or Pinterest. A pizza cone. Fresh baked cupcakes with gorgeous decorations. A juicy burger. Food porn is amazing to look at, but it can be devastating to your control and incite intense cravings. According to Health Magazine, "In a small preliminary study from the University of Southern California, researchers found that images of high-calorie foods spark more activity in the reward areas of the brain than photos of low-cal fare."
2. Your serving is too big. Eventually, you'll have a craving so intense, you'll want to give in--and that's great! The problem is that you want to ensure you don't go overboard, making and eating a whole batch of chocolate chip cookies in one night. A 2013 study from Cornell University, researchers found that people who were given small snack-size portions of chocolate, apple pie, or potato chips reported feeling as satisified as those presented with much larger portions of the same foods--and they ate 76.8 percent fewer calories! Their conclusion: satisfy your craving with a small serving, then wait about 15 minutes for the craving to subside.
3. You don't eat anything. "Craving candy? Try eating a bowl of super-sweet sliced strawberries. What about chips? Crunch on salted, in-shell pistachios. Substituting what you're jonesing for with a similar-tasting healthy equivalent should be enough to satisfy you," says Marisa Moore, RD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "Cravings are short-lived and soon you'll forget about it but will have helped your health with a good snack. It's a win-win."
4. You don't understand your cravings. If you've been craving potato chips for a week straight without indulging, your body could be craving anything from salt to vitamin B--either way, there's a good chance your body is craving some aspect of the chips that you could satisfy in a healthier way. Christine Palumbo, RD, a faculty member of Benedictine University in Lisle, IL, recommends keeping a cravings journal. "It doesn't have to be anything fancy—just jot down a few notes on your phone. When a craving hits, log your emotions: you're tired, anxious, stressed, bored. Eventually, you'll pick out common patterns, and you can deal with the causes head on, rather than trying to eat as a solution."
5. Pairing your craving with unhealthy foods. If you're still craving that bag of potato chips, it's okay to give in! Simply pair a small serving of potato chips with a nice healthy salad, and your craving will be satisfied and your body will get the nutrient it might think it needs. A Vanderbilt University study suggests that this ends up making meals more tasty (and fun!), but still gives your body the nutrition it needs to function at its best. The researchers call it a "vice-virtue bundle."
6. You let yourself feel guilty. As we've said here before: guilt is fattening. It's normal to have cravings and it's fine to satisfy them every once in a while. If you're at Thanksgiving, have that slice of pie! Remember: you have to pack on some serious calories to gain weight in a single day (upwards of 3,500 extra calories!).
7. You try to refrain with willpower. "Straight-up willpower doesn't always work. It leads people to feeling like failures when they give in," says Moore. "A winning strategy: distraction." A recent study suggested that "three minutes spent playing the game Tetris reduced the strength of food cravings better than a control condition where people spent the same amount of time waiting around." A UK study suggested that a 15 minute walk can do the same!
8. You keep temptation around. Let's say you're craving a cupcake. Don't go to the store and buy a 6 pack of sprinkle cupcakes. Instead, buy one at the bakery counter or at a local bakery and indulge without keeping temptation around for days. "Out of sight, out of mind," says Moore. "If it's 10 p.m. and you want a cookie, you're probably not going to go out and get some," she says.
9. You're strictly dieting. "When you deny yourself foods you love all the time, it will build up and explode, making you more likely to binge," says Palumbo. "Allowing yourself a little something every day, whether you're looking to lose weight or not, can help take the power away from your cravings."
10. You don't eat a good breakfast. You may not be hungry right when you wake up, but skimping on breakfast can make your sugar and carb cravings worse later in the day. In one study in the Nutrition Journal, "overweight girls who ate a 350-calorie breakfast with at least 13 grams of protein had reduced cravings for sweet and savory foods compared to breakfast skippers." Researchers aren't sure why, but protein might help encourage the release of dopamine, a neurochemical involved in the brain's reward centers that can help manage cravings.
What do you think about this list? What surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments!
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