How to Conquer Food Cravings and Shed Pounds

Often, people trying to lose weight face food cravings. These cravings are usually for specific types of food - not just anything to fill the stomach. Unfortunately, we probably won't have cravings for fruits and vegetables. Instead, they are often for candy, chocolate, or anything that will provide sugar and carbohydrates to our bodies. Sometimes, our cravings are for an extra serving of chips, wine, and other foods of which our diets are not allowing.

Most people consider food cravings as a sign of lack of will power or bad habits. However, this is not the case! There's actually biological reasoning to food cravings. To fully understand how to conquer these cravings, we must fully understand why we have these cravings.

Reasons for food craving

Have you ever felt exhausted or down? When this feeling occurs, the body signals the brain that it needs something to give it a spark- sugar and carbohydrates. Serotonin, our "feel good" hormone, at low levels is very similar to the feeling of low blood sugar. The body feels that it needs sugar because it thinks the blood sugar is low. However, sugar can only release a small amount of serotonin; thus the cravings return after only an hour or two.

Another reason for food cravings is adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue is the feeling of tiredness when you are stressed out or have not had a peaceful sleep. Again, the body seeks a spark. This time it looks for things such as coffee in the morning and alcohol at night; two items that are full of sugar and carbohydrates.

Beating food craving

There are basically three ways to beat food cravings. Avoid situations that lead to food cravings- stress, not enough sleep, etc.-, develop resistance and choose a fruit instead of a candy bar, or purchase pharmaceutical products that prevent cravings. It won't be easy to do so, but food cravings can be stopped and full resistance will develop.