by joshbousel

Summers signify for many the outdoor-eating season: weddings, soirees and barbecues to mention just a few. Alfresco dining, drinking and merry-making can feel more healthy just because you’re out of doors and closer to Mother Nature but those large gatherings of friends and/or family, freely-available alcohol, lots of meat and huge selections of buffet style food can all wreak havoc on your waistline and undo all your good work of your gym sessions that week.

Avoid binge eating and stay healthy with three simple strategies given below.

Do not arrive hungry!

If you arrive at a setting like that already hungry then by the time the aromas of those tempting, fatty foods start wafting though you will already have decided to devour your fair share. Do eat before you get there- something substantial with a low GI to keep your blood sugar steady and your cravings minimal. This will let you make sensible decision about the food once you arrive.

Alcohol Consumption

As well as being packed with calories that do not benefit your body, alcoholic drinks weaken your resolve and increase cravings for calorific, fatty foods. Limit your alcohol or just keep it clean with water. Another huge benefit of not drinking is that you can avoid those crazy drunken arguments that sometimes erupt when people drink too much.

Exercise

If it’s possible do some exercise before you go- this will not only get your metabolism spinning faster and thus able to deal with whatever you eat more efficiently, but it has the advantage of steering your subconscious in the right direction so you are less likely to binge on “fat people food” and more likely to choose healthy, “fitness people food”. If you can’t manage a session before you go then find a creative way of burning off some calories while you are there. Suggest a walk to see a pretty view, bring some kit along to play cricket or softball, dance!

Not only will you and your friends/family benefit from burning off a load of calories but you’ll all have a fun time- these are the moments that build great memories and make great photos (not all the wasted time spent drinking, over-eating and arguing).

Have fun this summer!

by roboppy

Cravings, oh dear, they’re the devil on your shoulder telling you to go and get a huge cookie or lose yourself in an enormous bag of chips. They spur you on to go on the prowl like a bear looking for a calorie-laden treat to devour. Bad for your health and disastrous for your resolve, not to mention your waistline, is there a way to stop cravings?

I have developed number of strategies that have helped me over the years and these ways to curb cravings for unhealthy foods have definitely helped me get rid of the excess weight and stay slim.
There’s no magic bullet, no one-size-fits-all but my hope is that in reading this article you will find useful suggestions that will work for you.
We will first look at what cravings are and then look at a number of strategies to deal with them effectively.

What is a Craving?

A food craving is usually either physical: your body is genuinely requiring something e.g. there’s a blood sugar imbalance or emotional: your brain has linked up pleasure with a certain food and decided that it wants some.

How to Stop Cravings of Either type

In general, the first type can be prevented by having a nutrient-dense diet and eating regularly and drinking water throughout the day so that your body is being supplied with top-quality fuel and your blood sugar doesn’t spike up and down. This way, if your body has all it needs it won’t even need to nag you.
The second type of craving, however, can hit you even if you’re physically satiated and don’t actually need anything because the trigger is purely emotional. The good news is that this type of craving can also be prevented but you need to do two things: first, making sure you eat properly (as outlined above to prevent physical cravings) but secondly, you also need the apply some psychology to deal with it properly and permanently.

Physical Solutions fro Cravings

If you’re not already doing so then you need to adopt a healthy eating and exercise program because the best way to stop cravings is to keep you body adequately nourished. This means a varied diet with plenty of fresh vegetables, fruit and whole grains so that you not only feel full but your body is getting the nutrients it needs.
Also, eat every 3 hours. This is a technique used to boost metabolism for the purposes of burning maximum fat while conserving muscle tissue, I do this and can recommend it highly. If you eat a proper breakfast, a hearty and healthy lunch, a light supper and build in two nutritious snacks between then I think your body will not have much opportunity to get hungry. Plus you’ll have bags of energy and amazing, sustained concentration all day long.
Drink enough. Yes, yes it’s boring and everyone goes on about it, but it’s so important! Many times your body thinks its hungry when , in fact, it’s just dehydrated. Make up bottles of your own ice tea with herbal tea infusions made with filtered water and sip though the day.

And let that little voice inside tell you that you don’t have the time- you have the time for anything you are committed to, and you’re not going to get the body of your dreams without some serious commitment. You can do it, just imagine how proud you’ll feel to finally conquer cravings and melt off that excess belly fat.

Mental Solutions for Cravings

Let’s take a quick look at emotional cravings. Many times when we get these cravings it’s because we have, at some point in our lives, attached a happy feeling to a certain food. For me it was chocolate fudge cake; I used to see it and think pleasure, reward, happiness, OK I want some, now! Then one time (or maybe after several times!) I began to notice that I would have this sweet treat and feel just awful afterwards, and that was what I needed to debunk that particular craving. These days I look at a slice of junk like that and all I think is bloated, headache, gas- no thanks! Rather a different focus isn’t it? And that’s precisely my point: try to see these foods that you crave for what they really are.
If you feel like a treat then find other ways to get that hit- for some it’s having a massage, going to the movies or relaxing with friends. What are some treats that you enjoy that don’t involve eating?

I hope you found this useful and can make use of some of these techniques.
In the next article in this series I’ll let you into my techniques for dealing with cravings in a low blood sugar crisis.

Technorati Tags: Stop Cravings, Ways to Curb Cravings

I’ve gone from chubby to super-toned and my body is actually improving as I get older. I have read a significant amount on the subject of fitness and weight loss, have tried gyms, diets, exercise programs and I finally have a method that works. Not just for me but for the friends and family who I helped transform themselves permanently. Now I want to offer this advice to you, for free, on the best and zero-cost ways to permanently lose excess fat on your body and experience for yourself how amazing it is to have the body of your dreams.

Not only will I share the simple, fundamental truths of fat loss with you, I’ll let you into my motivation techniques so that you will effortlessly make the right choices day after day.

With the information here you’ll soon be on your way to permanent fat loss no matter your body type, history and all for free. Thanks for visiting.

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