Beat your cold weather cravings: 8 effective techniques

The foods you crave are likely to be high in sugar, fats and carbohydrates — such as pizza, chocolate, cake and chips . Cravings can derail your efforts at weight control and may lead to binge eating, but you can learn how to manage them and stay on course with these tips.

  • Enjoy a small portion. Don’t give up these foods. In your overall healthy diet, include a small portion of the less healthy foods you crave. Better to enjoy a square of chocolate than to avoid it altogether.
  • Eat something healthy first. It’s often easier to eat less of the food you’re craving if you’re not ravenously hungry.
  • Keep the food you crave out of the house. Buy the item only when you plan to eat it, or order it at a restaurant.
  • Change your mental picture. When you experience a craving, replace the image of the food with a picture of yourself doing your favorite activity or some other pleasant image.
  • Distract yourself. Food cravings usually pass after 20 minutes. Try taking a walk or talking to a friend.
  • Chew gum. Chewing sugarless gum reduces hunger and cravings for sweet and salty snacks.
  • Get enough sleep and exercise. These habits help lower your levels of the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates appetite. Lack of sleep can lead to food cravings and overeating.
  • Substitute a healthier option. Satisfy your craving for something smooth and creamy with something low-fat or fat-free, such as yogurt, pureed fruit or buttermilk. Eat a piece of fruit as a healthy sweet snack.

Experiment to see which strategies work best for you so that you can control your cravings — not the other way around.

Confused about serving sizes?

Contrary to what you might think, portion control does not require taking drastic measures. Memorizing a complete inventory of food serving sizes or carrying measuring cups with you to meals just isn’t necessary. Simply use these serving size guide illustrations below to help you easily identify accurate portions.

Remember that a portion is not the same as a serving. A portion is an amount of food on your plate. A serving is a specific amount of food that equals a certain number of calories. Often the “portion” you eat contains more than one “serving.” Keep that in mind while cooking and making food selections.