| A craving does not have to derail your healthy | | | | eating meal plan should be responsible grocery |
| eating meal plan. Cravings can come from | | | | shopping. |
| stressful situations or just wanting something that | | | | If you still feel the need to snack, try some low |
| you're used to eating. You know you're not | | | | calorie, healthy foods, such as: |
| hungry, you just 'need' to have that ice cream or | | | | - Ritz whole wheat crackers |
| that candy bar. | | | | - Fat free chips |
| Food craving is emotional and there's not a lot we | | | | - sugar free jello or pudding |
| can do to control a craving once it's upon us. We | | | | - Meal replacement shake like Slim Fast |
| can learn to manage how we respond to the | | | | - Low fat ice cream |
| urges. Success on your healthy eating meal plan | | | | - Non fat / sugar free yogurt |
| requires that you learn how to manage sudden | | | | - Light microwave popcorn |
| cravings. When we are upset many of us go for | | | | The above snacks may not be the most |
| 'comfort foods'. Those are the foods that taste | | | | nutritious but they're better than eating a pint of |
| good like ice cream, potato chips, cake and | | | | Chunky Monkey (TM) or half of a Sara Lee |
| chocolate. First recognize that you want to eat, | | | | cream pie. There are whole sections in grocery |
| not out of hunger but emotions. By coming to | | | | stores now dedicated to 100 calorie snacks. Most |
| grips with this and realizing that you might be | | | | of these are just smaller portions of normal junk |
| taking several steps back in your weight loss | | | | food but if you can discipline yourself to only |
| journey, you might just curb the craving right | | | | eating one serving, they can be a good |
| there. | | | | alternative. |
| If that doesn't work well enough, learn how to | | | | Part of any healthy eating meal plan is the |
| redirect that craving to something more | | | | flexibility to once in a while give in to those strong |
| constructive. Take a walk, ride a bike, call a friend | | | | urges. Sometimes if you have a craving, it cannot |
| or go window shopping. Do something to take | | | | be squashed with a substitute. If you've been |
| your mind off the stressful situation and | | | | sticking to your meal plan then you have earned |
| therefore the need to eat. The last thing you | | | | the opportunity to give in to that craving. |
| want to do is be sitting at home alone stressed | | | | An excellent way to guard against emotional |
| out. As you're grocery shopping keep in mind that | | | | eating is to have a good diet plan that allows you |
| if you don't have the 'comfort foods' in the house, | | | | plenty of flexibility. With a healthy eating meal plan |
| you will not eat them. Don't give yourself | | | | you should expect to lose one to two pounds per |
| unnecessary temptation by keeping unhealthy | | | | week. |
| foods around to snack on. Part of your healthy | | | | |