How Can I Stop Myself From Eating Unhealthy Food: 12 Tips To Stop Your Cravings

Do you ever wonder how can I stop myself from eating unhealthy food? Well, that’s how some people feel every day. They crave chocolate cake or salty chips, and they can’t have them.

But why do these people want to avoid their favorite food? Is there a way to stop cravings for unhealthy food?

We all know the feeling of being hungry and wanting something delicious, but we also know that our favorite foods are often not the healthiest options out there.

It is possible to continue eating things we enjoy as long as they aren’t overly processed, high in sugar, fat or salt, and lacking in nutrients. In this article, I will show you some ways to start living a healthier lifestyle.

Why do I crave unhealthy food?

Craving unhealthy food is associated with a number of factors. The most common reason people crave bad food is due to emotional eating, which has recently been linked to hormone levels associated with stress.

Sugar seems to have the biggest effect, causing greater cravings in women who are stressed than those who are not. For example, cortisol levels surge during stress, and these higher cortisol levels have been shown to enhance sweet cravings.

How Can I Stop Myself From Eating Unhealthy Food?

There are 12 things you should consider when trying to deal with your cravings; These tips will help you break the bad eating habits that might be causing problems. Depending on the person, some of them will work better than others, but it is important to try them all before you give up.

1) Drink More Water

A glass of water can help you stop your cravings for unhealthy food. Sometimes when we are hungry, what our body really needs are fluids instead of food.

So if you feel like snacking on some chocolate or salty chips, drink a glass of water instead. It will make you feel fuller and reduce your hunger.

2) Eat Healthy Small Meals Every 2-3 Hours

Eating healthy small meals every two or three hours can help you control your cravings for unhealthy food. Not only is this beneficial because the body doesn’t crave junk food, but it also helps to balance your blood sugar levels and make you feel full for longer.

3) Eat When You Are Hungry, Not When You Are Bored

Another reason why people like eating junk food is that they do it when they are bored. They don’t realize that the boredom is only temporary; if they were to start doing something else, they would forget about the food.

So if you are feeling bored and starting to crave something unhealthy, try reading a book instead of reaching for that chocolate bar.

4) Distract Your Mind

When you start craving an unhealthy food, distracting your mind can often help. For example, if you are craving chocolate cake because it tastes delicious and you can’t have it, try to focus your mind on something else, like going for a walk in the park.

5) Remember Why You Are Trying To Stop This Habit

A good way to remember why you want to stop this habit of craving unhealthy food is by writing it down. Keep a journal or notebook where you write the reasons you want to reduce your intake of unhealthy food. Then when you are craving something, read it through and remember why you want to break this habit.

6) Chew Gum

Chewing Gum can help stop cravings for junk food because it keeps your mouth occupied. It also reduces the levels of ghrelin in your stomach which is a ‘hunger hormone. So if you have a craving for something delicious, have a piece of Gum and your craving might go away.

7) Clean Your House

This might seem strange, but it can really help! When we’re stressed or upset, we often eat junk food to comfort ourselves, so try giving yourself a break by cleaning your house. It is often hard to do anything else when you are surrounded by mess and stress, so this method might be very beneficial.

8) Remember That It Is All In Your Head!

When we crave junk food and unhealthy snacks, we want so much for them to be in our mouth, but they can’t be, so try to stay strong. Sometimes, when you are craving something, your mind tells you that you want it, not because your body actually needs it.

So next time you crave junk food, think about why and work out if this is just your mind playing tricks on you.

9) Don’t Buy Junk Food

If you know that you are going to crave unhealthy food when it’s in the house, why would you buy it? If you don’t have any in the house, then there is no chance of craving it.

10) Play With Your Food!

When we eat junk food like chips or chocolate, our hands often play with them before they go into our mouths. For example, we move them around on the plate with a fork, and we make designs out of the chocolate bar wrappers.

So give your food some love and play with it! Look at how big and beautiful it is and how many different colours there are; you don’t have to eat it straight away, just enjoy it.

11) Stop Drinking Soda!

Many people who crave junk food do so because they are tired of drinking plain water all the time. They’re craving something more exciting, and this is where sugar-filled drinks come into play. So if you want to reduce your cravings for junk food, stop drinking soda full of sugar and chemicals!

12) Think Of The Health Benefits!

If you are craving junk food, think of all the benefits of being healthy. Imagine how proud you will be once you have broken this habit and your life is full of new health experiences.

If walking past the shop makes you want some chocolate, imagine how proud you’ll feel when you walk past it without being tempted.

How long does it take to stop craving unhealthy food?

It might take some time to get to the point where you no longer crave junk food, but it gets easier. The more healthy alternatives you introduce into your life, the easier it will be to stop craving junk food.

For example, if you eat chocolate every day and then go two days without any, your body will probably crave it on the third day.

So if you introduce one chocolate bar into your life per week, then by the end of the month, you’ve eaten 4 bars, and your body we’ve got used to not having so much chocolate.

But if you break the habit now, for example, by eating healthy fruit every day or chewing Gum when you crave something sweet, after a few weeks your body will have got used to this change and you, on the other hand, can feel proud for breaking this habit.

But remember, it takes time, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you are still craving junk food after a week or two!

Conclusion

Cravings happen, and often at the worst time. However, that doesn’t mean you have to give in! Thankfully there are a number of ways to fight back against those pesky cravings.

Some people claim that drinking more water can help reduce your need for sugary drinks or comfort food; others swear by chewing Gum when they’re feeling tempted by junk food.

The point is: if you find yourself craving unhealthy foods, don’t just give up on it right away– try one of these methods first before giving in to temptation!