Don’t give into cravings

Unfortunately, cravings are inevitable and we are all bound to experience them at some point, especially when following a healthy diet for the very first time.

The first tactic is simply to refuse to give in to them. Cravings usually last for a short period of time, and if you find ways to distract yourself and keep busy you’ll find that they eventually disappear altogether. It is normal to crave junk food, but it is at these moments that you must practice mental training. Use your willpower and make sure you acknowledge that building the best body you’ve ever had is much more important and valuable to you than eating unhealthy food.

Cheat meals

Remind yourself that you can still indulge in your favorite foods in moderation, but limit your intake to once a week. Cravings will be much easier to deal with psychologically if you know that you are still able to enjoy your favorite foods. You’ll enjoy your cheat meal so much more when you know that you’ve worked hard and truly earned it.

Indulge moderately

If you simply must give in to your cravings, control your portions. As long as you spend the majority of your time maintaining a healthy diet and exercising, a small nibble will not overly affect the positive results. Allow yourself a few bites, to satisfy your cravings, and don’t let it turn into a binge fest.

Recognize health benefits

When you fuel your body with nutritious food, you improve all aspects of your life, both mentally and physically. Healthy food will help you build a lean body of which you can be proud - it will also boost your metabolism, immune system and confidence. Remind yourself that you are doing your health a big favor by not eating junk.

Do not see it as a sacrifice

Life is so much more enjoyable when you are fit, healthy and confident, and jeopardizing all this is not worth the momentary pleasure you might experience while eating junk food. When you eat healthily, you are not only transforming your body but your whole life too. Recognize that you are not depriving yourself of anything when you cut out food that makes you fat and unhealthy – you are actually gaining so many benefits, which will always outweigh the fleeting enjoyment that comes from giving in to cravings.

Prepare yourself mentally

Expect to deal with cravings and with watching people around you eat badly. However, remember that you’re a strong person who has the willpower to say no to junk. If you are prepared mentally, it will be much easier to say resist cravings when you start to experience them. If you find it hard to watch people around you eat unhealthy food, schedule a cheat meal in advance for a particularly difficult day.

You've already overcome harder challenges

We’ve all faced problems and dealt with difficult circumstances in our lives, and you’ll find that giving up junk food will be much easier than most of the problems you’ve already overcome. With time, you will find that it is no longer hard to deal with at all. I can use myself as an example of someone who used to live on unhealthy food on a daily basis. The first month of giving it up was the hardest, but now my body no longer needs it and I NEVER crave junk food. I actually like the discipline of eating right and pushing myself to reach my full fitness potential, and I’ve realized that life is so much better this way.

Train your body to stop craving junk

When you constantly eat junk, your body gets used to it and consistently asks for it. The less junk you eat, the less your body will want it and the less you will crave it. It can take up to a month before you really stop craving unhealthy food, but eventually eating quality food will become habitual. Train your mind and your body to see junk food as food that is off-limits, except for an occasional indulgence.

Never give up

If you did cave in and binge on the bad stuff, don’t give up. Even some of the best athletes in the world have days when they miss training sessions and overeat. Success does not come from never failing, but from picking yourself back up every time you fall. Get back up and keep going. You can do it!

"Healthy food is the only food your body is really craving."