10 tips to curb craving

1. Don’t skip meals. When you skip a meal, you will be more likely to experience cravings simply because you are hungry.

2. For the same reason, don’t starve yourself! Aim for a weight loss of 1-2 pounds a week and no more. If you eat too little your body will feel so deprived that these cravings are more like to strike.

3. Drink plenty of water. Dehydration can sometimes be mistaken for hunger and can heighten cravings, especially for sweet foods.

4. Understand that cravings are a normal response to living in an environment where food, and especially junk food, is freely available. Eliminate as many food cues as possible – if you are giving eggs as presents, give them away early so they are not in your house. Ask that no-one buys you an egg or choose a smaller egg so you don’t miss out completely.

5. Be aware that cravings pass. When you get a craving, wait 20 minutes. There is a good chance that it will subside. If it doesn’t, eat something small, you may be genuinely hungry.

6. Put distance between you and food. When the urge to eat hits stay away from the kitchen, go for a walk, leave the shopping centre and simply step away from temptation.

7. Take responsibility for your eating. Believing that certain foods are "addictive" may be a way of giving yourself permission to overeat. Chocolate isn't addictive.

8. Exercise rather than eat when you are stressed. When you eat fat/sweet food, such as chocolate, endorphins are released in the brain, which induce euphoric or pleasurable feelings. The same brain chemicals are released in response to aerobic exercise.

9. Indulge once in a while. Don’t deprive yourself completely of your favourite foods. This all-or-nothing attitude could be your down-fall. If you crave chocolate, it is unlikely that you will have a big blow-out if you eat a fun size bar of chocolate or two over the weekend.

10. Be aware of your eating. Begin to identify what these foods you are craving really provide. Is it really the ice cream or are you craving the comfort and security you get when you eat it?