Food cravings… oh, we’ve all been there. I have a thing for potato chips myself! And since I have never advocated complete abstinence from any food group for weight loss I say, sure, go ahead and indulge… ONCE IN A WHILE.
But what if the cravings hit you a tad too often?
Food Cravings – 7 Tips to Stop Your Food Lusts
1 Wait it out.
Studies show that most cravings are actually not due to hunger but to some other emotion such as loneliness, boredom, stress eating, sadness, or even just plain thirst!
So when a craving hits, don’t give in right away. Instead, drink a glass of water, drink some green tea, or brush your teeth. And while you’re at it, picture your ‘new, slimmer, sexier, stronger you’ at the end of this fitness journey.
2 Stop looking at FOOD PORN online.
You’re not doing yourself any favors by constantly looking at food pictures on social media. Instead try do something that’s would have a positive effect on your physical and/or mental well being.
For instance, a light some candles, put on some relaxing music and take a long relaxing bath. Take a long reflective walk. Do some light yoga, or meditate.
3 Plan ahead.
Accept that cravings will happen. That’s normal! So knowing this, plan ahead.
What are your ‘triggers’? Cakes and donuts? Don’t buy them, or buy healthier alternatives (snack on unsalted nuts instead).
Often, you just need that ‘crunch’ to get over a bad craving. So pre-cut some crunchy veggies and stack them in the fridge. Dip them in peanut butter and you’ve got yourself a healthy treat!
4 If you’re keeping a food journal (and you should!), check your calorie consumption for the day.
Ok, I’ll just be brutally honest here. By being ‘confronted’ with a list of what you’ve already eaten for the day and how many calories you’ve consumed, chances are you’re going to experience a sort of ‘wake up call’ and realize that nah… those extra calories are just soooo not worth it.
6 You’ve got to move it, move it.
Instead of getting up and heading for the fridge, get up and go for a leisurely walk. You can walk up and down the stairs or just around your living room. Find that corny? Do it anyway… while calling someone ☎️.
6 RE-CAP
Check how far you’ve come in your fitness journey. Look at old pictures and think about what you’ve all done to get to where you are now. Do you really want to sabotage your efforts?
7 Bring out some sexy fit-spiration.
QUICK! Grab a fitness magazine or visit a fitness site or check out one of your fitness heroes. Now, this is something that REALLY works for MANY of my weight loss clients. Every time a craving strikes, grab a fitness mag, watch a weight loss program.. ANYTHING that motivates you towards fitness. Re-directing your thoughts to the good and healthy stuff, curbs your craving for the bad, weight-gaining stuff.
Here’s exactly what to do during those ‘I Feel Fat’ days.
We all have our ‘off’ days. We are, after all, human. However, if those ‘i feel fat‘ days are happening just a little bit too often then it’s time to develop some kick-ass positive thinking habits!
Remember, positivity and a good attitude will ALWAYS be more beneficial than any negative self-talk.
Here Are NINE Ways to Shake Off Those ‘I Feel Fat’ Moments
I feel fat moments can quickly turn to a downward spiral. Before you know it, you’re looking at yourself and things/people/events around you negatively. Don’t let that happen! Arm yourself with the following tips.
1 List At Least 3 Things You Love About Yourself
Ok, you’re having an ‘i feel fat’ moment. There it is; acknowledge it. Now, take a very deep breathe and as you exhale, imagine that negative feeling being expelled from your body.
Next, write 3 things you love about yourself and focus on those instead.
Examples: I’m a GREAT FRIEND. I can DANCE really, really, really well 🙂 I’m very OPEN-MINDED.
Examples: I love the color of my eyes. I have great hair! My nails are the envy of all my girlfriends.
They may seem ‘shallow’ at the start but trust me, this will get the positivity ball rolling.
2 Practice GRATITUDE
What are you grateful for? That you woke up to another day? That you have people you love, and love you back? That you got a sweet message from a friend?
It doesn’t matter if you’re giving thanks to something big or small. What’s important is that your appreciative of something GOOD. When you’re in this positive mindset, it’s easy to shift away from something negative.
3 Bring Out Your ‘Feel Good’ Toolbox
What are the things that bring an instant smile to your face? If you don’t have a go-to list right now, here are a few tips. (You can do just one but hey, doing all of them is fine too 🙂 )
Play some ‘feel good’ music. (Btw, if they’re dance tunes, pump up the volume and dance away!)
Pictures. Family pics, friend shots, vacation photos… whatever it is, take out and look at the ones that will instantly bring you to a happy place.
In my years as a fitness professional, I always come across this ‘guilt’ that many women have about prioritizing themselves. Everyone else must be taken care of first. Well, for those ‘I Feel Fat’ days or any day when you’re feeling down, give yourself the gift of importance. You deserve it girl!
Take a day off and read a book.
Get a haircut, manicure, pedicure, the works!
Get a massage.
Tinker in your garden.
Do the groceries leisurely (instead of running around like a headless, time-constricted chicken :))
5 Surround Yourself With Good, Positive People
Positivity is contagious. When you surround yourself with happy, smiling, optimistic people, it’s hard to be gloomy!
6 Go for Health, and Fitness-Focused Goals
When you feel fat, it’s easy to think that the solution is to turn to a ‘quick fix’ in the form of fad diets or crash diets. On the contrary, science shows that these quick fixes offer nothing but short-term results. They also put you at a high-risk for developing a slow metabolism. 1
Instead, focus on health-related and fitness-focused goals. When you adapt a plan or system that’s focused on your physical and mental well-being… I promise, the weight WILL drop off faster than you think.
BeFinallyFit is a unique 28-day eating strategy that focuses on not just dropping pounds, but with equipping you with the real-life tools you need to get in shape — in both mind and body.
Get back in ‘fighting form’ — at any age — with this sustainable weight loss system for women. Click here to start your journey.
7 Hit ‘Pause’
During an ‘I feel fat’ moment, it’s not surprising to feel like you don’t have control. However, instead of overwhelming yourself with everything you need to do or all the things you need to change. Sometimes, the best action is not to press ‘Play’ ▶️ but to hit ‘Pause’ ⏸️.
That is, take a moment.
Take a step back. BREATHE. And then… slowly make plans to make things better.
8 Go OFFline
Social media is great but there’s A LOT of things out there that actually promote those ‘i feel fat’ days. Your news feed can be unhealthy because it can promote feelings of comparison, jealousy, and competition. So, go OFF the grid for a bit. Focus on yourself. The rest of the world can wait.
9 Set Yourself Up for a GREAT DAY
If you set yourself up to have a great day, it’s easier to avoid any negative self-talk. For instance, if you hate waking up to your headache-inducing alarm clock, change the tune! Better yet, wake up to your fav mood-enhancing songs. Follow this up with some ‘gratitude thoughts’ and I bet your day’s already off to an amazing start! Here are a few more ideas.
If you’re in the habit of checking your phone the minute you wake up, read positive or motivational quotes first.
Got a bit more time? Try a light yoga routine or engage in a few minutes of meditation. (Light your favorite scented candle when you this and happy days!)
Treat yourself to a light, healthy, but yummy breakfast.
Dab on your favorite perfume whether you’re going out or not.
Don’t schedule anything until after lunch.
It’s OK to have an ‘I Feel Fat’ day now and then but that doesn’t mean you need to STAY in that vibe. Follow the above tips and you’ll bounce back in no time!
Weight loss newbie? THESE 5 ‘absolute beginner’ tips are for you.
There are TONS of weight loss tips online for people who are just getting into fitness. However, from my experience, even these ‘newbie tips’ are still way too advanced for people who have never embarked on any fitness routine whatsoever.
So – for the ABSOLUTE BEGINNER – the following fitness tips are for you 🙂
5 Weight Loss Tips for Fitness Newbies
1 Start walking. There are so many fitness activities that beginners often ask themselves where to start. Don’t overthink this! The most important thing is to get moving. So start moving… NOW.
2Drink more water. Today, we consume A LOT of extra calories via the beverages we drink.
3 Start a food journal. If you KNOW what you’re eating… you’ll MIND what you eat.
BeFinallyFit comes with the FREE food journal -> If I Bite It, I Write It! Register with BFF now to get your own free journal!
4 Make some smart food swaps. Don’t make any drastic diet changes. The key is to make a few small adjustments so that you don’t get overwhelmed. Once the small changes you’ve made become a habit, start adding even more food swaps.
5 Find a fitness buddy and/or join a gym class. Don’t make any drastic diet changes. There’s no need to go through your fitness journey alone. It’s much more fun – and yes, it helps you stay true to your fitness routine – if you’re with like-minded people. However, having said this, if you prefer to do things alone at the start, that’s fine too if that’s what works for you.
I’ll leave it at this for now. Really, as an absolute beginner you should simply start with the above. Once you finish with these tips, you’ll be more than ready to take on other changes and activities.
Here are 5 science-based tips to quickly get rid of morning bloat.
Morning bloat… no one ever likes to wake up feeling heavy, puffy, and gassy. Unfortunately, this is quite common.
In fact, one digestive survey shows that a shocking 74% of Americans are living with digestive issues like diarrhea, gas, abdominal pain, and yes… BLOATING. So what do you do about it?
5-Step Plan for Fast Morning Bloat Relief
Ok, you just woke up and you’re feeling bloated and downright uncomfortable. No worries; get up, perform your bathroom rituals and then proceed to do the following anti-bloating remedies.
1 Drink this all-natural de-bloating tea.
Cut up some fresh ginger (about 1″ pc) and place in a mug. Add in ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar (preferably organic), 1 tbsp lemon juice, and top this off with hot water. After about 3 mins, plop in 1 green tea bag (preferably organic). If you must sweeten this, add 1 tsp honey (NOT SUGAR).
Let this steep for about 2-3 mins and then sip away! (If you don’t have all the above ingredients in your kitchen, then the ginger and hot water will do.)
Why this works:Ginger aids in digestion (and prevents smelly gas); apple cider vinegar helps balance the pH levels in the intestine; green tea improves digestion and helps expel gas; and lemon juice relieves water retention.
2 Do this air-pushing belly massage.
Carry your de-bloating tea with you, place a yoga mat or thick towel on the floor and do the following belly massage.
Optional: if you have some castor oil or any massage oil, put some on your hands and then rub your hands together to warm them up before you massage your tummy.
Lie flat down with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on the right side of your belly (near the hip bone). Now — applying GENTLE pressure — massage your belly by making small, tight circles in that area. After about 3 rotations, move up, massage 3x, move up, massage 3x, and so on, until you’ve made a full rotation around your belly button.
Next, massage around your belly button by making just one big rotation around it. Repeat this 10-20 times.
Why this works: Abdominal massages help eliminate water retention, alleviate stomach cramps, and aids in ‘moving air’ in this region so that it’s easily expelled.
3 Do these simple, bloat-busting yoga moves.
Well, since you’re already lying down, might as well continue with some wind-expelling yoga moves, right?
Apansana (knees-to-chest). Lie down on your back, legs stretched out. Breathe in deeply and as you slowly exhale, fold your legs and hug your knees to your chest. To maximize the stretch, rock your knees slightly from side to side.
Stay in this position for about five deep breaths but keep these in mind: (1) when you inhale, loosen your grip to allow your legs to move away a bit from your stomach.; (2) as you exhale, tighten your ‘hug’ around your knees.
Ardha Matsyendrasana (seated spinal twist).Start by sitting down and extending both legs in front of you. Bend your right knee and place the sole of that foot on the ground next to your left thigh. Beginning at the base of the spine, rotate slowly to the right, bringing your left arm over and outside your right knee.
Inhale deeply and with each exhalation, try to extend your twist further. Switch sides.
4 BREATHE DEEPLY
Sit up comfortably on your mat (or towel). Keeping your spine tall (imagine a string pulling you upward from the top of your head).
Inhale deeply, feeling the air enter your nose and then imaging that air go down through your throat… all the way down to your belly. As you slowly exhale, imagine that air traveling from your belly back upwards and out through your mouth.
Why this works: Deep breathing helps with digestion, which in turn helps relieve abdominal pain and that full, gassy feeling.
By the way, if you want to get deeper into diaphragmatic breathing, here’s a highly informative video.
5 Eat a light breakfast.
By now you should also have finished your anti-bloat tea. (Feel free to make another serving if you want to 🙂 So now, let’s move on to your bloat-busting breakfast.
By the way, if you’re tempted to skip breakfast… forget it. That won’t help at all! Instead, focus on consuming foods that will help your GUT deal with the bloating.
#1 – Low-carb option: smoked salmon, one hard-boiled egg, and sauteed spinach.
#2 – Probiotic option: Greek yogurt (unflavored), topped with chia seeds, fresh (or frozen) blueberries, coconut flakes, and – if you must – a drizzle of honey.
#3 – Ultra-hydrating, easy-on-the-tummy option: juice together 1 lemon, 1″ ginger, 1 green apple, 2 celery stalks, and a handful of spinach.
Why these work: The above breakfast ideas are ‘easy’ on the stomach, yet promote better gut health. And the better the gut, the faster to de-bloat.
