Cravings. Those pesky little pangs to eat whether you’re hungry or not. I bet they’ve wreaked havoc in your life at one point or another.

And if you’re anything like me, you’ve tried to stop them in any way you could, even if that meant resorting to brute force.

I’m talking about things like willpower, crazy restrictions, and shame-based force. Eat this. Don’t eat that. Only eat this much, and not a single bite more. Or else.

But believe it or not, controlling cravings is NOT about eating less. Or eliminating the “bad” foods. I bet you’ve discovered for yourself that more insist that you CAN’T eat this or that, the more fuel you pour on the fire of cravings.

But what if there’s another way?

I fought cravings for almost 12 years. Then I learned two vital and life-changing truths…

First, I learned why those intense cravings happened in the first place. And second, and I found a REAL way to defuse them so that they never bothered me again.  

Today I’m sharing my top 10 tips to get past cravings for good! You’ll learn why those sudden and ravenous urges hit. And how you can stop them by showing your body love and support rather than restriction and deprivation!   

How do you set yourself free from compulsive cravings and get to Food Freedom Forever? I share 10 powerful steps right here!

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Step 1: Make sure that you’re eating enough. It might sound a little bit illogical. Eating more to stop having compulsions to eat? But here’s the deal: when you fuel your body properly to start with, it is a lot less likely to snap into survival mode. That’s what drives cravings in the first place. But if you’re sufficiently fed and satisfied all the time, those pings to eat will become fewer and further between.

Step 2: Be fully present in your mealtime experience. Whether you’re eating celery sticks or pizza, let your body and your brain participate at mealtime. How do you do that? By letting them both register the experience of eating.

You see, when your brain and body truly understand that they’re being fed and cared for, two things happen: First, your brain stops sending out desperate, survival-focused thoughts about food. Second, the more you practice this, the more that your brain begins to trust that you’ll always provide proper sustenance. And over time, those desperate signals for food in the form of cravings disappear.

Step 3: SLOW down. So many of us power our way through life. But what happens when it’s all “Go, Go, GO!” 24/7? More often than not, it kicks off your body’s stress response. That alone makes it difficult to keep cravings at bay.

Think of what happens when your body is stressed for ANY reason. It falls into survival mode. That means holding on to weight for fear of starvation. It also results in a spike in cravings (and often for quick-fix type things like sugar).

But when you slow down and practice presence throughout your day, it spills over into every area of your life. Your stress response goes down. That works wonders for your body in every way–including reducing those stress-based cravings.

Step 4: Are your workouts helping or hurting your cause? We’ve all heard that to lose weight, you’ve got kill it gym every day, go for long runs, and be a crossfit champion, or you’ll never meet your goal. But what if all of those hardcore workouts were more counterproductive than you thought?

Don’t get me wrong. No challenge, no progress! But if you take it too far, without proper rest, you’re right back in stress mode. Which triggers cravings like crazy.

So in between tough workouts, give yourself adequate recovery time and make sure you’re refueling properly. It will help you get stronger AND stay balanced in the process.

Step 5: Release the all-or-nothing. Diets are all about strict rules, do’s and don’ts. But what happens any time you look at a list of do’s and don’ts, where does your mind usually focus on first? What NOT to do. And that tends to send your body into cravings for everything on the NO list.

How do you turn that around? By shifting from what you “can’t” have…to what you GET to have.  Let go of ALL the rules and restrictions on food. And then the next time a craving for something “bad” pops up, ask yourself this: knowing that you can have this food at any time, do you want it right NOW?

Ironically, when you ditch the restrictions, you often ditch the temptations. And over time, those cravings for the “forbidden” foods show up less and less.

Step 6: Drink your water! I know, it’s not a groundbreaking innovation. And I’m not advocating that old-school idea that a glass of water is the answer to genuine hunger pangs, either! But believe it or not, sometimes random cravings result from simple dehydration.

Think of it this way: your body responds to a lack of water in a similar way as a lack of food. It’s the “lack” part registers. And sometimes, when your body is in lack, it’s not sure what it needs. (And the default response is frequently, “feed me!”)

But if you stay hydrated throughout your day, you take a proactive stance to support your body. And you eliminate another potential craving trigger while you’re at it.

Step 7: Get adequate zzz’s. Again, this sounds pretty basic, doesn’t it? But it’s the same deal as water: lack of sleep is stress trigger. And when your body is tired, it often gets tricked into craving quick-fixes like sugar, carbs, or fat. When all it really needs is a little more rest.

So if you can swing it, shoot for adequate sleep (eight to ten hours per night seems to be the magic number!). It’s another way to reduce your stress and head off the cravings.

Step 8: Choose foods that pack a nutritional punch. Now, I’m not talking restricting your diet to only healthy foods. But what I do suggest is to listen to your body’s cues as much as you can. And from there, choosing foods that make you feel alive, nourished, and inspired.

Chances are that you’ll naturally be drawn to the foods that have the nutrients your body needs. And if you satisfy your needs with those nutrient-dense foods, the chances that your body will cry “lack” will sink tremendously.

Step 9: LIVE more. Ever notice that sometimes you reach for food in moments when you are bored, tired, or feeling “meh” about life? These are the moments when you probably need engagement, inspiration, and connection. It’s also a moment where it feels a LOT easier just to grab a bag of chips.

It’s not the food is the enemy. It’s just that if your body is actually seeking connection,

food isn’t going to fill the bill. So what do you do instead? Do something that energizes

and inspires you!

Maybe for you, it’s meditation or journaling. It might be reading, dancing, or simply getting outside. So make up a list of go-to activities that keep you present, focused, and centered, you’re less likely to unconsciously reach for food.

Step 10: Stay connected to your body. I bet you’ve noticed a common theme in these steps. Nourishment. Partnership with your body. And most of all, connection to yourself.

Your body is always telling you what it needs, and the more connected you are, the more you’ll hear what it’s truly saying.

For example, if your energy is dragging, it’s not a cue to go for more caffeine or a bag of chips. Nor is it a reason to force yourself into following a restrictive eating plan in hopes of getting it “right.” The goal is to connect with your body and support your well-being in the spirit of partnership, support, and love.

So there you have it! 10 ways to stop cravings in their tracks, prevent them from bothering you, and honor your body in the process.

If you need any support in this area, we are here for you!

Click the image below where I’ve got a special gift for you! We call them, “Craving Cards”, and they’re one of our most popular tools!

If you ever feel night time cravings, sugar cravings, the urge to just say “screw it I’m going to start my diet over tomorrow”, or like you need a little body confidence pick me up… 

Just grab a card, go through the prompts, and shift it instantly! 

Click the image above and let me know where to send them!

You’ll also get mini demo video training sessions for each card where I share how to use the cards and some of my best tips for food freedom forever!

With our Craving Cards and Demo Series… 

You’ll learn how to stop cravings in their tracks, feel confident, and get back your power, fast! 

Love,
Brittany

PS: Want the exact freedom and ease with our foods that myself and thousands of our clients get to experience?

In our Beating Binge Eating Blueprint (BBEB), I show you how to make this happen in just 8 weeks!

Many of our students have seen a DRASTIC difference in as little as a few days!

It’s our signature program, and up until recently, it was $3000 or more to join.

For now, you can get it as a part of our Food Freedom Collection for practically free by clicking the image below!

There is no catch…every resource I’ve created for food freedom and body confidence will land straight in your if you just click that image below and let me know where to send it!