Food is an important part of everybody’s life but when it’s all you think about, it can become a problem. If you’re trying to make an adjustment in your diet, you might be having trouble with constant food-related thoughts that you crave.
Stay hydrated to keep food off your mind, divert attention with a friend and plan your meals to achieve your goals and start a healthy food relationship.
Here are some tips on how to stop thinking about food.
Avoid Cravings
1. Stay hydrated
Occasionally your body gets its signs and tells you that you’re hungry when you really just need some water. During the day keep a bottle of water with you and drink water consistently. Drink some water to see if it satiates you, if you start thinking about food.
Drinking water also provides other health benefits throughout the day, such as clearer skin, enhanced metabolism and healthier kidneys.
2. Plan out your meals
Form a 7 day diet plan by writing down on each day what you’ll eat for each meal. Spend 1 day a week to prepare meals for work or dinners to pop up in the oven. Having already decided meals will help you avoid worrying about what you’ll be eating next.
3. Take junk food out of your house
If you buy products like cookies, chips, and soda, you’ll probably think about them most of the time. Stay away from the temptation by buying only nutritious foods.. Make a list before you go food shop and stick to it as much as possible.
Processed foods often contain more sugar and chemical products which make your body more craving for them. Staying away from those foods will help break your cravings cycle.
Never go to the supermarket while you’re hungry. This can lead you to buy the unhealthy food you crave.
4. Eat more protein
Eating lean protein is a great way to stop your cravings by feeling full. Chicken, beef, fish and beans are all proteins that will take more time to digest, making you feel fuller for longer.
Eating lean protein also adds muscle mass to your body and keeps blood sugar stable.
Stop eating foods such as white bread or baked potatoes, as they quickly digest and leave you feeling hungry.
5. Add healthy fats into your diet
Sometimes your body is craving for fat. Fat helps strengthen your body’s cholesterol levels, and can improve your heart health. To satisfy your fat cravings, add foods like avocados, walnuts, sunflower seeds and fish into your diet.
Saturated fats are moderately healthy but they contain too much saturated fat in many foods. Pizza, cookies and fast food all have high saturated fat levels which are harmful to your health.
Check the trans fat or saturated fat label on your food, and try to limit the food you eat with those ingredients.
6. Reduce stress by meditating and exercising
If you’re a stress eater, you may turn your thoughts to food whenever you need to relax. Try taking meditation, exercise, and deep-breathing instead of food to reduce your stress levels. Managing your stress in a healthy manner benefits your overall health as well.
7. Get enough sleep
Your body craves caffeine and sugar when you’re tired to give you a boost. Try to get around 8 hours of sleep each night so that the next morning you’ll feel rested and awake. Getting enough sleep every night is good for your overall health too.
Distracting Yourself
1. Do an interesting physical activity you enjoy
If you start thinking about food, manage to get up and go with your friends for a walk, run or even a round of sports. Exercising is a great way to keep your mind and body busy while meeting your fitness targets. Try finding a physical activity that you like to do so you can look forward to it.
2. Go out of your house
You’re more likely to think about all the food that’s in your kitchen if you’re just sitting in your home. Go around the block for a walk, make some errands or walk your pet to the park to keep your mind off food.
3. Call a friend
If you’ve shared your difficulties with a friend or member of your family, call them up as a distraction when thinking about food. Even if you haven’t discussed your issue, you can still catch up with a friend as a way to keep your mind off food. Ask them about their lives, hobbies and what they have recently enjoyed.
4. Complete house chores
No feeling better than checking things off your to – do list. Tackle the chores that you meant to finish like washing the laundry, washing the dishes, mopping the floor and changing the sheets. You will keep your mind off the food while decluttering your living space as well.
5. Chew sugarless gum
You can trick your brain into thinking you only eat by chewing. Whenever you’re thinking about food, buy some sugarless gum to munch on. Do this along with another distraction to keep your mind away from your hunger.
6. Watch a fun video to get your thoughts moving elsewhere
If your brain is fixed on food thinking, you may need to give it something else to reflect on. Looking up a funny video on social media is the fastest way to get your brain engaged. Try to look for terms such as “funny animals” or “hilarious pranks.”
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