Come elevenses or mid-afternoon it's all too easy to have a biscuit. Here are some tips to help you falling into temptation too often.
Think positively: Studies have shown that 'I must not' statements have the opposite effect. Try positive statements instead: 'If I'm feeling hungry between meals, I'll have a healthy snack of an apple and some nuts' and you'll boost your resolve.
Surf the crave wave: Often a craving feels powerful and irrestistable and you feel it will never go away. Latest research shows that if you can hold out for 15 minutes, that feeling should disappear. Try distracting yourself by going online, walk to their desk to talk to a colleague, do a small chore or make a cup of herbal tea.
Re-train your taste buds: Give your taste buds time to adapt rather than going cold turkey. If you take three sugars in your tea, drop to two, then later to one and you can then go to zero without noticing the difference. Do the same with biscuits. Over time, the less refined sugar you give your body, the less you will crave it.
Think drink: Everyone feels a craving now and again, but before going straight to the biscuit tin, drink a glass of water. Often you are actually thirsty, not hungry, and this does the trick.
Use your imagination: Try imagining eating chocolate before you eat it. Picture biting into it, how it feels in the mouth and the taste, and you'll end up eating less as the brain feels you have already had some.
No crashes - no cravings: Spikes and dips in your blood sugar levels lead to cravings. So concentrate on packing breakfast, lunch and dinner with wholegrains, protein, beans and pulses, fruits, veg and nuts, which all release energy slowly and avoid the easy-to-digest processed carbs (e.g. sweet drinks, white bread, cakes) which lead to the blood sugar spikes.
Trick your senses: Smell the chocolate before eating it. New research shows you will eat less of it.
Book snack time: If you are genuinely hungry mid-afternoon, go for a small healthy snack. Make time at the weekend to plan and buy snack items, and list what you are having each day in your diary.
From bad to good: The best way to break a bad habit is to turn it into a good one. Replace sugary snacks with healthy ones, and write a big tick in your diary or on a chart every time you stick to the new habit.
Shed the guilt: Plan for damage limitation. If you really need something sweet, control how you respond. Try storing biscuits in an opaque container, and keep a couple wrapped up in another smaller container. You won't be tempted to open the big container and go crazy. When you do have that biscuit, sit comfortably, relax and enjoy it - then move on.
Mix it up: If you always have biscuits with a cup of tea, a strong association builds up between the two. The cup of tea then becomes the cue for a biscuit. To break the cue, try choosing a different drink, or a different time for your break or having the tea with lunch instead.
Prepare a mental shield: Prepare for temptation by thinking about how you will justify your actions when the craving strikes and prepare a counter-argument. If you are likely to think 'It's only a little piece of cake, it won't matter', then have ready an alternative 'No, I don't really need this and I'll feel worse after I eat it'.
Sleep well, eat well: Lots of studies show that sleep deprivation means more sugar cravings. So make sure you are well rested and you won't feel so tempted.
Good Housekeeping July 2013
