Tired/Snack Lacking/Time of Month = Bad Food Cravings

At least it has for me this week!  =( 

And, my past reading on the subject taught me that when you are tired whether it’s from a long, stressful day or from a hard workout your body will crave Bad Foods, especially sugar.

This has trully been the case for me this week as I have been craving chips, chocolate, cake, etc. and have given in a few times to my cravings.  =O  Mostly I have been craving “salty” snacks after work and while making dinner and “sweet” snacks after dinner. 

I believe this is occurring due to the following reasons:

• Being quite tired all week!
  • I have been going to bed past 11pm, closer to 12pm, every night and am getting up earlier 3 days a week to go running in the morning so some nights I have only been getting 6 hours of sleep. 
• Lack of healthier “salty & sweet” snack options at home!
  • I usually have some sort of healthy snack option at home for me when cravings like these hit but this week I forgot to buy those low-cal/fat-free icees that I have been eating nightly for the past month and only bought Fruit, which can be a good healthy snack option but just isn’t satisfying me this week.  Plus, the peanuts I usually snack on when “salty” snack cravings hit just weren’t cutting it for me this week as they usually do. 
• It is that time of the month!
  • Well technically, it is the week before that time of the month, however this is THE WEEK that I always crave any and all Bad Foods!  =O

Do you cravy BAD FOODS often and if so when & why!?!?!

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And, here are my EATS over the past day in random order:

That about covers the main meal dishes I ate over the past few days, however I must admit I also SNACKED on the following:

• BBQ Doritos 
  • A few handfuls one day after work.
• Peanuts w/Chocolate Chips 
  • A few handfuls 2 nights after dinner.
• White Cake w/Chocolate Icing (My daughter made it with her grandma who sent the entire cake home for us to eat!)
  • Several bites over a 2 day period.

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 6 TIPS TO STOP “FOOD CRAVINGS” NOW!!!

Craving Stopper #1

DRINK WATER – Drinking water is an excellent way to help curb your appetite.  This especially works for when you crave sweet foods. Try drinking about 8-16 ounces of water when you start feeling those cravings.

Craving Stopper #2

BRUSH YOUR TEETH – Craving that candy bar?  Try brushing your teeth! Your dentist will absolutely love you!  The freshness from brushing your teeth and the sweetness from toothpaste can help in curbing your craving for sweets & even foods with carbohydrates.  I have never tried this but will now for sure.

Craving Stopper #3

DON’T SKIP MEALS – If you start having strong hunger pains due to not eating properly through out the day, the possibility of you craving bad foods are escalated!  Try eating six small healthy meals daily.  This regulates your blood sugar levels, boost your metabolism, keeps you full and helps curb cravings.  I did this often when I was trying to lose the 100+ pounds I used to have on me.

Craving Stopper #4

SLEEP – If you are tired and sleepy, you can end up craving bad foods! Carbohydrates and salty foods are two of the most popular foods craved when tired.  So make sure you get plenty of sleep, unlike me the past week.

Craving Stopper #5

DISTRACTION – Food cravings do not last long!  Most of the time they only last around 5-20 minutes.  So, distract yourself with doing something active during this time.

Craving Stopper #6

FRUIT/VEGGIE SNACKS – Have pre-sliced fruit & vegetables readily available for you to snack on.  When you get those cravings, grab some berries, an apple, carrot or celery sticks, etc. to munch on.