3 Steps To Stop Craving Junk Food

Do you feel like you can NOT stop craving “junk” food? (Spoiler alert: NO FOOD IS JUNK FOOD!) But, we’ve all been there, let’s be real. You’re doing super fab at eating lots of nourishing, whole foods, feeling fab then all of a sudden you can NOT stop eating Cheez-Its, oatmeal cream pies, and french fries. You’re feeling SO frustrated because you feel like this came out of NOWHERE, and it came in HOT. Well, girlfriend, hate to break it to you but it did NOT come out of nowhere. I know exactly where it came from and I’m going to give you the 3 steps to stop craving “junk” food so that you can eat the previously deemed “bad” food when you want, in amounts you want without guilt, stress or anxiety!

 

Firstly, let’s just clarify: THERE IS NO JUNK FOOD. Seriously. So, any time you see the word junk in this post, or ANYWHERE, really, imagine it’s got quotes around it: “junk”. ‘Cause, girlfriend, ain’t no food actually JUNK. Food is food.

Before we go further take a second and pin this post to your Pinterest board so that you can keep it in your back pocket and also share it with others- it’s GOLD!

Okay, now that I am off of my soap box re: the “junk” food, let’s get back to it.

Step #1 to stop craving junk food

Allow yourself to eat it

Seriously, it’s THAT simple. If you want to stop having that strong pull towards the “junk” you need to let your body know that it’s okay to eat that food. Sound counterintuitive? Let me explain. When you label a foods as “junk” and deem to do your DARNDEST to never touch it, guess what? That’s going to cause a biological URGE for your body to WANT to eat that food. That’s right, BIOLOGY. When you deem any specific food, or food in general, as off-limits your body is going to protect against the perceived famine it’s going to endure (even if that’s self-imposed!) and ask for that food even more. This leads to those strong, constant cravings, of that leftover cake sitting in the fridge from your husband’s birthday party that you can NOT stop thinking about. Let yourself eat it, girlfriend!

Step #2

Eat mindfully

Let me ask you this, do you ACTUALLY know how those “junk” foods you crave actually taste? I mean, REALLY know? Like, could you describe them to me in detail? Or are you drawn to them simply because you THINK they should be amazing. I do a lot of mindful eating exercises with my clients and it’s always such an eye opening experience for them! One client was totally drawn to fried food, but when we did a few mindful eating exercises around it she was SHOCKED when she found out she didn’t actually LIKE the taste. Crazy to think about, right?!

I’ve got some of my fave mindful eating tools and trick in my E-book, The Ultimate 5-Step Guide To Food Freedom. You can grab yo’ FREE copy here!

Step #3

Focus on how the foods make you feel

When working with clients in my 1:1 program we talk a LOT about how foods make them feel- physically and mentally. While, yes, there is nothing stopping you from eating that entire birthday cake we were just talking about for breakfast, lunch and dinner, think about how that would make you feel. Would it make you want to crawl in bed with a nice food coma? Would it prevent you, or make it 20x less desirable, to go for a walk with the dog because you’re feeling “blah” and sluggish? My guess is probably. Missing out on life due to this cake-coma would probably cause some mental anxiety, too. Your dog would probably be riled up all night which is, let’s be real, annoying, and you’d miss out on spending time with your husband, unwinding, etc. So, start making the connection between food and feeling. You’ll probably notice those “junk” foods don’t make you feel super fab when eaten in large amounts. What foods do? Take note of those. Is it fruits? Whole grains? Veggies? When you make this connection you’ll NATURALLY want to include more of those foods.

So, girlfriend, that’s it. Those are my 3 steps to stop craving junk food! Put them into play and I think you’ll be shocked at what happens! Then, leave a comment and let me know!

Lastly, remember: No food is “junk” food. Food is food. This post is meant to show you how to prevent feeling sick after eating more of those previously deemed “bad” foods so that you can eat them when you want, in amounts that make you feel food, without guilt, stress, or anxiety!

XOXO

-Colleen

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