How to Deal with and Satisfy Cravings

1st step to satisfying a craving?


Determine if it is emotionally or physiologically driven


Craving something & trying to figure out how to curb it or satisfy it is not as important as knowing where it’s coming from


I want to preface this by saying I’m a big believer in satisfying our cravings & believe there’s a reason our body is asking us for things so dramatically


BUT I also am well versed in the brains role in a craving & know it isn’t as simple as “want chocolate, have chocolate”


I’ll share a personal example that I shared with a client yesterday who asked (& inspired this post)


When I was a kid, my mom would always make hot chocolate & we’d put saltine crackers in it (so good don’t judge)


This was sooo comforting to me


This is what I usually crave when there’s an emotional void in my life


But not due to any sort of deficiency in magnesium, sodium, or carbs


Usually it’s when I’m feeling the need for more love, downtime, family time, & peace


Because that’s what it brought me as a kid


So when I became aware of what I was ACTUALLY craving, I found other ways to satisfy it


On the other hand, I have physiological cravings too!


I’m not gunna pretend like I’m perfect & never deal with it


On lower carb days I get hyper focused on carbs but I KNOW (thank you psychology degree & deep passion for understanding disordered eating behaviors) that it’s coming from scarcity which leads to fixation


Just like when there’s a scarcity of money in someone’s life they fixate on how to scrape by or make more


Seeing it this way makes it feel tangible & controllable


Sometimes I realize I’ve been slacking with my vitamins or haven’t had a diet change in a bit so I might make some substitutions in my plan & make it work


Sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint a craving’s origin, but most of the times you can ask is this an emotional or a physical void?


Our body & brain work together to maintain homeostasis


So when you’re in a controlled starvation like prep or you follow a strict diet, cravings are pretty much unavoidable


But when you have the MINDSET to move through them, you’ll come out on top
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BUILD MORE THAN JUST A BODY