Your brain probably has more to do with how much and how often you eat than your hunger. You can use your mind to control your eating habits. If you’re tempted to eat, just delay gratification for 15 minutes. In most cases when the time has passed, so has the craving.
Distract yourself by going to a different location, getting involved in reading, starting a new project at work. What you don’t want to do is spend the entire 15 minutes thinking about the food you want. Your mind can help you lose weight quickly.
Visualization can be used as a substitute for eating. Think of a place where you feel safe and happy. Perhaps it’s the beach with the waves rhythmically pounding the shore, the sand underfoot, and the sun glistening off the water. Smell the salt air and feel the cool breeze ruffling your hair. When you feel an eating binge coming on, close your eyes and picture your safe place. You are turning your attention away from the momentary satisfaction of eating to the longer term satisfaction of losing weight by focusing on a pleasant memory.
Remind yourself you are in control of your food, not the other way around. Give yourself permission to have whatever you want. Deprivation as a diet doesn’t work. It’s like when someone says DON’T think of a pink elephant, the first thing you think of is — the pink elephant.
If you tell yourself: I can’t have pizza, I can’t have pizza, I can’t have pizza, the more you’ll want the pizza. Give yourself permission to have the pizza, but just a small taste. Thank about what you like best about the pizza. Savor the crispy crust, the tang of the tomato sauce and the flavor of the cheese, then stop eating. You’ve had the taste of pizza, you don’t have to eat the entire portion.
If a certain place, person, or event provokes the desire to eat, change your routine to avoid the place, person, or event. For example: If every afternoon you share a latte with a work buddy ask her or him to go for a walk with you instead of the latte. If you always stop at McDonald’s after picking up your kids, bring a snack for them with you in the car and go to the park instead.
Your mind can be your best friend when you want to lose weight quickly
