Each of us take vacations, celebrate holidays and enjoy special occasions. Festive meals are often the centerpiece of these events. In the moment, they are a time when many of us fall off our nutritional plan. The decision to go off plan in advance, a planned deviation, is an art that, once mastered, can help stop cravings and maintain weight loss and optimal health.
Knowledge is POWER on How to Stop Cravings!
Being able to keep the weight off is a learned skillset that requires addressing the root cause of overeating but NOT through the application of non-evidenced based gimmicks. Using simple evidence based solutions and the knowledge gained from personal experiences can be employed to stop cravings and maintain control. Conversely, choosing foods that may taste great in the moment but ultimately cause premature hunger and cravings are obstacles to keeping the weight off and, over time, lead to progressive loss of control. Awareness of how food choices impact downstream hunger and cravings, and implementing a strategy that makes use of this knowledge is empowering and can be used to stop cravings and achieve sustained weight loss. This empowerment is obtained through real life experiences, learning from our successes and by looking at undesirable outcomes as opportunities to understand how to stop cravings in order to prevent falling off the wagon again. Once you have the knowledge, applying it with the objective of keeping the weight off by controlling cravings is critical.
Plan ahead to ensure success.
Have contingencies and know what your options are ahead of time. Scoping out the menu and available food choices beforehand or bringing acceptable foods with you, go a long way to set up success and stop cravings from recurring.
Have your Plan A, B & C established ahead of the event.
- Plan A: 1st Choice or what you’re AIMing for.
- Plan B: Back-up choices when Plan A is not possible.
- Plan C: Certainty; a failsafe solution when Plan A & Plan B fall through. This should be an option you always have available to you regardless of the event.
(You can read more about CardioMender, MD’s concept of Plan A, Plan B and Plan C for Success.)
2 Types of Going Off Plan.
Intended Nutritional Plan Deviation: Knowing that there is a special event and making a conscious decision ahead of time to go off plan, but still remain in control.
Unintended Nutritional Plan Deviation: Intending to stick to the plan but, once the party begins, one taste leads to falling off the wagon.
Both can be managed successfully however a planned deviation has a better prognosis as long as once the event has ended, there is reinstitution of the learned principles that stop cravings and maintain control over food.
An unplanned deviation is an opportunity to learn from experience, specifically what led to falling off the wagon and what can be done in the future to prevent it (i.e. making the tragedy the opportunity to stop cravings and weight gain).
Implement a Strategic Plan.
- Cut yourself some slack and keep the faith.
- Maintain confidence that falling off plan is not the end of the world.
- Implement the knowledge and power to get back on track.
- Avoid procrastination. Go back on plan once you realize you fell off or at the next meal.
- Consider a day or two of protein, ONLY if you don’t have Type-2 Diabetes.
- If unable to get right back on plan call us, we can help!
Our Team is Here for You.
You are never alone. Our Weight Loss Team, including one of our weight loss physicians, is always available onsite during normal business hours or by phone after hours to help you stop cravings and keep the weight off when you need it most. Simply call us; it’s our goal to always be there for you!
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