Develop coping mechanisms for cravings. When your stomach starts churning for a Snickers bar, do you have a plan? Or do you simply cave in and suffer from a heavy dose of remorse for the remainder of the day? Devise a list of activities that will provide a distraction from those obsessive thoughts. The possibilities are endless. You can fight those cravings if you're armed with a plan. Knowing why you're craving whatever it is you want so badly is helpful in dealing with it in a healthy manner. There are two types of cravings: psychological and physiological. Distinguishing one from the other is the first step in conquering them. Psychological cravings, which are ones that almost always end in overindulgence, are usually situational - you crave something sweet after dinner, have to have a hot dog at a baseball game or eat when you're bored.
At other times, you might feel like your body needs certain types of foods because it's lacking nutrients. Signs of physiological cravings include feeling like you're drained of energy, have a gnawing feeling in your stomach, feeling lightheaded or thinking about certain types of food, like meat, fatty foods or vegetables. You should give in to physiological cravings sensibly. They can signal a blood sugar crash, vitamin deficiency or fat deficiency. Eating the right foods will calm the craving - for example, if you crave fat, then a teaspoon of flax oil or bread dipped in olive oil are healthier ways to indulge instead of a bowl of ice cream. Psychological cravings are the hardest to resist. Try drinking a glass of water and waiting 20 minutes to see if it subsides. Distract yourself somehow, and if you can't, then give in sensibly.