Eating ... Gaining Weight ... How to Control the Urge to Splurge

I confess: I'm completely addicted to Pringles. My determinationweakens every time I think about munching into one, hearing thecrunch, and getting that first taste of its salty flavor. Pureheaven. Although you don't flip over chips, probably there'sanother food that lures you into the refrigerator or the pantrycabinet. According to one study, 97% of women (compared to 68%of men) experience cravings on food.

How do you control these urges that drag you in an intoxicatedshape away from your diet plan and down into the swirling vortexof pleasure? I researched on the topic to give you expert adviceon how to enjoy that art called eating without turning in into afeeding frenzy. Read on - and never again feel guilty abouteating a chocolate chip cookie.

Take Charge of Your Eating Habits.

Try to control the number of food cravings you experience. Itappears to be impossible for humans like us, but if you psycheyourself and develop fewer cravings, then slowly you'll submitto fewer cravings.

According to one study of nearly 500 women, researchers foundthat women who received a daily 1, 200 milligram calciumsupplement reduced their number of premenstrual food cravingsby 54%. To reach the same result by getting the needed calciumintake from food, rely on skim milk and yogurt. Sounds a bitdifficult for all lactose intolerant? Try some calcium-fortifiedfoods or juices like cheese and calcium-filled orange juices.If you don't feel you can get sufficient calcium from food, makeup the difference using a supplement of calcium carbonate orcalcium citrate.

How about something relaxing? When you're anxious, the bodyproduces more of the hormone cortisol, which may increase theamount of carbohydrates you want to eat. Sweets or carbohydratestemporarily increase our levels of serotonin, making us feelcalm and relaxed.

Thus, one way of helping curb your sweet tooth, rent some videos,text your funniest friends, or schedule a spa weekend. Why nothave a bit of chocolate once in a while? When you begin includingsmall amounts of these forbidden foods into your diet, a funnything happens: You don't crave them anymore.

Distinguish specific cravings from hunger. Suppose you drive by afast food outlet and all of a sudden, you develop a deep cravingfor French fries. Rather than rushing down the drive thru section,reassess your urge. Turn on your favorite music and switch yourattention away from the fries idea. Suppose, on the other hand,you feel the need to satisfy not the urge but your hunger, selectan apple pie or salad as a substitute.

Cut Hundreds of Calories.

Sure you can cut on hundreds of calories on what you eat everyday! How? By making the appropriate choices on replacinghigh-calorie to low-calorie foods, such as cheese, creams, wholemilk, butter, etc. Here are easy tricks to keep you cooking andeating minus the calories.

· When cooking, use nonstick pan to eliminate the use of butterand/or oil.

· Remove the fat from the meat.

· Remove the skin of chicken before serving.

· Use butter-flavored seasoning on vegetables instead ofsprinkling butter.

· For casseroles, desserts and sauces, use evaporated skim milk(12 cal./tbsp.) instead of heavy cream (51 cal./tbsp.)

· Cook stews and other casseroles ahead of time. Refrigerate.Remove congealed fat before serving.

· Choose real orange (71 cal.) over an orange juice (90 cal./6 oz).

· For snacks, low-calorie fruits (cucumbers, asparagus, carrots,apples, pickles) are good replacements for crackers and breads.

· Use bottled chocolate extract for milk shakes instead ofsweetened cocoa.

· Use two egg whites (34 cal.) for cakes instead of one egg(82 cal.).

· Choose diet margarine (50 cal.) instead of the regularmargarine (100 cal.).

· Choose cereals with the least calories then add fresh fruitsto be more nutritious.

· In parties, good substitutes for snacks are carrot strips,pickle slices, and raw mushroom caps.

· Drip away fats by cooking hamburgers on the rack.

· Avoid chips with dips.

Staying in healthy shape depends on the right attitude. So howstrong is your will power to control the urge?

Michael Lee is the author of "How To Be A Red Hot Persuasion Wizard," an ebook that reveals powerful secrets on how to get anything you want, including how to tremendously improve your relationships, explode your profits, win arguments, and magically influence others. Grab a sample chapter at http://www.20daypersuasion.com