How to Motivate Yourself to Not Give in to Cravings

Whether trying the latest fad diet or just creating a healthy eating plan, you will need to eliminate many junk foods from your diet. Processed foods with excess sugar and starch -- along with addictive products, such as alcohol and caffeinated soda -- all lead to frequent cravings and habitual consumption. Dieters must motivate themselves to curb these cravings and avoid giving in to temptation. After a few weeks of successfully avoiding junk foods, the cravings will subside and you will find more satisfaction in eating healthy foods.

Things You'll Need

• Poster board
• Scissors
• Glue
• Health magazines
• Photos of yourself
• Notebook
• Pen
• Resealable bags
• Healthy foods

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Instructions

• 1

  Compose a list of reasons for sticking with your healthy diet plan. Include reasons for eating right, such as health, self-esteem and concerned loved ones. Also list your most frequent cravings, and write down the nutritional information for them -- including ingredients, fat and calorie counts. When craving these items, review your list to determine if the temporary pleasure they offer outweighs the lasting negative effects.

• 2

  Create a visualization board of your diet goals, complete with pictures of foods and body sizes. Look through magazines for pictures of your ideal body size, and create a collage from the most inspiring photos on one half of the board, adding in pictures of healthy foods and exercises. On the other side of the board, post pictures of you at your largest size, along with cutouts of your favorite junk food cravings. Keep this motivational board on your refrigerator to combat your cravings.

• 3

  Start a food journal by listing the foods you eat each day -- including times, calories, and amounts. Use this data to track the most common times for food cravings, and find other ways to occupy yourself during those times. Make sure to always include the junk food you eat in the journal, as a way to enforce accountability for giving in to cravings.

• 4

  Learn the difference between your junk food cravings and actual hunger. When you do feel hungry, find healthy alternatives to your typical cravings. Plan out your daily snacks and meals, snacking frequently in between meals to avoid cravings. If you crave dessert each night after dinner, find a sweet but healthy substitute, such as strawberries or Greek yogurt.

• 5

  Remove all junk food from your home to make the treats you crave less accessible, so you'll stay motivated to eat the right things. When grocery shopping, stock your cart with healthy snacks such as almonds, fruit and rice cakes. Portion your healthy foods into travel packs that you can snack on while out on the town, avoiding the temptation to treat yourself to unhealthy foods.