How to stop junk food cravings?

I have been telling my clients that fitness is 70% nutrition & 30% workout. Whether you want to be healthy, reduce weight/fat or have a good physical built, nutrition is the most important aspect of fitness. Junk food not only increases stubborn fat( trans fat) in your body & makes you fat but also negatively impacts your body’s metabolism.

I am going to talk about how do you overcome junk food cravings & adopt healthy eating habits.

Eating healthy does not mean eating less. Most of fitness aspirants with weight loss goals think that consuming less is a recipe for weight loss. It is important to note that eating at regular intervals & in sufficient quantity with high amount of macro nutrient & less calories goes a long way in not only ramping up your metabolism but also helps you in achieving your weight loss & fat loss goals. The more you eat, the more you will feel full & less you will have desire for junk stuff.

So how do you reduce/eliminate junk food cravings?

1. Eat Healthy: Consuming smaller meals( in calories) at regular intervals keeps your stomach full. Most of us follow approach of consuming 3 meals in a day which creates a vacuum specifically between lunch & dinner meal. Ideally you should have 5 meals a day with increase in consumption of vegetables, fruits & high fibre content. Remember size of meal does not matter however its calorific value does. Adding healthy snacks in between meals is an excellent way to curb your junk food cravings
2. More water: Water is an essential part of your diet & ideally a human body should get 9 to 12 cups of water daily. Adding water to your diet is a great way to prevent you from consuming fast. The slower you eat, the longer you will feel full. Besides 72% of our body is made up of water. Hence consuming less water will have adverse impact on your muscles.
3. Eat minimally processed/whole foods: Strive to consume less processed foods since higher processing of foods eliminates 30% of essential nutrients. Besides, processing of foods results in adding sugar/salt/preservatives which makes food calorie dense instead of nutrient dense. Having minimal processed foods give you all essential macronutrients( fat, carb, protein, fibre) & minerals/Vitamins that are essential for the growth of your body. Besides minimal processed foods also provide antioxidants, phytochemicals & fibres. Fibres & roughage slows down your digestive process & you feel fuller for longer periods of time that reduces your craving for junk food.
4. Plan in advance: Always plan for your meals ahead of time & track calories you have consumed through your meals. Every 10 days review you meal plan & make necessary changes to make your diet nutrient dense ( not calorie dense).