Pro tip: talk to your cravings

This strategy helps you overcome the urge to indulge.

The gist:

Alex Zimmerman, LA-based senior director of the Tier X program, has a self-proclaimed sweet tooth. Whenever he gets a craving that he doesn't want to satisfy, he manages it by cursing at the indulgence in his head.

Expert insight:

When a craving hits, it can be so overwhelming that you give in and eat the tempting food before recognizing that the desire will pass, Zimmerman says. "You need to have a strategy for that moment." 

You can assert control in those situations by addressing the item in question as if it were a person or thing you don't like, Zimmerman explains. “It’s kind of silly and I take heat for it at home, but it works for me.”

The bottom line:

Anytime you're faced with an unwelcome temptation, Zimmerman suggests looking at the food while repeating a mantra in your head or under your breath, such as "You do not have power over me," "I don't like you," or "You mean nothing to me."

More November 2019