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Conquer cravings with these tips 

By Brittany Doohan

While it’s important to eat when you’re hungry, many people snack when they’re not — especially if boredom strikes. Mindless munching is a force to be reckoned with, but you can defeat it — and the weight gain it can cause — with the right distraction. When you’re yearning for a treat, try a few of these calorie-free activities instead.  

Drink a glass of water. Sometimes when you feel hunger pangs, what your body really wants is water. So have a glass and see how you feel in 20 minutes. In general, women need about 9 cups of H₂O a day to stay hydrated and men need about 13 cups. And studies have shown that drinking water in place of caffeinated or sugary beverages throughout the day can help curb cravings and keep your weight in check. 

Go for a walk. Nothing refreshes the mind and body like a quick stroll around the block. Walking can be especially helpful if you have a persistent sweet tooth. In fact, in a small study, researchers found that chocolate lovers who took a brisk 15-minute stroll when they had a craving experienced reduced cravings after their walk was over. 

Take on a hobby. If you’re a marathon movie-watcher, keep your cravings at bay by giving your hands something else to do. Test your skills at knitting, scrapbooking or even coloring (adult coloring books are all the rage these days!) during your next binge-watching spree, and put away the snacks.  

Let your inner child out. If you’ve got a full house — of either children or pets — use their squirrelly energy to your advantage. Instead of busting open the pretzels, engage the kids in a fast game of hide-and-seek or take Fido on a quick trip to the park to play catch.

Dance it up. Is the holiday candy you impulsively bought on clearance staring you down from the kitchen counter? First, put it in the pantry: you’re less likely to snack on something that’s out of sight. Next, crank up some Mariah Carey and start shaking what your Mama gave you. Dancing is a great mood-boosting way to burn some calories and may help distract you from the all-too-common snack trap of emotional eating. 

If you’ve tried these tricks and you’re still craving a snack before your meal, go ahead and dig in — you’re probably hungry! 

Published on April 21, 2016. 

Brittany Doohan is a health and lifestyle writer and editor living in San Francisco.