How to stop craving carbs – Quit your carb addiction guide

Learn how to break free from your carb addiction and curb those intense cravings with our guide on how to stop craving carbs.

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You know the feeling. The thought. The overwhelming urge, the insatiable desire, the all-consuming fancy for carbohydrates. So, wouldn’t it be great to know “how to curb carb cravings”? and “how to curb food cravings”?

First though – we should ask ourselves why we even want to know “how to get rid of carb cravings”. The answer is simple; as much as the thought of them excites us, as much of the taste of them seems to entice us, rather than leaving us with a healthy sense of satisfaction – they leave us feeling fat, stuffed, bloated, guilty, and disappointed in ourselves.

What are carbs?

Carbs are foods that contain refined carbohydrates with a low fibre amount, mainly flour and sugar. These are found in foods like bread, cakes, cookies and other bakery items made with flour; white (processed) rice and cereals. Junk food is full of “bad carbs” and that is what gives it that addictive quality.

There are “good carbs” (those found in fresh fruit and vegetables) and there are “bad carbs” (those found in processed foods or starchy vegetables and refined sugar). It’s the bad carbs that create cravings and end up making us feel lousy once we’ve responded to the craving by eating them. You know the feeling – bloated, full up, and regretting that you didn’t know when to stop.

What are carb cravings?

Carbs are not all bad – as mentioned there are good carbs and bad carbs. The bad carbs create havoc with our blood sugar levels which in turn creates a craving, like a yearning, a seemingly overwhelming desire to eat bad carb foods.

Pretty much all junk food, fast food, processed food, ready meals, convenience foods, ready made sauces, and fried food contain bad carbs. Knowing how these foods impact our blood sugar levels and understanding the effect that has on our thought processes is key to controlling – or should I say – getting rid of carb cravings.

So, what is that thought process and what does it cause? When someone experiences a craving for “bad carbs” – they assume that the only thing that might “satisfy the craving” is food containing bad carbs. It’s ironic – but the one thing that will never satisfy a craving for bad carbs – are bad carbs. Of course, it seems to end the craving momentarily, but we don’t realize that our brain and body has been manipulated by a cunning, sneaky, man-made addiction to bad carbs & refined sugar.

When we consume bad carbs – it has a dramatic impact on our blood sugar levels creating what we perceive as excessive highs followed by miserable lows. These alone have an impact on our mental state with the lows appearing to get worse and worse. When those lows are relieved by the consumption of more bad carbs it fools us into believing that it created pleasure. We forget entirely that it was the extreme, violent manipulation of our blood sugar levels that created the discomfort of the low in the first place.

10 Ways to Control Carb Cravings

We see the situation very clearly with drug addiction. What would you recommend to a heroin addict who is craving his next fix of heroin? Do you think some heroin will satisfy the craving? Well you might well do so if you don’t have an understanding of addiction – and you’d be wrong. Do non-heroin addicts crave heroin? Of course, not – why would they?

You’ll agree that the addict’s first shot of the drug created a craving for the second shot. The second shot created a craving for the third shot. And so on. Therefore, it’s easy to grasp how the next shot of heroin doesn’t relieve the craving – it simply makes the next craving inevitable. There is only one way for a heroin addict to stop craving the drug: STOP TAKING IT.

So how does that relate to carbs and “how to fight carb cravings”. Can we relate it to finding out “how to reduce carb cravings” or specifically – “how to stop craving bread” and other carb-heavy foods?

If you crave bad carbs nothing will appear to satisfy that craving other than bad carbs. The way to curb carb cravings doesn’t start with changing what you eat – it begins with changing what you think.

If you mope and moan and feel miserable because you can’t have bad carbs then you’ll be unhappy and the cravings simply get worse. However – if you get rid of the cravings altogether, by changing what you think about them and the foods that cause them – you feel wonderful.

It’s worth remembering that craving bad carbs can be a symptom of type 2 diabetes and the sooner you address that the better chance you have of suffering the organ failure, amputations, and other misery it causes if it remains untreated.

How to Control Carb Cravings

    1. Get help;

      It might sound like a tall order to eliminate processed carbs, starchy carbs, and refined sugar from your diet – but there is a way of doing it with ease. Not only that – it can be fun, enjoyable, and liberating to be helped to freedom by a problem that tackles the psychological aspects of the addiction. Allen Carr’s Easyway is perfect for that.

    2. Avoid certain foods;

      Once you’ve eliminated the foods that cause spikes and slumps in your blood sugar levels as well as those cravings – you’ll find the cravings simply stop. There is no unpleasant period of adjustment and no suffering required.

    3. Keep eating;

      If you are going too long between meals, your blood sugar will drop, leading to hunger. If you get too hungry there is always a chance that you’ll make a bad decision and turn to fast food, junk food, or convenience foods. Get in touch with your natural hunger and enjoy genuinely satisfying it.

    4. Plan ahead;

      If you plan out your meals each day, the right foods will always be at your fingertips, making you less likely to reach for quick, unhealthy solutions.

    5. Read food labels;

      You may be consuming foods containing hidden sugars or grains, and these foods could unknowingly trigger cravings. Ideally avoid food that require a list of ingredients – by nature they are normally processed.

    6. Keep hydrated;

      It’s easy to confuse thirst for hunger and eat instead of drinking. Have a drink. Of water, that is. Hunger and cravings may be confused with thirst, so make sure you’re drinking at least eight cups of water a day. Two cups can come from coffee or tea (caffeinated is fine), herb tea, sugar-free sodas or broth.

    7. Beware of stress;

      It can mess with your blood sugar levels and knock you sideways and have you automatically reach for food that you previously believed to be comforting. Identify stress for what it is – something that won’t be resolved by eating something. Mindfulness can help reduce stress dramatically.

    8. Rediscover regular exercise;

      We forget how great it feels to move our bodies. It also helps us handle stress and it’s great to dedicate time to physical activities that you enjoy.

    9. Enjoy weight loss;

      The weight will drop off of you – so enjoy how it makes you feel, how it makes you look, and how many compliments you receive. It happens fast and it’s wonderful.

    10. Enjoy the way you look;

      Once you’re free from bad carbs & refined sugar – your skin, your eyes, your hair become rejuvenated and invigorated. Enjoy the compliments (and make sure you give yourself some too).

Find the right weight loss & sugar addiction programme for you

How long does it take to stop craving carbs

The amazing thing is, you can stop craving carbs immediately. Like most addictions a majority of the problem exists in your mind rather than in any physical withdrawal-like feelings created by the body.

Cravings are created in, and perpetuated by, your mind; the result of thought processes associated with trigger moments when it might normally cross your mind to have bad carbs. If you re-wire your brain’s thought processes by understanding how refined sugar & carbs have manipulated your moods, your emotions, and your feelings you can actually thoroughly enjoy thinking about NOT having those carbs rather than suffer any cravings or feelings of loss.

Final thoughts

Who would have thought that getting rid of refined sugar, processed carbs, and starchy carbs could feel so great? Rather than feeling that you’re missing out of something precious – you actually feel free. Allen Carr’s Easyway is a great way to make that happen.

 

Find the right weight loss & sugar addiction programme for you

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