We get it. It’s been a long day. And those doughnuts look really, really good…
But before you cave, try these expert-approved mind-tricks.
RELATED: 7 surprising foods that burn fat
1. TAKE A NAKED SELFIE
Take your shirt off and snap a selfie. Now, whenever you crave a pack of chips, look at the photo, suggests nutritionist Alan Aragon. Ask yourself if those chips are going to help. Or pinch your gut and ask the same question.
2. KEEP TEMPTATION OFF THE PREMISES
Once that rocky road hits the freezer, it owns you. There’s no way you’ll be able to resist it. So win the battle of the wills at the supermarket. Bypass the dessert and snack aisles. And never shop on an empty stomach.
3. DON’T FETISHISE YOUR FOOD
A doughnut isn’t sweet, fluffy perfection – it’s a brown circle. Thinking in terms of size, shape and colour about foods makes them less desirable, says Dr Traci Mann, author of Secrets From The Eating Lab.
RELATED: how “good fats” could still be making you fat
4. OUTSMART YOUR TASTEBUDS
Switch to satisfying, low-kJ substitutes. Craving a Mars Bar? Eat a square of dark chocolate instead. Want potato chips? Eat almonds. Dying for ice-cream? Eat Greek yoghurt with frozen berries.
5. DISTRACT YOURSELF
Go for a walk. Drink ice-cold water. Watch Youtube. Play Tetris. Psychologists call this “behavioural substitution” and it’s proven to reboot your brain and make hunger evaporate.
6. STOP ASKING: “AM I REALLY HUNGRY?”
Take a deep breath. Then another. Ask yourself: would you eat anything? No? Chances are you don’t need the kilojoules, says Dr Sandra Aamodt, author of Why Diets Make Us Fat.
