Whether it’s chocolate or bag of chips, all of us have experienced food cravings. It is normal to crave food once in a while. But if it becomes a habit, then it can wreak havoc to your diet. Food cravings can sometimes go overboard that we tend to forget that we had another helping of ice cream or it’s our third plate of the cake. All too suddenly, we blame ourselves for overeating and there’s the instant depressing state that makes you crave for more food again. Before you know it, you have plunged into the vicious cycle of emotional eating.

There are ways to eliminate food cravings. One weight loss study suggested you can give in to the best cravings. Instead of treating yourself to low fat desserts on a daily basis, you can binge on the ultimate calorie-packed dessert you really love. The only catch here is you have to do it less often, perhaps as a weekly or a bi-monthly treat. This way you can stick to your diet and have something to look forward to.

Another thing is to distract yourself. Think about other things that will make you forget about the food. Volunteers from an experiment suggested thinking about rainbows or the smell of eucalyptus to help reduce food cravings.

Don’t watch TV. A study has shown that watching TV has caused an increase in snack consumption. So, skip some shows for a while because the tempting food ads may veer you away from your diet.

Have a check-up with your physician. Sheer willpower is sometimes not enough to overcome food cravings. An underlying hormonal imbalance or nutrient deficiency might be the culprit. Have yourself tested so you get the proper medical intervention that you need. You may also try employing a new psychological acupuncture technique to eliminate your food cravings. This technique involves tapping on pressure points while focusing your mind on other thoughts.