Five Ways to Curb your Sweet Tooth to Get Better Abs

There’s nothing like determination, willpower and focus to keep you on target to attaining the tummy of your dreams. Couple that with a smart nutrition and exercise plan and you’ll be unstoppable!

Or you would be – if you could just get through those 3pm sugar cravings. That sweet tooth (whatever time it hits you) can tear down even the strongest of resolutions and it becomes a pretty frustrating cycle when you start each day feeling in control and finish off swearing to ‘do better tomorrow’.

Want to stop the cycle?

Here’s how to fight the cravings and get all the way to sleep time without sabotaging your hard work:

1. Stop the cravings before they show up

I’ve found that many of my clients – even the ‘healthy’ eaters – rely heavily on carbohydrates over proteins and fats. Protein and fat are a crucial part of your diet. They form the building blocks of your hormonal system, and without them your body cannot perform all it’s metabolic duties.

When you don’t include (natural, whole sources of) protein and fat in your main meals, or only do so from time to time, your body starts sending distress signals telling your brain to get nutrition immediately! Sugar is what you’ll crave because it provides that quick fix .. followed by a quick dump leading to further cravings. Many of my clients have found that when they lay the foundations by including protein and fat at breakfast and lunch, the sugar cravings gradually stop attacking.

2. Remove temptation or remove yourself

It’s just too easy to dip into the biscuit jar or sweets bag when everyone else is doing it. If you can’t clear your office space of sweet devils (try suggesting a healthy snack plan for the entire workplace!) then remove yourself.

At mid-afternoon munchie time, just make your excuses and get out of there – fast! Even if it means you sit in the toilet cubicle for 15 minutes. If you work from home, keep a rule of no sweets in the house. That way you’ll have to make the effort to go out, and this is easier to talk yourself out of. Sounds simple, but it works.

3. Brush your teeth

We’re conditioned to understand that freshly brushed teeth mean food is behind us. Try this simple distraction technique as soon as the sweet urge hits you, and then …

4. Get busy

Ever noticed you always seem to eat more junk when you’re having a slow day? Make mid-afternoon (or whenever your cravings hit) your ‘super-productive’ time. Schedule meetings for this time, run errands, do housework – just do something that requires you keep moving and let the temptation time go by that little bit faster.

5. Get (true) satisfaction

Once the cravings set in, they’re only going to get worse until your body gets what it needs. Guess what? True satisfaction means real food, in all its glorious richness.

Try indulging with a small piece of quality cheese, some avocado with sea salt on thinly sliced sourdough, or some natural nut butter with celery sticks. The key here is to go for fat or protein based snacks, not sugar based – even fruit. Once sweet cravings have set in, carbs will only make it worse.

Eating and living well doesn’t need to be a constant battle – if you follow these points you’ll be that little bit closer to perfection. Well – to Better Abs, anyway!

Click here to get our e-book, ‘Crunches Are Not Enough’