How to curb cravings and binge-eating

Food cravings have always been a challenge in keeping a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. More so, this became more relatable recently with all the quarantine food trends and the change in habits and routine due to sheltering indoors.

Having this strong desire to consume a specific food or drink is seen as one of the biggest problems why we can't lose weight or keep off the extra pounds for a long while, if not forever.

GMANetwork.com consulted Coach Timothy Ting, a registered nutritionist-dietician to discuss ways to curb craving and binge-eating.

Cravings versus true hunger

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To start off, it is important to distinguish when you're just experiencing a craving and when you're truly hungry.

Coach Tim tells, “Craving has its roots partly on the physical side and on the psychological side. If we differentiate a craving versus true hunger, pag cravings kasi usually walang signs 'yan. Kapag gutom ka, as in hunger, may signs na lumalabas or symptoms like light-headedness, you have signs like a growling stomach.

“Cravings naman are more of mental. 'Pag cravings 'yun, may gusto kang isang brand na galing dito lang sa store na 'to, na gusto mong kainin. 'Yun lang talaga, and that is a craving.

According to Coach Tim, the proper mindset in addressing cravings is just to curb and manage it, and not to totally avoid it. The best way to do this is to build a healthy relationship with food.

Here are some of his food for thought.

1. Food is just food.

Source: timnutrition (IG)

The first step to building a healthy relationship with food is by not associating it to being good or bad. Yes, Coach Tim even stresses that there are no junk foods.

He explains, “Some people kasi tend to view food as 'Eto pwede 'to, eto bawal 'to. Eto good 'to, eto bad 'to. Eto healthy 'to, eto unhealthy 'to.' So they have set up some food rules that make it so sa perspective nila, it's a reward system.

“So dahil nagiging reward system 'yan na parang 'Okay nag-exercise ako nang matindi, I deserve this sushi bake,' ganun. Pag ganun ang nangyari, parang napu-put on a pedestal kasi 'yung pagkain to the point na you stain your relationship with food kasi nagiging reward na siya.”

The healthier way to look at food is by classifying them between nutrient-dense foods and calorie-dense foods.

He emphasizes, “At the end of the day, food is just food. Wala naman siyang healthy, walang unhealthy. Walang good, walang bad. It's more of you want to classify food as more of nutrient-dense versus calorie-dense.

“That there are some foods that will fill you up more, give you more vitamins, give you more minerals, and then you can eat it more. And then there are some foods that are more delicious sa palate but then they don't give you a lot of vitamins and minerals. They also don't give you a lot of satiety.”

2. Observe an 80-20 rule.

Source: timnutrition (IG)

For Coach Tim, a balanced diet includes allowing yourself to indulge into your craving. However, he notes that this should be done with moderation. What he recommends his clients is what he calls the 80-20 rule.

He explains, “Establishing that healthy relationship means knowing when to pick the nutrient-dense ones and knowing when to pick the calorie-dense ones. So pag gutom, pick more nutrient-dense ones tapos you plan out the craving.

“An 80-20 rule means 80% of the time you want to be eating nutrient-dense foods that you enjoy. So it's more of whole foods ang kinakain mo. So pag sinabing 80% of the time, you eat three meals in a day and one snack so 80% nung apat na 'yun is 'yung tatlo. So kung maayos 'yung tatlo, 'yung last one na 'yun, doon mo ipasok 'yung craving mo.”

He further illustrates, saying, “Kunwari 2,000 calories ka a day, so i-plan out mo na 'yung craving mo. I-look forward mo na siya sa block ng day mo na, 'Okay, itong 300 calories this goes to my ube cheese pandesal.' But then, the other parts of your day bubusugin mo na sarili mo sa nutrient-dense ones to have a 'balanced diet.'”

3. No to cheat days

Source: timnutrition (IG)

Coach Tim also highlights that there shouldn't be any cheat day in a healthy relationship with food. But before you raise an eyebrow and hit the exit button, understand that he means letting yourself indulge with your cravings any day of the week.

He explains, “Cheat day itself is a bad relationship with food. Relationship nga eh tapos may cheating na nagaganap so hindi talaga magiging okay.”

“It's more of you do a diet that allows for those cravings. Hindi siya 'yung sobrang restricted from Monday to Saturday tapos on Sunday I go all out.”

Allowing yourself to consume the food that you've been craving for also prevents binge-eating.

Coach Tim says, “At the end of the day, you do indulge that craving. Kasi if you don't indulge that craving, isipin mo the sushi bake that you've been wanting to eat today, you successfully used your will power to not eat it. The next day, iisipin mo ulit siya. After one week, iniisip mo ulit siya. And after one month, iniisip mo pa rin siya. So what happens there is like you're building a dam of cravings inside a month. So pag nag-collapse 'yung dam na 'yun, ayan, that's usually binging na.”

The bottom line is that having food cravings is normal and depriving yourself is not the correct way to go about it. Acknowledging this and being mindful with your eating habits will surely help in keeping your cravings in check.

For better nutritional advice, check out timnutrition.com or consult any registered nutritionist-dietician.