Weight loss & willpower - how to control cravings...

They're renowned for sabotaging the silhouettes of even the most strategic of slimmers, but do cravings really have to hinder our hard work and healthier habits?

In order to ensure that the temptation of tasty treats doesn't tighten your trousers, we've created top four tips for how to control cravings...

1.Guzzle a glass of water.
Opting to guzzle a glass of water as opposed to gorging on a calorific cake can not only suppress appetite (water is a natural appetite suppressant), but it can also reduce the risk of reaching for favourable foods for the wrong reasons - an action that's commonly seen in those who mistake thirst, for hunger.

2.Tuck into a bite sized piece.
As difficult as it may be to demolish a dainty dessert, sustaining the self-control to satisfy a sweet tooth with a bite sized piece of palatable food can tame the temptation to tuck into a standard sized treat - this proves to be particularly effective when cravings are for a specific (and sugary!) food source.

3.Brush those teeth.
Although a true craving will subside within 20 minutes, even the most dedicated of dieters can struggle to sustain self-control for the time that it takes for a craving to crumble. If the (psychological) pressure to scoff a sugary sweet treat is overpowering to the point where we feel incapable of control, brushing our teeth can reduce the risk of succumbing to the sweet stuff by leaving us less eager to eat our favoured food (nothing tastes the same, or seems as appealing, when we have a minty mouth!).

4.Consume one to two chunks of dark chocolate.
Munching on a chunk (or two!) of chocolate may not seem like a sensible solution to shaping a slender silhouette - particularly if we're strict when it comes to slimming - but the strong taste that stems from tucking into this tasty treat is often (more than) enough to promote a sense of psychological satisfaction, particularly if its cocoa (or cacao) content is of at least 80%, and we let it melt in our mouth.

Final thought: although a diet defined by deprivation i.e. the forbidding of favoured and flavoursome foods, will drive you to demolish the dishes and desserts that damage your dress size (and dieting determination!), a severe and sudden caloric deficit can have the same detrimental effect on your weight loss efforts. Instead of increasing the incidence of uncontrollable cravings by banishing 'bad' foods from your daily diet, find a healthy balance by mastering the meaning of moderation whilst remembering that although the occasional treat won't widen your waistline, failing to tuck into one often will.

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