1.       Don’t get bored.

Boredom eating is a real thing! Why do we take a stroll to the fridge during ad breaks or at half-time during a game? Because we’re bored!

Why did so many people (myself included) gain weight during the pandemic? Probably because we had more free time than we ever could imagine and didn’t know what to do with ourselves!

Another way to address boredom is to think about the weekends. Why do we tend to eat more at the weekend?

Because usually we’re out of our normal work routine meaning our days don’t have as much structure and we’ve more free time again to consume food.

The first step is not to allow yourself to get bored and keep your mind active.

If I’m working off my laptop, I will not do it in the kitchen.

The same rule applies if I’m reading a book.

Alternatively, I find going outside for a walk helps.

Regardless of how you like to keep your mind active, understand that a lot of the time, the reason we eat is because we’re bored.

  2.       Add Some Cinnamon

Add some cinnamon to the foods you have during the day. Research has shown it can reduce the glycaemic index of a meal by up to 30%.

What this basically means is cinnamon can slow down the sugar spike you get form carbohydrate foods by up to 30%.

Use this rule to your advantage by trying to get some cinnamon into your foods as early as possible in the day.

Add it to your porridge, your Greek yogurt or of course, your protein pancakes!

While there’s nothing inherently magical about cinnamon nor will it guarantee you won’t get cravings later on, it can at least help curb your sugar cravings.  

3.       Supplement with Magnesium

If you’re constantly craving chocolate, it might be because you have a magnesium deficiency.

If you’re not eating enough foods high in magnesium such as , consider supplementing with it. Magnesium can help regulate blood sugar levels.  

4.       Have a Hot Drink

As alluded to above, having a hot drink works extremely well for keeping sugar cravings at bay. A black coffee or cup of tea have no calories in them before you add in milk.

Compare this to having a selection of the dessert menu which may include cake, ice-cream, a bar of chocolate or just a couple of biscuits.

Depending on the serving size, these treats can easily amount to a couple of hundred calories. If this is a habit of yours, these calories add up.

In fact, it is estimated that you will gain/lose a pound for every 3,500 calories you consume.

If you’ve a habit of always having dessert after dinner, that’s an easy way for the calories and pounds to add up over time.

Another benefit of having a hot drink is it delays the instant gratification of automatically reaching for sugar. This gives us more time to be present and actually think if we’re about to eat out of hunger or habit.

I like to have a hot drink between meals or after dinner.  

5.       Eat a Piece of Fruit

If you still crave something sweet even after your hot drink, have a small piece of fruit. While fruit does contain fructose – fruit sugar, there’s much more to a piece of fruit than sugar.

I find having some fruit satisfies my sweet tooth without causing me to crave more and more.

While the type of fruit you choose is going to come down to individual preference, I have found having a filling piece of fruit such as an apple is much more beneficial than something like a banana.

Why? You don’t feel very full after a banana and you probably wouldn’t find it difficult to eat a few of them in a row. Apples however are much more filling and are helpful to tie you over for a couple of hours.  

5. Have Something Sweet Post-Workout

As a rule of thumb, I encourage my clients to save most of their carbs until post-workout when they’re finished training in the gym

(this doesn’t apply for max effort gym sessions or matches with your club on the pitch – these activities need to be fuelled by carbohydrates) because your body is in an insulin sensitive state then.

In laymen’s terms, when you’re in an insulin sensitive state post workout your body is like a sponge and it will absorb your carbohydrates better.

Your body will be more likely to use these carbohydrates to build muscle rather than store them as fat.

To make use of this window, immediately after you finish training have something small that’s sweet alongside your protein shake.

(Note: I’m not saying you eat a full bar of chocolate or a tub of ice-cream, but something small such as a square of chocolate can be a nice reward that helps you keep on track).