Once you can spot  cravings, there are ways to deal with them: distraction, confrontation and negative imaging.

The distraction approach involves ignoring the cravings. When you know a craving is about to engulf you,  do something else. Think about something wonderful, plan a dream vacation, or do anything to take your attention away from the urge to eat. The craving will usually pass.

The distraction method works best for people who have a good imagination or can change activities or thoughts at an instant’s notice. You only have to do these things for a few moments because cravings generally pass within minutes or even seconds. If you are bombarded by cravings throughout the day, confronting the cravings may be the most effective.

The confrontation approach pits you against the craving. Let’s say you want to raid the refrigerator for ice cream. You could pretend that the urge is another person trying to convince you to eat the ice cream. Argue with this person and say why you will not give in to the urge. Another approach is to visualize the ice cream container beckoning to you and tempting you with promises of fulfillment. Imagine how silly it is to let the ice cream get the best of you.

A typical confrontation scene might be as follows. You get the urge to stop for a snack while driving home from work. You recognize the craving and decide to get the best of it. You say to yourself, “You nasty craving! You want me to eat when I’m not really hungry. I’ll show you who is boss. I am in charge of my own life and my weight”.

Negative imaging: before you allow yourself to cheat, stop for a few seconds, imagine yourself testing and enjoying the tempting food. Now imagine yourself becoming fatter and fatter. See and feel your thighs becoming bigger and bigger, your stomach becoming so big that it hangs over your thighs. Try to see this image clearly in your minds eye. Try to vividly associate this image of yourself growing bigger and bigger to the imagined good taste of the tempting food.

Think of these approaches now and decide which will work for you. Try to arrive at a strategy as soon as possible. This will prepare you in advance for the inevitable cravings that you will face. Try your best not to give in.