Short-term avoiding, longer-term cutting back
If you avoid a specific food for a short time, you often want it more afterwards.[1] Longer calorie restriction, on the other hand, tended to go along with fewer cravings. This comes from an analysis of eight studies of at least 12 weeks in people with obesity. The effects were small and the studies varied.[2]
Cravings are often learned
Researchers also see cravings as a learned response that can be unlearned.[1] If a craving always comes at the same time or place, it is worth looking at that situation.
What you can try
- Plan in foods you feel like eating instead of cutting them out completely.
- Note when the craving comes. A pattern often shows.
- Look after your sleep. After too little sleep, people eat more on average.[3]
These are suggestions, not a guarantee. If you often feel you lose control over eating, read When to get medical advice.
The app does not replace medical advice.
Sources
- Meule A: The Psychology of Food Cravings: the Role of Food Deprivation. Curr Nutr Rep, 2020
- Kahathuduwa CN et al.: Extended calorie restriction suppresses overall and specific food cravings. Obes Rev, 2017
- Al Khatib HK et al.: The effects of partial sleep deprivation on energy balance. Eur J Clin Nutr, 2017