I'm craving chocolate so bad I could eat a mountain of it. Have you ever had cravings like this? What I have discovered is that most of the time these intense cravings are due to a lack of a certain nutrient that our body need. In response to the need our body prompts us to foods that we like that contains these nutrients. These foods we like might not be the best chose for obtaining the nutrients. Magnesium is one of the most common nutrient deficiency in the US, and chocolate is high in magnesium, which is why chocolate is such a common craving.

The next time you are craving a certain type of food, ask yourself, what do I really need for my body? Below is a small example of some food cravings and the healthier options to fill the need.

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I here it all the time, "How you can eat that, that taste terrible." Many people stray away from healthy foods just because they can not deal with the taste. I use to have the same issues as well but, I developed a strategy to eliminate added sugar and lower the salt intake in my diet. Here are some of the methods I used. 

1. I began to cook my own foods. I would add many spices that flavored the food and eliminate the use of salt. If I used salt it was Himalayan salt.

2. I looked for a healthier substitute for snacks I craved, like oat mill chocolate chip cookies with flax seed. I eventually eliminated the craving for these type of snacks all together.

3. I started drinking half sweet and half unsweetened tea, then gradually lowered the sweet to I was only drinking unsweetened. I used this same method with coffee until I was drinking it black with no creamer or sweetener.

4. I reduced the need to use salad dressings on my salads by reducing the amount over a period of time. People think I'm strange when I eat a salad with no salad dressing but, I tell you once you re introduce your taste palates to real food you can taste the sweetness in everything. 

5. I would eat at least every 3 hours so that I wouldn't have bad cravings and reach for something that was bad for me.

6. I started getting and understanding of what my body needed for me to perform at an ultimate level. I would read and study different foods, this helped me to stay focus and on track.

The processed food industry has really done a good job in hooking us on their products. Real food really does taste good, you just have to desensitize your taste buds.

You might be wondering what this have to do with weight loss. I want to tell you that it is my opinion that is has more to do with weight loss than we can imagine.

I have written in a previous blog that weight loss starts in the mind. You get it right in the mind, then the reality will follow.

What I have been gathering from talking to numerous people, they feel it is easier said than easy done. This may be an absolute reality for them. What I am finding more and more is that  a majority of the people I talk with have no self discipline. They simply have no control over their own mind. What so alarming is, they are not aware of it. It is like they do things unconsciously and that is what I contribute it to, being unconscious. 

Let me explain how I gained some what control over my own mind. I say some what because, it is a daily battle. But, when you practice daily, you will be ready on game day.

I am not going to give you the history of how I discovered this, I will at some time in the future. But, for now, I will get straight to the how.

The Bible tell us in Psalms 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The emphasis here is on Be Still.

What I have come to realize is that by being still (letting go of everything) you can become objective to your thoughts and emotions. It is like the real you sit and watch thoughts arise. This will take some practicing but, the objective is to not get caught up in the thoughts that arise, just observe them. If you find yourself caught up in a thought don't get alarmed just bring your attention back to the movie canvas inside your mind, or what I do is become very aware of my body, like feeling the blood flowing to my hands and feet. When a thought arises and I notice I have gotten caught up, I just turn my attention back to observing my body. 

What this exercise does is help you become aware of the present. The Now as some call it. Take some time and try it. Just simply sit in an upright position, in a quite location. You can let you hands hang by your side or place them on your thighs. Close your eyes and simply let everything go. Stare into the canvas of your mind. It will seem as if you are looking through the center of your forehead. Try it for 10 to 15 minutes. 

I practice keeping my mind in the Now at all times. What you can do also is, practice becoming very aware of your present surroundings. If you are in a room, become very aware of what is in that room. When the thoughts arise and you realize they have, do not be frustrated, just gently bring your conscious back to the present.

What I have realized is that there is a part of us that war against us, if we allow it, at every turn we make. If you start to notice your thoughts in this manner, you will start to see that the thoughts that arise before you master this arises from a part of human beings that I call the Ego nature. The Ego nature only tries to make you emotionalize past events and worry about preconceived outcomes of future events. F.E.A.R. False Evidence Appearing Real. Stay in the Now, overcome fear, overcome negative emotions.

Now, how all this ties into weight loss? Weight loss is a desired result or a destination of accomplishment. When you start the course toward you destination there will be obstacles that will try to alter your course. If you do not have the self discipline to stay on course your efforts will be foiled and you will go through an emotional roller coaster. By getting control over your mind this way you will start to dictate what thoughts you allow. You will eliminate stress, stay on course and reach your destination.

This does not only apply to weight loss, you can reach your desire regardless of what that desire is.

 The weight loss industry is one of the largest in the world. There are so many diet programs that promise you that you are going to lose weight but, in the end it is all based on your burning desire to be at the weight you envisioned. I'm not going to tell you that all programs are bad but, what I will tell you is, you lose weight by taking in less calories than you burn or burn more calories than you take in.

If you have more than 40 pounds to lose, I recommend that you get your eating habits in line by evaluating what you are actually eating. Then correct what has been the problem the whole time. It is what you are eating. It is my opinion that you must get your diet correct before starting an aggressive workout regimen. Why? Because if you become injured and can't workout you will not gain the weight back to the point you were. 

Now for the strategy,

Everyone these days have a smart phone that take pictures, if you don't, then you will have to write in a journal. For the next two weeks take a picture of everything that you eat, chew, or drink, from the time you arise to the time you go to sleep. At the end of each week research the content, calories and nutritional value of what you have put into your body. Calculate how many intake calories, and sugar you have taken in for the week. Once you have truly evaluated your current diet, look for ways to improve. It may mean substituting or it could mean eliminating some foods altogether.

I hear so often, "I just love to eat", or "I just can't give up corn bread", or "It's to hard", Well, I hear what you are saying but, I have been there, and I am here to tell you that if you believe these sayings mentally then its going to be always hard.  Check out my blog title Change Your Mind Change Your Life. You are equipped right now with everything you need to succeed, in whatever it is you want to succeed in.