Cravings and hunger are different. Cravings are an intense desire to eat specific foods. This is mostly experienced by many people even on a diet. Learning to control cravings is not difficult if you are following a proper guide. Cravings do not take too long but if you give in to it the result may affect your body longer. This often comes during the menstrual cycle. It usually occurs in women.

There are times that the intensity of cravings is overwhelming. It stays longer and does not stop unless you eat your comfort foods. This is dangerous to your body, especially during the HCG diet. Your comfort foods are not allowed during the HCG diet. This is because of the calorie content and other ingredients that may stop the HCG in burning your body fats.

Cravings are just unhealthy desires of your body that can be a product of high-stress levels or boredom. This is normal especially when you are just starting the VLCD. You tend to seek for the exact taste, texture, smell, and flavor of a certain food. Most of the food cravings are experienced by adults especially when you are tired, busy, or emotionally tensed.

Some causes of food cravings

• This is because of your appetite for high-calorie foods. This is developed because of your usual routine in having appealing food every day.
• The foods you crave for can stimulate dopamine release from your brain. This produces pleasurable feelings while you are indulging in unhealthy foods.
• Environmental factors can also affect your cravings. This is because you can smell foods, see food chains, see pictures and posters of food anywhere.
• There are also cases that it is caused by psychological factors. It can be stress, depression, eating disorders, and just be gone by eating too much.

How will you control cravings during the P2 of the HCG diet?

• Stay hydrated- Make sure you are drinking enough water. You can also have unsweetened coffee and tea during the VLCD. You can also get hydration from HCG approved fruits.
• Avoid sugary foods- To avoid surging of the sugar levels you have to stop eating foods that have sugar and carbs. Eating sugary foods can increase your cravings and will also top the HCG in burning your body fats.
• Increase your physical activities- Do not just rely on the foods that you eat or just doing nothing when cravings hit you. You have to add any light physical activities to be able to boost your metabolism.
• Avoid the trigger foods– This is commonly the foods that you usually eat before that causes you to gain weight. Trigger foods are those that are highly processed or contain more than one ingredient, flavorings, and preservatives.

You have to get through these cravings as early as you start the VLCD. Take note that the HCG diet is not a depriving weight loss regimen. It will help you lose weight, change your perception towards foods, and help you develop discipline in eating. This will only last for 3 to 6 weeks depending on your weight loss goal.