Combating cravings can be tough, but a detailed schedule and a healthy activity plan will help you overcome these Habits of Disease.

Whether you have started a journal or not, add the following pages:

Page One: Place your “before” picture.
Page Two: Write down your goal and the secondary choices that support that goal. You can use the detailed description that you created in previous lessons.
First Page of Each Week: Write down a goal for the week, such as “I will eat a small, low-fat meal every three hours” or “I will wear my pedometer and take 5,000 extra steps every day this week.” Give yourself a reward for reaching your weekly goal, such as a fitness magazine, a book, or running shoes.
Each Week: Enter the following into your journal:

• The times you eat
• The foods you eat
• How much water you drink
• Any learning experiences
• Types of exercises you enjoy
• The amount of weight lost that week
• How you feel before and after you eat
• Better choices for next time (if applicable).

You can also use your journal to plan out your entire day, what you plan to eat, when you plan to eat it, when you plan to exercise, when you plan to go to sleep, and so on. Having this plan, coupled with the other journal exercises, will help you to beat cravings by keeping you motivated and on target.

Beat Cravings With A Plan

Choosing an activity over eating is especially helpful when you’re dealing with a stressful day and looking for comfort food. Get away from the areas that cause the stress and take a walk, listen to music, or choose from your chore list. It may also help to ask yourself whether the action you’re contemplating supports your primary choice to reach a healthy weight.
To help you beat your cravings, write down 10 activities that you can do around the house or office when you feel stress or a craving. Note these activities in your journal.
Cravings might be a challenge at first, but stick to this schedule:
And don’t over-exercise! We’ll talk about sustainable activity when we cover Habits of Motion later in this program, and don’t forget to stick to the nine-inch plate rule!
We are well on our way now. You are on track to reach optimal health!
In health,