There’s no shortage of weight loss programs out there to choose from, each of which claim to have the key to shedding pounds. Still, losing weight can be challenging, especially if you don’t have the right mindset to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Thanks to many people looking for a shift in behavioral habits to assist in losing weight there is now a wide body of research that includes many behavioral psychology techniques to help people successfully lose weight.

As we all know, using pure willpower to overcome cravings doesn’t always work. On top of that, wasting energy on quick, short-term fixes almost always sets you up for failure in the end. Let’s look at some helpful tips you can use to train your mind to lose weight not just while on a diet but for the long haul.

Have 5 Craving Distracting Activities in Your Arsenal

Before a craving strikes, be ready to combat it by having a ready list of alternative activities to keep you on track. By intently focusing your mind on something besides that slice of cake, you’ll notice that your craving will slowly diminish. Take time to call a friend, take a walk, read to your kids or vacuum the house. Some other distractions include brushing your teeth, doing a set of crunches/push-ups or painting your nails. You’ll also have a positive reaction to getting something accomplished and not giving into your temptation.

Schedule Your Junk Food

Instead of waiting for a temptation to strike and only then trying to handle it, plan to have one indulgent or “junk” food a day, preferably after dinner. Think about it, wouldn’t it be easier to resist cravings during the day if you knew you were going to have your favorite food or wonderful glass of wine that night? And when you finish a moderate portion of that scheduled reward, remind yourself that if you want more, you can have more tomorrow night, and the next night, and the next night, and so on. This way you aren’t depriving yourself of that “forbidden” treat while at the same time implementing a beneficial lifestyle change where you use moderation and rewards to spur longtime success.

Start Substituting Smartly

A very useful tool you have at your disposal is to substitute junk food with healthy foods that resemble junk food. Thanks to the explosion in the health food snack market and healthy recipe warriors on social media over the last few years, finding a healthy alternative that shares some of the same qualities as the fatty food you’ve been craving has never been easier. Are you craving the crunch and salt of potato chips? Make a batch or grab a bag of satisfyingly crispy kale chips. Toying with the idea of digging into that pint of ice cream in the freezer? Dig into a fruit-packed smoothie bowl instead. Making sensible choices like these more consistently over time will encourage your taste buds and brain to adjust and possibly “crave” these healthier options instead.

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