Dr. Oz’s 5 Tricks to Overcome Food Cravings

Each of us falls victim to a little temptation while dieting—usually in the form of chocolate cake, homemade mac ‘n cheese, or some other rich food or drink that you love to indulge in but know you’ll pay for on the scale in the morning. Unfortunately, cravings are almost impossible to ignore. “There’s a survival value to craving,” says Dr. Mehmet Oz, better known as the host of The Dr. Oz Show.

As he explains it, we crave food for the same reason we crave sex. “There’s a biologically mandated desire to nourish and procreate that’s hardwired at numerous levels to ensure there’s redundancy in the system, so it can’t fail because those are the two things you need to survive as a species.”

Fair enough. But unless you’re someone who, say, craves asparagus tips and broccoli florets, routinely giving in to that hardwired, biologically mandated desire for fettuccine alfredo or stuffed-crust pizza can wreak havoc on your plans to get back in your skinny jeans. But biology isn’t always destiny. So rather than tough out your cravings through sheer willpower—a losing battle akin to “trying to hold your breath underwater indefinitely,” according to Dr. Oz—you’ve got to be a bit cunning in your approach.

Keep reading for Dr. Oz’s five tips to beating those cravings!