Cravings: With this trick you can get rid of him

We bravely held out all week and cut each candy bar – and then suddenly we empty the whole candy drawer at the weekend. The craving has struck again and is throwing all of our weight loss plans into disarray. But do we really always have to lose against it?

A group of researchers led by Prof. Dr. Moritz and Ms. Prof. Kühn at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf ("UKE") have just come to the following conclusion (based on Ms. Schmotz's thesis): No, we don't have to! The scientists have developed a simple self-help technique ("retraining") through which we should get a grip on the cravings. All we need is a little imagination.

Concept originally against massive alcohol abuse

Originally, Prof. Dr. Moritz, who works in clinical psychology at the UKE, is looking for a way to manage the addiction of strong alcoholics. To do this, he and his team divided 84 people into two groups: the participants in the first group went through the retraining method, and those in the second group served as controls. The result: Around 75 percent of the participants from the first group reported lower alcohol consumption after four weeks, while the drinking behavior of the subjects in the control group remained largely the same. In a follow-up study, the self-help technique also proved itself in smoking cessation.

Bye bye cravings!

And what does that have to do with our annoying cravings? Quite simply: The researchers have now tested retraining on 384 women with a BMI over 25, i.e. slightly overweight. The method significantly reduced the desire for classic fattening agents such as sweets and chips in women who used retraining. The general eating behavior of women also improved according to the nutritional questionnaires that the test subjects were asked to fill out. And: On average, the women lost around four kilos during the study period. The self-help method was the only help they received from the researchers – there were also no weight loss tips or an invitation to do more sports. Striking: The effect was strongest among women who set a daily reminder timer for retraining.

And how does the method work now?

There is one for self-help technology precise step-by-step instructions, based on the following principles:

  • Choose your addictive substance: Think of one to five favorite snacks that you don't want to eat more or less in the future. Also think about the situations in which you normally eat these snacks (e.g. at work or on the couch in the evening). Visualize the snack exactly in front of your inner eye: how does it smell, what color is it, how does it taste?
  • Think about healthy alternatives: Now think of a healthy alternative to this snack that you also like to eat, e.g. B. fruit or plain yogurt – a healthy drink is also okay. You should now imagine this healthy snack figuratively as exactly as possible in your mind. Tip: So far you have no healthy food that you like very much? Then imagine something you like could.

Finished? Then you can try out the right exercise now:

  • Exhale, bend your shoulders and sag into yourself – the more stooped and crooked your posture is, the better. In doing so, you deliberately worry cloudy. Now think about your favorite snack you have chosen, take it in your hand and hurl it far away – for example, let the bowl of chips smash on the floor or throw the chocolate bar against the wall. In addition, you can try to mentally destroy the cozy atmosphere in which you normally eat this snack – by thinking of thick chocolate stains on the sofa, for example.
  • Repeat these thoughts a few times a day and like to increase your imagination to the grotesque (for example, you could think of throwing the chocolate straight to the moon). Important: You really have to carry out the "throw-away movement" with your arm!
  • Take a deep breath and sit up straight and relaxed. Be careful not to let yourself down now. Now think of the healthy alternative to your favorite snack and bring it mentally exaggerated up to your mouth so that you have to look upwards (an example? Remember classic pictures of Julius Caesar and Co. that were fed with grapes from above ). At the same time, try to imagine a nice atmosphere that gives you a positive feeling, for example that you are lying on a beach and enjoying the sound of the waves. Hold on to these positive thoughts and then mentally take the first bite of your healthy snack, which you particularly enjoy.
  • You should also do this exercise Carry out several times a day.

Tip: You can vary the order of the performances, if you feel more comfortable thinking first about healthy eating and then about unhealthy eating.

Why should it work?

Behind the concept are some insights from psychology: The basic one The purpose of the exercises is to couple the unhealthy snack with physical dislike, which will curb cravings. One makes the former favorite snack almost mentally bad. Movement of the snack away from you or down is associated with rejection, while the movement towards you upwards means approximation.

The situation is similar with posture: We associate a crooked, stooped posture with negative feelings, an upright, straight posture, on the other hand, with strength and good mood. This coupling between posture and feelings takes advantage of retraining.

Another training tip: It's best to set up a timer at least twice a day to remind you of your thought exercises and do the retraining concentrated each time for at least ten minutes. You shouldn't be disturbed if possible. And: So that the exercises quickly become routine, it helps to reserve fixed times of the day. Then the cravings will soon be history!

If you want to learn more about self-help technology, can personally contact Prof. Moritz via [email protected].

Do you want to talk about nutrition? Then take a look at our BRIGITTE community!

UKE alcohol retraining study