I totally agree with that. My family doesn’t always agree with me, however, it’s fun to watch them grab a veggie out of the fridge and I don’t say a word! I just smile!
Today’s post is going to be short, sweet and to the point.
That said, it may be the most valuable piece of dietary advice that I could EVER give you.
You see, last night around 9:30 PM while watching my DVR-ed episoded of American Idol my appetite started acting up and I began to have some pretty intense cravings.
A couple minutes later, I found myself in the kitchen rummaging through the fridge, cupboards, and pantry looking for something to satisfy my hunger (yes, I’m human and I deal with cravings, too).
After scoping out what was available, I ultimately ended up eating some sliced grilled chicken and big portion of fresh green beans.
Do you know what stopped me from downing a bowl of ice cream or reaching for a bag of potato chips last night?
Simple. These foods aren’t in my house.
Do you want to end your struggle with late night snacking (with the wrong foods) and increase your dietary adherence ten-fold? Then here it is, the best diet tip I could ever give you:
Keep your house free of anti-diet food.
Simply put, if it’s not available, it’s not a temptation.
Do you find that having “off-limits” foods lying around is screwing up your diet? Find this post helpful?
Respond in the comments section below!
Talk to you there!
Joel
P.S. Want another really cool FREE diet tip? Stop eating these three foods right now (revealed in the below video).
Stop eating these three foods right now <—— Click here
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277 comments - add yours
I agree. I’m pretty good about not snacking but my wife doesn’t need to be nearly as strict with her diet to stay slim and fit and she DOES have snack foods around. I’ve convinced her to hide them from me but sometimes she forgets. In weak moments, which usually occur mid-afternoon for me, I sometimes pig out on “her snacks”…
I agree 100%. I can’t imagine how many calories I could have consumed if the “off limits” food was actually in the house. I also find that when I get a late night snack attack, I sometime am just thirsty so some ice cold water will help me. Also I just go and brush my teeth. Nothing seems to be appetizing after that.
How are u Joel? I hope u are doing well always.
Sure u are right. As a boy the old wise man had told me if I always first try avoiding my enemies instead of facing them. I still keep this idea in the bottom of my heart ,and apply it in my life. Also it proved that always prevention is better than treatment.
Thanks for this wise prophylactic idea.
Kind regards
MadLily
What can I say….this is so true. I don’t know how many times I’ve wanted chocolate but ate some fruit instead because there was no chocolate in the house. Doesn’t matter what time of the day it is.
Totally agree. I believe in carbs and calorie cycling for best results in fat loss, but there’s no excuse for satisfying every craving someone has; the expected result will be maintained bodyweight while trying to loose it.
Joel,
Good plan, if it’s not there you can’t eat it! We have a 12 year old boy in our house so it hard to keep ALL the “other” stuff awa. I turn a blind eye to the unhealthy food in my house.
your absolutely right !!! if you aint got it you cant eat it
Thank you Joel **different Joel I presume? ** for your comment here, this is a great reminder of the Leptin effect….
Thank you very much for sharing this Joel, I thought I was the only one going back and forth the fridge looking for the junk…spent a lot of time thinking I had mental breakdown…is this what addiction is all about? When they’re going through breakthrough like this….breaking down before breaking through
Well I don’t live on my own. I live with my extended family and there are kids in the house. The house is almost never junk-food-free. In fact, they stock up every 3 weeks. there’s calways chips, chocolates, wafers.. etc.
How do I not reach for them?
I’d just like to state the obvious. Joel M’s plan can and should be applied during the daytime (read: worktime) too. Avoid congregating around the vending machines, and come late to the numerious office or social parties. These are real diet killers. In essense, whenever you know that tempation is in a certain area, don’t go there! As Nancy Reagen used to say, “Just say no!” (as opposed to today’s message to kids – “Just do it!”)
Hi Joel.
Thank you for this article. That’s SO TRU. How many time i was so good all day and then Failed to finish my day the same way just because my cravings kicked in andI found chokolate in my fridge. NO MORE.
My husband likes sweets from time to time. It doesn’t effect him (he is in great shape) SO NOW I KEEP ALL THAT NOUGHTY FOOD IN OTHER PLASE – FAR AWAY FROM MY EYES :O)
An Old Testament scripture…..”make no provision for the flesh”!!! My problem is that my husband still wants some of those things in the house…..like he’ll buy ice cream once in a while. At least it’s not all the time!
@NT – When I was a kid I was overweight. I lost 30 pounds in 2 years after I decided that sweets are not a food. I can eat sweets, but they are not nutritious, and have no value. I look at my food as a fuel. If my car can get right fuel, my body deserves it even more. Cars are expendable, I am not!
Joel,
I am like you…I have no self control over junk food for the most part. My girlfriend can buy a large bag of Doritos chomp down 4-5 chips and seal the bag up. That same bag will last for two weeks.
Me? If something like that is in my apartment it lasts maybe 2-3 days tops. I can easily kill a bag in one sitting…and I will wind up eating it at 8-9:00 pm while watching an NBA game.
Great advice…I refuse to keep this in my apartment. I try to give away the junk food as people leave my place if I host a party.
Rusty
That’s some solid advice. If it’s in your house, it’s gonna end up in your mouth. I only succumb to cravings when I’m out and getting back from a party (i.e. slightly drunk)
Good stuff – can’t be emphasized enough Joel. Buy only stuff you want to eat according to your goals. And don’t leave the house hungry.
Yavor
For snack times when those cravings just won’t go away and I need something crunchy, I keep items like almonds with dried berries. The seem to do the trick.
I find when I get cravings a couple big glasses of water seems to work for me
Thanks for the tip its a good one
John
Sounds like a good idea. But what do you do when your roommate or spouse buys the crap?
Hi Joel ! Great tip , but I also have a teenage son , who would be very unhappy if I did that ! So I have found that having a cheat day has made all the difference in the world ! I have a sweet tooth , but knowing I get to have it on my cheat day makes mr strong enough to say no just wait !!! My down fall this week was surgery on my hand so my workouts were off ! I only lost 1 lbs (dissapointing to say the least ) 1 inch off hips , bust , waist , 1 inch on legs and arms ! Am I doing something wrong or is it just slow going ?? Thanks Fay
Super yet simple information that really does work. We don’t have a lot in our house right now either.
My first post! Thanks so much for all the great info you’ve been sending… about your post….
This is Oh So True! After dealing the real food allergies and digestive issues, the nutritionist put me on a clean eating regime. I thought I was addicted to sugar and that this would be really tough… NOPE……. the simple solution was not to bring it in the house! Then I would never be tempted to eat someting I shouldn’t. I found I didn’t crave sweets, in fact I started craving things like raw green peppers and raw cabbage!? As someone mentioned earlier I often found that when I thought I was hungry… my body was really thirsty instead… I’m finally staring to “hear” what my body has been trying to tell me.
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Hey, it’s Joel! So you want to know a little more about me, huh? Well, I’d be happy to oblige :-)
I guess it all started back in 2001 (my freshman year of college) when I was just a “skinny fat” 19-year old kid. At the time, I was spending close to 2 hours a day in the gym (now my workouts last about 30 minutes), and despite my efforts, you’d probably never guess I worked out a day in my life by looking at me...