1. Eat at least three well-balanced meals a day. Even if you'retrying tolose weight, don't skip meals. You'll only be hungrier for the next one,and cravings between meals can become overwhelming.

2. Give up guilt. Believing you have cheated on your diet andcompletely ruined your chances of succeeding produces guilt and feelings offailure.Give yourself permission to eat favorite foods in moderation and withoutguilt.

3. Accept food cravings as a normal part of living in a food-orientedsociety. Almost everyone experiences food cravings, regardless of whether theystruggle with their weight. The more you understand your cravings, the betteryouwill be able to manage them. While you cannot control the fact thatcravingsoccur, you can control you reaction.

4. Think "management" instead of "control." "Control" implies anadversarial relationship with food; it's generally a constant struggle to maintain control. "Management" is much easier. When we manage something, we work with it to achieve our desired results.

5. Look at cravings as suggestions to eat, not commands tooverindulge. Overeating does not have to be an automatic response to a craving.When a craving begins, determine how you want to deal with it. It is trulyup toyou.

6. Believe that cravings will pass. A craving is similar to a wave inthe ocean. It grows in intensity, peaks, and then subsides if you do notgivein. Picture yourself as a surfer who is trying to "ride the wave,"instead of being wiped out by it. The more you practice riding the wave, theeasier it will become.

7. Disarm your cravings with the 5 D's. Delay at least 10 minutesbefore you eat so that your action is conscious, not impulsive. Distractyourself by engaging in an activity that requires concentration. Distanceyourself from the food. Determine how important it really is for you to eat thecravedfood and how much you really want it. Decide what amount is reasonable and appropriate, eat it slowly and enjoy!

8. Stop labeling foods as "bad," "illegal," or "forbidden." It's notthefood itself that's the problem, but the quantities you consume and howoften you consume them. You can eat some of anything you want- even if it ishigh infat, calories, or sugar- but to reach your goals, you may not be able toeat allof everything you want.

9. Aim for moderation instead of abstinence. Avoiding things you fearonly reinforces the fear. Occasionally practice enjoying reasonableamounts of favorite high-fat or high-calorie foods. You may be happier andbetter ableto stay with a well-balanced plan for healthy living.

10. Exercise regularly. Just as it is vital to successfully managingyour weight, exercise is key to managing food cravings. In addition toburning calories, regular exercise may be relief from tension due toanxieties about food cravings. T's also one way to delay, distance, and distractyourselffrom food.