Delayed gratification

Cravings. Everyone has them. Even me. That recurring chorus your brain keeps sending you–that you simply “must” have that cupcake. Or donut. Or whatever. But, as I’ve said before, the particular food isn’t as important as the psychological process behind the craving.

What’s most important, though, is what you do about the craving. That’s often the deciding factor in whether you’ll reach your health goals or not.

And according to a new study out of Portugal, the best–and easiest–way to tackle a craving is to postpone it. Or, to be more accurate, postpone giving in to it.

Researchers have found that people who postpone a snack they crave actually eat less of that food when and if they do give in. But it gets even better…

They also found that those who are able to postpone their cravings actually desire it less over time.

Here’s the catch. (Don’t worry–it’s not a major one.)

The art of postponing has to be to some vague time in the future, not a set date. In other words, you can’t tell yourself that you’ll have that cookie tomorrow. Instead, you’ll have to settle for simply having it “later.”

It may seem like a subtle difference. But according to the lead researcher, “When you postpone to some indefinite time in the future, the desire for the food actually decreases.”

I like this twist on the age old battle of “should I or shouldn’t I?” It takes something that can be very complicated–why we crave things–and offers a simple, easy solution. That’s what my New Hamptons Health Miracle is all about.

No special “tricks.” No ineffective substitutes. All you have to do is put it off.

And you know what? It gets easier each time. Until, eventually, you won’t even have those stubborn cravings anymore.

It really can be that simple.