Last updated on November 28th, 2021 at 09:49 pm

I recently told the members of the SHJ Army that I was not only going to be writing longer articles in the mix with the workout routine posts from our Workout Database, but also working to find a way to help you combat the struggle with nutrition that many seem to have.

And, I’m doing just that again right now.

I’ve been spewing out some must-read articles lately, which actually led me to create a “Must-Read Course” within The Academy for our members there to have a more broken down guide – but I want to never slow down path, and continuing fighting for justice.

I had to give it my best superhero twist there…

One thing that I’ve realized when working towards strengthening our nutrition is that snacking and cravings are definitely something that get in the way of many of our SuperHumans (or soon to be SuperHumans).

Unfortunately, this could be a huge deal-breaker in many cases…

A couple snacks here and there can turn into the calories that push you right over the edge daily – and also completely counteract many of the things you were working towards.

And yes, I mean the habits you were/are looking to create.

One “cheat meal” can turn into much more than that.  Sugars and carbs can prove to take you on a whirlwind of cravings for more…and more…!

While I talk about the ways to have fun, party and even travel while dieting – which even leads to me discussing celeb and athlete cheat meals within their 80/20 Method of dieting – there is still a big need to counteract the cravings.

I know you’re with me here…

How this is going to work…

Now, while I’m not the biggest fan of “listical” type articles, this one might come close to being one.

There are a bunch of ways to fight cravings, and I would like to tell you all of them…

That only makes sense, right?

Much like the Nutrition Pillars we utilize here for the SHJ Army, and those we combine to use within The Academy Nutritional Classes (Vikings, Samurais, Monks, Hunter Gatherers and soon to be Spartans) – we will also be combining many of these methods to fight our Lex Luther of cravings.

And, again similar, many of these things we’re going to be utilizing to fight the cravings are the same exact things that we’re using as pillars in the first place.

I mean…talk about simple and easy…right?

So, yes, you’re reading that right: many of the things that we use as Nutrition Pillars here and in The Academy are the same exact thing that we’re going to be using to fight the cravings that drag us down to the depths of Hades.  I’ll be including some other tips and tricks for you guys, and also talking about things you can do for yourself that will make the whole process easier.

Basically, we’re going to go into an in-depth walk through for each little section, as they all help in their own way…and are all needed as well!

So hang on tight and get ready for the fun, because if Hydra throws Crossbones at you in the shape of Double-Stuffed-Oreos, I want you to be ready!

Let’s talk about Intermittent Fasting real quick…

Oh come on! You guys knew it was coming…

It only makes sense to make it the first thing we talk about seeing as how it’s the backbone of the diets we utilize at SHJ.

Intermittent fasting at SHJ is made easy with the tons of customizable variations we utilize.

So, before you get ahead of yourself and think I’m throwing you right into the fight with Ultron, just hold on tight and hear me out for a second.

Have you even read The Official SHJ Guide to Intermittent Fasting before you start tearing my head off!?

Whether you’re doing the full-force intermittent fasting of The Original Avengers (like myself), and fasting the 18+ hours everyday with no help – or if you’re taking it slow and working your way up utilizing SuperHuman Fuel, or shorter term fasts – this is definitely the first thing you need to add in to fight your cravings.

Not only are you going to get many amazing benefits, such as increased fat burning, metabolic rate and growth hormone release – but it’s also amazing for blood sugar control, cardiovascular function, and the big whammy: appetite control!

BOOM! Luther Corps explosion.

Either that or some McDonalds somewhere just caught fire…I’m not sure…

And, if you’re not quite sold on it just yet, I can tell you one of my favorite lines about how Terry Crews calls it his fountain of youth, and Hugh Jackman utilized it to turn into Wolverine after having it programmed for him by Dwayne Johnson!  Oh, and Olivia Munn was an early investor of Bulletproof, which is a technique we utilize with the SuperHuman Fuel to get started with our fasting.

I know, I know…I got you now!

Drink More Water

This is something that people always seem to forget.

Water matters, people!

Sometimes you don’t even realize it, but thirst can actually be easily confused with hunger or simple cravings. Your body may really need you to pick up that jug of water (maybe even with some awesome amino acids in it), and instead you guys run off to the snack drawer.

Do you see how this can be an issue?

Not just that, but we also know that water results in many other health benefits that we know are vital to our transformation.  (Which is also one reason that it’s a major pillar of all the Nutrition Classes in The Academy)  Whether it’s being used to fight cravings, or clear your skin; water can also be an amazing benefactor in your weight loss journey.

Aside from the many indirect ways water combats fat and weight-gain, while helping us do the opposite, it also is the most obvious way to lose the pesky water weight that many of us find ourselves holding onto.

Yes, in order to lose water weight you’re going to want to drink MORE water.

And, jumping right to what you’re all waiting for: HOW MUCH?

Here’s the comparison of what I recommend and what MayoClinic recommends as far as daily water intake:

I personally recommend almost a gallon of water a day! (3.78541 liters)

The MayoClinic recommends 3 liters a day for men, and around 2.2 liters for women, but your specific requirements can depend on multiple factors.

Get Enough [Proper] Sleep

As you can tell, many of these mini segments of killing cravings also are large enough to have their own articles written for them.

Oh, that’s right, they basically all do…

And, if you’ve been here for a while (meaning SHJ), you also know how strongly I feel about sleep.  We know it’s essential to recovering, and also the building of testosterone and our growth hormones that are absolutely necessary and vital to our transformations as well.

We’ve seen guys like Henry Cavill and Tom Hardy throw in two a days for training, but something like that is not do-able without recovering properly.  Actually, it would be counteractive if there wasn’t enough recovery.  Which is why Cavill’s trainer informed us he tried to get 8-10 hours of good sleep every night.

I’ve written more about sleep here, but it’s essential to realize that it’s more than just about recovery (although that’s huge as well).

Authority Nutrition tells us this about sleep:

Your appetite is largely affected by hormones that fluctuate throughout the day.

Sleep deprivation disrupts the fluctuations, and may lead to poor appetite regulation and strong cravings.

Studies support this, showing that sleep-deprived people are up to 55% more likely to become obese, compared to people who get enough sleep.

If that doesn’t sell you, I’m not sure what will!

Sleep affects our hormones and stress on our body in more forms than people realize, and is a key component in our transformations – so wake up and smell the coffee!

Or, wait…don’t…

Your indulgences should be built-in.

Like the End of Term Feast in Harry Potter’s school Hogwarts, your indulgences should be earned.

I’m a big fan of the 80/20 Method, as we know.

Our 4-Tier Nutrition System literally has daily indulgences and “cheat meals” built into it, which I talk about within my guide: SHJ Cheat Meals and Indulgences Guide.

If you’re going to allow yourself to cheat, it should be planned and built in.  

You cannot just tell yourself right before you dive into some McDonalds “Oh, this is my cheat meal for the week!”.  It just never works.  You know what happens then? That statement comes back the following day, and the next, and the next…

And, it’s an endless cycle.

So, plan your cheat meals and indulgences. Have them built in within your diet.

In fact, I talked all about the top diets used among celebrities and a LARGE majority uses some form of built in cheat meal and more than you’d imagine make specific mention to daily indulgences.

I have now researched over 300 celebrities, athletes and the world’s top performers, and our 4-Tier Nutrition System is built on that research and years of testing among myself, our coaches, and members here at SHJ.

And built in indulgences are one of our 4-Tiers…!

A little tough support before we finish with a challenge…

Don’t worry – I’m not going to just end the article by yelling at you until you change your habits…

Oh, but I AM going to talk to you about changing your habits….

A lot of what goes into stopping your cravings is will power.  Much like the Spartans you see above carrying their young male son off for his much needed battle training (or to prove he’s a man) – I’m going to ask all of you to prove that you’re worthy of becoming a SuperHuman.

But, we’ll wait for the challenge to talk about that.

For now I want to talk about self control.  How bad do you want it? Do you want it enough to fight your cravings and incorporate these specific pillars that I’m telling you about?  

Hopefully you answered “A LOT”, followed by “YES”!

If so, you’re going to like the following challenge.  If not, well than you just clearly don’t want it bad enough to make changes and there’s unfortunately no magic fix.

BUT, what I will say to any of you having an internal battle right now is: If you implement these changes that result in each of their own incredible effects on your body, causing you to quite literally unleash your inner SuperHuman, they will also inherently crush your cravings and make everything easier.

Like a row of dominos!

So we need a little bit of will power, self control, and trust.  The trust portion of it is going to have to be focused towards the advice I’m giving you.

And, if you’re hesitant you can take a look at some of the other success stories, or even view a ton of them on the sales page for The Academy – which might even lead to you joining the tons of members already transforming.

A Support System Matters

One of the aspects I’m going to tell you about for the challenge is that you have to let people in on what you’re doing.

You need a support system.

That’s why our community is such a HUGE part of The Academy.  Without the members I could easily see myself falling off the wagon as well.  We hold each other accountable, bring each other up, and continue to strive for more SuperHuman attributes.

So keep that in mind when you’re starting, because it’s extremely important.  Don’t fail before you start.  Find accountability and find people that will support you.

Heck, you can even use me by writing in the comment section right now!

Challenge yourself for 21-30 days…

Generally it takes people 21-30 days in order to form habits.

What I would like for you to do is start implementing all of these things for that duration of time.

It’s much harder to form a habit than it is for you to break a habit.  

If that wasn’t obvious…

So, don’t break the habit for 21-30 days!  You need to form it.

Want to know the best part?

After the 21-30 days, not only is the habit going to be formed with all of these pillars being utilized and helping you out, but the cravings also take time to go away!  That’s another secret.  The cravings are literally going to deteriorate from two different things at once.  They’re going to go away because you’re body will be used to functioning without them (think sugar addiction), and they’re also going to be suppressed by the pillars you’re using that will at that time be becoming habits that you’re becoming accustomed to using.

I mean, what could be better…

So, challenge yourself for the 21-30 days straight before indulging.  Use the pillars we talked about and not only will you kill your cravings but you’ll be changing your life.

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Mike Romaine

SHJ’s Nick Fury

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