Cravings:: When to give in, When to ignore

Give In:
I can't tell you how long I've been craving peanut butter m&m's...but it's been for about a week now that I have been obsessing about eating them. To the point where I was trying to create healthy peanut butter/chocolately conoctions...but then I would over eat because it wasn't EXACTLY what I wanted. I told myself I want to be in charge of my cravings, I want to eat it when I decide I want to eat it.

I ended up buying a package last night and told myself, I will eat them on Thursday. Then today...it was like that beating heart from the Tell-Tale heart. Almost as if there was a pounding in my head. I could practically feel the hard candy knocking against my teeth.

 I didn't want to eat them because I was stressed though or because I was moody. I wanted to choose to eat them. Also knowing they're bad for me, but also knowing that everyone once in awhile is okay to give in...



So when is it okay to give in? According to an article from Men's Health on Fitbie it's okay to give in when the craving gets to be very intense.
"If you have an intense craving for a bit of a very specific food like chocolate, it's best to go ahead and eat it," Say Heidi Skolnik, M.S. a sports nutritionist for the New York Giants and a contributing editor to Men's Health.  "If you don't, your craving is going to get more intense until you eventually give in anyway, and you'll have eaten a lot of unnecessary calories in an attempt to make it go away."
This was my day today...I kept thinking 'it's fine, I'll have the m&m's on Thursday." but I had been avoiding the craving since last Thursday, at least, and my food habits were getting to be a rapid indicator that I should probably just eat the dang things.

Fitday.com also had a great article about not ignoring your cravings. Their number  two reasoning was kind of a shocker. "It Keeps you Motivated- You work out and eat healthy most of the time so that you can really enjoy that special treat guilt free on the occasions that allow it. Allowing yourself to give into a craving will keep you motivated and will prevent you from giving up altogether instead." This is incredibly true... I am going to make more of an effort to get up early tomorrow, make sure I hit my exercise goal for the week as well as get back on track after this accidental cheat day.

Ignore It:
It's amazing what...basically forcing yourself to do can really help you do. Saturday, I started thinking about how many times a week I workout. I get about 3 maybe 4, if I'm lucky, workouts in during the week.
Saturday afternoon it was becoming increasingly obvious that I had only exercised twice this last week.
I pushed through a 30 minute power fitness routine Saturday after work. It helped center me. I love yoga & everything that it helps with. Relaxation, toning, realigning the body, and centering my chaotic mind. I believe that workout what would have been just what the doctor ordered. This morning, I realized I didn't need a "pre-workout" (A loose term it's really just a yoli passion drink) before heading to the gym. I wasso  proud of myself for pushing through a funk that I was a little more motivated to get to the gym this morning.  I thought by consuming the passion drinks that if I had more energy I could accomplish more. I got so used to mixing it in with my water that when I was doing the detox I was counting down the days till I could use it again.


While a good plenty of the ingredients are natural and good for you (green tea...fruit), I probably should not consume it every single time I exercise. I don't need to rely on the kick to workout. I mean, I didn't drink this stuff for about 3 years & I did great with out it, why do I suddenly need it now, every time I work out? Don't get me wrong, I love it, and will continue to use it, especially when I run, but just need to stick to using it when I feel I need it, not just because I want it.

Listening to Your Body:
Overall your best bet when you are hit with a craving though, is to pay attention to your body. Allow it time to help you decide if you should give in, or if you should ignore the craving.
Drink a large glass of ice water, wait 15minutes.
Fit Day says if the craving lingers after 15minutes allow yourself a moderate portion of the food you desire or plan to consume the food later in the week. (As I was trying to do...trying.)
Also ask yourself, if your body is trying to tell you something?
For instance...chocolate, could be a sign I need more magnesium. Over at Healthaliciousness  they rate the top 10 highest foods in magnesium. Check out more of their lists at the bottom of the page.

I tried to consume foods high in magnesium this weekend. I had definitely tried some bananas and I had been eating nuts...so the fact was the craving lasted longer than a few days, it was overwhelming, I tried ignoring it and in the process consumed more than I should have.
But oddly, I feel more on track. I'm ready to take on the next few days. All because I finally just gave in.
I made sure to enjoy it though. I made that bag last almost 8 whole minutes ;) I savored each m&m. It was magical, but once I finished the bag and drank some water, I didn't need it anymore.

Check out CBN for a Christian Persceptive on Soul Cravings. "Do we crave God as much as we crave other things? Do we so long to spend time in His presence each day that nothing will keep us from meeting with Him? Fortunately, this is one craving that will never leave us hungering. Jesus is ready and waiting to nourish our souls every day. Whether circumstanes in our lives are the currently the best they've every been or the worst they've ever been, the "abundant life" that Scripture promises will remain out of reach until we seek out the One who offers everythign we need. The next time you feel that pull of dissatisfaction, give into that craving! Grab your Bible and get alone with God. Ultimately, there is nothign else that will satisy us."


I hope you all had a great Tuesday & I will be back tomorrow!
Blessings,
A

Comments