Fighting my food cravings....

It is common to have a few cravings. Especially for things we consider off limits unless a special occasion. Maybe it is a big juicy hamburger and fries or a big scoop of pralines and cream ice cream. Whatever your “off limit” food is unfortunately what we loved to crave it. The craving can switch back and forth from high fat, high carbohydrate meals to anything covered in chocolate. According to the health industry, our bodies crave foods that we are insufficient with such as iron and potassium. I must always be insufficient of sodium lol. Have you ever gone on a restrictive diet and suddenly you are craving a bean burrito? Probably not had one in years but because you are restricting your calories and or the foods that you can eat, suddenly there comes a flood of unusual cravings. I don’t have many sweet cravings but love salty foods. I am doing a challenge in June for no flour or sugar. Thought it would be easy. DAH. Did not think too much about it but wow suddenly, I have a big craven for pasta. Nope, the baked potato with lots of starch and carbs will not seem to do the trick. I am laughing that it is so true that what we restrict tends to be what we crave. It is a little of both my mind and body that are creating these cravings. I haven’t thrown in the towel yet, but not sure if I am going to make it until July 1. I started to do a little research on what can be done to prevent these cravings and one of the most suggested tools is to not restrict yourself. Yes, I did laugh out loud! Another suggestion was to eat things that are filling and would keep us feeling full longer such as enough protein and fat. The reason I am writing this is A) find how to reduce my cravings (don’t do restrictions, LOL) and B) why did I commit to no flour and sugar in the first place? I did think I had been eating more pieces of chocolate than usual, but I honestly think it was a craving I had for homemade bread. Yes, I kept thinking of making bread and having a piece of warm bread with butter slabbed across it. So, is this challenge of no flour or sugar working? Another study this week found that sometimes the best way to beat cravings is by tweaking your mindset. According to an article in Daily Burn Life, researchers from Brown University used MRI scans to examine the brain activity of obese or overweight study participants as they looked at pictures of drool-worthy foods like pizza, French fries, and ice cream. The researchers then tested a few different strategies, encouraging participants to focus on them for about a minute at a time. In a series of tests, they told them to:

• Get distracted by thinking about something other than food.

• Accept and allow their thoughts as something they didn’t need to act on.

• Focus on the negative long-term consequences of eating those goodies.

• Think about the immediate rewards of indulging.

Unsurprisingly, thinking about how amazing a sundae would taste did not deter them from wanting to dig into the foods. But the other mind strategies did diminish participants’ desire for fries and other unhealthy foods, particularly when they considered how they’d pay for it later if they gave in. This does help me. I try to think of how I will feel afterwards. Big help for me. The studies author, Kathryn Demos, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Miriam Hospital at Brown University says “This strategy evoked increased responses in regions of the brain involved in inhibitory control, which may suggest a mechanism through which thinking about long-term negative outcomes could serve to reduce cravings,”

So, I have learned now that my restrictive no sugar and flour only created a desire for more!!! How crazy is this? Why am I not practicing my own advice? I tell my coaching clients that we should aim to eat well 85 percent of the time so what in the hell am I doing? Now, is it a pride thing? Or maybe just trying to prove to myself I have willpower? I am on day 22 and sure don’t like it. Not sure if I need to give in and go make some bread. My youngest son is coming home at the end of the month and he enjoys making bread. Thank goodness it is not until June 29th! Will keep you posted on my challenge. #cravings #conquercravings #agewell #fiftyandfabulous #afterfifty

Just food for thought 🤣🤣

If you want to learn more about my 90 days to a “better you” program, email me at janiehundcoaching.com