What’s your top food craving – something salty? Sweet? Or something completely different?
I don’t know anyone who DOESN’T get cravings from time to time.
I love a combination of both, salty and sweet!
But I have another question for you. Do you view food cravings as the enemy, something you should do battle with? Something you should avoid and not give into?
Or maybe they feel more like a sign of weakness.
So many people feel that way about cravings, but cravings are actually totally normal.
It's our bodies way telling us that something is off.
Furthermore, the more you DEPRIVE & RESTRICT yourself the more you want the food you are avoiding!
In the last week's email, I talked about intuitive eating and how it helps by tuning into your biofeedback, aka YOU. When we tune into ourselves and not avoid or fight our cravings, we become empowered and become in control of our cravings.
Because the fact is, you actually have a choice in the matter!
Let’s say you are going about your business on a normal day, and all of a sudden, you start craving pizza.
With a diet “all or nothing” mindset, you’re left to white-knuckle your way through the craving if you think you shouldn’t have pizza.
You might wonder WHY that craving has come to tempt you from being “good” – because pizza is “bad.”
Lemme tell you something, PIZZA is NOT BAD! You can eat pizza and move on with life.
So, YES, you should eat the Pizza! Then get right back to your normal meals!
And thinking that it’s bad or off-limits can actually drive your cravings to intensify!
With an intuitive eating mindset, you can give up that tug-of-war feeling.
First, you take a few minutes to pay attention to your body’s cues and figure out if your craving is just a passing mood, a sign you’re truly hungry, or even whether you are going to have a slice for dinner and then move on with your life.
Some questions to ask yourself when cravings pop up, because they will:
- Are you physically hungry?
- Have you been depriving yourself of a particular food item for a very long time?
- Is this a habit – do you normally have cravings this time of day?
- Am I being driven by emotion? Do you feel angry, stressed, lonely, bored, or sad?
Shifting your mindset from the guilt, the shame, and the ridicule when it comes to cravings to exploration and curiosity is one that will serve you well.
So many times, if we simply shift our attention, we get a better, clearer picture about why we are having the cravings! Explore them, navigate them. The answer does not lie in shutting it down or avoiding it!
Whatever decision you do end up making, it will be one that was thoughtfully made. And that’s what it’s all about. You are in the DRIVER's SEAT!
When YOU make the decision, you are no longer controlled by your cravings. You are now in control. You are self-governing, again you get to take control of the wheel!
“Training your mind to be present in the moment is the #1 key to making healthier choices.” – Susan Albers
In Strength
Xo
Candace
PS: If you’d like a little more help in this area, be sure to check out my STRONGER Way 1:1 Coaching program.
