Craving Control (Or: How I Learned to Stop the Hankerings and Love Health Foods)
photo by akuban
I’m back. Back in Virginia. Back at the daily grind. Back to early mornings and sleep deprivation. Sigh. Oh how I miss vacation.
After 10 days visiting my family up in Massachusetts, The Man and I schlepped our entire lives (That’s what it felt like at least. The car was loaded like a college kid’s ride after freshman year because we finally brought our wedding presents home. Three years later.) down I-95 and the dreaded Jersey Turnpike. That made for hours and hours—and hours and hours and hours—of fun.
This morning, after 10 days of sleeping till 10 a.m. (Yes, I have a bit of a sleeping problem. As in I can’t wake up.), my body punished me for the 6:30 a.m. wakeup call. On Monday morning. By 8 a.m. I was queasy and shaking like a naked chick doing the Polar Bear plunge. During which time I grew a strangely strong craving for full-fat macaroni and cheese and Ramen. Yes, Ramen, the salt-in-a-box noodles that I’ve never, ever eaten.
In case you were too lazy to look it up wondering, one package of Ramen contains 1,760 milligrams of sodium. Remember, you’re supposed to eat less than 2,300 milligrams per day.
I’m not sure if my cravings were thanks to the mini convulsions I was having for about a half hour or the obscene hour at which I forced my body to be a conscious, thinking entity. Either way, I pined for a salty bowl of noodles. Since I had zero dollars and no way of getting Ramen, I chowed down on a very unappetizing bowl of oatmeal. But by noon my craving had passed. Saved by the gimp knees that can’t walk to a nearby grocery store.
I really do have a point here, besides the I’m-Outta-Control idea I’m trying to get across. I have three points, in fact. So there.
1. When you’re hit with an intense and urgent craving, one where life and limb seem to be on the line, chill. It’ll pass. If it’s so powerful you’re haunted for days (or if you’re pregnant and otherwise out of control of your body), take a bite already. But consider that most cravings go away on their own.
2. Don’t screw with your body clock. Seriously. Sleeping in till 10 a.m. (or noon if you’re like me on a very lazy, post-500-mile-drive Sunday) is all well and good until work requires you get up before the sun. Then your body will do everything in its might—say, send tremors to your hands when your job is to type—just to spite you.
3. Realize you’re stronger than you think. At about 8 a.m. I was convinced that I was either going to eat Ramen noodles for dinner or I’d be in lack-of-Ramen shock by nighttime. Since I waited out the craving (by no strength of my own, I’ll admit) I’m cured. I should have said no from the start and given myself credit for being a smart eater.
Speaking of cravings, there’s an important reason to keep ’em in check. And though we all know about disease risk factors that come with being overweight … yada yada yada … it’s nice to have a reminder. I came across this image of two body scans today (the woman on the left is 250 pounds; the one on the right is 120 pounds) and thought about cravings in a new way. I try to make smart food choices daily because I want to be healthy. But what does that look like? Well, from that full-body scan, it means having less fat padding crowding my organs. And taking pressure off my knees.
I’m not perfect—far from it, especially considering my crazy sweet tooth. But the photo gives me new reason to say, “No, crazy tremmoring body, you can’t have fatty mac ’n’ cheese and a box of chicken-flavored noodles suspended in salt for breakfast. You just can’t, so get over it.”
I hope that scan serves as a visual reminder for you as to why we beat down cravings and reach for healthier options.
How do you deal with freak cravings? Do you always say no? What foods most tempt you? Oh, and whatdya think of that body scan?
11 comments
I usually try to substitute something else, but if I’m still having a craving for it, I go ahead and get some of whatever it is I’m craving. Usually I’m not too bothered about eating a little of something I’m craving – it’s when I have a LOT of it that bothers me.
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Tracey Reply:
January 4th, 2010 at 8:15 pm
After a week with my parents, it’s the A LOT that I was worried about. That, and I hate eating a meal with such a high sodium content. But I agree, cravings sometimes do need to be filled. For me, that mostly happens with dessert!
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I ate a really terrible diet growing up, so I used to crave all sorts of packaged junk, especially Doritos. Now that I know all about how manufactured food is made and how harmful many of those ingredients are, I don’t want to eat them at all. When I crave real food, I just eat it when I’m hungry. Sometimes the siren song of ice cream can signal a need for calcium and steak a need for protein. Because I make listening to my body a regular thing, I never binge on anything I’m craving. I frequently eat a single (small, homemade) cookie. I wish you could have had a real traditional bowl of authentic ramen for breakfast. That probably would have fit the bill.
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Tracey Reply:
January 4th, 2010 at 9:24 pm
I agree, Joy: A real bowl of Ramen would have been nice. But the closest bowl was at the grocery store–and that means the super salty version. I also think that certain cravings can mean your body is trying to tell you something. I rarely eat beef, so when I craved a steak a few months ago, I figured I might be low on iron. So I ate a delicious cut.
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I chew gum. I find that I have an easier time ignoring my cravings when I’m chewing gum. Another thing that helps: fill your time. When I’m craving something I can’t eat it helps me to do something to take my mind off it. It always amazes me how hard it can be to avoid the foods I’m craving.
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Tracey Reply:
January 5th, 2010 at 9:21 am
It can be really hard sometimes! But chewing gum is a good option. Sometimes brushing my teeth helps me say no, too. I usually make a trade in–like I’ll have one or two cookies, but not the whole bag. But when it comes to monster cravings (like, say, for Chili’s molten chocolate cake) I just have to find a way to get past it completely.
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Wow, a picture is worth a thousand words. I’ll keep that in mind the next time my brother gives me extra dark chocolate for Christmas.
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i USUALLY try to eat something similar but healthier..but sometimes i cave and my body is fine!!
i sleep in til 10 everyday..starting classes tommo..haha gona be INTERESTING!
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Just found your blog and I can totally relate to your knee pain! After much pain and far too many doctors, and MRI showed that I have arthritis. Yes, I am 100 years old.
I hope that you find a solution for your pain soon!
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Not getting enough sleep always makes me crave tons and tons of junk…so, I try to get enough sleep when I can! When I’m tired and craving junk, I really just try to resist the craving and reach for something healthy to fill myself up, but when I’m on a normal sleep schedule and really craving something, I usually let myself indulge in a few bites.
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Tracey Reply:
January 5th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
Karen–It really is amazing, huh? Though there are health benefits of dark chocolate. But that’s another post for another day.’
Katie–Glad that someone sleeps as late as I do. Good luck with the early mornings come school time!
Ameena–Not so good to hear about your knee, but I’m happy you found the blog. It’s hard to deal with because there isn’t a quick fix (boo) but I’m hoping some of the things I’m doing at least ease the pain till research can create bionic knees. And then I’m totally all over that surgery.
FoodFitnessFreshair–It’s so true, sleepiness (or, in my case yesterday, total sleep deprivation) can make you crave crazy things!
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