I've been in Texas the past couple of weeks, and I started home today now that I hope the roads are clear back home after last week's snowstorm. I woke up this morning (Monday morning) at 4:15 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep. So I was on the road by 5:50. A couple of hours into my trip, I started getting sleepy. Since I had many more hours to drive, I needed a boost of caffeine, even though I didn't particularly want the Coke. So I allowed myself one Coke, which I made last all day -- through parts of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
Since I plan to get plenty of sleep tonight, I'm hopeful I won't need any caffeine tomorrow. And I don't think the one Coke was enough to start me on the path to drinking them again. In fact, I plan to spend the rest of February just drinking water. I actually like water, so it's not a hardship. But it's something that makes me feel good about my health efforts.
Do you all have anything that you crave but can live without once you've given it up for several days?
6 comments:
Congrats, Trish!! And safe driving :-)
What do I crave after I've given it up? Salty stuff. Potato chips, french fries, bad-for-you versions of popcorn. But after a week or so, I'm perfectly happy with air popped, barely salted popcorn and can give up the chips for years at a time.
Oddly enough, for all that I adore it, I don't crave chocolate. Oh, I'm usually happy to indulge in it. But unless its a really good chocolate or a total favorite, I can easily say no, even during that first week. But chips? Don't even bring them in the house for at least a month!!
Congrats, Trish! Have a safe trip home.
Starting the 14th month of healthy eating, I can say that my desire for "unhealthy food" very high in sugar, fat or salt has decreased. I'm not perfect by any means, but occassional treats are totally fine. I can say that I can notice a real difference in my body after I've indulged in high fat food.
I'm a sucker for cokes, too. I can go for a couple of months without then, bam! I've fallen off the wagon. I've started compromising by letting myself have a small one every now and again. Because I just had one yesterday, I don't really want one today.
I crave sweets like no one's business--especially chocolate. The chocolate Nonni Biscotti is one of my tricks because it's only 100 calories.
A lot of me eating problems are mental although that hasn't helped me conquer them--if I completely deny myself something, then I get angry that I can't have it. The only exception is that I gave up desserts for Lent last year--it was easier giving things up for a Higher Purpose. And, hey, it had the desired effect since I thought of God often because I wanted dessert often.
It sounds like giving something up for Lent was a great strategy, Sally. I've heard others say that by the end of it they no longer craved whatever it was they gave up. It helped reduce my interest in soda. I need to come up with something good this year.
One of my favorite years (in a bad way) was the year I gave up stuff from the vending machines at work for Lent. Several times, I found myself walking down the street to buy the soda or junk food elsewhere. :)
Sally, I know what you mean about total deprivation only fanning the flames of cravings. I think maybe a side effect of having that one Coke yesterday was that it was my one soda indulgence and I'm determined to finish another month without it.
You, go, Trish! I'm trying to keep cokes away from my kids, because it really is a terrible habit. Based on my Dr. Pepper dependence, it's a really good thing I never started smoking.
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