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August 16, 2006
Resisting Temptation
One of my favorite commenters, Carmela, poses this question:
Question:
How do you and MR resist the temptations of, (for example) freshly baked brownies or hot chocolate molten cake? I have to have at least one. I also think to myself...How or what would April do?
I usually just take a small bite or small portion to stop the craving.
Carmela
Here is the answer: MR and I deal very differently with such things. I will outline our opposite styles.
MR doesn't get anywhere near temptation. He doesn't eat out, he weighs and measures each bite, and he eats real chocolate precisely twice a year, on his CR birthday and his regular birthday, in small measured portions, dark organic chocolate, with slightly melted and drizzled with hazelnut oil. He lives an unusual existence, but he really likes it that way. He wasn't much for eating out before CR, and enjoys routine, consistency, etc. He's very happy with his CR style... especially now that I am cooking for him on the weekends!
I, on the other hand, am always battling temptations. I'm not going to say that I'm at peace with my methods of handling these things, but I do pretty well.
For instance, I rarely crave sweets, but when I get a huge PMS-induced chocolate craving, which happens about four times a year, I just go ahead and eat some chocolate. And you know what? The world doesn't end! I usually feel a little sick after a few handfulls of M&M's, but I don't automatically turn 80.
When I go out with friends for nice dinners, I often spilt a dessert several ways. That way I get to enjoy both food and fellowship without eating too, too much. I do find, though, that on these occasions I frequently eat more than I need to, which makes me feel crappy afterwards. I get irratible and find it hard to sleep on an over-full stomach. However, if I pace myself right and just have a small amount of things I really, really want, I feel fine. The next day I return to my quotidian diet.
I just wrote an entire entry and then something weird happened to my computer and I lost the whole thing. How frustrating.
The moral of the story is: the best way to resist temptation is to a) avoid it b) decide in advance what you will and will not do. If I am going out to eat, I read the online menu and decide what I am going to eat. Then I eat nothing else. The times when I mess up are the times when I go into an occasion unprepared, either because I'm very hungry and faced with a whole lot of bad choices, or because I allow stress to overrule my better judgement. It's easier when I don't leave it up to chance and plan out my eating day before I'm ever faced with a decision.
In the end, it all comes down to priorities. CR is so individual... you have to find what works for you. The lower you try to go, the harder it gets to pack all the essential nutrients into your calories without going over. If you're content with a moderate level of CR, the occasional brownie isn't a big deal, as long as it doesn't throw off your entire day (or week, or month!) If you're going lower, or just starting out, it's probably best to avoid nutrient-free foods all together, since they both add calories and deprive you of the nurition you need to feel satisfied.
It also helps to develop a quotidian diet that you love, that's low calorie and nutritious and easy to make and carry around. Eggwhites, megamuffins, brewers yeast soup, and MR-made salads are staples of my existence. So is the Ruby Tuesday's salad bar with its huge selection of fresh veggies, fruits, and lowfat cottage cheese. Subway has also been my friend when I'm on the road. When you have healthy, low cal alternatives to turn to, you're more able to resist the high calorie, low nutrition foods.
I am by no means perfect... the last few weeks have been very hard for my CR, and the scale hovered at 108 for some uncomfortable days. It's back down to 106, I'm chowing back on my healthy foods, and the month of celebratory dinners seems to be over (at last!) It's always hard to balance the demands of work, social life, and CR, but I find that I feel so much better when I'm in my CR groove that I have more energy to take on all the tasks when I have fewer calories in my tummy.
Speaking of: today's food, on the road and off:
breakfast:
quotidian eggwhites scrambled with nonfat cheddar and flax oil
lunch:
MR-packed salad with pumpkin seeds (couldn't find a protein source... am thinking of packing whey powder when I travel to avoid the saturated fat in the chicken and turkey I've eaten so much on the road lately. It's always easy to find nonfat milk to mix it with.)
dinner:
Ruby Tuesday's salad bar with heaping helping of lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, broccoli, red onion, pickles, hot peppers, cottage cheese, and chickpeas for garnish. Olives for fat and vinegar for seasoning.
Tonight when I get back to my hotel I'll no doubt enjoy a glass of cabernet in the bar before turning in. They give you a ticket for one free drink with every reservation... nice eh? They think that by luring you into the bar they can get you to buy more drinks, but I always use the one ticket and then go to bed.
Then tomorrow night I have meetings till after 9 pm in Philly... another 12+ hour day... two hour drive back to the office in the morning, meetings starting at 9 am, getting home about 9:30 pm. This job is hard, and requires a level of endurance that I don't think I'd have if it weren't for CR. It's a good thing I discovered CR just as I was exiting my 20's... I need all the youthful energy I can get!
Posted by april at August 16, 2006 8:15 PM
Comments
Help, i cant resist temptaion at all. Im lacking in will power aswell
Posted by: Bekka at August 21, 2006 10:21 AM