And of course it involves food. And Christmas. So here ya go:
I've always been an 'out of sight/out of mind' person when it comes to food. Honestly, if it's not in front of me, 97.6% of the time I won't go seek it out. As long as I have the snack foods hidden for when I NEEEEED them, I rarely think about them. HOWEVER, if there just happens to be a Reese's peanut butter cup laying on the counter...than OBVIOUSLY it's the only thing I'VEEVERNEEDEDTOEATINMYWHOLE LIFE and I HAVE to have it. I'm wired like that.
So going back to the curious happenings, Trader Joe's just so happens to make their Christmas treats RIDICULOUSLY adorable and I have made said treats a part of my Christmas decor around here and they've been hanging out on my counter all month long.
The curious part?? (may I repeat...ahem...) THEY'VE BEEN HANGING OUT ON MY COUNTER ALL MONTH LONG!
Like, as in NO OVER compulsion to polish them up all the live long day. NO NEED for a 'little piece of this & that throughout the day. They're just THERE. And looking oh-so-pretty I might add.
Now let me back up a second here. It's not like I'm not eating things from my Christmas stash AT ALL. Quite the contrary...and here's where some 'mental weight loss magic' may be working.
So when December started, I knew I wanted to do a few things....
- Get my 2-3 mile Walk Away the Pounds in every day (or at least most days)
- Enjoy Christmas treats and all the fun things the month brings.
- Not deprive myself all month long and then STUFFMYFACE like a lunatic the last 2 weeks of December.
That last one has yet to be decided, BUT I HAVE been enjoying a treat a day. The key to this seems to be the fact that instead of waiting to have 'dessert' at the end of the day as I usually do (all while trying to distract myself ALL day from not diving face first into that stash), instead I usually CRAVE chocolate around 1-2 o'clock every day...so guess what? I have it. And I don't wait.
Revolutionary, I know.
But hear me out. For whatever reason (and reading into Ayurvedic medicine, this seems to make more sense) my hardest time to make it through the day, snack wise, is 12-4p,. Mornings I don't care. Nights (FOR THE MOST PART) I don't care. But those afternoons are a BEAR and where I have to distract my mind the most, but it definitely WANTS. So instead of trying to distract myself, I just started giving into it and enjoying whatever the hell I wanted in the afternoons. (and on that .04% chance I don't want to snack that day, I *GASP* don't). And guess what? My mind has been SO much clearer and I've been able to sort through my cravings easier. Choosing what I REALLY want every single day, having it and just moving. And here's the REALLY important part: with having no interest in having MORE. I can't overstate that non-desire to keep eating & eating enough. I can't even TELL you how many times I've ignored my cravings (be it for a day or days) and eventually ending up in that sweet/salty snack cycle, all the while nothing seems satisfying. Here, I have what I want. It satisfies me. End of story.
It's really so crazy that this needs to be a THOUGHT PROCESS, while I'm sure for others this just comes so naturally. It feels sorta crazy...but ya know what? It is what it is and I'm better off acknowledging that it's a process for me (and I'm sure for some of you out there) then to pretend that it's not and only end up going off the rails (again, and again and again).
I know nothing of that.
*snort*
The daily exercise has definitely been another key in helping keep my mind clear on rational food choices (although I'm currently on hiatus with a cold...grrrr!) and really satisfying each craving WHEN THEY HAPPEN (more on that soon!). That has been my huge "accomplishment" this month.
Hahahahaha...and by accomplishment, rest assure this also means I was making a pan of salted pretzel bark last night (right alongside our healthy dinner of Farro, white bean and kale;) because I knew I DID NOT want to wait until closer to Christmas to enjoy it. I wanted it NOW and that was that.
And the kicker? I feel GOOD, both in body and SOUL. Not deprived, enjoying all the Christmas treats all month IN PEACE (vs. in a crazy binge) and if I wanna go back to swapping the chocolate treats for apples come January? Well, we'll just cross that bridge when 2017 ushers in;)
And the kicker? I feel GOOD, both in body and SOUL. Not deprived, enjoying all the Christmas treats all month IN PEACE (vs. in a crazy binge) and if I wanna go back to swapping the chocolate treats for apples come January? Well, we'll just cross that bridge when 2017 ushers in;)
We'll see how this rolls on through the next couple weeks, with the MOUNTAINS of treats being thrown at us left & right for the rest of the month. (Not to mention my love of cooking with all those little *special* ingredients this time of year aka-puff pastry, Brie cheese, etc.) My goal is to ENJOY WITHOUT that overindulgence that not only leaves the guilt, but also the GROSS feelings. Even if I've been working on not associating guilt with food these past few months, ya still can't deny the GROSS factor. So AVOIDING THAT will be my new goal.
There. I said it.
It's gonna happen.
How do you guys work out those cravings?? Especially around the holidays??
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