1. Buy Only Things You Love
I read somewhere that a fellow WW member only buys things that she LOVES. She doesn't waste her calories or her money on things that are "OK". For example, if you are craving a cheeseburger, don't settle for McDonald's. Go out and get a CHEESEBURGER! Now, if you LOVE McDonald's that's a different story...don't settle for anywhere else. If you love chocolate, don't just grab a plain old Hershey Bar...Hunt for the portion size of the Symphony Bar (with the blue writing) and enjoy it. Don't settle for something that won't satisfy the craving.
2. Make It An Event
When you go to purchase a treat, make sure you can find a way to purchase 1 or if it's a package, find someone to share it with...outside the home. If you have to bring it home, make sure the treat is portioned properly and finished before you leave the table. Don't let it sit around. Make that purchase an event and savor it. For example, cupcakes. I LOVE THEM! For that reason, I'm not going to make cupcakes UNLESS I KNOW that I'm making them for an event and there will be NO LEFTOVERS. I'm also not going to buy a 1 dozen box from the store...there is only 3 of us at home. If I want cupcakes, I'll ask my family if they want cupcakes too. If they do, we'll go to a cupcake shop and get 1 cupcake each, or ideally, share a cupcake with someone. That way the craving is satisfied and you don't have any temptations to bring home with you.
Now, I get it. You may be the only one on your journey, and you have other family members who still like to have treats around the house...
3. Don't Keep YOUR Temptations Around the Home
My pantry is slowly becoming void of treats, but the treats that tempt me are completely gone. This has taken months of slowly depleting because my husband hasn't been on board until recently. He's starting to really love the idea of "going out" for our treats, whether it's for dinner or for ice cream. Anyways, what do I have left? I have a cooking shelf that I store chocolate chips and candies to bake with, but they don't tempt me because the empty nutrition just isn't worth it to me. No temptation. I have 1 jar of pre-portioned OREO cookies for my family to enjoy in Cinnamon Roll, Red Velvet, Thin Chocolate, and Thin Vanilla. Those have no longer become a temptation for me either. I have a plastic container of packaged poptarts that were bought in a moment of weakness that will NOT be refilled. I did have one a few Reset Days ago, and they were NOT as good as I remember. So, I'll soon have a container to use for something else. I have a pre-portioned container filled with baggies of Gingerbread Men, as well as Mini Nilla Wafers, and Blueberry Acai Chocolate Treats. Some of these things I really DO enjoy but I've given myself structure and my next tip is how I avoid bingeing on them...
4. Safeguard Your Snacks
Now, there are some treats where your family will love them and you will too. Sometimes, those purchases are unavoidable. As I mentioned above, I have things pre-portioned...with points written on them. So the treats that ARE a temptation for me, they aren't blaring in my face in the box. At a point in time where I WASN'T hungry, I put EVERY SINGLE TREAT into ziploc baggies and wrote the points for each serving. I then put them in plastic containers with the point value labeled outside of the box, and then I put them on the HIGHEST SHELF POSSIBLE.
5. Know Your Trigger Foods
Now, I'm a BIG believer in NOT depriving yourself. That's a Camille-ism as one of my WW friends once told me. Enjoy the foods you LOVE, but then again, take a look at exactly what you DO love. Everyone has trigger foods. Those are foods that once you start, you just can't stop. Mine are Lay's Potato Chips, milkshakes, and brownies...to name a few off the top of my head. At this time, I can't tell you the last time I had either of those because I know what they do to me MENTALLY. I LOSE control, I LOSE ALL POWER, and I give in and I go...and go...and go. And then what happens?
I'm mentally and physically sick. The mental aspect of it is becoming more powerful to me because that's what I'm currently striving to understand. Why would I subject myself to a food that takes over me? I want to be able to have power over my food, not the reverse. I know that my resolve automatically becomes weak AS SOON AS I PUT A PIECE OF THOSE FOODS IN MY MOUTH! One Lay's Potato Chip? Thanks! I'll take the whole bag! 1 brownie? Um, let's cut that sucker a LITTLE BIGGER and call it one. A milkshake? Sure let's get a small size and split...Oops, sorry hon, we might need to buy you your own. I kinda finished it already... No control whatsoever. We all have them, and THAT'S when it is TOTALLY acceptable (because the mentality behind the consumption of that particular food is NOT apart of the lifestyle you are striving to attain) to eat something different.
I was tempted last night when my family wanted to go out for milkshakes. My husband offered to share one with me, which was way awesome and in all reality, a first. My sister wanted Cookie Dough and I told my husband to order the flavor. He picked Marshmallow. My inner dialogue upon hearing his order?
BLECHK!
BOO!
Oh, thank you!
Marshmallow is NOT a milkshake flavor to me. Why waste that on a milkshake? It's so close to vanilla?! My husband LOVES IT and though I wasn't happy with the choice, it was SUCH a relief because...
I. Wasn't. Tempted.
I was tempted by my sister's milkshake as we drove home with it in the car to give to her at home, but I resisted because I prepared a treat in my mind that I could enjoy at home.
The rest of my Protein Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, mixed with my Protein Vanilla Pudding. 11 smartpoints...and it HIT THE SPOT.
See the method to my madness?
If I do desire any of the treats listed under tip #3, I've given myself some minor blocks to help me determine if I really want it. All the treats are out of the box and pre-portioned. Points are written on the bags so I KNOW that if I'm grabbing two bags, I'm going to be consuming 14 points right off the bat for 4 Oreo's. All my treats are in containers with the points visible on the outside of the container. Tubs with treats are placed on the highest shelf possible in my pantry.
There is a LOT of mental awareness that I'll be going through when a craving hits. If you try these tips, you'll see that they will help you manage your cravings. If you don't have temptations in your house and you are craving something, what a fun way to go for a family outing! If you DO have one of your cravings around the house, you've given your brain enough flags to start the positive self-talk and opportunity for reflection to decide if the treat you are searching for is REALLY worth it. If it is, don't settle for anything less. SATISFY THE CRAVING. You are FAR less likely to go hog-wild if you choose to listen and satisfy your craving with EXACTLY what it is that you are craving.
Stay strong,
Camille
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