Them: I don’t like the
taste of water, what can I drink instead?
Me: More water.
Them: I just said I don’t
like water that’s why I’m asking you what else I should drink.
Me: Yes, I know you think
you don’t like water that’s why I’m telling you to drink more water.
Them: You don’t
understand what I’m saying, I don’t like water!
Me: No you don’t
understand what I’m saying. The more
water you drink, the more your body will actually crave water.
And on and on this
conversation will go turning into a bad Abbot and Costello routine until they finally
get the message that there is no substitute for water. It may take a week of adding fresh squeezed
lemons, sliced fruit or you could even do the spa thing and add sliced
cucumbers but find something that flavors the water until this “craving water”
process takes place.
My favorite part of this
conversation usually happens about 2 weeks later when they quietly admit that
I was right and they are now enjoying water more. I then tell them that it’s not “me” that’s
right as I’m just the messenger, it’s their body that is right and is now
craving what it wants and needs to survive.
I feel the same way
about healthy foods and have that conversation with clients, friends and family
almost daily. The conversation is text book
and goes the same way… “I don’t like the healthy food, I don’t like salads, I’m
sick of eating chicken, I like fried foods, I can’t go without sugar, I crave
carbohydrates like chips, cookies, pasta, bread etc….”
Here is the basic
principal that will give you the secret and therefore the power in controlling your cravings…Your body will crave and
desire what you continually feed it. If
you feed it salty, sugary fatty foods that’s what it knows, and that's what it
craves.
The same is true if you
feed it nutritionally packed, loaded with nutrients, bursting with vitamins and
antioxidants foods as these will be the foods your body knows and therefore what it craves!
Consuming high levels of
sugar, fat and salt will actually trigger a chemical that stimulates the
pleasure area of your brain. The more
you eat these kinds of foods the more you enjoy them and the more you will
crave them. Consuming these foods
literally becomes an addiction and like any other addiction you believe you
can’t live without it. Unfortunately
like any other addiction you also need to consume more to get that "high" which
is why this country is suffering with such an obesity epidemic...we are literally
addicted to food! And what's worse, the more we eat
the more we want and so the destructive cycle continues.
As stated earlier with
the basic principle, if you crave what you continually consume then it is
possible to crave healthier foods…this I know for sure as I am a prime example
of this phenomenon. I used to crave all
the junk food and consumed a lot of it, I felt the addiction. I am happy to say I now crave nutritionally packed
foods because I feel energized and happy when I eat them vs. lethargic and
miserable when I ate the junk.
Personally I hear “You
have so much willpower” or “it wouldn’t kill you to just eat a burger and fries
once in a while” oh the remarks get better but you get the point. What I try to explain to them is I don’t crave
those sugary fatty foods anymore because I’ve replaced them with healthier
versions and that’s what my body craves.
I love eating my
homemade turkey burgers and baked fries.
I enjoy a big plate of my homemade spaghetti sauce over spaghetti
squash. I like a big salad loaded with
vegetables, lean protein and a balsamic vinaigrette on the side. That’s what my body craves because that’s
what I feed it. I don’t crave sugar at
all anymore as I beat the addiction years ago.
I literally had a candy drawer and if I could see the bottom I started
to panic and refilled it immediately.
There are two ways to
beat food addiction, you can go cold turkey and eliminate all processed foods,
fast foods, saturated fats, sugars etc…or you can slowly start replacing these
foods with healthier options. There is
no right or wrong way in my opinion as I believe it is all based on your
personality and what you are mentally and physically ready for.
Either option you choose
I will tell you like any other addiction you will have withdrawal symptoms such
as cravings, headaches, sadness, anger, irritability and these are completely
normal. Not fun, but normal. Your body is literally detoxifying and
eliminating all of the chemicals, sugar and junk out of your system. As I said not enjoyable, but absolutely
necessary.
There is an amazing reward
for putting yourself through this process as you’ll experience unbelievable energy
(no more 3:00pm slump), weight loss (bonus!), increased confidence (look out
world!), reduced stress levels (seriously that alone is worth the effort),
decreased risk of disease (you won’t miss all those doctor appointments I promise),
increased immunity (bye sickness), improved sleep (blissful rest) and the list just goes on and on.
I’m challenging you for
one week to consume ½ your body weight in water plus more if you exercise. Meaning if you weigh 150 pounds you will need
to consume 75oz. of water plus more with exercise.
I’m also challenging you
to eliminate processed foods, fried foods, sugary foods, fat laden foods, any
foods that do not have a nutritional value to them. Replace them with natural food, foods that
don’t have labels like produce, lean meats, whole grains and watch the magic
take place.
As I said earlier if you
feel you are not ready to eliminate completely I challenge you to replace a few
unhealthy choices with healthier options.
If you can’t give up your chips, choose the baked ones. If you can’t give up your whopper burger,
choose the Jr. one. (I can’t even believe I just wrote that!) My point is you can wean yourself slowly off
of these toxic foods until your body no longer craves them.
If there is one thing
I’ve learned over the years of being a fitness trainer and weight management
specialist is that people go about change in many different ways. To be successful with a life change you must
do what fits into your lifestyle. Small
changes become habits and if continually executed those habits become a
lifestyle change. Leading a healthy
lifestyle not only adds years to your life, it adds quality to your life.
However you get there
you owe it to yourself to be the best you can be! It’s worth it. You are worth it. The biggest investment you can make is in
yourself so you can enjoy the company of your family, friends and loved ones
for many years to come with an abundance of energy and zest for life.
You get one chance at this life...enjoy it and live it well!
© Trainer Girl System 2/28/13
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