Sugar is a tricky issue. There are people who believe that it's physically
addictive, like heroin. I know that it definitely does happy things to your brain. If you've had a bad day and you're miserable,
stressed, sad, bored, mad... eating a bag of cookies or a pint of Ben & Jerry's will make you feel better immediately.
It's very difficult to delay that immediate gratification for some goal that's weeks and months away. Plus, if you stop dulling
your senses with sugar, you're forced to just FEEL things. The anger, boredom, or emptiness hits you full force and sticks
around, no scaring it off with pie. You have to learn to cope in other ways if you want to be successful.
There are a number of things you can do to get a handle on cravings. The
biggie, of course, is eating a small balanced meal with protein every 2-3 hours. That keeps your blood sugar from rollercoastering
up and down. If you get a great big sugar high and crash, the fastest way to fix it is... drum roll... more sugar! It can
take a few days or weeks of clean eating to break that cycle and start feeling normal.
Some people suggest giving up sugar completely. That's insanely unrealistic.
It just sets you up for a bad binge when you finally give in. Instead of going cold turkey, you want to
make better bad choices. If you have to have ice cream or you'll die, it's better to have a small, low-fat, controlled portion;
something like a Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich, preferably with a decent portion of protein. That way you've satisfied your
immediate need for ice cream but you haven't wrecked your blood sugar or your calorie deficit for the day.
Another important thing to grasp is that you still need carbs. Some people
decide, well, I'm addicted to carbs. I won't eat them anymore. You can imagine how that goes! If you're somebody who needs
carbs to stabilize your brain chemicals and moods, cutting them out completely will be a disaster. You'll feel awful
and have your face in a box of chocolates faster than you can say Godiva. Be sure to have a carb portion at every single meal,
but make them smart - cantaloupe, berries, apples, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, beans, oranges, whole grains. Healthy whole
foods should be the majority of your carb choices, but if you flip out and need a chocolate chip cookie, eat one! Just
have it with a protein shake or a serving of cottage cheese.
Also, try not to eat yourself into a carb coma every free day.
Decide what you really want, satisfy all your cravings, but don't pig to the degree that you're hung over the next day. You
don't want to keep starting each new week with a big sleepy depression and carb withdrawal. Make it genuinely enjoyable
to stay in control. The rewards of being fit and happy are amazing! It's even more fun than stuffing yourself with
sugar. Remember that great quote - "The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you want the most for
what you want now."
