Holidays, Special Events, Cravings

Happy Fourth of July!!!

 When it comes to holidays and special events, birthdays, weddings, etc., I have a philosophy.

Eat your cake. Twice.

 [Fireworks by chase_0305 courtesy of photobucket.com]

 This sort of falls in with an idea I have about why it helps to eat alternating bigger and smaller meals. Sometimes you are really hungry and need a bigger meal and sometimes you are just not that hungry, maybe even you're more tired than hungry and you don't need much more than a light meal and to go to bed early.

So once you are eating right (mostly lean protein, vegetables, and fruit), every about ten days to two weeks–even while dieting–you may need a starch. It won't kill you. I am allergic to wheat. I can eat it occasionally, but not regularly or I start to crave it. (That is a form of an allergic reaction by the way.) So I really try to make wheat a once-in-a-great-while for me, and when I do eat it,  I try to choose a whole grain or rye (that satisfies me more). More usual, for me, when my body asks for a starch  every couple of weeks, I want a rice or potato. 

Again, it's listening to your body. What does your body really want? Once you are used to eating healthy, when you get a craving, it's usually for something you need, so go ahead and give it to yourself.

~~

But what about when the holidays come up and you start having mouth-watering memories of food that is all in your mind or emotions? Your body isn't necessarily asking for treats, but you want to participate, so what do you do?

I believe in letting yourself eat cake. And, not just a teeny piece, but a nice piece like everyone else is eating. Let yourself eat two! Life is to celebrate! 

If I have a holiday or special event treat in front of me, it can stick in my mind until I can think of nothing else. If I pat myself on the head and say, just a sliver, I am still denying myself. If I let myself eat cake and celebrate just like everyone else is, I feel happy. And if I still want to indulge in it twice in a row to really get that craving/treat-wanting out of my system, I go for it. 

But there's the magic: It's been satisfied. I am happy. I can go on.

~~

I rarely (maybe only once a year!) eat ground beef or hamburgers. But on the fourth of July, I want a great hamburger. Hamburgers equal fourth of July in my family. Yumm rare ones off the grill on whole wheat buns with lettuce, tomato, ketchup and mayo.

And, like clockwork, on the third of July, there comes my husband (with my daughter carrying the back of it) in through the house and out the back deck with a new grill. I ordered my grass fed, hormone free, lean ground sirloin up right on the spot, along with the whole wheat buns , fresh sweet corn and fresh red lettuce and tomatoes, and one big fat watermelon!

On the fourth of July, I had one huge hamburger on the bun! And another half I split with my daughter.

They were perfect! And I had a nice piece of sweet corn and no room at all for watermelon (until the next day).

Without going nuts, I ate what I wanted, just like everyone else around me. And without guilt.

Holidays are meant to be enjoyed and shared!

On the fifth of July, we did the hamburger sweet corn dinner all over again, this time with a watermelon finish. Everyone wanted a repeat. It was that good.

And then it was over. No one (not just me, but my family too) needed or craved any more grilled hamburgers. It didn't kill my diet. It saved it. (Furthermore, I had eaten so well the week before that when I averaged in one big indulgence day–the 4th–and one second, more modest hamburger day, I still averaged 1500 calories a day for the last eight days.  (Did I speak about how eating ahead of the holidays can be a tactic.)

But even if I hadn't, there are some days that you just have to let it go. When it's a wedding, eat the wedding cake. When birthdays come around, have the birthday cake. Have two pieces and feel totally indulged and satisfied, not denied. And from there you can go on.

In my book, that works a bazillion times better than wanting something and then losing it to that something. Now, I know that doesn't work so well if you haven't been regularly eating healthy because you are still out of touch with what your body really craves and wants (healthy and balancing foods!) But once you have gotten a sense of healthy balance, then, when you really, really want something or it's a holiday, for gosh sakes, go do it, enjoy it thoroughly (like the French!) and get it out of your system and then it won't bother you anymore.

My 2 cents.

-bbffair