So You're CRAVING.........

EVERYTHING!!! Okay we are coming to the end of the first month of 2012 and following the excesses of Xmas and  NewYear most of us commenced a weight loss regime the first week of January.
The first couple of weeks on your plan you will most likely not have craved anything, mainly because your'e body would be going through a serious detox. You will have started to feel less sluggish and hopefully you will have lost a couple of pounds. But you will be feeling better and have more energy.

But those xmas excesses seem very far away .... I mean come on that was last year after all!!! Whatever your craving is.. be it sweet or savoury ...you will find yourself thinking "just a small taste will be ok". And do you know what? You are right! We must not deny ourselves those small treats. If you do you will be feeding the craving and a small amount will not satisfy you.
Most weight loss plans allow you to incorporate treats into your plan, the trick is to stick within your allowance.

This can be tricky! And yes it does take will power! When you have just started a weight loss regime this can go either of two ways... You can either be highly motivated and can resist the cravings becasue you are completley focused... or you can give into the craving because you need that little bit more motivation as you have yet to see the results that your hard work has achieved.

I went out for dinner with my partner Ken yesterday. This is the frst time we have eaten out since before xmas. Now Ken is also following a dietary plan but for health purposes and at present he is on Candida Diet and cannot eat anything with yeast or sugar in it. At the moment he cannot even eat fruit and although this will be gradually re-introduced into his diet he is not quite at that stage.

I must explain that Ken is the biggest chocholic that I have ever met!! He did literaly live off the stuff!He has never been overly large but has carried at least an extra stone but being tall he carries it off well!  He was previously always going to cut down but in fact if it wasnt for the fact that he was advised to follow this diet plan for medical purposes he would still be living on mars bars and his favoutite twix!! Anway back to yesterday. We decided to go to The Harvester a homley styled food chain that serves food that is not deep fried or pizza. They also do a wholemeal pasta dish. Which is suitable for Ken and also a good choice for myself.

He did puff a bit because he could only order water to drink, whilst I had a small glass of white wine , counted from my daily allowance on the plan I am following and all was going well until the waitress served the couple beside us with their dessert. One of them had ordered the chocolate fudge cake! Ken looked so desolate as he followed the cake from the waitress to the table. He even considered for a split second to order one, but he didn't. The reason was that although his diet is strict at the moment he is feeling fantatsic. Better than he has done in years! He was not willing to jeopardise how he feels for some chocolate cake. That is his motivation!

Okay so most of us are not on a strict regime like Ken and can eat what we crave and the only side effect will be that we will not lose the weight that we want to. For some that is enough to focus on but if you are like me you need some help to stay motivated. So what can we do to beat those cravings?

Firstly, - Stick to your plan for at least 21 days. It has been shown that if you carry out a task 21 times consequetively it becomes a habit. The same can be said for following a dietary plan. If you change your eating habits and persevere for the 21 days it becomes easier.

Secondly - Snack on Fruit! I know it is not rocket science but fruit contains natural sugar.!

Thridly - For those who prefer savoury snacks fill up on GI foods. Switch to wholemeal for your bread, pasta and rice.

Lastly - If you have a craving you are either bored or stressed so - Get Distracted!. Do something! Ideal time to get your coat on and go for a walk. if you are at work get up from your desk if you can and stretch out. If at home with the kids bundle them up go for a walk or to a museum!

Remember you should allow yourselves treats so that cravings dont overwhelm you but you can follow the above tips to help manage those cravings.

Oh and how much weight has Ken lost I hear you ask? Well actaully it is 24lbs in 8 weeks!! And yes I have incorporated some of the Candida Diet into my own and I have lost 9lbs in 6 weeks.