One thing I have struggled with over the years is dealing with cravings for sweet treats.
I mean who doesn’t enjoy cake, candy, or a Krispy Kreme donut? I may not like chocolate, but there are a whole host of other options out there to indulge my sweet tooth.
Matter of fact, since the Holidays I have mostly overindulged in sweets. You see, I am an emotional eater.
Like many people, sometimes I use food to cope with the stress of life, and for me, that manifests itself in the consumption of sweets. Although there is nothing inherently wrong with eating sweets, turning to sweet treats every day to self soothe is not how I want to live.
I have tried allowing myself a single treat every day, like an ice cream cone, a bit of candy, or a cup cake.
That never works.
Without fail, at some point, I will eat half a pint in one sitting or a couple of cupcakes. However, the opposite doesn’t work for me either.
Yes, I went 30 days without sweets, and then once I incorporated them again, I made up for the lost time.
I do not want to cut sweets out of my life
Of course, with enough time, I would no longer crave sweets, but I do not actually want to cut sweets completely out of my life. I want to allow myself sweet treats, just in moderation.
So how have I conquered my cravings? I returned to an old self-control mechanism, the treat day.
The idea of allowing myself one day a week in which I just eat what I crave sounds masochistic, but for me, it works!
Ironically, on treat day, I find myself continuing the patterns of the week, and only eating one actual indulgent meal followed by a sweet treat.
All of those habits I practice during the week do not just disappear on treat day.
Healthy living
I still hit the gym or go for a run, then follow that up with a healthy meal… because that is the routine I have established.
Then, I am either at home, so I eat something around the house or while running errands I find myself looking for a healthy option… because that is the routine I have established.
By the time my treat meal rolls around, I find my craving for something indulgent is not as voracious, so I end up with a larger calorie dinner and small sweet treat.
Turns out, the reality of the treat day is one in which I continue my usual habits around food and exercise because they are routine. Thus, allowing me to enjoy a high-calorie meal and sweet treat without overindulging.
Instead, I savor my dessert as part of an overall healthy relationship with food.
Consequently, I have found balance.
During the week, I am able to avoid sweets because I know treat day is coming.
Instead, my focus is on making sure that I do not restrict my eating and that I am consuming well balanced properly portioned meals the majority of the week.
Exercising every day is becoming my coping mechanism for stress, which encourages more control over food cravings.
In my life, emotional eating has been very difficult to conquer because stress is inherent in what I do for a living. I have always used exercise as a tool for destressing, but I did not realize that one great side effect of exercising every single day would be a healthy coping tool for stress.
So, how am I dealing with cravings?
I exercise every single day to deal with the stress that causes me to turn toward sugar and I allow myself one treat day each week to indulge my sweet tooth. Voila!
