Cookies, Cake, Pastries, Candy, and ICECREAM!!!

Got your attention didn't I? Well I'm thinking that we should begin will cravings... and how to avoid getting accosted by giant chocolate fudge brownies... mmm... okay enough about my fantasies. It's time for you to DROP THE CASSEROLE AND STEP AWAY FROM THE MINIVAN.(hehe... I amuse myself.)

Firstly I think it's important to know yourself and know when a craving is likely to hit. For me, it's whenever I am by myself and usually later in the evening when there is no way in heck I'm getting myself something like celery uh uh... nope... not unless the celery came with chicken wings and ranch dressing. SO... without further ado...

• Brush your teeth!!! Seriously... have you ever tried eating anything directly after brushing? It's gross... nothing tastes good. Even another mint flavour tastes horrid after brushing. I have actually gone through quite a few toothbrushes using this trick. Every time a craving hits and I KNOW I'm not really hungry I'll go and brush. Some people have said that you should drink a glass of water but that really doesn't work for me. First of all, it makes me go to the kitchen which is the last thing I should be doing in the middle of a munchy crisis. Secondly it does nothing to satisfy my oral NEEDS!!(maybe chewing ice would help??)

• Talk to yourself! This one takes time... well it did for me. I actually had to stop myself half way to the refrigerator (who am I kidding... maybe even after a few bites of whatever was calling to me.) and ask myself "Self, do you REALLY need this? Are you REALLY hungry?? Is it worth it?" and to be honest I usually answered no... but I have noticed myself can be a bit of a lier. Self awareness is key! It sounds SO simple but I think half the time we just let ourselves run wild and satisfy whatever kind of desire we have at the moment instead of asking ourselves if it is what we really need.

• Don't say "NEVER", say "Not right now!" It is, in my opinion, counterproductive to say "I can't ever eat this ever again! I'm not allowed to eat (fill in the blank)." because everyone knows you will reach a breaking point and gorge yourself full of the deliciousness to the point where you can no longer move, breath, or call 911 for help. Tell yourself WHEN it is appropriate to have the things you love. Maybe you can plan to allow once a week, once a month, or once a day (mmm hmmm... that's what I'm talking about!) to treat yourself to something yummy. If you know you can have something it no longer taunts you like forbidden fruit.

• Prepare for disaster! Like a 72 hour kit for your nutrition. Everyone loves the convenience of packaged food. The nutritional value, not so much. If I am faced with the option of preparing something like a salad or grabbing a bag of cookies when I am starved... I'll grab the cookies. So what I need to do is make sure there are fast, ready options for me when disaster strikes. Pre-cut your veggies... no really... I know you think "uh but I still want those cookies!" but if you don't have to do any work except to grab a baggy of celery, carrots, and cauliflower out of the fridge and munch on them you will be way more likely to choose the veggies.

• Stock up and stock down. Buy good food! Make sure you have all of the healthy options! If you have an array of beautiful, colorful goodness in your house then you wont want to go out and grab the junk... because let's face it... we're lazy and don't REALLY want to leave the house at 12:00 am. Now for the other part... DON'T BUY JUNK!!! Just don't do it. No crappy cereal, no candy, no cookies, no pop, no chips, no NOTHING. Don't even allow it in the house. If you are allowing yourself a treat then go buy a single serving of whatever cranks your tank... but it shall not pass unto the glory of your home.

• Watch a cooking show or look through recipe books. Okay it sounds bonkers, right?? Well... for some reason this works for me. I love watching Food Network. I love seeing all of the gorgeous food, I love learning new things... and for some reason this really helps to satisfy some deep seated need I have. I love baking, but then I end up with a whole tray of cookies staring at me... and really, my three year old doesn't like eating so they would have gone to waste if I didn't eat them... hehe. Anyway, watching someone ELSE bake helps me... and then there are no leftover goodies haunting me from beyond the refrigerator.

• Don't let grandmas recipes bog you down!! Grandma`s GONE... let her recipes rest in pieces!! We have SO many options these days... don't just use the old fashioned full fat, full of sugar, full of...well... they are yummy... but... what I'm saying is experiment! Take those old recipes and twist them into new fangled low-cal yummies. Cut the butter out of baking by using bananas, avocados, or apple sauce. It doesn`t hurt to play around... and DON`T be afraid! The worst that can happen is it doesn`t work out and you have to try again. Life won`t end and grandma won`t rise from her grave and stalk your kitchen forever more.

• Find alternatives. Sweet potato fries instead of french fries, cauliflower mash instead of mashed potatoes, coconut flour instead of wheat flour, stevia instead of sugar. BUY THE LOW FAT DAIRY PRODUCTS... yes I know, it`s hard but you will adjust. I promise... even my mother, who is French Canadian and LOVES cheese, adapted well to low fat.

Okay, I believe that is enough for now. I would love to hear some tricks and tips from anyone out there who knows a thing or two. Let me know, and good luck on your weight loss journey!!