Getting to The Bottom of Your Cravings

"I want it." Let’s not over complicate things. If we’re being honest, that’s ultimately the reason that we end up giving in to cravings and go back to old, familiar eating habits. We just want it. We’re tired or stressed or bored or lonely and we know the food (the decadent chocolate, that succulent cake, those greasy fries, that divine burger, that extra glass of wine) will feel good for a few minutes. Plus, we just want it. "What’s the harm?" "I’ll start the diet tomorrow." "I deserve this.” Sound familiar?

From time to time… not a problem. What is a world without chocolate and cake anyways? But it can easily become a daily habit, one that we indulge in multiple times a day.

Obviously, it works against your weight-loss goals and, in the long haul, adds to your risk of various diseases and conditions. But you know what else happens? Every time you go against what you want for yourself—those important, possibly life changing goals—you give away your power.

You let that scared, worried, not worthy brain of yours take over. You reinforce those voices. They win over you. They control you and continue to resurface stronger and more frequently because, let’s face it, that chocolate isn’t going to solve the feelings or challenges you are currently confronting. In fact, you’re going to want more and more of that chocolate as you continue to be hopeful that all your woes will be healed and solved by eating just one more piece.

It can easily feel like we’re winning because of whatever reason we convince ourselves of: ”I will start Monday”, “I deserve this!”, “One won’t hurt!”, “But what is life without a treat or two… or eight”, “I’m not on a diet, so I can have this”, “I’m a grown ass woman and I have control over food!”

I get it… when you’re in the muck, it is hard to make the right choice. Our survival brain kicks into overdrive and takes over.

The rational brain moves over to the passenger side while your survival brain hijacks the vehicle and goes full speed ahead! No matter how often that rational brain of yours pipes up—“Slow down”, “Think about this”, “Do you really want this?” “What about those goals?”—that voice gets quashed before the sentence is even finished. “I’m a woman on a mission to survive. Shut the F up!”

In exchange for a momentary tasty treat and a brief numbing of the discomfort you’re feeling (because that’s really what you’re doing), you’re giving away the single most valuable thing you possess: your power, your ownness! That’s a pretty crappy deal if you ask me. So, every time you’re preparing to eat know there can only be ONE driver steering the car.

Which will you choose? Food to be your overlord? Or to claim your power, your ownness back? Easier said than done when things are mucky. But things get muckier when food continues to be in charge…think about that.

Listen to the whole thing over here.