Be Stronger than your Cravings

Cravings. We all get them.  We get cravings for salty. We get cravings for sweet. I personally will crave chocolate, doughnuts, or Whataburger. I'm not hungry, I just want it and I want it now. Sometimes I will give in, but most of the time I have a plan to beat them. I am much stronger and smarter than that voice in my head that says "You worked hard today, you deserve it" or "You had a bad day, this will make you feel better".
If you are having cravings, but you know you are not hungry, try some of these things:

1) Drink water. I'm sure you have been told this before, but it's true. When your body is becoming dehydrated,  it will tell you it's hungry. It's lying! Try a full glass of water or green tea instead of that snack.

2) Get busy. I don't mean 'get busy' (wink wink). You can if you want, that's none of my business....but I mean distract yourself. Sometimes when you are bored, your body will say "I'm hungry".  Again, your body is sometimes a big liar!  Find something to distract yourself. The craving will pass.

3) Wait 20 minutes.  Cravings generally pass within 8 - 10 minutes. So while you are waiting, get busy ;)  The craving will pass.

4) Eat often. I mentioned in an earlier post that I eat 6-8 times a day. Just this morning my husband teased me about eating my second breakfast. Try to fill your body with proteins and good fats. Bananas, avocados, and almonds fill me up quickly and satisfy me.

5) Find alternatives.  I keep plenty of fruit and veggies in the house. I prepare them ahead of time so that they are easy to grab.  Sometimes, if I have a super busy week, I will buy the veggies and fruits that are already cut. I make a veggie dip out of Greek yogurt to dip my veggies in. That seems to satisfy my need for crunch and salt.  If I'm craving sweets,  I will have a cup of hot cocoa or I will slice a banana and top it with a tiny bit of chocolate syrup or melted almond butter.

6) Don't keep those foods in your house.  You better believe that if I had potato chips and ranch dip in my pantry, I would eat the whole thing....so I just don't buy it.

7) Don't always deny yourself.  Save your craving foods for a special treat for yourself.  My kids call them "sometimes foods".  If I really really want chips and dip, I will buy individual sized bags of chips. If I want ice cream, I will get the tiny containers of ice cream.  Moderation is the key my friends. If you deny yourself these things completely, then you are more likely to 'cheat'.

8) When a craving hits, brush your teeth,  When I get a craving and I know I'm not really hungry, I will brush my teeth. I will brush them, floss them, and waterpick.  After I have gone through all of that work, I don't want to get my mouth dirty by eating.

9) Get enough sleep.  When you are tired and your body is craving sleep and rest, it will try to trick you into eating.  If we don't get enough sleep, our cravings and appetite increase.  Your body is looking for a way to get more energy, so it makes a lot of sense that it would crave sugar and carbs to try to get that energy.

I hope these help you understand and fight some of your cravings.
Before I sign off, I really want to thank all of you for your great comments, emails, and FB messages. It means a lot to me that so many of you take the time to write about how some of these blog posts have helped you. That's EXACTLY why I started this blog....to help other women like me:) Love you all!

So You Don't Want to Look Like a she-male...me neither!

I talk to so many friends who are afraid to weight train because they are afraid of getting bulky. I see so many women in the gym who won't lift more than a 5 pound weight for fear of looking like a body builder. Ladies...you WILL NOT BULK UP! It's pretty impossible for us to bulk up. Really ladies...your purse probably weighs more than what some of you are lifting at the gym...your kids and the groceries definitely weigh more! Weight training just won't make you bulky (but it is soooo good for you) and here's why:

1) You do not have testicles. Since you don't have testicles, you do not have sufficient testosterone needed to grow huge muscles. Women produce a very small amount of testosterone, about 1/7th that of men produce. As women, our testosterone production is highest in our early twenties. As we age, our testosterone drops. In fact, most men do not even have enough testosterone to get super bulky. I mean, I see a lot of men lifting in the gym everyday, but very few super muscular men....that's why steroids are so popular, right?

2) We do not eat enough calories or protein to produce huge muscle. Body builders eat A LOT and often. I have looked up a few body builders food plans and they include a lot of eggs and proteins up to six times a day. I tried one of these meal plans ( for like a day) and could not choke down the 6 egg whites required as just a part of breakfast.

3) You will not bulk up overnight, in a few weeks , or even in a few months. You won't suddenly wake up one morning, look in the mirror, and see a bulky she-male where you used to be. Those body building women work for years and years and HOURS a day to look the way they do.

4)You don't take body building supplements. Many of these body-builders take supplements...protein, amino acids, creatine, testosterone, BCAA's, Glutamine, anti-estrogen, growth hormone, nitic oxide, hgh boosters, etc... and sometimes (I'm not saying every body builder does so don't send me angry messages) steroids. Body building for bulk requires supplements...there's a science to it, y'all. So no, just lifting heavy weights will not make you bulk up.

I strength train almost everyday. I have been strength training for about 2 years now. I eat a lot of protein and eat a lot of calories for a girl my size. I lift pretty heavy too and I try to lift as heavy as I can every time I work out....but I am not bulky in the least. I don't really like posting pictures of myself showing my body, but for you I will. I just took these pictures right now on my computer.  One is of me just normal and the other one is of me flexing as hard as I can. Lol...it's not very impressive. I'm pretty scrawny for someone who weight trains every day.

Here I am just sitting here doing nothing but typing to you:)

Now here I am flexing as hard as I can...grrrrrrr! Not very impressive for someone who lifts weights everyday, right? I hate pictures of people flexing, so you know I must love you if I'm doing this for you :)

Sooo...why should you strength train????

1) Strength training helps with bone density. As women, we need as much help as we can get to prevent osteoporosis, arthritis, and fractures.

2) Strength training increases metabolism. It has even been proven to increase your resting metabolism. You burn more calories just sitting there watching Real Housewives!!!

3) Muscle increases your performance.  If you run, dance, yoga, Zumba you'll do it better and last longer with those extra strong muscles.

4) Heavy weights add strength and tone, not bulk. You will be stronger and toned.  Who doesn't want that???

5) Yes, you have all heard muscle weighs more than fat, but it also takes up less room than fat. Even if you gain weight, you lose inches.  Since I have started weight training, I have gained a few pounds, but moved into smaller clothing sizes that look and fit better.

Ladies, don't be afraid of strength training. It has so many benefits and has really changed so many aspects of my life for the positive.  Next time you work out, just try weights. I promise, you won't regret it....and you won't turn into the Hulk.