Why Do I Crave Chocolate?

I hear this question quite often.  Is it the nutrients in chocolate my body needs?  Something I am missing in my diet that chocolate can provide?

The answer may surprise you... but the reason you crave chocolate is because it tastes good! It's sweet on your tongue and creamy in your mouth.  It provides calories and fat to ward off any hunger that may occur over the next few hours.  It temporarily boosts your blood sugar, and even alters some chemicals in your brain that make you feel better. The caffeine may help you become more alert, and at the same time the serotonin (a neurotransmitter) more calm. Why wouldn't we crave chocolate constantly? It does so much for us!


A better question may be "why are you constantly focusing on it?"
If you are trying to lose weight or eat healthier, you may be continually telling yourself that chocolate is "not allowed" on your diet or it's "forbidden" or it's "bad". When you tell yourself that something isn't good for you, even though you like it, you are making yourself want it more. Think about things you were told you could not have as a child. As soon as something was "forbidden" you wanted it more. When you were allowed to have it, it lost some of its appeal.
Let chocolate lose some of it's forbidden appeal and let yourself have some. Not a pound Hershey bar. You might not even want to keep it around the house or your office. What if you let yourself buy a tootsie roll every day or a peppermint patty? Is there a reasonable amount of chocolate that you could savor, enjoy, not feel guilty about, and have your craving satisfied?

Perhaps your answer is "no" because some people simply cannot have one piece. "I'll eat the entire bag" they say, or "If I can't have a whole candy bar I don't want just one bite".
If you find a happy medium that works for you, like a few chocolate kisses in the afternoon, you may find your cravings aren't monopolozing your thoughts throughout the day.

Here's another question: "Why are you allowing yourself to give in to the craving?"
Think of some of the impulses we deal with each and every day. What are you craving that you just do not act upon because it's not socially acceptable? You would just love to plant a big smooch on that new handsome guy at work: Certainly, you aren't going to do it!

You are just dying to smack that gum out of the mouth of your coworker who annoyingly insists on chewing as loud as a cow all day long? Nope, you aren't going to give into that either.

If your friend got a brand new designer purse and you were just aching to take it home and make it your own, would you do it? No. Why not... You want it.

We have desires and impulses every day that we don't give in to. They would feel good in the moment, yet we know there would be consequences so we stop ourselves and turn our thoughts to something else.  What, then, are the consequences of eating chocolate?
Here's a heads up: If you eat a 300 calorie candy bar every day for a month, you'll gain three pounds. Ouch. Keep it up and you're looking at 36 pounds a year. Not gaining weight? This means you are eating the same number of calories your body burns, and on the flip side this means giving up that daily chocolate bar will result in a weight loss of 36 pounds a year. Some consequences, eh?

Why DO you crave chocolate. More importantly, what are you going to do about it?!

Balancing Work At Home, Housework, and Relaxation

I was recently in a coaching class called "Personal Path" in which a particular program helps guide us down the path of life we would like to choose.  There are various aspects of our life discussed, and  we are free to choose an area of focus to affect positive change.  The one that leaped out at me was "decompartmentalizing".

It occured to me that this has been an ongoing issue for me ever since I started working at home nearly two years ago.  It's tough having your office at home for many reasons: First, there's no defined time to "be at work" so you have to be very disciplined in putting down the newspaper and coffee or the dog's toy or the good book.  Second, you are always at home so you see chores that need tending to constantly--it takes a lot of effort to resist just putting in one load of laundry, or just cleaning up the kitchen a bit before heading to your desk.  Of course there are the constant phone interruptions, carpooling needs, and other household necessities that compete with a consistent work period as well.

On the other hand, sometimes there is difficulty in making yourself stop work.  Instead of relaxing with a good magazine after dinner or taking  a walk, you are sometimes coaxed back to the computer by a mysterious force, to touch up an article, re-check your email, or work on your finance and business plan.

It was a difficult balance for me:  I tried establishing "work" times; forcing myself to take breaks; compensating household chore time taken during the day for more work hours in the evening.  Sometimes  relaxation took a back seat for too many days in a row.  The person who works from home can suddenly find themselves either weeks behind in their work, or burned out from constantly working for weeks without appropriate breaks.

What a revelation it was for me to realize that I didn't have to compartmentalize the work, the chores, and and the down time.  They were all me, they were all part of my life.  They all contribute to who I am, what I value, what is important to have in my life, and what makes me happy. 
It doesn't matter whether I am reading a magazine, cooking dinner, or writing a new blog article.  Each of these accomplishments are completed throughout my day as part of my life and my career, and at the end of any given week, they are each part of the sum of what I do that makes this my life. 

Gone was working overtime to compensate for the guilt of enjoying working from home; gone was the guilt for going to a matinee with my husband on a weekday afternoon; gone was trying to schedule which hour I would spend eating lunch and which hour I could spend walking the dog.
I realized I had been negating the very benefits of working for myself.  Those of us who choose to work from home do so for the flexibility it affords.  I can go to a movie in the afternoon (as long as my assignments are completed in time); I can work in the evening if the mood strikes me; and I can throw in a load of laundry while I'm tossing around an idea for my next presentation.

The two weeks since I had this wonderful revelation have been two of the most peaceful weeks I remember having so far this year (except for vacation days for which I decided ahead of time not to work).  My goal for 2010 is to continue to incorporate this mentality into my days.  I envision weeks of calmness, productivity, and a consistently clean home rolling one into the other.  I breathe deeply before deciding I'm going to go read for an hour now . . . because that's what I feel like doing.

For Better Eating, Learn More!

Studies show that people who know more about what is "good for them" to eat, actually eat better.  Here are a few things you can learn about your nutrition, what you need and how to find what foods will best meed your needs:

1. Use the ingredient labels to see what is actually in your food.  All ingredients must be listed by law (with a few exceptions of 'standardized foods' such as mayonnaise and ketchup), and in descending order of composition.  In other words,  there is more of the first ingredient than of any other ingredients in the food: If sugar is listed first in your cereal before flour, that means there is more sugar than flour.
Next compare the nutrition facts panel among several brands and varieties.  You want to get the most nutrition (vitamins, minerals) for the least calories and fat.  Remember to note the serving size and compare this equally as well: some products alter their serving size to make it look like they have fewer calories than another leading brand.

2. Find out what you need as an individual.  How many calories should you have in a day?  How many grams of protein? What is your healthy limit for fat grams?  Knowing how much protein you consume doesn't really mean anything if you don't have a goal to compare it to.  Be sure the source of your information is reliable: look for a registered dietitian or a reputable agency, such as the American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, or higher educational institutions to provide you with guidelines that are backed by years of peer-reviewed studies and evidence.  Here is a good example  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN00284 .  The food guide pyramid even gives individualized guidelines for the macronutrients based on your height, weight, and gender.  Learn to question numbers when you find inconsistencies or hints of an ulterior motive.  For example, the group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) greatly reduces the suggested recommendations for protein in the hopes that people will turn away from animal products like meat and milk in order to save more animals.  In fact, you can easily get adequate protein from other sources, so it doesn't make sense to deflate the recommended numbers.

3. What really is "good for you"?  There's always news about the latest, greatest cure for aging or cancer in one food.  It just doesn't make sense.  We can't keep jumping from tomatoes to wine, focusing on one miracle food every few weeks in the hopes we'll live long and stay healthy.  The best guide to follow is "everything in moderation"!  Including a variety of foods in your diet assures you'll be getting the nutrients we don't know about yet, even before the next study comes out.

4.  What really is not good for you?  We know that excesses of certain components in food contribute to chronic diseases.  Sodium, fat, and cholesterol should be limited by anyone's evidence.  But what are the numbers?  You need to find out by perusing the latest research (again, composed by reputable agencies) the number of fat grams, cholesterol grams, and sodium milligrams that are in your best interest.

Arming yourself with the facts will lead you to avoiding too much of what is not good for you, and eating more of what you really need.  Learn about good nutrition from reputable sources: You might even consider purchasing a recently used nutrition textbook that is used in college nutrition courses.  Be sure to read the nutrition labels that are provided for you (and regulated by the FDA) to know what's really in the products you are buying.  The more you know, the better you'll end up eating.

Motivation to Do The Right Thing: Exercise!

I met a fellow blogger on line named Jenn, and she has some great tips for motivating you to eat right and exercise.  It involves literally training your brain to enjoy more of what's good for you, and become less interested in the things that aren't so good--say, laying on the couch all day!
Here's a bit about Jenn, and a link to her article: "Motivation Tips For Health and Fitness"

Jennifer Mitchell is a proud mom of two wonderful children, ages 6 and 4. She has become a fitness guru of sorts through her personal experiences with weight loss. During her pregnancies, she gained 60 pounds and then 40 pounds. She also battled with post-partum depression and anxiety. Proper exercise and nutrition truly changed her life. Jenn is proud to say that she is now in the best shape of her life. Thrilled by her results, she decided to become a personal fitness coach to help others make their fitness dreams become reality. She has helped hundreds of clients from around the country through online, phone and in-person coaching. Jenn's true passion is helping other moms learn how to make fitness fun and fit into their busy lifestyles.
Click here to read the article!

Picture Breakfast

This morning my husband--a photographer--shared with me a site (http://www.jpgmag.com/)  that is sponsoring a contest for people to enter pictures of breakfast.  Some of them are very art-y and do not even include food!

But I found it fascinating to see what people all around the world have for breakfast.  Some are hearty meals, some are on lovely plates, and many are just busy people drinking coffee in their car or at their computer.  There are eggs and pancakes and franks and beans.  There are boxes of donuts and platters of pastry.  There are muffins and waffles and plates of fruit.  Some people are eating in their dining room and others in restaurants.  Some have beautifully decorated place settings and others are eating on the go.

Coffee definitely dominates.  Eggs are abundant, as well as cereal (typical in American breakfasts).  Some of the pictures are quirky and some are not even of humans!  That just shows what you get when you leave things open to interpretation.

This one was my favorite because it looks healthy and colorful and filling.  It's titled "decadent breakfast" and it's submitted by David Province.

Check out the photos and see what you think.

What does breakfast look like to you?

Donate Your Jeans for a Good Cause

If you're like many women (myself included) you have some jeans stashed away in your closet, hoping to fit back into them one day.



Maybe you know you won't fit back into them but you just wish you would.



Maybe you associate them with memories of a time when you were younger (and more fit).



Maybe by the time you do fit back into them, straight legs (or acid-washed or bejeweled pockets or seams down the front) will not be in style any longer!



Here's a great idea: Donate your jeans to your favorite charity! It'll help clear your clutter, and give someone else a pair of jeans they can use right now :)



Hop on over to JeansForGood.com and see Stephanie explain more.



Here's the badge I proudly post to announce "I am getting rid of my skinny jeans"


Mine are going to the Belleville women's shelter where I hope someone likes wearing jeans that fit way low down on the hips.... I decided I don't!

5 Warning Signs You Are Sabotaging Your Diet

If you've been on a diet for weeks-or maybe years-and are not losing any weight, you may be sabotaging your diet by sneaking in calories unknowingly, and skipping out on healthy nutrients your body needs. Are you engaging in the following behaviors that are keeping the weight on?

1. Sneaking treats to reward yourself for weight loss:
Once you've been following a low-calorie diet for a while you might feel like you deserve a reward! Unfortunately we are a society that rewards ourselves with food, so you might just hand yourself a candy bar or a cookie because you've been so "good". This may undo all the calories you went without during the rest of the day in your concerted effort to lose weight. Thinking "just this one won't hurt" is only fooling yourself.

The fix: Consider giving yourself a day or two each week where you can choose a treat, and stick strictly to your lower-calorie plan the other 5 or 6 days.

2. Not knowing how many calories are in what you eat: If you aren't used to reading the label on every food you eat (or looking it up on the internet) you may have a vastly different calorie intake than you think you do. One co-worker I used to lunch with was convinced she needed to be on an 800 calorie diet to lose weight-but she was actually eating twice that.She just did not know how many calories were in the foods she was eating, and she wasn't a very educated guesser.

The fix: Be aware of what is in the foods you eat by reading up on labels, restaurants, and fast food items that provide you with this information.

3. Skipping meals because you believe it saves calories: It's so important to keep fueling your body with energy at least every four to five hours. If you skip lunch and think you'll just wait until dinner time, stop and think about how often that actually happens. More often than not, we get too hungry to wait and sabotage our diet by grabbing something quick when we're desperate-as a result, it's usually something high in calories.

The fix: Be sure and take a break at 8 am, 12 noon and 6 pm (or thereabouts) to give yourself a nutritious boost of energy. If you really aren't hungry or don't have time, use a meal replacement beverage or bar to give you the calories, vitamins, and minerals your body needs to get you through the next several hours.

4. Shunning fruits, juices, and other nutrient dense foods to save calories: I know a lot of women who will skip the oj at breakfast time to save 60 calories, but will ignore the 100 calories they're drinking in a glass of wine with dinner.

The fix: Make room in your low-calorie diet for fruits, low-fat dairy products, and other foods that do contain calories, but also provide a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals, or protein. Do away first with those that aren't contributing anything necessary to your diet.

5. Avoiding the scale: If you find yourself avoiding the scale for long periods of time, you know you're due for a weigh-in. Putting your head in the sand won't make your weight gain go away!

The fix: Get on the scale right now and take a good hard look at where you're at and where you want to be. What do you need to do to get there? Sit down with a pencil and paper and write down just one goal you feel comfortable with that you can take action on this week: having fruit for dessert, eating 3 meals a day, starting an after-dinner walking routine, or something else that is reasonable and simple.

If you've been trying to lose weight for a long time, and failing despite what seems to be endless dieting, take assessment of what you are really doing instead of what you wish you were doing!One step at a time, you can get back on that healthy eating plan you were aiming for in the beginning.

If you really can't figure out why the weight is not coming off, submit your questions to Ask The Diet Coach at http://askthedietcoach.blogspot.com/ and we'll figure it out together!