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Originally Posted by DaisyMae08  I didn't realize that most places make you drink it there and then sit around.
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Let me preface this by saying I am NEVER going to my local Lab Corp again - they've been consistently very rude.
Yeah, not only did I have to drink it & sit around, the tech snapped at me from behind the counter, "You gots to be drinkin' dat right away." Because I was taking maybe 2-3 minutes to finish it. (Chugging it would have made me seriously nauseous!)
I had the orange flavor & found it pretty gross. I took a swig of water - A SINGLE SWIG to get the nasty taste out of my mouth & was yelled at again by the tech, "You can't be drinkin' no water."
As you can see, it was such a pleasant experience. Although I will say I didn't mind the wait, but that's because I enjoy reading & just brought a book with me. I did pass with no prob.
This time, I have a HB MW & she does an alternative protocol. For one, she agrees that the shock to the system of all that glucose at once probably isn't a great experience for the baby either! She has you eat a certain amount of unprocessed whole grains for like a day in advance. Then she
gives you a glucose meter to take home! How fantastic is that?! No rude techs & long waits at Lab Corp! Makes perfect sense too - those meters are for diabetics to stick their finger & self test. It tests blood sugar level. It does the same thing as having blood drawn at a lab with a lot less hassle, time & one less bill to pay. Awesome!
As for sugar problems - I consider myself a "sugar addict." It runs in my family too. I've dealt with it my whole life. it's bad. I mean - bad! I have a cookie & I just want MORE & MORE & MORE!!!!!!! It's like an obsession.
Yes, getting enough protein, fiber, & fat helps a lot! They help you feel full, & stave off cravings a bit in the first place.
I've been reading everything I can get my hands on on the topic for years now & one of my favs is the book Sugar Shock by Connie Bennett. Connie also happens to be a certified holistic health counselor & life coach.
I actually joined a group coaching session she conducted with sugar addicts like myself (over the phone) & it was really helpful! I recommend Connie & her book highly. (Check her out on Facebook too at "Gab with the Gurus" - she has a radio show.)
Based on the reading I've been doing & other online discussions, I complied a big list of tips - here they are:
Having a cookie, or other small treat every day is perfectly acceptable and does not preclude one from having a healthy lifestyle and diet. Everything in moderation, right?
That includes “junk food.” Unfortunately, for some people it’s just not as simple as that - sometimes having one makes you one want more. One more cookie can leave you plagued with cravings for even more.
If only managing cravings were as easy as, “Just have self control, just don’t eat too many.” So following are ways to help you have that self control. These are things to do & tricks to play on your mind that are more involved than a mere, "don't eat it."
I’ve been reading everything I can get my hands on for years now and experimenting with various tactics to manage my own little sugar demons. I have compiled a collection of tactics and tips that, for me personally, are either very effective, moderately effective or totally ineffective. I will be sharing them all because what works for me may not work for you and vice versa.
I don't think there is one solution. It is always a struggle for those of us who eat when we're stressed or deal with powerful cravings for junk. (I may use the terms ‘sugar’ or ‘sweets,’ but the tips should be equally applicable to any food cravings.)
Some of the tips could also even be reversed: so rather than working to avoid doing something you shouldn'’t (i.e. binging on junk) you can apply these tips to help yourself do something you should (exercise and eat your veggies!) The tactics and tips are organized into categories and I will be sharing one category each week for five weeks.
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Craving Reduction Techniques
1.Eat Healthy Stuff!
If you force yourself to eat your lean protein, veggies and whole grains BEFORE allowing yourself to have any sweets, you'll be that much less likely to eat junk and may also eat less.
• Cook
Plan ahead! I recommend grocery shopping and cooking the majority of your meals. Always try to have something healthy like a box of raisins or some nuts on hand when you need some fuel. Stock your home, office, car, gym bag, etc.
• Eat multiple mini-meals per day
Aside from helping to boost your metabolism, this also prevents your blood sugar from ever dropping too low. When you are ravenously hungry, cravings will be that much more difficult to resist. Don’t get to that point.
2. Exercise Regularly.
Personally, intense cardio kills my appetite altogether. Unfortunately the opposite can be true for some people: exercise can increase appetite. In either case, plan on a good, healthy meal immediately post workout to satisfy your hunger.
A great workout typically provides a nice endorphin boost, which helps elevate our mood. Exercise can also reduce stress, which can help relieve junk food cravings induced by stress.
3. Drink Plenty of Water and/or Green Tea
Try soda-water with added lemon or lime. It keeps your mouth busy and your tummy a little full. There are many flavored green teas out there that are delicious when drank with no sugar (Celestial Seasonings "Chamomile Green" is my personal favorite - it has some peppermint flavor too.) Plus, the health benefits of drinking plenty of water are well known and green tea has the added bonus of providing anti-oxidants!
4. Chew Sugar-free Gum and/or Brush Your Teeth
Gum also keeps your mouth busy, plus it's good for your teeth. Additionally, you know how most food tastes terrible after brushing your teeth? The same thing is achieved with Altoids mints or peppermint flavor gum. You may also find you’re less likely to eat junk when your mouth is nice and clean anyway.
Prevention Mind Games
1. Ask Yourself
“Do I want this in my body?” I also like the thought of the havoc something awful like corn syrup wreaks on your body. You wouldn't be so awful to your hair or skin... so just because you can't see it, why inflict damage on your insides? (Note: The ‘damage’ sugar, corn syrup in particular, inflicts on the body is still up for debate. But over-indulging in any ‘junk’ is certainly not healthy so you can think of ‘damage’ however you like.)
2. Tell Yourself
After having a single serving of a treat, tell yourself, "I already know what this tastes like, I don't need more."
3. DO SOMETHING ELSE
When cravings hit, do anything else from calling a friend to reading a book, to going for a walk, playing with your dogs, listening to music, cleaning, etc. Better yet if that ‘something’ makes you feel good.
Continue to build your arsenal of weapons for battling your cravings. Check out the book, "Winning the Sugar War."
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Strategic Evasion
1. Keep it Out of the House
If you have tempting food in the house for your family, try purchasing things that they enjoy but don’t tempt you as much. If possible, try requesting your family or roommates HIDE IT from you. My husband thinks I’m a bit nuts, but he indulges me on this. Besides, that way he never has to decide he wants a treat only to find out they are gone!
2. Restrict Methods for the Procurement of Junk
Don’t allow yourself to drive to get junk. Walk or bicycle only. Make a treat an event rather than a common thing. Have an outing to get it.
• In short, make it inconvenient to indulge and you won't (as much).
3. Place Restrictions on the Environment for Eating Junk
No eating junk IN the car. Clean out your car so you will want to keep it clean and avoid getting crumbs in it. Now driving a stick shift has also helped prevent me from snacking in the car: it’s just too challenging!
Make each bite count. If you are indulging, step away from the computer and turn off the TV so you can experience the indulgence fully.
4. Restrict Which Specific “Junk” you Allow
When you indulge, indulge in only really good stuff, such as high-quality chocolate. If you have certain foods that really trigger massive craving problems, do not allow yourself to touch them – only when you’re feeling strong and confident that the sugar demons won’t be released.
5. Alternative Rewards
Reward yourself with non-food treats:
- Special bath oils or foams
- Good coffee
- Massage
- New shoes
- Tickets to a show or other event
- Anything!
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Preventative Diversions
1. Be Good to Yourself
When I feel good, I want to be good to myself by eating well and exercising. So if you too find that you eat junk when you feel bad, you can try attacking the problem from the other side too --> make yourself feel good so you won’t want the junk!
If you are good to yourself and feel positive about your body, you may be less likely to eat junk and more likely to eat healthy. I have found this to be the case.
• Take Care with Appearance
Dress nicely, etc. When I bother with a cute little skirt and some adorable heels that I love, I also take a little extra care with being good to myself and my body and make healthier food choices.
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Pamper Yourself
Massage or manicure, or even do your own nails. I personally do mine in front of the TV and find it fun and relaxing.
• Do other things that make you feel good
Do things that make you feel good about yourself and your body, perhaps things that also involve a partner
2. More Mind Games
Focus on the fact that this food is not going out of style. There will ALWAYS be ice cream, cookies, etc. It's not being banned or rationed. If you ever REALLY want it, it will be there.
3. Procrastination
“Cheat Day” is a common concept among bodybuilders. It really is a misnomer since you shouldn’t be cheating *all* day! That would backfire. But you could lighten up a bit and perhaps cheat on one entire meal.
When cravings hit, try writing what you crave on a slip of paper. Throw that paper in a jar. In this way, the craving isn’t inside you anymore – gnawing away -> it’s in the jar.
Then on your “cheat day,” let yourself pull something out of the jar to eat.
With or without the jar, you can use the “procrastination” technique by just telling yourself that you can wait until the “cheat day” to eat it.
DH has been working crazy hours so we haven't gotten the chance to grocery shop in a while and I've been eating Nature Valley bars but those aren't a whole lot better than candy in the sweet department.
