Late last year, doomsday preppers donning tin foil hats began hunkering and bunkering and waiting for the end. However, exactly one month prior to the proported end of days, the world received a sign that the Mayans might not be so smart afterall. Hostess Brands, maker of the Twinkie--the little snack cake that was supposed to endue past the apocolypse, was going out of business. Now, unlike much of America, I've never been much of a Twinkie fan. But, its cousin, the Hostess cupcake, is an entirely different story. Growing up, these chocolate goodies were my favorite lunch box treat. But, as we all do, I grew up, and these delicious little devils dropped out of my diet completely (not that that's a particularly bad thing I suppose). I bet I hadn't enjoyed one of these sweet treats in a good ten years. With the news that my favorite childhood treat would soon be off the shelves, I rushed to have one last rendezvous with this childhood favorite. I stopped into the local gas station (clearly a 5 star establishment,) plopped down my payment, and opened up the twin pack of utter heavenly goodness. They were just as I remembered--moist, chocolatey, and filled with lucious cream. This little indulgence got me to thinking. Isn't it funny how much more we enjoy something when we've been without it for a while? Absence really does make the heart grow fonder.
I think that one of my dieting successes has come with the realization that I really enjoy food so much more when my favorite dishes becomes a occasional indulgences instead of an every day occurrences. When I eat Fiesta Mexico three times a week instead of every once in a while, it becomes routine, mundane, and dull--cheese dip, smeeze dip. But, when I've denied myself a chimichanga for a couple of months, it becomes a rapturous experience (and unfortunately it comes back to bite me later---trust me Montezuma always gets his revenge---I know, TMI).
You know food is kind of like sex. Scientist tell us that pleasure receptors in our brain fire off dopamine (the feel good chemical) both when we eat our favoite foods and when we are doing the horizontal tango. This chemical is the chemical of addiction--cocaine, alcohol, and nicotine also cause its release. However, when we experience this release over and over again, we start to become numb to its charms. Think about it this way. How many times do we single girls hear our married friends complain about "wifely duties," I've heard married women equate making love with cleaning toilets and doing the laundry. But, as a single gal, sometimes just a whiff of men's cologne can leave me all hot and bothered (sorry, I bet some of you never knew I could be such a horn dog.) Its the same way with food. When we eat our favorite fattening treats over and over again, the experience becomes routine. We lose the excitement in the experience. However, when we've been denied for a while, our favorite foods become better than we ever remember (itsn't it like that with a lot of things).
Ladies, I guess what I'm trying to say is this. When I make a practice of keeping certain foods reserved for special occasion, I enjoy them so much more. I'll be honest, when I started dieting, I had major issues with cravings. I couldn't even drive past my favorite restaurants without salivating. I fantasized about food. Seriously. I was all like "Oh my God---must have Red Robin right now!" But, over time, these cravings have subsided. When they do occur, I try to reframe them this way, "If I deny myself those garlic fries now, I will enjoy them so much better later." That usually stops the craving in its tracks. Another way that I combat these cravings is to think about the natural high that I get when I step on the scale and notice the numbers are lower than they were the last time I checked.
Next time you feel the need to cheat, the urge to mindlessly indulge in your favorite fattening treat, think about whether it is really worth it. Do you really want it, or are you simply reacting to those dopomine impulses? Remember that just like you wouldn't jump the bones of every good looking man that crosses your path, you CAN refrain from indulging in your food fantasies as well.
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