8 Ways To Handle Holiday Cravings on the Raw Food Diet
food coma, raw food cravings, raw food diet cravings, will power, willpower
Dealing with cravings is a common concern for people on the raw food diet. And the holidays can be an especially challenging time. This is when there’s all sorts of tempting goodies available in copious quantities. It’s a magical time when sweets, seasonal treats, and other highly caloric foods come to life and actually call to you by name.
And if you’re anything like me, traditionally it’s the time when you and your family make an exception and indulge to the point of “food coma.” Couple that with cold weather that’s perfect for hot, hearty meals…
Does all this spell disaster for your raw food diet?
Just today at the office, people brought in all kinds of leftovers from the weekend. Chili, pumpkin pie, bagels, doughnuts. I have to admit, I did stare at the carrot cake with its creamy layers of frosting for more than a few seconds.
But I didn’t do it. I resisted the temptation.
Want to know my secret?
I just said “no.”
WHAT?! You don’t have the willpower of a stoic monk?
Okay now I’m kidding. Of course you don’t have the willpower of a monk, or special Jedi mind powers for that matter. And I didn’t just “say no.” Hey, we’re only human.
But here are 8 tips you CAN use to help make it through these tough times:
- Fill up in the morning. Be sure you eat plenty of food in the morning to fill up. Not only is eating your large meals during the day better for you, this will help you be full and less likely to make impulse decisions with your stomach. Especially when coworkers are showering you with leftovers in the morning. For the same reasons, be sure to have a full meal at home before heading out to a party.
- Keep healthy snacks on hand. Grab some fresh fruits and raw nuts to take with you in the morning and graze throughout the day. This will help keep you from getting too hungry. But don’t snack just for the sake of it–wait until you actually start to feel hungry.
- Focus on variety. Make sure you’re eating a wide enough variety of raw foods. Often cravings can be a signal that your body is needing something. For example, now is not the time to try to micromanage your raw food diet and avoid fatty raw foods like avocados and nuts because you’re afraid of gaining weight. That will only backfire. Your body needs dietary fat, and depriving yourself of them will instigate intense cravings.
- Head for the water. If you’re not quite hungry but start to feel the pangs of temptation coming on, try having a glass of water. It will help you feel fuller for the moment, and it certainly has fewer calories than a slice of cheesecake!
- Treat yourself. If there’s a raw food restaurant near you, go ahead and treat yourself to a dessert there. It can be just what the doctor ordered, and will go a long way to helping you feel satiated. If there’s no such restaurant near you, browse your favorite raw food “cookbook” and choose a dessert that you will make for yourself over the weekend. The anticipation will carry you through for a while, and then you’ll actually get to make it and eat it! Just be sure to keep your promise to yourself.
- What’s it mean? Sometimes this little mind trick works for me. I’ll think about what it would mean for my goals to indulge in the “no-no” item in front of me. For example, does it mean delaying reaching your target weight that much longer, fueling a disease or chronic ailment, or otherwise sidetracking your health? Often that thought’s enough of a shock to shake me out of the enemy’s cobra-like stare.
- Keep a journal. Use a dedicated notebook to jot down what you eat throughout the day, along with the date and time. Also make note of any cravings or other feelings or emotional issues and when they occur. Keep it simple–we’re not talking measuring your portions, counting calories, or trading cards with points! Just write down what you’re eating, and do it for at least a week. The idea is to see if you can notice any patterns. Do your cravings occur at a certain time of the day? Or after eating/lacking a certain food or food group?
- Forgive yourself. Sometimes the cravings will get the better of you. Hey, it happens–so don’t beat yourself up or become discouraged. Give yourself permission to be human. At the same time, respect yourself and see if you can step back and learn something from the experience that will help you next time. Review your goals and what they mean for you. And keep going! A little progress each day is all it takes.
Armed with these tips, you’ll stand a much better chance of making through the next month with your sanity intact.
How have you been dealing with the holiday time cravings so far this year?
Drop a quick comment below!
Raw Food Diet, Raw Food Success, Raw Food Weight Loss | Chuck December 1, 2008
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By Shannon, December 2, 2008 @ 8:53 am
Just what I needed. I read this and it was like a ton of weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I’m just starting out so this article was very crucial and comforting for my raw journey. Thanks Chuck.
Your Raw Sis,
Shannon.
By Dawn, December 2, 2008 @ 10:27 am
Great ideas for those of us starting out on this journey. Christmas is a time of real temptation when it comes to food.
I’d like to endorse suggestion 3 heartily. If you get to strict and your diet gets unbalanced then the cravings are so intense that it would take a superman to resist them.
I discovered this a few years ago when I embraced an all fruit diet to enthusiastically and was finally beaten into submission by the fish and chip shop down the road!
By Justin, December 2, 2008 @ 7:33 pm
Chuck,
Good Stuff! I let number 8 get to me sooo often. We need to take it easy on ourselves and realize that we can rebound quickly from our diet mistakes. Thank goodness our bodies have a sense of humor! All the best my friend!
By Alison, December 7, 2008 @ 6:56 pm
Great advice! I definitely agree if you let yourself cheat a little it can cause more problems than it’s worth. Maybe some people can cheat a bit and go back to eating the way they did before,but not me! I find filling up on water and making sure I have snacks helps!