True Life: My First Body Competition - Getting Through the “Tough Times”

(tips and tricks to keep you disciplined)

You’re sitting on the couch watching tv or surfing the web and it hits you….you can’t stand this overwhelming feeling of wanting that chocolate molten lava cake or that Big Mac that just appeared on your TV or in the corner of your browser…you can’t take it anymore!  You feel like at any moment you could put a Dairy Queen out of business if you just stepped through their doors…what do you do?

Now that’s a good question…lucky for you, I’ve been there, craved that…now let’s ask the REAL question…are you hungry or are you craving something?  If you are hungry and you are close enough to your next meal, then eat it a little early.  If you are completely in between meals, chug ICE cold water!!!  It will fill your stomach and fulfill that hungry feeling (at least temporarily).  Also, by drinking ICE COLD water, your body is expelling extra energy to heat it up to your body temperature which means that you are burning extra calories in the process (which is definitely a win-win).  Another trick is to take a cheat pill (found at Complete Nutrition).  This helps relieve the hunger feeling and I can attest to it…it actually works and relatively fast!  Now if you are not truly hungry and are just craving something specific; like that Papa John’s Pizza that you practically smell through the TV…THAT is another story…

Cravings are mind over matter.  If you are craving flavors, that is totally fixable and can be handled with a guilt free give in.  If you are craving foods, that is a little more difficult and is more of a mind game.  Definitely try to just go with a guilt free give in, but if you must, choose a more “competitor friendly” substitute.

Guilt Free Give In’s:

Tea: The variety alone can appease almost any craving!

Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea – Cinnamon is a natural appetite suppressant and gives a “Dessert” or “Breakfast Pastry” effect

Almond or Vanilla Black Tea – These are more full flavored and full bodied teas, will almost a creamy texture and definitely helps appease a flavor craving as well as keeps you full

                Ginger Peach Green Tea (or any fruity tea)– hot or cold this is the perfect swap out for a soda or sports drink craving; throw in a little stevia and you’re all set!

Dandelion Root Tea – this is great if you are craving something salty!  This flavor, by no means, resembles a salty flavor; however, the bitterness cuts that craving right away.  Dandelion Root is also a natural diuretic, so not only will this tea help cut cravings, but it will help you shed a little extra water weight and detox your system too!

Spice it up: Try new Mrs. Dash Spices!! – These are all sodium free and can be added to all your food to add a variety of flavors (you’ll soon that cutting salt out of your diet really isn’t as hard as it would seem)!

Substitutes to Appease Cravings (when you are absolutely dying and the Guilt Free Give In’s aren’t working):

Protein PB Cups can replace a Protein Shake, HOWEVER, in most cases the PB is not approved on your nutrition plan, so try to avoid this is possible!

                Recipe: Mix 1 scoop of chocolate protein with 1 T cocoa powder, 3 t stevia, and 1/8 c water.  Layer chocolate mixture with 1 t PB in a lined muffin pan and put in the freezer until frozen.  One recipe will make approx. 2 PB cups.  Store in freezer (will melt and get gooey in the refrigerator).  Only downfall to this is that they need to be made in advance if you are in a craving pinch!

For a salty or spicy craving and the spices just aren’t cutting it, use a little salsa or low sodium hot sauce on your eggs.  Watch the sodium content, but sometimes if you give in a little it will cut the craving before it gets monstrous and you dream about salt licks (as scary as that sounds….that’s happened to me before)!  Just don’t make this a habit!  Remember, every decision you make effects your training and only you have the power to say no to yourself!

Latte/Mocha Cravings –Again, this one is pretty easy, and may even belong in the guilt-free category, depending on how strict you are with your coffee/protein.  Wait until your coffee cools to almost room temperature and add a half to a full scoop of either vanilla or chocolate protein powder and a couple packets of stevia (I typically use this as a protein shake substitute for one of my meals).  Throw in some ice to make it cold or pop it back in the microwave to heat it up!

Other tricks to get you through day in and day out…

Cook your food a different way

Use different Sodium-free seasonings

The power of protein àSwitch up your protein flavors and varieties!  There is pretty much a flavor out there for any sweet tooth!  (Also, using less water makes it more of a pudding or mousse consistency)

Do something to absolutely occupy your mind like clean or do the dishes, or better yet…PRACTICE YOUR POSING!!

One trick that I do weekly is make a list of all the things that I crave throughout the week and before my cheat meal I look at the list and ask myself, do I still crave that food?  If I do, then I incorporate it into my cheat meal, if I don’t then that just further proves to myself that cravings come and cravings go!  Remember, you worked WAY WAY WAY too hard to ruin it with a bite here or a lick there or worst yet, a splurge!

I hope this information, based on personal experiences and experimentation, has helped you out or at least triggered your brain into thinking about your cravings and what is REALLY going on in your brain!

Always remember that cravings are short lived, but when you give in to them, the guilt is not!