King sns
New member
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2008
- Messages
- 6,714
- MBTI Type
- enfp
- Enneagram
- 6w7
- Instinctual Variant
- sp/sx
Do you see any pattern of when you tend to get cravings?
I've been trying to change how I eat. People around me wouldn't say I have a problem with food, but I also know that I'm not really in control of what I eat (not binging, but just I'll determine not to buy something and then find myself getting it anyway right when I've determined that I really need to make some changes). Sometimes I tend to buy treats when I'm alone because I'd prefer other people not to know and I have spent years trying to quit drinking Coke. I've weighed more than I want to for most of my adult life, and my weight has slowly crept up every year. I'm not aware of any particular triggers either, but I think there must be some emotional element to it or it wouldn't be that hard to overcome it. Part of it is that I don't think I want to say goodbye to stuff I enjoy, even if I realize that it's effects are negative. Food is also a very social thing. Your post along with something I read this week and something cascadeco said a long time ago though inspired me to actively try just putting off whatever craving I had and see if I still felt the same way two hours later. So far it's worked. I read a book saying that one family practiced saying no to something every day - they each got to decide what - and then they had the opportunity to report back to each other at supper. It really positively impacted everyone's level of productivity and discipline, finances etc. I don't know if I'd want to do that, but I have felt some sense of internal accomplishment by kind of playing that game with myself in my head.
Yeah, I think plain old restraint is a good thing. It's hard in this bountiful culture to say "no" to things that you like that make you feel good. I tend to get cravings in a moment that I need relaxation. Either I am in high stress or am very relaxed and want to intensify the feeling. Plain old relaxation isn't good enough. I want to be really really relaxed. I'm reminding myself about how I don't like to be sick in the morning, don't think I can stop at one or two at this level of craving, and about how I went to an interesting conference the other day, surgeons talking, and was too tired to care becasue of drinking the night before. I'm going to pick up my roommates guitar and try to learn a few chords instead.