"Connnnstannntttt Craaaaavinggggg..."

I love that song.  And it's so appropriate for so much of my life.  Well..those two words anyway. I feel like I am always craving SOMETHING.  But usually it's the bad things like donuts and cupcakes and french fries covered in cheese and bacon and sour cream.  Mmmmmm bacon.

One of the big things that the South Beach Diet preaches is that it helps to ease/get rid of those kinds of cravings within the first 2 weeks (Phase 1).  But now that I'm 1 1/2 weeks into that phase, it has me asking...what exactly defines a craving?

Dictionary.com says this:

cra-ving
Noun
great or eager desire; yearning

I've always thought of food cravings as a chemical thing.  A physical reaction in my body that makes my brain scream for something that it thinks it wants.  "YOU NEED CARBS LIKE RIGHT NOW!!!".  And from all the studying I've done on the subject, I've learned that that is true.  Cravings are caused by fluctuations in our blood sugar levels.  Eating something high in sugar or refined carbs sends our blood sugar through the roof, easing our craving quickly...only to have it crash back down equally as fast and send us rushing for the next quick fix.  It is a very chemical thing.

But then here I am halfway through week 2 of this diet and I'm starting to feel like maybe it isn't ALL chemical. I'm not feeling those physical pangs of NEEDING a donut or obsessing over a plate of something fried and greasy...however I am still having the occasional “eager desire and yearning” for things that I know from experience...I love. Is THAT going to go away with this diet? I'm starting to think the answer is no.

I didn't go into this thing expecting to come out on the other side with a hatred for all things unhealthy. I know better. And honestly, I don't want to live a life that doesn't allow for the occasional indulgence in something decadent. Whether I'm physically craving it or not, I know that my Grammy's chocolate mousse is my absolute favorite dessert and that if I make it, I'm going to eat the whole pan by myself. And if I think about it for too long, I start to think about how good it sounds and how long it's been since I had it. And I really want some. That's craving...isn't it?

So for the most part, yes, my cravings are gone. I feel full and satisfied all day long. But I am finding that I cannot wait until I can have fruit again. I really miss my apples with almond butter. I really miss my morning apple bran muffins with greek yogurt. I REALLY would love a warm slice of homemade wheat bread. And those aren't bad things to want. I guess it's better that I crave those things than if I crave a trip through the drive-thru at Betos for a giant burrito with all the fixings. Right?

I'm never going to be one of those people who eats perfectly all the time. I'm just not. What fun would that be? The trick is finding a good balance...and learning to be strong in the face of those constant cravings. At least most of the time :)