Day 4- Tactical Plan

Just as any strategic response unit, police force or military department would prepare for entering a tricky situation, we too need to come to all our meals with an arsenal of tactics to keep cravings contained! The 3 tips in today’s challenge are a great place to start! I was personally intrigued by Tip #3! I have always been fascinated by the human brain and the numerous automatic responses it performs every second. But, I have never really spent much time thinking about the positive or negative effects it can have on our cravings!

Two situations today afforded me the opportunity to not only ponder the role of the brain in our food cravings but to also put into practice Tip 3! After a long evening of conferences, I sat eating the dinner I brought while others ate the buttery croissant sandwiches that were provided! I stared at the sandwiches thinking about how buttery and flaky the crust tasted. I thought about the slight chewiness of them and how well it pairs with ham and Swiss. I liked my meal very much but, as I thought more and more about what I was not having the craving became stronger because I could practically taste it! I turned away from the sandwiches and stared at the napkin holder while I ate. I couldn’t believe how quickly the thoughts were turned off! It’s amazing how the brain can allow us to do so many things at once but can only imagine 1 thing at a time!

The other situation that I think we all have encountered are those menacingly vivid food commercials! You sit down after a long day and satisfying meal only to watch a juicy flame broiled burger being flipped into the air and topped with perfectly sliced tomatoes and the crispiest lettuce known to man kind! Commercials like this seem to trigger a full blow food fantasy even though you have just eaten! It is absolutely criminal!!! My new solution to this…change the channel! All senses are cut off when the channel changes and your mind shifts to what is now on the tv!

Stare down food confidently, use Tip #3! Come to a meal armed, prepared and ready to outsmart your senses-…and your brain!