Choosing steamed brussel sprouts over a juicy cheeseburger
Wednesday, 12 November, 2008 at 4:11 PM If you had a choice between the two foods just referenced, which would you eat? The greater percentage of my readers would, I suspect, choose the juicy cheeseburger. 'Cause hello? It's a juicy cheeseburger!!! And brussel sprouts are, well, y'know. Little round things that look like baby cabbages and smell up the kitchen.
Never mind that. In the interest of experimentation and searching for different outcomes than ever before, I'm about to eat a little bowl of tiny round things that look like baby cabbages when what I've been thinking about for the last hour is a a juicy cheeseburger. Which is a little odd, really, because I don't eat that many cheeseburgers. But still...
For about 10 days now, I've made healthier choices than ever before. That means I have eaten an enormous variety of some seriously healthy foods, exercised quite a lot, (as opposed to hardly at all,) consumed very limited alcohol, (none, if we could erase that one night,) and replaced my oh-so-beloved morning cup pot of coffee with some nice green tea.
This is the first time I've ever made such choices with the idea of "forever" in mind. Whereas before when I've embarked upon healthful... let's call them experiments, too... there's been something in the back of my mind that remained attached to the old ways as a default. These are not patterns that create lifelong changes. And so now I'm learning how to make these choices my defaults and indulge in things like that cheeseburger as the occasional splurge...right before returning to my healthful ways.
Yesterday a friend joked, "This will be great for about two weeks, then you're gonna' start craving a huge bratwurst! (Never mind I've never in my life craved bratwurst.) So I told him, "That's fine. I'll eat the bratwurst. Then I'll get back to healthy food the very next meal!"
This is how many of the healthiest people do it, my reading tells me. I'm inclined to believe them.
So what about that juicy cheeseburger? Well, my friend may have been more right than he realized. Maybe these recurring thoughts of cheeseburgers, 10 days into my current path, is the 2-weeks-in bratwurst he was talking about. And so I want to approach the temptation differently than before. First I want to see how badly I want it. I've gone to the kitchen and started steaming some brussel sprouts. I love 'em. A lot. There is no way you should interpret that statement as a suggestion that I love little stinky round things that look like baby cabbages half as much as I love a good cheeseburger. I don't. But there's a saying I've heard over the years, "Nothing tastes as good as being this healthy feels." I want to find out what those people are talking about. So I'm going to pay attention to my less healthy cravings, see if eating something good in lieu of the craved item makes a difference in my craving, and take it from there. And if I eat the brussel sprouts and still want the burger, I'll try something else healthy. Until I'm overcome with the desire for that burger, I'll offer my currently-in-flux palette more and more healthy options, and see what happens! Then? If I still must have the burger, then I'll have it! A small one. And get back to the healthy stuff the very next meal.
What feels good today is that today I actually took the time to pay attention before I gave into the craving. I guess we'll see soon enough, how much that matters against the suggestion of cheeseburgers.
Melody
Hm. Yea, well that worked out nicely. I ate the burger. But not before I ate the bowl of healthy green stuff. Then waited. Then ate 4 or 5 amazing grape tomatoes, which are just about the finest tasting little things ever. Then I realized the ground beef would go bad if I didn't cook it today, so I did. And put most of it away in the freezer for another time. THen I made myself a burger. It was tasty.
But here's the thing. I've been reading that it's a good idea, when you're trying to make healthier choices, to pay attention to how you feel. How you feel when you make the choices you love, and also how you feel when you make those you kinda' wish you hadn't. I'm not regretting my burger, but I do realize, now, that I don't feel as good - having eaten it - as I have after other recent meals that consisted of things that didn't used to be alive, but were, instead, raw and crunchy. Good to remember, I think!
That's all. You're excused from having to read about my culinary quandaries any more tonight. Promise. Cheers!
Reader Comments (8)
good thinking will try this approach myself
Hi Charlie - Nice to see a new name around here! Good luck to this approach, if you try it yourself. It didn't keep me from actually eating the burger, but I still think it's an approach I'm going to keep in mind for future cravings. Who knows? Maybe one day it'll help me keep them at bay entirely...
Happy Wednesday!
Thanks been having problems with my fittness after breaking my leg skiing 2 years ago ,trained most of my life but found it difficult after the break ,nothing physical just the mind set I think.So made up my mind tonight (it's night here in Scoland)to make a start and get back into it .Love your web site and sorry about posting twice not up to speed with these computer thingies.
Scotland - wow! The 'net makes everything closer, eh?
I figure if you a) trained most of your life, and b) actually went skiing, you're further along than a lot of people. So good luck with your new resolve!
Thanks, re my site - glad you enjoy it! No worries about the second posting. I'll remove one if you like...just say which one!
Cheers!
The first one probably .By the way, it was my first time skiing, always wanted to do it, don't think I will now , my leg gets sore just walking past the freezer. LOL.
Cheers
;)
I don't think a burger you make yourself is all that bad. I thought you were craving a fast-food burger full of grease. Love your new and lasting attitude toward health--I find it inspiring!
Dena, that makes me feel better about eating a "home burger" instead of a fast food one. Thanks for that. AND for saying my attitude is inspiring. Ditto on your running. Good luck on your marathon this weekend!