A Solution to Cravings

            At this point I have been committed to the paleo lifestyle for a number of weeks, and I think it’s about time I let all my readers know my progress so far. For those readers who have just discovered this blog, the paleo diet is a challenge I’ve given myself that involves my eating only meats, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. This is the third week of my adventure, and I’m beginning to shift more into the paleo lifestyle as making healthy decisions has become much easier.

My meals day to day tend not to vary due to the limitations in my diet. A typical breakfast for me consists of two egg whites and bacon from Benson. Sometimes the bacon is substituted with some form of fruit for variation. My inability to order milk or juice results in my consumption of a large amount of water. I drink water constantly over the course of the day, though in copious amounts during meals. For lunch I usually have a salad. Typically I’m in a rush, though, so it’s sans meat. I usually like spinach greens with carrots and vinaigrette. Dinner is similar to lunch, meaning a salad. However, I usually add meat during this time. For days I can’t stand salad anymore, and those are growing increasingly frequent, I have a grilled chicken breast. Sometimes, depending on how hungry I find myself, I also add a side salad. To round out my daily meals I consume snacks about every 3 hours. My favorite snacks include fruits, vegetables, and nuts. However, my main snack point is usually just after I’ve finished class for the day. At this point I usually eat an apple or carrots. I’ve found these two foods to be the most easily accessible as well as satisfying.

I’ve noticed many changes in my energy and hunger levels since beginning the paleo diet. At first, I felt sluggish due to the decreased sugar intake. However, as the days continued I began to feel a lot better. In the morning when I wake up for practice I’ve find myself not as hungry, meaning my meals the previous day are lasting longer and refueling my body efficiently. That extended fueling ability comes in helpful after breakfast as well. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I have a long run of classes. So, when I eat breakfast at 9, I won’t eat lunch until 3:30. I’ve noticed that I don’t feel hungry at all until about 1, when I have a small snack, which usually consists of an apple or walnuts. Another change in my energy levels has been that I feel much more energized throughout the day as I no longer have to struggle to stay awake during the 10:30-1 pm time period where I previously had. I have also noticed that I have been getting better nights’ sleep where I’ve been sleeping through the entire night rather than continuously waking up at 3-hour intervals.

Up to this point in time I’ve managed to stay committed and focused on my challenge. However, I have been finding it very difficult to do so with cravings that I am constantly surrounded by in the school environment. I’ve been having a multitude of cravings. The most intense is for curly fries and chocolate. The curly fries craving stems from a streak of ordering curly fries from the Bronco, a section of the school cafeteria, most Wednesday and Friday nights. It’s an unfortunate habit that has been hard to kick. However, when those cravings arise, I start by drinking a glass of water.

According to the New York Times’ study on weight loss by Anahad O’Connor, water aids in weight loss by filling up the stomach and reducing hunger. The New York Times article cited a recent study the Department of Human Nutrition conducted there was found to be a 13% reduction in caloric intake after a subject drank water before each meal. This same principle can be adapted to apply to my project. Most of the time when I have cravings, I’m not actually hungry. Thus, by drinking water, I fill the space in my stomach that I would have otherwise filled with junk food. So far, it is working quite well and keeping my reaction to the cravings under control.

I’m having a hard time learning to say no to all the opportunities that arise to eat badly with friends and just during school in general. Mclaughlin, the dorm that I live in, often has events that include desserts and other off limits food. It’s also difficult to order healthy foods when I am out to lunch with friends or at the movies. College students, especially near the end of the year, tend to feel trapped on campus and then look to escape to off-campus destinations. The restaurants chosen are often limited by budget, which is why eating low quality food is often on the agenda. It’s a cheap solution to feeling confined by dorms and dorm food. My main avoidance of this dilemma is not to go. But since I find eating a very social experience, I usually go along and don’t eat anything, or request that we go to a place with healthy options as well. Recently, a group of people invited me to go to Chipotle. I love Mexican food but the paleo diet limits my options immensely especially in this cuisine. Since I wanted to go, I did. But my meal looked much less tasty than the tortilla wrapped delicacies the rest of my friends were munching on. However, I ate my salad and I was still glad to have gone. It was a little more time I got to spend getting closer to the people I choose to surround myself with daily. A diet shouldn’t have to limit excursions with friends; instead, I just must choose to make smart decisions.

One of the biggest ways the diet has impacted me socially and otherwise is with breakfast. Every morning after practice my rowing team has breakfast together. Since most of us have class soon after we get back to school, we usually tapingo or order electronically so it’s ready when we arrive. However, the options on tapingo are few. I used to get a breakfast burrito with egg whites and sausage. But since I now can’t eat the tortilla I have to wait until I arrive at school to order breakfast. This both increases my wait time for breakfast and reduces the amount of time I can socialize with the team. It’s really taught me to make the most of the time I have with people since my breakfast time has been reduced from 20 minutes to usually 10 minutes. People often ask me why I don’t just cheat for breakfast, especially since the long wait for egg whites makes it so I can’t shower before my 9:55 Tuesday/Thursday class anymore, but I tell them it’s important to me. I set a challenge and a goal for myself, and I want to know I can accomplish it without having to take the easy way out of just cheating and lying.

Overall the diet has made many positive improvements in my lifestyle. Even though I am still tempted by many of the food offerings available in the cafeteria and around campus, I am learning to control my cravings. The benefits of going on the paleo diet, including having more energy and getting more sleep, have really made a difference in my life, and I look forward to continuing my challenge into the fourth week.

Works Cited

O'Connor, Anahad. "REALLY?; THE CLAIM: Drinking Water before Meals Aids Weight Loss." The New York Times. The New York Times, 16 Nov. 2010. Web. 13 May 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/16/health/16really.html?_r=1>.

"Water Consumption Reduces Energy Intake at a Breakfast Meal in Obese Older Adults." National Center for Biotechnology Information. US National Library of Medicine, July 2008. Web. 14 May 2013.