So you need to lose ten (or twenty or thirty) pounds—or think you do—but we’ll get to that later, missy. Well what is so hard about that? All you need is a little self-discipline. After all, you only need to eliminate 3,500 calories from your intake, and whoosh—it’s gone.
A one time deal and you never have to think about it again, right? Don’t I wish!
Why is it that I don’t hear cheers and the sound of high fives from around the room? What I do hear is the sneaky rustle of potato chip bags and Twinkie unwrappings. Ah, you say, I could stick to a diet if it weren’t for those nasty food cravings.
All right, I hear you, and yes, I’ll admit that food cravings are real, and the good news is that there could be medical reasons for these cravings.
- Are you pregnant? If you think you could be, please get tested. Don’t wait for nine months to find out, girls. That kid needs to be fed right, and fed right NOW. (You want a pickle? Go for it, mom! Just don’t use pregnancy to justify stuffing your tummy with everything you have tried to deny yourself for the past fifteen years.)
- Premenstrual? Look at the calendar. Does simply being a woman make want you a candy bar? (Or several candy bars? I’ll take two plain chocolate, one with almonds, and a little bag of … but you get the point.)
- Low insulin levels? Yes, lack of insulin could be driving your irrational desire for real food, i.e., lots of carbohydrates. If you have low blood sugar or if there is diabetes in your family, your body will try to protect itself by storing every calorie within reach. Go to a doctor immediately and get this checked out, will you?
- Low Serotonin? So your boss hates you, your mom won’t get off your back about your messy living room, and your guy is the reason for the messy living room in the first place. Sure, everybody wants to feel good, and if you are under a lot of stress, your body may start to holler for a one-pound bag of chocolate chip cookies, fudge-ripple ice cream, or three margaritas. Are you going to give in?
