Day 13 - Overcome Cravings

Measure your cravings - using the discomfort table below, rate your cravings on the table below that:

0 - 2 sitting on the couch, playing on the internet, reading facebook, or watching TV.

3 - 4 Worrying about money, constant nagging thoughts

5 - 7  Having to write someone up at work.

8 - 9  Having a shingles outbreak

10 - BEING IN LABOR!!!!

The table for rating cravings requires the following items:

1.  Time of craving.
2.  Rating on discomfort scale.
3.  Anti-craving technique put into action.

Here are Beck's examples of anti-craving techniques involve mindset and behavioral techniques.

Mindset techniques include:

1.  Labeling it, telling  yourself that it is just a craving and it, like hunger, will go away.
2.  Stand Firm - don't strengthen that give-in muscle.  Strengthen the resistance muscle.
3.  Don't give yourself a choice - simply tell yourself that you CANNOT give in.
4.  Imagine the aftermath of giving in (boy, this one hits home).
5.  Remind yourself why you're not giving in.

Behavioral techniques include:

1.  Distancing yourself from your food craving - move away from the craving.
2.  Drink a low or no calorie beverage - speaks for itself.
3.  Relax - one of the best ways for me to do this is yoga breathing.
4.  Distract yourself by doing something else other than eating.

There is an awesome distraction chart in the book, and it encourages you to rate the items on the chart as to how helpful they were in times of craving. 

Of course, at the time of reading this page, I feel slightly hungry, but, there is no craving for anything in particular.  I look forward to using this chart.  I'm going to print one up and glue it into my diet notebook.  Same with my discomfort chart.

Day 14 is coming tomorrow, it's the day BEFORE you actually start dieting (if you haven't already).