Skip to main content

Friday - My Weekly Reward

Mandatory Rest Day
Today was my rest day. I'll admit, however, that if the temps had been just a wee bit warmer, I would have snuck in a run at lunch just for the fresh air and sunshine factor. I know, I'm ill-behaved at times.

Curb the Craving
So, I have mentioned that I crave carby snacks after dinner, like graham crackers. I keep whole-grain caramel rice cakes (Mother's is the brand) on hand because they offer just a hint of sweetness, crunch, and are low in calories (these are actually low in sugar and carbs as well so I'm trying to trick myself). However, I could eat the whole bag. I started trying to re-assess my diet, thinking that perhaps I just wasn't eating enough carbs earlier in the day. However, I read an article last week (I am digging around trying to find where on earth I read this, online, blog, or magazine) that mentioned that carb cravings can stem from a diet too low in healthy fats. It all boils down to insulin levels being stabilized (and remember, I am saying all of this and do not have the article to quote or share, I really apologize).

Hmmm...interesting. I started to think about my diet and realized quite quickly, that it is indeed fairly low in fats period. It was never anything intentional, it's just my diet. I use very little olive oil in cooking, having cut out almost all dairy, I lose the fat there, I don't eat fried foods, almost all of my protein would be considered lean (beans, legumes, tofu, tempeh). So I started a little test to see if that might indeed be the problem. I started putting just a smear of almond or peanut butter on my rice cake. Healthy fat plus protein. It has seriously made a tremendous difference in my evening snacking habit. I no longer feel compelled to eat multiple rice cakes or graham crackers just as long as I put that smear of almond or peanut butter on it.

I mention this simply because we all fall into cravings and indulgences. Rather than beat ourselves up, maybe there's a reason why we're prone to that particular compulsion.  Are there any cravings that you're particularly prone to? Like sweets or perhaps salty foods? There just may be a very valid reason.

Freed up Friday

Per my typical Friday post, dinner has yet to be determined. I try to make myself be more free on Fridays and roll with the punches. My husband is likely laughing. I try, seriously. So, I have no menu planned. I have no recipes rolling around in my head. I have nothing marinating, cut up, prepped, etc. We may try to grill out veggie burgers (I have several options lurking in the freezer) with grilled sweet potato "fries." I may opt for Pizza Friday or go way out on a limb and have Thai Friday. But, I'm not stressing about dinner, what it'll be or when it'll be. My plan is to just enjoy the evening and the fact that I can sleep in just a tad bit later tomorrow. Friday is my weekly reward.

Do you reward yourself during the week? Do you have a day or something special you always allow for yourself?

Comments

  1. I really struggle with rest days. Do you? I have to force myself to rest at least 1 or 2 days a week. But even on rest days I end up walking a lot. I just have to move!

    My "something special" I do for myself about once a week is zoning out with some Netflix. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks so much for stopping by Lisa Eirene @ 110 Pounds and Counting ! I struggle with taking a rest day if I'm not feeling like I need the rest. If I'm super worn out or sore, then the rest day is a blessing. I have to remind myself that the break is necessary and beneficial. Ah, movie day! Nice treat.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I reward myself...every night! Lol...I have something sweet basically every night. I should probably work on that ;-)

    Have a great weekend, girl!

    ReplyDelete
  4. YES, healthy fats are good and almond butter, well, that's just divine, isn't it? NO dairy, really? I couldn't do without my greek yogurt and cottage cheese and stuff! Happy Friday :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. hey pretty chica!! I soooo agree with you on the carb cravings stemming from low fat intake! I have bumped up my fat intake quite a bit to counteract too much weightloss, and it has resulted in my not craving or even being interested in delicious carbs like I was before the fat increase! the human body and it's cravings fascinates me! YA YA for taking a rest day...you will feel great tomorrow during your run! and I hope you and hubby have a great night~! xoxo!

    ReplyDelete
  6. healthy fats are awesome!! increasing my intake has helped a lot!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I had the same problem of carb cravings after dinner when I wasn't eating enough nuts and seeds. Now that make so many nut cheeses that isn't a problem any more. ;-)

    I reward myself regularly but it is normally with non-food things. A new exercise DVD, workout clothes, cookbook that sort of thing. Other than the infrequent pasta or bread desire I don't have foods that I miss. Wish I knew why so that I could pass on the secret.

    talk to you later,
    Alicia

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg I think a daily treat isn't always a bad thing!

    Jolene @ To Be Determined Hope you have an awesome weekend! I haven't totally cut out dairy, but cut back tremendously since Jason found out he was allergic to dairy.

    Lizzy Thanks Chica - hope you have a great weekend too! I know tomorrow I'll feel really good with my workouts. I was really surprised at how the fat intake affected my cravings. I really had not realized how low the intake was. Note to self - pay more attention to eats.

    Hey Fit Lizzio I was really unaware apparently! Huge difference in a very good way. I was never trying to cut out fats either and thought I was being really balanced.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Alicia @ Vegan Epicurean I definitely need to start making more of the nut cheeses to incorporate with salads. I think non-food rewards are great too! Um - shoes!! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  10. i also have such a sweet/carby cravings after dinner, sometimes an apple can satisfy that craving - other times i have to get some chocolate =)

    ReplyDelete
  11. hehe oh the irony of 'planning' to be relaxed :) Hope you had a great one!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Jasmine @ Sweet and Fit I saw your post about sweet cravings. I actually don't crave chocolate or super sweet, which is probably good, but I want something just a little sweet which is bad b/c it's more like cookies mmmmmm.

    LOL Alyson @ Nourished Fitness I hadn't even thought about it like that. Geez, sad huh?!

    ReplyDelete
  13. yes yes, I agree. I did not incorporate fat into my diet for a few days, then one night I found myself eating 5 or more tbsn of PB fromm a jar. I seriously could not stop! Then I would restrict myself of carbs and go on a carb overload. It's always at night time, sheesh. But yes, I need to incorpate those things throughout too. :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. rest days, what are those? :)
    I dont do them just b/c life is full and exercise is my outlet but i really need to rest more!

    and fat. i made a conscious effort about 3 mos ago to up the intake, coconut oil is my new friend!

    ReplyDelete
  15. today is my rest day from exercise and also my day where i have a treat or whatever my little heart desires. have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thanks for stopping Angela @ Angela Loves Food ! Why is it always at night??? LOL

    Averie @ Loves Yoga and Veggies I found that once I started lifting a lot heavier and doing really intense cardio, I needed to schedule in those rest days. I need to learn to incorporate a few lower-intensity days! I have not tried coconut oil yet as a fat source, but really need to take a look into that.

    Janetha @ Meals and Moves Hope you enjoyed your rest day and treats too!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I have to make a mindful effort to incorporate more healthy fats into my meals as well. I just don't prefer them to other things. But I agree they are super important.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Tina @ Tina Bit of Faith Fun and Fitness isn't it amazing how much things like that can affect us without realizing it? Balance Balance Balance!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I'm not a nutritionist/professional/doctor/miscellaneous (well, maybe I'm miscellaneous), but I find that I have fewer cravings in general after eating more higher-fat (but healthy fat) foods. Favorites include coconut butter, tahnini (raw rocks my world), and whipped cream cheese and 2% cottage cheese (if you do dairy, that is).

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Betherann I still have not tried coconut butter! I have started trying to consciously add in more healthy fats and agree with you on fewer cravings.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Love in Photos

In honor of Valentine's Day - Love in Photos Husband Family and Furbabies Friends Even if you're not a fan of Valentine's Day - I hope you have a wonderful day and remember the loves in your life.

Workout Wednesday - Body Blaster Tabata

Happy Hump Day! I wanted to thank everyone for their comments on yesterday's post: Be Kinder to Your Body. Calories are Not the Enemy . It sounds like it resonated with many of you. Today I wanted to share a new workout with you. I've been working on interval workouts for some of my clients. I try to give them the most bang for their buck (time). I know that in an ideal world, we would all have time to do longer workouts. There would never be scheduling conflicts, sick husbands or kids, or sick us. In reality, workouts need to be effective and efficient. And they don't have to be lengthy to be effective and efficient either. There's no need to spend hours in a gym to get in a good workout. Interval workouts like HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) or tabata, or even interval running are great ways to get in a fantastic workout in a short amount of time and have many benefits. You can read more about Tabata workouts  here . The benefits of this type of work

Piriformis Update & Grilled Veggie Salad

New Piriformis Exercises Today wasn't too terrible for a Monday. Of course, I did leave a little early. That always helps huh ;-) I had another round of physical therapy today. My PT has been really researching piriformis syndrome and found an interesting article that discusses the use of McKenzie Exercises - typically used for back pain. I have started adding in low back extensions (one of the exercises) but now have a whole new list of exercises to add into my workout rotations. But, if it helps, I'll do it. I also asked her about dry needling (thanks Sarena ), which is sort of similar to acupuncture, but is more about trigger point and intramuscular stimulation. And I'm glad I asked because the timing is uncanny. One of the doctor's in the clinic happens to be going to get certified this weekend. They both believe that I am a prime candidate for the procedure. So we'll see how that goes. Kind of scared because I hate hate hate needles. Have any of you tr