You take the good, you take the bad...

This past week, I ran over 10 miles. It may sound like not a big deal to you, but it is to me. See, weeks when I run usually mean that I'm taking care of myself. On one hand, I suppose it's true. Me running or exercising more means that I'm doing something productive with anxiety levels - which have been sky high this past week. That's definitely a good thing.

But on the other hand, I completely went HAYWIRE in terms of my eating. I just couldn't shake the sugar monster - no matter how hard I tried. And that makes my body FEEL bad.

I tried to tell myself it was just one cookie - and who cares? I mean, if my body is craving it, isn't giving into one cookie not a big deal?

Typically the answer would be yes...but this past week it just made me want MORE sugar. I made myself take routes on the way home that weren't near DQ's and other hot spots of temptation, but I just couldn't stop thinking about the sugar. And eventually, I had it.

I guess that this past week I've realized that denying yourself isn't good, but neither is giving in almost every time. True, I didn't have the treat I really wanted every time (I only did that a few times), but even with the substitutions I had so much sugar that I was aware that I wasn't running the show - the sugar monster was.

I know this well enough to know that if I simply omit the sugar intake by just a few days, the cravings go away and I am once again sane around sugar.

I'm not promising to run as much as I did last week (I've got a crazy schedule ahead of me and it's snowing right now and will be snowing for the next few days apparently), but I am promising to get in exercise.

AND I am promising to give up sugar for at least a few days. I'm not saying that it will mean that I lose weight...but I know that I will feel better - and that is a really good change versus my dragging energy level these days.

What about you - do you notice yourself becoming addicted to certain substances/foods? If so, what do you do to combat the cravings?