Are Cravings A Need or a Want?

I went overboard this weekend on an order from Pizza Hut. I had crazed pizza and chicken wings for weeks. To Douglas, these food desires are wants, but I remember once when I craved and ate the ice in the freezer all day long that a doctor told me that cravings are the body’s way of meeting a need.

I am not sure what need Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings and Pan Pizza with Italian Sausage, Spinach, and Black Olives are meant to satisfy, but, boy, did I enjoy eating them! I ordered 12 of the childen wings, telling myself that Douglas might want some. For two of us, I ordered a large pizza, mainly because it was $10. By the time I had finished the online order, I had spent $43.00, which even I, on reflection, know is ridiculous.

I know that I have spent my life eating very greasy foods, as I remember that nearly everything we ate as children in households where money was scarce was covered in brown gravy to stretch the amount of food available, except with desserts, which were few and far between. I wonder if when you stop eating as you have done for over 60 years, if the body does rebel and need to taste the foods it is accustomed to experiencing!

Or am I making excuses for throwing my new eating plan completely askew? I had reached my goal of 125 pounds, but you can imagine what eating 10 Garlic Parmesan chicken wings dipped in Ranch sauce and pizza can do to any diet? It ain’t pretty on the scales, I can tell you!

Moreover, even though I was like a child in a candy store happy, I feel like I let myself down, and I promised Douglas that I will try not to surrender to temptation for greasy fried chicken and garlic-infused crusted pizza for another year, at least. I said this with a grease-laden smile, for those wings tasted so good and greasy and satisfying. I said to my husband, “My mouth is very happy right now!”

But, I find that I generally can only go three months before passing Kentucky Fried Chicken starts to make me feel like a deprived child, and my body seems to need grease. At least, I didn’t order anything sweet! But, of course, I now have to fight my way back to my goal weight and beyond.

I felt the peace of a burden lifted, as if my body was saying, “You go, Gina! Thank you so much!” So, I still believe that cravings represent something the body needs, not just a want! But, then, we can rationalize anything we truly want! Yet, I know that I can’t always succumb to the desires, or I will be forever fighting the weight and might find myself back on medicine for diabetes. I don’t know how I will reconcile this dilemma. But, boy, did this woman have a feast this weekend!