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Control the Cravings

I try to eat for two rather than eight.

Thanks to Vanessa Antoine

Cravings are serious business. Just ask any prego you see at McDonald's dipping a golden, freshly deep-fried fry into her vanilla triple thick shake. Nevertheless, respect the cravings, ladies. Out of control as they may seem, a pregnant woman will eventually learn to control this newfound power. And yes, it is a power. All husbands who have had to travel the state in search of the perfect set of Snowballs snack cakes at 2:30 in the morning can attest to that.

My lesson in learning to "control the craving" came early in pregnancy. It was a beautiful, sunny day and my husband and I were taking the back roads home from San Antonio to Copperas Cove, Texas. Somewhere along the way my husband looked at me, rubbed my still-flat belly, and asked if I was doing OK. "Sure. You?" I responded. "Great. Just wanted to know if I could get you anything," he said, flashing back a sympathetic smile. Hmmm. An open door. This comment made me realize that I had my never-gone-through-a-pregnancy-before husband in the palm of my hand.

"Well," I said, "I have been craving one of those packaged pickles. You know, the ones that come in a bag surrounded by pickle juice." "Comin' right up!" he said cheerily. A few minutes later our car was parked in front of a small-town convenience store. My husband went in as I sat in the car, anxiously awaiting my first craving command. Then, the worst thing possible happened: He walked out empty handed. Ditto at the next six stores.

It wasn't his fault: These stores were not properly stocked with pregnant-woman items, but at the time, I didn't think like that. Instead, as we approached the seventh store, my husband asked, "Are you sure you still want a pickle?" Some nerve he had to dismiss my craving. My response was kind of like the scene in Teen Wolf where Michael J. Fox's eyes turn red and he says to the clerk, "Give me a keg of beer."

I soon had my juicy pickle, and believe me, I ate every last bit of it. This is the part where I learned to "control the craving." I happily turned over the empty package, tummy satisfied, and to my horror, the nutritional facts informed me that I had just eaten for eight. Bet not too many folks out there knew that those stinkin' pickles serve eight people.

From that point on, despite the fact that people told me that I was eating for two, I steered clear of eating for eight. The cravings did not subside throughout my pregnancy, but this experience opened my eyes to how much I was eating. Cravings are, indeed, serious business. Soon-to-be daddies and convenience stores beware.

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gdskds4
gdskds4
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8/12/2009 - 5:30PM
Report Abuse 		Honestly, most of your cravings go away. I say, if it's a healthy craving (like a peach or spinach), go for it! If it's not so desireable (like a Big Mac), just try to wait it out. If that's all you've thought about all day (or for a couple of days), go ahead and indulge in that Big Mac. But if the craving goes away, your baby and your body will thank you for it. I also try to make sure that I eat all of my healthy foods first. If after eating dinner I still have room for a bowl of ice cream, I eat it. Let's face it, ladies, there just isn't room in the belly to overeat and still feel good. So fill up on the lettuce and legumes first. Chances are you won't even be able to fit 8 servings into the baby bulging belly. I'm more about eating less of what you like or crave. When you want something sweet, fruit doesn't always cut it. It's better to have a small piece of cake than deprive yourself and overeat later.
ZaneZ
ZaneZ
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1/26/2009 - 3:07AM
Report Abuse 		Fast food chains have been seeing a growing balance sheet, but despite the increased revenue from the food places like Arby's and McDonalds, Wendy's has decided to go for the value of thrift in a recession stricken economy. The CEO has announced the chain will be eliminating Wendy's Breakfast from 475 of their stores to start with. Whereas the common folk are getting payday loans to help meet operating costs, Wendy's will be gunning to cut $60 million in spending. The chain promises a return for the breakfast menu in 2011. To read or comment about this story, visit your payday loans source.


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