I don't know if anyone else out there goes through the same cycle as I do, but here's an example:
Spring is all about berries and fresh fruit and loads of bright green veggies
Summer - I could live the whole season on nothing but peaches, tomato sandwiches and cucumber
Fall & Winter- starches. I crave starchy / creamy / fatty comfort foods and loads of hot drinks. I also bake like a mad woman. cookies, breads, cakes ect..
So I'm reminding myself and anyone else out there that gets the same seasonal cravings - be prepared. I know it happens every year and it's NOT going to go away. I thought I'd pass on a few tips on getting through the "eating season" alive. I'd like to maintain long enough to hit my first "thinnaversary" - lol
Hot drinks:
Good Earth Original blend tea - available in most grocery stores - has a naturally sweet and spicy flavor with strong notes of anise and cloves. It's a fantastic heavy hitting tea that needs no sugar at all. It has 7 of the nine healing herbs in it and stops my sugar cravings right away.
Swiss Miss (No sugar added - plus calcium) - it has 50 calories per pack and no fat. Unless something has changed from last year, One pack a day is core - but only one a day. That particular brand, in my opinion, has the closest flavor to real cocoa. I usually mix it in with some hot coffee and top it with some cool whip free. I think the cool whip on top makes it feel sinfully bad
Starchy Cravings:
Butternut Squash - so many people overlook this gem of a squash (I think mostly out of fear of the unknown). This is one of those extraordinary foods that can be served hot or cold, sweet or savory. I cut mine in half (lengthwise) and drop the halves face down in a casserole dish.. put a little water in the dish and bake for about an hour - or until soft. Once they cool down I scrape the flesh out of the hull into a mixing bowl and whip it up with a little splenda, pumpkin pie spice, and a tiny bit of skim milk.....or.....I just eat it naked....it's that good. It has a starchy texture and fills you up fast.
Brown rice and veggies made with (98% fat free cream of mushroom soup)... just cook the rice and the veggies, creamy it up with the soup ...maybe add some chicken stick it all in a casserole dish cover it with some fat free shredded chesse and bake it till the chees kinda melts (it is fat free cheese after all - it's not really going to melt - lol.
I hope this helps someone. I am not a weight loss / core expert. I'm just a girl that loves to eat - healthy.