Today marks the first day of Lent. Growing up Catholic, I always had to give up something, such as Skittles, my favorite video game, or a second dessert right before bed. Because my parents instilled a fear of the church in me, I didn't cheat at all. I went the full 40 days not even licking a skittle. But then on Easter Morning, those 1 pound bags of rainbowy goodness were mine!
Uh, yeah, I didn't go that far...
While I'm no longer religious in that sense anymore, I think I'll give up something for Lent for the first time in over a decade. I'm giving up Queso, the cheesy salsa dip for nacho chips. The reason I'm picking queso is because that seems to be the one thing that I cannot resist. At least once a week I cannot stop the cravings and I'll go down to a Mexican food chain and order a large. There are days that I felt guilty in such an indulgence, and other days I justified it thinking that I 'earned' this 900+ calorie treat. I literally crave it daily, and counting out 10 almonds to eat does not satisfy it.
I want you, I need you!
There's apparently scientific studies about this craving phenomenon. The same part of your brain that responds to drug addictions also responds to food addictions in some extreme cases. So there's a reason why you not only crave something like chocolate ice cream, but when you finally get your hands on it, you can't stop eating until you're stuffed. While I'm not sure if I'm at that extreme end of food addiction, I did find a few articles interesting, like this one on CNN.
I know that this queso obsession of mine needs to stop if I'm to make any real progress. I had my last large chips and queso yesterday towards the end of my workday. My hope is that after being denied this treat for 40 days, my body will no longer crave it. That would be a truly successful Lent, if it helps you give up a vice once and for all! I'll let you know on Easter Morning whether this worked or not.
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