Cravings attack - I need to rethink my blog title. Maybe... Life With A Bite (of Pie)

Life without pie sucks...rationality is settling in like the morning fog. I now realize I may not be able to sever all ties with pie. It has been over a week of the new low-carb diet and the sugar cravings are slowly creeping in like an impending flood. At a birthday party on Saturday, I was able to gracefully hold back as I watched Zach devour a slice of gooey frosting laden cake. However, today I found myself about to rip lollipops out of the hands of babes. All those seemingly cute kiddos at the pediatrician's office were taunting me with their sweet, fruity smelling suckers. Even Zach felt my pain as he asked the nurse, "One for Mommy, too?"

So the question on my mind today is "What is better a strict, zero-tolerance diet plan or a diet that allows us the err's of being human?"

The dietitian in me says "Moderation, everything is good for you in moderation." But, my nature says that if I allow myself a lollipop today, then tomorrow it will be a bag of skittles and then an ice cream cone, and then I may just eat a whole pie! (You know the old saying... give Bev and inch and she'll take a pie.)

I find this theory to be true with exercise as well. The mind can easily talk the body into lax compliance. The brain says "Let's just take this one day off, your tired, you worked hard, you deserve a break." And viola - you are only working out "when you feel like it". And who really ever "feels" like working out - not me.

But, on the other hand, is life without pie really worth living? The most common reaction line I would get from my diet counseling days was "If I have to give up ____ you might as well just shoot me now." (Insert your favorite: pie, cookies, candy, bacon, butter, BEER, etc.) So if I can find a way to squeeze a beer into my low-carb diet, maybe there is a way to squeeze in a sweet now and then.

Let's take a look at the nutrition data (based on small portions):

Slice of Strawberry Pie (my personal favorite): 32 g carb

Slice of Cheesecake: 32 g carb

Jelly Belly's (about 30): 31 g carb

One Scoop Vanilla Ice Cream: 32 g carb

Okay, I'm noticing a trend here... my favorite desserts all have about 30 grams of sugar - same as a small (8 ounce) glass of orange juice. Wow, I thought I'd really be breaking the bank with a slice of pie here and there, but actually it's not that bad. In fact, I could make a slice of pie a reality once in a while, especially if I trade it for a beer or two. YUM!