Giving up vegetables to cut calories! That's priceless. How about sugar-free ice-cream? Or fat-free? I know it's not Ben & Jerry's, but Jerry died....you gotta replace him. If your pelican was doing a proper job, you could have your ice cream and eat it too;)

Moderation: a little gym, a little ice-cream, a lot of walking.

Have you heard about Skinny Cow? For us ice cream lovers, it's a dream come true. They have a whole array of ice cream products and most under 150 calories! And here's the best part..... the actually taste good and satisfy like those studs Ben & Jer! Most grocery stores carry them and if they don't, duct tape someone down to the service desk until they get them in! Check 'em out at www.SkinnyCow.com.

Ice Cream is my favorite dessert too so I definitely know where you're coming from!

Have you thought about what your emotional/spiritual hunger is underneath the craving for ice cream? There's a difference between a want and a need. For myself, I find that when I'm REALLY "wanting" ice cream, oftentimes I just "need" a little bit of sweetness. I'll get a hug from a co-worker or my husband and then, while I still might let myself have the ice cream, I don't need as much, and sometimes the craving goes away completely!
The next time you have a craving for ice cream, see if you can notice your feeling underneath and the what you're wanting vs. what you're needing.
Best of luck and thanks for your post,

Angela Calkins

Pretty sure my intense yearning is actually about Ciao Bella's Pistachio Gelato and not because I didn't get enough sugar from daddy as a toddler, but thanks for the possible explanation.

When I sleep, I'm tired. When I eat, it's because I'm hungry. When I laugh, it's because I'm amused. When I shout, it's because I'm angry. When I have sex, it's because I'm turned on and can't contain my passion.

I love ice cream because it tastes good. I don't crave chocolate or other sweets; just ice cream. Maybe it does go back to childhood. To a child, ice cream is magic. First loves die hard.

Though it may not apply to you, Angela made a good point. Many people do a wonderful job of masking. What's masked as anger, could really be fear etc. Personally, sometimes I laugh and cry at the same time and these aren't tears of joy. What's masked as hunger for food, drugs, or sex, could be anything you're not properly addressing. Hey, but if you know, you know...

First loves do die hard, some never die at all.

But here are the new rules (they aren't for the feint of heart...but don't worry, they get somewhat easier with practice):

1. Have EXACTLY the ice cream you want. Substituting doesn't satisfy...and then we keep looking (orally) for that thing we wanted...Don't make do, even with an alternate B&J flavor.

2. Be present for every bite. Really savor EVERY bite. It's not as easy as it sounds. No going into the guilty ice cream coma and waking up after its gone realizing that you barely tasted it. No getting ahead of yourself and missing it before its gone, already planning your next bowl. No doing ANYTHING else that distracts from the full experience of creamy yumminess. Be honest with yourself here.

3. Listen not only to what your mouth (that rotten liar) is telling you but what your body is telling you. Stop when body has had enough (it takes mouth a LOT longer to get there.) You have to really learn how to listen to body which speaks a different language and much more softly than mouth. (It gets louder as ignored.)

4. Be aware of the contracts you make with yourself ahead of time as to how much you're going to eat. (You know there've been times you've finished those extra scoops just because you'd decided you were going to and they were there.) Break the contract and eat EXACTLY as much as you want IN THE MOMENT. This is not for the feint of heart and takes a committed mind and heart at first and then a lot of practice.

5. Drop the guilt. What if ice cream were equal to broccoli? It's making it taboo that gets us into trouble. Feeling we can't have it makes us want it all the more...even when we don't. Expect a lot of resistance on this one.

Let me know if you need more support.

also an ice cream connoisseur,
sharon