Does your body need the things it craves?

tannibal_lecter

I spend a lot of time prelogging to make my macronutrient and vitamin goals so I'm sure I'm getting everything. I think I read somewhere that as you start losing body fat your brain starts to panic and tells you to eat the crap you used to. Kinda makes sense.

lemurcat12

avskk wrote: »

I think some cravings can be an indicator of things the body needs, but it's important to put some thought into a) identifying those cravings as distinct from "the gimmes," and b) considering what the craving is trying to tell us and whether the food we're craving is the best source of what we need.

What I mean is, if I'm suddenly overwhelmed by an urge for brownies, I stop and think: Do I feel a physical craving or do I simply want brownies? And if I'm feeling a physical craving, what is the likely true source of that craving? At that point I look back at my diary and figure out what brownies have that I haven't been getting -- have I gone too low on carbs on heavy workout days, has my diet been unusually low on sugars leading to a glucose drop? Once I've identified that I think about whether there are better options to fulfill my needs, like if I've been too low on carbs I might include quinoa or rice with dinner, turn my planned lunch salad into a sandwich on oat bread, etc.

It sounds time-consuming as all hell, but the whole process really only takes a couple of minutes. It's just about stopping and putting some thought in before indulging. And, of course, sometimes I just want a brownie and I have one! Or I crave quesadillas because I haven't been eating enough fat, I know there are healthier options like avocado salad, but I go with the quesadilla anyway because it's tastier. The process isn't meant to totally eliminate enjoyment, but just to make me mindful of how I respond to cravings.

+1 -- I do something similar and find it really helpful.

Re craving Doritos, for me that would be a salt craving, and I don't think people only crave salt when they have a need for sodium, I think people have evolved to find certain tastes, like salt (and sweet) extremely palatable, so tend to crave these sorts of foods if they haven't been having them. I can generally satisfy it by having something else that meets the craving--olives, for example--but if you have a reason to be on a reduced sodium diet you'd want to experiment with other tastes that might do it. Spicy-ness (heat) or various spices maybe could.

fr3smyl

tannibal_lecter wrote: »

I spend a lot of time prelogging to make my macronutrient and vitamin goals so I'm sure I'm getting everything. I think I read somewhere that as you start losing body fat your brain starts to panic and tells you to eat the crap you used to. Kinda makes sense.

Oh. That explains a lot.

Justygirl77

galgenstrick wrote: »

Justygirl77 wrote: »

I wouldn't trust that craving lol. But maybe if you wanted something salty, you could eat some celery with almond butter? Celery has a good kind of sodium, and you can get unsalted almond butter. Yum.
What are you eating daily?

what kind of sodium is that?

Sorry I don't know the details, just that it's a balanced and beneficial sodium in the body. Celery is high in sodium, yet it's a gentle diuretic.

Justygirl77

tannibal_lecter wrote: »

I spend a lot of time prelogging to make my macronutrient and vitamin goals so I'm sure I'm getting everything. I think I read somewhere that as you start losing body fat your brain starts to panic and tells you to eat the crap you used to. Kinda makes sense.

Okay, thanks! I checked out your diary, yummy stuff!
For myself, I rid myself of cravings by making my diet super simple. I cut out all foods I tended to crave (but that I didn't think was benefiting my health), and just went back to basics. It was a hard week lol! I was fatigued and moody. But after that week I was so FREE! And have been ever since. I have been on my current diet for 6 weeks, and never have I even wanted to cheat one time. I'm sticking with this for another 5 weeks, at least. Still have some work to do on the bod.
BTW my diet is Vegetables, proteins (grass-fed beef, organic chicken, seafood, nuts, vegan protein mix), and healthy fats. That's it! I use stevia to sweeten drinks, and have dark chocolate as a treat. So, no grains, dairy, sugar, fruit or conventional meats....for now.

Justygirl77

YayFoodYayFood wrote: »

I found that if u stick with the whole foods long enough, the cravings will go away. Then after a while the opposite happens. U get disgusted by what u used to crave.

Yes this is so true!!!

tannibal_lecter

Justygirl77 wrote: »

tannibal_lecter wrote: »

I spend a lot of time prelogging to make my macronutrient and vitamin goals so I'm sure I'm getting everything. I think I read somewhere that as you start losing body fat your brain starts to panic and tells you to eat the crap you used to. Kinda makes sense.

Okay, thanks! I checked out your diary, yummy stuff!
For myself, I rid myself of cravings by making my diet super simple. I cut out all foods I tended to crave (but that I didn't think was benefiting my health), and just went back to basics. It was a hard week lol! I was fatigued and moody. But after that week I was so FREE! And have been ever since. I have been on my current diet for 6 weeks, and never have I even wanted to cheat one time. I'm sticking with this for another 5 weeks, at least. Still have some work to do on the bod.
BTW my diet is Vegetables, proteins (grass-fed beef, organic chicken, seafood, nuts, vegan protein mix), and healthy fats. That's it! I use stevia to sweeten drinks, and have dark chocolate as a treat. So, no grains, dairy, sugar, fruit or conventional meats....for now.

I'm on week six and just started craving now. It's better today though and I'm super proud that I didn't cave in.

Thanks for all the advice and support everyone.

spzjlb

avskk wrote: »

I think some cravings can be an indicator of things the body needs, but it's important to put some thought into a) identifying those cravings as distinct from "the gimmes," and b) considering what the craving is trying to tell us and whether the food we're craving is the best source of what we need.

What I mean is, if I'm suddenly overwhelmed by an urge for brownies, I stop and think: Do I feel a physical craving or do I simply want brownies? And if I'm feeling a physical craving, what is the likely true source of that craving? At that point I look back at my diary and figure out what brownies have that I haven't been getting -- have I gone too low on carbs on heavy workout days, has my diet been unusually low on sugars leading to a glucose drop? Once I've identified that I think about whether there are better options to fulfill my needs, like if I've been too low on carbs I might include quinoa or rice with dinner, turn my planned lunch salad into a sandwich on oat bread, etc.

It sounds time-consuming as all hell, but the whole process really only takes a couple of minutes. It's just about stopping and putting some thought in before indulging. And, of course, sometimes I just want a brownie and I have one! Or I crave quesadillas because I haven't been eating enough fat, I know there are healthier options like avocado salad, but I go with the quesadilla anyway because it's tastier. The process isn't meant to totally eliminate enjoyment, but just to make me mindful of how I respond to cravings.

Smart strategy. It is well established in some animals that they will eat non-food items (termed pica) or preferentially choose a specific diet if they have a nutritional imbalance. The whole concept of truly physiological cravings in humans has not been scientifically proven, at least to the best of my knowledge (but I haven't looked hard in the literature). Our psychological desires are more likely an issue. There are brain injuries that are related to eating very bizarre things, but I doubt that is why the OP is craving Doritos
Now I am dying for a brownie!!

cwolfman13

tannibal_lecter wrote: »

Im on the Mediterranean diet, as recommended by my doctor. I eat lots of fish and a little chicken and heart healthy fats along with tonnes of veggies and whole food only. I was doing really well for 45 days, dropped 10 pounds, but now I'm craving all the carbs. It seems everyone is telling me "your body needs the things its craving" but since I'm craving Doritos I really can't see the logic.

Why would I start craving these things now? I have been resisting but it is hard. Any nutrition experts out there? Do you have the answer?

Well, you could make more nutritious carb decisions...you don't need Doritos, but carbs come in handy. There are about a million healthful carb choices out there.

You're just craving "junk"...because people crave "junk"...because "junk" is tasty. "Junk" can also be incorporated into an otherwise balanced and nutritious diet. I don't know anyone who eats 100% whole food, all of the time, no exceptions...that seems a bit unrealistic to me.