Cravings when stopping lchf

Pmagnanifit

I wonder if anyone else has had this experience. I tried lchf to lower my blood glucose levels. After 8 weeks My fasting had dropped from 115 to 105. I was pleased to have lost some weight about nine pounds. I have never had trouble with my weight. However when I stopped lchf I had a terrible time. I regained the nine plus five more in about two months. I had intense carb cravings. In the past I have never experienced this- I could look at sweets and turn them down easily. Now I feel more like myself.
I would like to try lchf again but I am worried I will end up in a yoyo cycle.

Gallowmere1984

From what I am reading here, it sounds to me like you only really have two good options. One, move on from LCHF altogether, and resume a more balanced macro intake. Two, go LCHF, and stay that way indefinitely. Well, I suppise there is a third option: practice lots and lots of self-control, and learn to ignore cravings.

tcunbeliever

Eating carbs definitely makes me crave more carbs, if I do eat them I aim to make it at dinner so I can be asleep though the worst of the cravings and by the next day I'm back to normal.

ladipoet

I second what @Gallowmere1984 said above. It really is good advice he's giving you. The truth of the matter is that once you move away from LCHF and start eating more carbs and sugars, they will both make you crave more. It's unfortunately just the nature of those beasts.

RowdysLady

Gallowmere1984 wrote: »

From what I am reading here, it sounds to me like you only really have two good options. One, move on from LCHF altogether, and resume a more balanced macro intake. Two, go LCHF, and stay that way indefinitely. Well, I suppise there is a third option: practice lots and lots of self-control, and learn to ignore cravings.

Self control? What's that? LCHF for life, Baby!

SuesNewImage

I now don't see LCHF as a diet as that is a short term thing. For me it is a way of life and I have to stick to it from now on. I have worked out I can get to 50g for a treat etc without it causing me to derail, but stay in 30g for my day to day eating.

jessiethe3rd

Not ALL carbs are created equal.
There is a special place where you can eat carbs in moderation and actually remain okay.

The key point again is the type of carbs, the amount of carbs and their effect on your body.

I'll eat a sweet potato before and after a workout (1/2 each) and let me say that I get some of the best cardio results with one. People are always like workout on an empty stomach. Reality is you'll get bonk if you have no carbs to burn. You'll just hit the ceiling and die.

With that said... I stay away from most carbs unless I am having a high intensity training session.

dmariet116

I have no self control if I consume carbs. Even when I feel ill, bloated and in terrible pain. Pizza=soda=beer=ice cream=more pizza.... terrible, terrible addiction for me!

KarlaYP

I can't imagine what falling off plan would do to me. So I avoid it, completely! I don't think there is anything I don't like about LCHF!

karebear5891

Just a thought, could it be possible you were somewhat addicted to carbs, but had managed it and once you got off the addiction and got back on, it got even crazier bc that's a common occurrence with addictions (don't know if there's science with that, but I have observed it). People who go off an addiction and then fall back often have periods where they can't get enough and it can be worse. It's one of the causes of overdoses in drug use often happening after someone is out of rehab (that and I will acknowledge tolerance level changing-I worked for a doctors office that had an addiction program).

Orrr, maybe it's what someone else said. Just providing a possibility that occurred to me.

KnitOrMiss

jessiethe3rd wrote: »

Not ALL carbs are created equal.
There is a special place where you can eat carbs in moderation and actually remain okay.

The key point again is the type of carbs, the amount of carbs and their effect on your body.

I'll eat a sweet potato before and after a workout (1/2 each) and let me say that I get some of the best cardio results with one. People are always like workout on an empty stomach. Reality is you'll get bonk if you have no carbs to burn. You'll just hit the ceiling and die.

With that said... I stay away from most carbs unless I am having a high intensity training session.

@jessiethe3rd - once you are fully fat adapted, not having carbs to burn becomes a non-issue. There is no bonk unless you have under 15% body fat (like 8% for men) and use up all your ongoing stores...

nvmomketo

I went keto to manage BG too. I did it and lost 40 lbs and then maintained. Mostly. I started letting my carbs creep up (BG was okay and weight was fine) and that led to hunger for more carbs and more food. I regained almost 10 lbs and my BG was up again. I now know that I NEED to keep my carbs low (below 30g per day) or I will eat more and my BG is up.

If you go back to what you were eating before, which caused weight gain and insulin resistance, you will get weight gain and insulin resistance. In my mind, there is no going back for most people.

GaleHawkins

I was out of ketosis for most of June. I was experiment with D-Ribose sugar and whole vegetables and fruit.

The old cravings had not started but I was not eating processed carbs like ice cream, pizza, etc. After about a month of eating whole carbs my pain level was starting to creep up so I am back to full-time LCHF. Dry skin was returning and my energy was down but I did lose about 10 pounds during this month. As carbs went up the fat that I was eating went down.

At this time I am just doing 5 grams of D-Ribose the first thing each morning to help lessen the risk or damage of a heart attack. 15 grams daily is the typical usage for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

cedarsidefarm

I kind of quit low carb for about 2 weeks. I didn't crave carbs if I had high fiber carbs - Whole wheat rye bread or sweet potatoes. I gained a few pounds but the pain in my joints came back. So I went back to LCHF. My joint pain went away and I lost 3 pounds in one day - water weight obviously. I think once I've lost all the weight I want to, I'll slowly increase my carbs to see how much will trigger the weight gain and sore joints.

The break was good for me. It made me realize I wasn't really giving up much on LCHF and I was improving my life in more ways then simple weight loss. And for some reason it broke my weight loss plateau. I think going in and out of low carb to average carbs can have its benefits. But I'm talking about going from 30 to 100 carbs.