What are these cravings?

MaiLinna

(Scroll down for TL:DR:)

I've fallen off the wagon again, but I keep reading blogs and eating one meal at a time with healthy choices instead of obsessing over calorie counting or scales (even though I've attained a pretty good sense of "That's 200 calories easy.") and I'm trying to get on track one step at a time instead of cold turkey. I'm feeling better about myself but...these cravings are driving me nuts.

For about two whole weeks I went back to eating trash. We received a care package from my fiance's mom and it was filled with Hamburger Helper, instant sodium-laden rice mixes and candy and cakes galore! I can't just throw it in the trash or let it rot, especially since she hand baked EVERY ****ING THING THAT WOMAN USED TO BE A BAKER!!! That's like...throwing love in the trash, okay? Anyways...said **** it, ate that, ate fast food, ate trash...I'm terrible, I know. It felt good satisfying these cravings I'd been having the whole time I was dieting. Cake, doughy carby stuff...more doughy carby stuff...but why? Why was I craving doughy, carby things on my diet?

Do you know what I'm craving now? Fruit. And peanut butter. Mostly fruit and peanut butter together. Grapes, apples, little Halos oranges...God I could kill for them right now!! Why? I really don't know. Does anyone know where these cravings are coming from?

TL:DR: Why do I crave doughy carbs when I'm counting calories and dieting strictly, but crave fruit and healthy foods when I let myself go? Why can't I be ****ing happy?

RHachicho

Ok one thing I can see is that fruit/peanut butter and doughy/sugary things have something in common ... carbs and sugar. And it is perfectly possible to be addicted to these foods. And I don't mean mentally addicted I mean full on physically dependent. When you ingest these foods over a long time your body learns that they are rich sources of easily metabolized energy and therefore prompts your brain to seek them out. But our bodies aren't programmed to live with sugar and carbs on tap. Normally if we ate natural food (not suggesting that just saying) We would eat fruit and vegetable matter and gain all the other nutrition we need alongside our carbs and sugar. But these days we can eat bread and sweets and get it alone. So out body fills our energy tank but guess what ... we still need the ACTUAL NUTRITION. So your body keeps saying I'm hungry cos it has absolutely no clue or desire to count calories. Your body simply wants its fuel.

This process over time can simply break your metabolism flat out. Your body's hunger drives get completely screwed up. Now here's the unpleasant bit. You are going to have to go cold turkey and get your body to fix itself. This means little/no baked products and absolutely NO refined sugar. Limited fruit intake is allowed. For around 2-4 weeks. At the same time focus on your diets nutrition and make sure you eat healthy food packed with good stuff. Never eat empty calories. If you do this your body will naturally re tune itself to seek out better food and not be so obsessed with empty calories. It's hard. VERY hard. But it's literally the only way you will be free of these random cravings.

My story I got addicted to sugar through full sugar soft drinks. I would drink between 2-4 liters of full fat coca cola a DAY. It even caused my appetite for solid food to decline. And if I went without coke for even a day the next time I had a glass I would make pleasure noises. I was not a casual consumer I was an addict getting my "fix" And giving that up was THE hardest thing I have ever had to do. But now that I have. I will NEVER even TOUCH full sugar coke ever again in my life. I am afraid of it. To be honest I don't think you have it as bad as me. But your metabolism is leaning too much towards carbs and sugar. And a period of appetite restructuring is called for I think. If you get it right you will be flabbergasted by the difference in your cravings.

When you notice fruit starting to taste a lot sweeter that means it's working. Your taste buds also adjust to sugar. This is why some kids who grow up on sweets and sugary crap won't eat fruit. It tastes like bitter rubbish to them.

And before someone chimes in I am NOT suggesting removing anything permanently from the diet. Though some stuff like full sugar soda could probably stand to go there is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying baked goods or sugary stuff within reason. It's just a sustained period of over indulgence which is dangerous.

terbusha

Why does do that make YOU terrible? We all have cravings and indulge from time to time (if people are honest about it). I've done it for sure. The key is to pick yourself up and move on. As to why you are having cravings, you ate that type of stuff for a long time. You crave it because you like the sweetness of it. I've been there and still have some troubles with certain foods. Cravings never completely go away, your body just learns to crave new foods. That's why you are craving fruit. It's what it really wants. Some sweetness that is loaded with nutrition. Have the fruit, and even some peanut butter on top (just measure it out and make it fit into your calories for the day).

Allan

Pipsg1rl

My mother in law likes to send us sweets and treats also.

Do I have some guilt not eating it all? Yes. But do I love to tell her that I shared her deliciousness with my friends and co-workers? Oh yes. Because if something is that good you HAVE to share it! This is a way of passing on the praise.

As far as her sending you boxed foods, I'm not sure what to think. Why would she send you hamburger helper? We eat it, but not very often, but if you really don't want to eat it DONATE IT TO A FOOD BANK!

PJPrimrose

Eat "junk food" in moderation and freeze the rest! Make sure you're eating enough calories on a daily basis to prevent bingeing.

bajoyba

Maybe you need a little more moderation in your eating habits. Maybe your day needs to include fresh fruits/veggies, peanut butter, AND a carby treat.

jonnythan

This is what happens when you try to completely cut out certain foods from your diet.

Eat junk food in moderation. Eat fruit in moderation. Profit.