Men don't get food cravings?

Barelmy

I was recently listening to a podcast (it was one from Stuff Mom Never Told You - check it out, it's awesome) about food cravings, and a study was mentioned which had indicated that something like 30% of men simply don't experience food cravings. That is, while they may think "I feel like eating ---", they won't get "MUST HAVE --- NOW!"

Obviously, any experiences from MFPers will be purely anecdotal, and biased, since I suspect we have many more of the men who do get food cravings than those who don't. But this statistic really surprised me. I thought food cravings were a universal thing - I didn't realise that some people, of either gender, simply didn't get them.

Does anyone here not experience food cravings? I'd imagine that that group simply have trouble with choosing correct portion sizes and nutrition, and I would also suspect that, once they learn a bit more about cooking and nutrition, they'll have a much easier time of it. Does that tally with anyone's experiences?

meggers123

I sometimes get cravings (something sweet, or something salty), but mostly I just get the craving to eat... snack... put something in my mouth, indiscriminatorily. There's not any *one thing* that I want, but I feel I want to eat. I'm definitely an emotional eater, and a bored eater, and a snacker, and someone who isn't aware of portion size... thus why I am here.

As for men not having cravings, my sig. other gets food cravings all the time. He loves sweets, cookies, ice cream, and has specific cravings. He likes to say "I have an appetite for..." as opposed to "I am hungry." That being said, he's 190cm and 85 kg... very fit. ggrrrrrrr. :P

McKayMachina

I don't get "must have now!" type cravings. But I do get a dull craving that nestles into my brain until I satisfy it. It's just kind of back there every time I get ready to eat. Usually it's cheeseburgers. I started to get those when I was vegetarian. I usually "give in" within a week or two and don't think about it again for another few months.

I'm sure there are others who feel similarly.

LillysGranny

As a group, I think that men typically eat whatever suits them and is around when it is time to eat. I don't think they go through the buffet line and skip the macaroni and cheese just because it is fattening. And I think denial is what leads to cravings.

bluefox9er

I was recently listening to a podcast (it was one from Stuff Mom Never Told You - check it out, it's awesome) about food cravings, and a study was mentioned which had indicated that something like 30% of men simply don't experience food cravings. That is, while they may think "I feel like eating ---", they won't get "MUST HAVE --- NOW!"

Obviously, any experiences from MFPers will be purely anecdotal, and biased, since I suspect we have many more of the men who do get food cravings than those who don't. But this statistic really surprised me. I thought food cravings were a universal thing - I didn't realise that some people, of either gender, simply didn't get them.

Does anyone here not experience food cravings? I'd imagine that that group simply have trouble with choosing correct portion sizes and nutrition, and I would also suspect that, once they learn a bit more about cooking and nutrition, they'll have a much easier time of it. Does that tally with anyone's experiences?

simply NOT true..I have been pizza-less for 8 weeks and am finding it almost unbearable.

kingkong123

I was recently listening to a podcast (it was one from Stuff Mom Never Told You - check it out, it's awesome) about food cravings, and a study was mentioned which had indicated that something like 30% of men simply don't experience food cravings. That is, while they may think "I feel like eating ---", they won't get "MUST HAVE --- NOW!"

Obviously, any experiences from MFPers will be purely anecdotal, and biased, since I suspect we have many more of the men who do get food cravings than those who don't. But this statistic really surprised me. I thought food cravings were a universal thing - I didn't realise that some people, of either gender, simply didn't get them.

Does anyone here not experience food cravings? I'd imagine that that group simply have trouble with choosing correct portion sizes and nutrition, and I would also suspect that, once they learn a bit more about cooking and nutrition, they'll have a much easier time of it. Does that tally with anyone's experiences?

simply NOT true..I have been pizza-less for 8 weeks and am finding it almost unbearable.

I think it's time to have a slice or two my friend.

Barelmy

simply NOT true..I have been pizza-less for 8 weeks and am finding it almost unbearable.

Your anecdotal evidence does not disprove statistics. It simply places you in the 70% who do get food cravings.

You could try toast pizza? Slice of toast under the grill with tomato puree and veggie toppings.

nibblerbigcat

From my experience, there are just a different type of people that don't experience the same emotional value to food that other people do. My boyfriend, for example, can go all day without eating and not get cranky. Me, I miss one meal, and I turn into a cranky SOB. I think this relates to the food craving thing, because a lot of times food cravings are emotional and can mean that a person is craving what they were feeling while they were eating a certain food, so that's why they crave it: to experience that emotion again.

Schwiggity

Yeah I never have food cravings. I gained all my weight from dry toast.

TAMMY_76

Yeah I never have food cravings. I gained all my weight from dry toast.

lol lol:laugh:

jimmy_jenkins

I'd probably say i dont normally, so ive basically switch the types of food i eat as apposed to the quantity or anything. BUT if i have a hangover i do crave all sorts of food that arent good for you. Normally a fry-up. But day to day im fine.

Onesnap

Men get food cravings. After all, they are human too. Like all humans if their body is lacking in something (a particular nutrient or protein) they will crave it. It's not like they are aliens or something.

kellyscomeback

If my husband was in this thread he'd yell bullsh*t. He's had lots of cravings and before we joined MFP he'd give in to them too.

hroush

I sometimes get an urge to eat chinese or something like that, but it's not like I have to have it. Pretty much I just like food and have no problems eating the same food day in and day out for quite some time.

ajricketts

I don't really get cravings of the nature, "I HAVE to have this NOW!" If I do get any sort of craving it's usually after I found out I'm going to be eating it, lol. For example, I recently went to a birthday party for my niece. I was informed that they were ordering pizza. I hadn't packed or brought anything else. Then, I couldn't wait until the pizza got there because it sounded so good!

bcl003

My boyfriend doesn't have cravings, he blames it on having to take medicine when he was a teen for A.D.D. apparently he seems to think that his taking riddlin messed with his body's ability to recognize when he needs to eat. He forgets to eat all the time, at night he doesn't think about eating until I start making something for myself, or us both, and then he will be like I guess I should eat... Often times on the weekends I will eat my breakfast and stuff before we leave the house and he won't and we will be in the middle of a store or doing something and he will start getting dizzy, nearly to the point of passing out where I have to get ahold of his arm and get him some food... So in light of all this I say he is one of the men that do not get cravings.

bluefox9er

simply NOT true..I have been pizza-less for 8 weeks and am finding it almost unbearable.

Your anecdotal evidence does not disprove statistics. It simply places you in the 70% who do get food cravings.

You could try toast pizza? Slice of toast under the grill with tomato puree and veggie toppings.

I did consider that..especially more so as I am a vegetarian and don't really trust restaurants . i fight my cravings by counting to 10, then drink water, but id be a liar if I said that made me feel better. ive come too far to be weak willed now.

Barelmy

If my husband was in this thread he'd yell bullsh*t. He's had lots of cravings and before we joined MFP he'd give in to them too.

Wow. I'm always amazed at people who start swearing without bothering to read what they're angry about.:/ I'm sure he's nice other times, though.

bcl003, I used to date someone who was like that. In his case, he'd gone vegetarian at the age of seven, and if there wasn't a vegetarian option, he wouldn't eat. As an adult, he simply didn't realise he was hungry, since he'd suppressed it so much, and just ate out of habit, rather than hunger.

angp7711

I would say all the men I know except one gets food cravings. The one really puts absolutely no emotional ties to food. He is incredibley healthy but almost be default. He eats when hungry has an incredibly active job and is an amazing cook along with his wife. He truly just naturally sees food as fuel. I find it hard to be friends with him