are cravings real? or, ultimately, an excuse to eat...

Ever been pregnant? Yes they're real. Doesn't mean you have to give in to them all the time. Sometimes they're more like a passing fancy. But when they stick with you for hours/days it's time to have a few Junior Mints (or salt & vinegar chips, or a burger, or whatever).

When I upped my activity level I also upped my calorie intake, but it was not nearly enough and I would eat a meal and then be ravenous within an hour. Most times, what I had with me would be satisfying, but there are times where I have to have one thing in particular. I make sure that I have room in my plan for it and make adjustments if necessary. Then I eat what I want without worry. Eventually (like in 3 days) I got the clue that the calories were not enough and I increased even more to support the added activity. This helped prevent the really bad cravings and ravenous feeling after eating.

I definitely think they're real, though they can occur for various reasons. The body could be low on a specific nutrient and that's why you're craving a specific food. There is a theory out there that so much of the US diet has turned towards nutrient-shallow food (think food with a lot of added sugar, sodium, usually highly processed, etc.), that the body craves more of it to meet its nutrient goals. Unfortunately, that also comes a lot of added/empty calories, and the eventual weight gain the excess calories cause. I can't say for sure that's what has actually happened, but it seems like a very plausible theory. So, when you're eating a balanced diet of nutrient-dense food choices, your cravings subside a lot because you're getting all the nutrients the body needs.

However, things like sugar and sugar/fat combinations can have an addictive-like quality for many people. The fast food industry and processed foods industry has done a lot of research on combinations that maximize the pleasure response in the brain so that people "crave" the pleasure these foods create. Plus, evolutionarily, sweet foods were generally safe to eat, so humans likely have a high affinity for them naturally (sugar just wasn't so easy to come by in the quantities it is currently consumed in a few hundred years aga -- the US and UK are consuming a LOT more sugar now than they were 300 years ago). It's not mere coincidence that many dieters struggle with sweets in particular.

Then, there is the whole psychological aspect of eating. Some cope with difficult emotions by feeding them -- depression, anxiety, etc. Or due to familial/home patterns (clean your plate, eating/cooking to please someone else, etc.)

The situation with sweet in particular can be exacerbated for purely physiological issues if you have a carb sensitivity issue. Over 40% of US adults have either diabetes or prediabetes (insulin resistance), so controlling carbs and carb cravings can be even more difficult for these people. If you read up on how insulin resistance works, this makes a lot of sense.

So, depending on what you're craving, there could be good reasons for it (i.e. need more nutrients in your diet) or there could be less than awesome reasons for it (withdrawal from sugar or certain foods, psychological reasons, carb sensitivity issue, etc.).

If find that it's much more helpful to really dig into the underlying reasons for a particular craving rather than rely on "will power" so you can get to the underlying issue. If you can address the underlying issue, a lot of your cravings may reduce or dissipate altogether.

I know PMS cravings for me is about as pregnancy cravings were. They seemed to get worse after I had my tubes cut, tied and burned. However I'm still learning to fight through. I don't deprive myself, I'll allow myself to have a nibble of what I'm craving and remind myself that 1 bite taste the same as the last bite. During my monthly, I crave Jalapeno's, chocolate, and peanut butter. (Not all together) but I'm not a pizza fan but yet during this tom, I'll crave it so I can load the jalapeno's on it lol. I also Crave Jalapeno cheese bread from Little caesars lol. However I refuse to buy it so I am not tempted. I will go buy stuff to make my clean version of pizza and fix that craving. It's not greasy and a lot more healthier for you.

This^
TOM pretty much means I am off my diet, at least for when I get cravings. I try to stick to healthy stuff on the non-craving meals, but I have just resigned myself to the fact that I will eat random food during TOM.

I definitely think they're real, though they can occur for various reasons. The body could be low on a specific nutrient and that's why you're craving a specific food. There is a theory out there that so much of the US diet has turned towards nutrient-shallow food (think food with a lot of added sugar, sodium, usually highly processed, etc.), that the body craves more of it to meet its nutrient goals. Unfortunately, that also comes a lot of added/empty calories, and the eventual weight gain the excess calories cause. I can't say for sure that's what has actually happened, but it seems like a very plausible theory. So, when you're eating a balanced diet of nutrient-dense food choices, your cravings subside a lot because you're getting all the nutrients the body needs.

However, things like sugar and sugar/fat combinations can have an addictive-like quality for many people. The fast food industry and processed foods industry has done a lot of research on combinations that maximize the pleasure response in the brain so that people "crave" the pleasure these foods create. Plus, evolutionarily, sweet foods were generally safe to eat, so humans likely have a high affinity for them naturally (sugar just wasn't so easy to come by in the quantities it is currently consumed in a few hundred years aga -- the US and UK are consuming a LOT more sugar now than they were 300 years ago). It's not mere coincidence that many dieters struggle with sweets in particular.

Then, there is the whole psychological aspect of eating. Some cope with difficult emotions by feeding them -- depression, anxiety, etc. Or due to familial/home patterns (clean your plate, eating/cooking to please someone else, etc.)

The situation with sweet in particular can be exacerbated for purely physiological issues if you have a carb sensitivity issue. Over 40% of US adults have either diabetes or prediabetes (insulin resistance), so controlling carbs and carb cravings can be even more difficult for these people. If you read up on how insulin resistance works, this makes a lot of sense.

So, depending on what you're craving, there could be good reasons for it (i.e. need more nutrients in your diet) or there could be less than awesome reasons for it (withdrawal from sugar or certain foods, psychological reasons, carb sensitivity issue, etc.).

If find that it's much more helpful to really dig into the underlying reasons for a particular craving rather than rely on "will power" so you can get to the underlying issue. If you can address the underlying issue, a lot of your cravings may reduce or dissipate altogether.

good information. i have been reading a lot about how the FDA is thinking about taking away the GRAS (generally recognized as safe) designation for foods that contain partially-hygrogenated vegetable oils. There are so many foods in our diet today that our grandparents would never had seen as children. It does give you pause.

Fortunately, i do operate on the premise of less is more in terms of ingredients. even my candy choices--i try to avoid certain ingredients and dyes. (I am an absolute hyprocrite when it comes to sugarless gum, however). I think my craving today was pure hunger. why it manifested itself in chocolate covered peppermint patties? who knows. i just try to remain cognizant of my cravings, consider them and relate them to my daily intake, do not overindulge...and enjoy.

And perhaps that was all your body was craving -- pure calories.

I crave cigarettes, so not all cravings are food. The craving is real, the caving is choice. Stand strong!

Real.

However, after my protein increase, I find it hard to fit all my calories, so have to stuff myself with random items throughout the day just to meet my daily calories.

Excellent post and I so agree! Increasing protein made my random food cravings go away so much that I now have to find random food to fit my calorie goal. Best advice ever is to increase your protein intake to over 1 gram of your lean body mass. For most women that number is 100, for most men that number is 160. Your number may vary.

You can actually ignore an empty stomach and do just fine- and eat at your convenience. One meal a day should do it. Maybe two.

Intermittent Fasting has been teaching me this. And maybe it's my imagination, but I swear lately I've been having slightly less pure junkfood cravings and more desire for healthier, high nutrient foods.

I definitely think they're real. I've recently been trying to remove added sugars from my diet, so I've done things like real oatmeal vs instant, plain greek yogurt vs flavored, water/milk instead of juice/soda, having slightly more veggies than fruit, etc.

What have I been craving? Chocolate. Which is weird, because I was never too much of a chocolate junkie. Before February, I could buy a bag of fun size chocolates and it would last for MONTHS. Now, I'd be lucky if they lasted two weeks!

Chocolate is rich in magnesium. Perhaps try taking a magnesium supplement and see if that helps.

I've learned to give in to my cravings with a small portion of whatever it is at the time (after I make sure I'm not just thirsty, bored etc.). I do this because if I don't, I wind up "eating around the craving", trying different things but in the end eating what I really craved in the first place. The end result was actually eating more than I would have if I'd just taken care of it right away. Fortunately for me I'm past the TOM and PMS cravings, so I don't have to do it very often.

Real.

However, after my protein increase, I find it hard to fit all my calories, so have to stuff myself with random items throughout the day just to meet my daily calories.

Excellent post and I so agree! Increasing protein made my random food cravings go away so much that I now have to find random food to fit my calorie goal. Best advice ever is to increase your protein intake to over 1 gram of your lean body mass. For most women that number is 100, for most men that number is 160. Your number may vary.

Protein works for me too. OTOH, if I keep getting cravings for something and they keep coming back for a couple of weeks, I'll have a small portion, enjoy it then move on. One meal, treat or day isn't going to make or break you're outcome.