Sugar Cravings

ms2mrsbragg
ms2mrsbragg Posts: 10 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Any suggestions on how to ward off sugar cravings that start aroind 3pm? I do pretty well planning meals and sticking to my plan up until these cravings hit. I get a headache if I don't eat sugar. I think its more an addiction than craving. Any help on what to add to my daily intake or how to fight these cravings is greatly appreciated!!!!

Replies

  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    Can you open your diary or share what you're normally eating? The headaches could be anything from not eating enough earlier in the day to being brought on by low blood sugar from too long between meals.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Try having something sweet along with something filling. Some people have luck having a piece of fruit. I find a small piece of chocolate (30 ish calories) with eggs or oatmeal with cinnamon and a tiny bit of sugar helps.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Lifestyle changes ....I plan on a sweet treat ONCE a day. I will eat sugar during maintenance....so I might as well practice moderation now. Sugar is not an addiction.....lots of threads on this already (they don't end well).

    Kgeyser is right. Your headaches are very likely a result of something else. Have you started using sugar substitutes? Some of those can trigger headaches in some people. If you've cut out sugary soda, you've also cut back on caffeine. Another source of headaches for many.
  • ms2mrsbragg
    ms2mrsbragg Posts: 10 Member
    I have opened my food diary. I guess maybe my problem was trying to cut out sugar all together I am trying not to over eat during the day and I really do measure my food before eating. I really need help!
  • ms2mrsbragg
    ms2mrsbragg Posts: 10 Member
    edited January 2016
    Was never a soda drinker. Not using sugar substitutes. Honestly I've cut back on processed foods and sugar. I used to have decaffeinated tea at least 3x a day with about a tablespoon of sugar per cup. I was eating chocolate idk how many times a day. And would binge on cookies. Common denominator sugar!! Maybe the lack of caffeine from chocolate idk but I know I need to do something the headaches can get pretty bad.

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Was the sweetened tea a snack of sorts? You may just need to space things out differently.

    Lots of foods contain sugar; dairy, fruits, starches, and even veggies.

    http://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-sugar-addiction
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    Thanks for opening it. Based on what I see, you are much lower carb than the average diet, since you're just above 100 carbs each day. There's nothing wrong with that if that's how you want to eat, but people will often feel tired, get headaches, or feel "flu-ish" when they've cut carbs.

    People who do low carb recommend increasing sodium to combat that issue, but if you aren't planning on purposefully eating lower on the carb spectrum, you might find adding more carbs earlier in the day helps with the 3 pm slump you're experiencing.

    It looks like you're doing well with hitting your calorie goal, you might just want to play around with your macros a little to see what works for you. You hit and exceeded both fat and protein, so maybe balancing them a little more might be the sweet spot for you. However, if you are purposefully going for a low carb diet, there's some resources here that could be helpful.
  • Merrysix
    Merrysix Posts: 336 Member
    I usually get hungry around 3-4 pm; I like to have a protein shake made with unsweeted cashew milk; scoop protein powder and 6 -8 frozen strawberries; I get headaches if I don't eat enough protein/electrolytes/ etc. Also, when my blood pressure went down after loosing weight, I also got fewer headaches.
  • pecky43
    pecky43 Posts: 1 Member
    I enjoy freezing some chopped banana (2 medium) overnight then blending with 250ml of milk. Makes a nice smoothie that is quite tasty even without added sugar - works out to be 260 calories but totally worth it
  • paulandrachelk
    paulandrachelk Posts: 280 Member
    Had headache issue when cut sugar cold turkey several years ago. Is considered symptom of withdrawal.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    paulandrachelk wrote: »
    Had headache issue when cut sugar cold turkey several years ago. Is considered symptom of withdrawal.

    Um ....no.

    OP is eating low carb. See "low carb flu" comments above.

  • ms2mrsbragg
    ms2mrsbragg Posts: 10 Member
    edited January 2016
    Thank you all four your comments. Not intentionally going for low carb and honestly hadn't noticed I was below the norm so will definitely try today to increase carbs and lower fat!!! I am determined to get this eating thing right so I can see a loss on the scale but also feel healthier. At my last doc appointment I was told my bp was high never considered that to be a contributing factor to my headaches. Working to get that under control too!!! Thanks again #happylosing
  • ladipoet
    ladipoet Posts: 4,180 Member
    Yep, sounds like you have the low carb "flu." You need to up your sodium. If you are following a low carb way of eating you should be getting between 3000 - 5000mg of sodium per DAY!! Your headaches will disappear. Try dissolving and drinking a boullion cube in the appropriate amount of water 1-2 times per day and that will help with the problem.
  • youngmomtaz
    youngmomtaz Posts: 1,075 Member
    Doesn't "low carb flu" only last a few days in the beginning of a carb lowering diet? I have never heard of it lasting longer than 3-4 days. Op, is this your typical eating style? Have you changed recently?
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    youngmomtaz wrote: »
    Doesn't "low carb flu" only last a few days in the beginning of a carb lowering diet? I have never heard of it lasting longer than 3-4 days. Op, is this your typical eating style? Have you changed recently?

    It can last weeks if you let your electrolytes stay out of balance.
  • ms2mrsbragg
    ms2mrsbragg Posts: 10 Member
    I noticed that I was unintentionally shying away from carbs. Yesterday I had a bacon egg and cheese bagel for breakfast and noticed that it not only kept me full to a point of missing lunch but I also didn't suffer from my headaches or cravings. So today I am going to try a high carb breakfast and taper off as the day progresses. No more slipping lunch though I know it can't be good even if I just eat a salad something is better than nothing.
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