Sugar Cravings
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Panda_Poptarts
Posts: 971 Member
I have been having the WORST sugar cravings lately.
I'm literally salivating walking past anything sweet at the grocery store
It seems like I can't get sugar out of my head the past few days. I'm currently mid-cycle / ovulating, so hormones are likely playing a role. I haven't really caved yet, but I'm having to meticulously plan my food for the day to prevent myself from diving headfirst into a sugar bowl.
Anything I can do to help get this under control??
I'm literally salivating walking past anything sweet at the grocery store
It seems like I can't get sugar out of my head the past few days. I'm currently mid-cycle / ovulating, so hormones are likely playing a role. I haven't really caved yet, but I'm having to meticulously plan my food for the day to prevent myself from diving headfirst into a sugar bowl.Anything I can do to help get this under control??
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Replies
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Apparently hormone cravings are driven by estrogen imbalances during PMS... That being said, to lower the stress hormones, one of the sites suggested peanut butter, as it balances cortisol...
Most things also said carb/sweets cravings also indicate need for more magnesium.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10370453/chocolate#latest0 -
Read up a little on L-glutamine powder. In theory it helps curb sugar (and alcohol) cravings. I just started taking yesterday and while I am certainly making better choices the last two days not quite ready to chalk it up to that... but some people claim it is really good. I plan to give it a few weeks and just see. Even if placebo effect, worth it
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@KnitOrMiss Thank you!! I've been slacking on my mag / potassium supplements. May be time to add those back. In the meantime, I'm going to try not to eat all the things. Lol0
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try to have a back up plan for something in case you feel like caving. maybe some lightly sweetened whipped cream or similar. if I don't have a plan I'm likely to have a giant hot fudge sundae to satisfy the craving.2
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@auntstephie321 I bought some sugar free candies, just in case I can't take it anymore. And a good quality dark chocolate bar, and fresh raspberries. Hopefully that's a sufficient backup plan. I'm trying not to give in. It's gotta be hormones. I've been totally fine for the past 5+ weeks, and this week just SUCKS.1
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I just realized you can like someone's post now, or you can mark it awesome5
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About time!!2
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Panda_Poptarts wrote: »@auntstephie321 I bought some sugar free candies, just in case I can't take it anymore. And a good quality dark chocolate bar, and fresh raspberries. Hopefully that's a sufficient backup plan. I'm trying not to give in. It's gotta be hormones. I've been totally fine for the past 5+ weeks, and this week just SUCKS.
Good planning! You got this!1 -
@Sunny_Bunny_ deep breaths, right?
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Panda_Poptarts wrote: »@Sunny_Bunny_ deep breaths, right?
Exactly! You're a fighter! Ain't no craving gonna take you down!
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@aylajane I'm seeing positive things about L Glutamine for sugar cravings. It looks like it may also help with muscle soreness. I'm one who works out to the point that I am sore for 3 -4 days, leading to inflammation gains. Perhaps this will kill 2 birds with 1 stone?0
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I like to have fat bombs at night when I crave sweets. Peanut butter with coconut oil stevia and chopped pecans0
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Panda_Poptarts wrote: »@aylajane I'm seeing positive things about L Glutamine for sugar cravings. It looks like it may also help with muscle soreness. I'm one who works out to the point that I am sore for 3 -4 days, leading to inflammation gains. Perhaps this will kill 2 birds with 1 stone?
That is my hope as well, although after 2 days it has not made a difference (my muscles are SORE). However, today is the first day in a long time I was able to comfortably eat under my calorie goal and not eat over 1/3 my daily calories in the 2 hours before bedtime! No idea if it is that, or one or two other tweaks I have made, but I plan to continue!
Some articles say it only helps in that regard for "elite" athletes, not common folk working out. It also is supposed to help "heal" things like the so-called "leaky gut" and other intestinal issues. It basically has a laundry list of things it *might* help with for some people - so I am going to keep note of all changes that seem to occur from BG (before glutamine) to a month AG and then decide if it is worth continuing. Its pretty cheap.1 -
drdavidwilliams.com/gut-bacteria-may-influence-food-cravings/
"Sneaky Little Bugs
The idea that microbes in the digestive tract could control what we eat may sound a little farfetched, until you take a closer look.
We have a very diverse community of microbes in the gut. They all have one primary goal: survival (theirs, not necessarily ours). Different species prefer different nutrients. Some like sugar, while others prefer fat. Rather than just passively live off whatever comes their way, they can chemically alter the nerve signals that the brain uses to monitor activity in the gut. By releasing certain chemicals, they can change taste receptors, inducing cravings and making us prefer one food over another."
I hit coconut oil usage hard and when off sugars and all forms of grains at the same time and it 2-3 weeks my cravings were gone. Google the subject. It is not our brains that are the direct cause of our cravings it seems always but the billions of critters (microbes) living between our mouth and tail too. My die off made one heck of a case of Keto flu in my case at age 63. I actually came into the office one morning and Googled "dying from coconut oil".
Beef up the good critters and reduce the bad critters count and see if it helps with the cravings. More links:
https://google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS611US612&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=gut+bacteria+causes+cravings2 -
Panda_Poptarts wrote: »@aylajane I'm seeing positive things about L Glutamine for sugar cravings. It looks like it may also help with muscle soreness. I'm one who works out to the point that I am sore for 3 -4 days, leading to inflammation gains. Perhaps this will kill 2 birds with 1 stone?
That is my hope as well, although after 2 days it has not made a difference (my muscles are SORE). However, today is the first day in a long time I was able to comfortably eat under my calorie goal and not eat over 1/3 my daily calories in the 2 hours before bedtime! No idea if it is that, or one or two other tweaks I have made, but I plan to continue!
Some articles say it only helps in that regard for "elite" athletes, not common folk working out. It also is supposed to help "heal" things like the so-called "leaky gut" and other intestinal issues. It basically has a laundry list of things it *might* help with for some people - so I am going to keep note of all changes that seem to occur from BG (before glutamine) to a month AG and then decide if it is worth continuing. Its pretty cheap.
My sugar cravings dropped off very suddenly after starting the L Glutamine chews. Could be a placebo affect, but I'll keep it up Best of luck to you! 1 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »drdavidwilliams.com/gut-bacteria-may-influence-food-cravings/
"Sneaky Little Bugs
The idea that microbes in the digestive tract could control what we eat may sound a little farfetched, until you take a closer look.
We have a very diverse community of microbes in the gut. They all have one primary goal: survival (theirs, not necessarily ours). Different species prefer different nutrients. Some like sugar, while others prefer fat. Rather than just passively live off whatever comes their way, they can chemically alter the nerve signals that the brain uses to monitor activity in the gut. By releasing certain chemicals, they can change taste receptors, inducing cravings and making us prefer one food over another."
I hit coconut oil usage hard and when off sugars and all forms of grains at the same time and it 2-3 weeks my cravings were gone. Google the subject. It is not our brains that are the direct cause of our cravings it seems always but the billions of critters (microbes) living between our mouth and tail too. My die off made one heck of a case of Keto flu in my case at age 63. I actually came into the office one morning and Googled "dying from coconut oil".
Beef up the good critters and reduce the bad critters count and see if it helps with the cravings. More links:
https://google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS611US612&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=gut+bacteria+causes+cravings
Thanks for the informative post! No grains or sugar (really other than veggies) happening here either. I am usually great on the cravings, but I think hormones have had a big part to play in that.0 -
Panda_Poptarts wrote: »Panda_Poptarts wrote: »@aylajane I'm seeing positive things about L Glutamine for sugar cravings. It looks like it may also help with muscle soreness. I'm one who works out to the point that I am sore for 3 -4 days, leading to inflammation gains. Perhaps this will kill 2 birds with 1 stone?
That is my hope as well, although after 2 days it has not made a difference (my muscles are SORE). However, today is the first day in a long time I was able to comfortably eat under my calorie goal and not eat over 1/3 my daily calories in the 2 hours before bedtime! No idea if it is that, or one or two other tweaks I have made, but I plan to continue!
Some articles say it only helps in that regard for "elite" athletes, not common folk working out. It also is supposed to help "heal" things like the so-called "leaky gut" and other intestinal issues. It basically has a laundry list of things it *might* help with for some people - so I am going to keep note of all changes that seem to occur from BG (before glutamine) to a month AG and then decide if it is worth continuing. Its pretty cheap.
My sugar cravings dropped off very suddenly after starting the L Glutamine chews. Could be a placebo affect, but I'll keep it up Best of luck to you!
That's good to know!1 -
Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »
My sugar cravings dropped off very suddenly after starting the L Glutamine chews. Could be a placebo affect, but I'll keep it up Best of luck to you!
That's good to know! [/quote]
What's really weird is that sweet stuff doesn't taste sweet. Like, diet Dr Pepper, which is my go-to for a sugar craving, just tasted like soda water minus the syrup. Chocolate pudding tasted like plastic.
I'm not complaining. If there's a way to kill a craving, making it taste like crap is probably it.1 -
I am also doing very well day 3-4 of it. I dont know if it is because I *want* it to work or what, but I am making much better choices now (string cheese instead of cookies ) and I am able to wait a little longer to eat once I decide I am hungry. I incorporated several changes at once, so it might be something else but honestly who cares what gets credit I will just keep up all of it!
Glad it is helping. I plan to look into probiotics too. I think they will benefit me in other ways and if they help with cravings too that would be icing on the cake (that I am not eating ) !!2 -
I am also doing very well day 3-4 of it. I dont know if it is because I *want* it to work or what, but I am making much better choices now (string cheese instead of cookies ) and I am able to wait a little longer to eat once I decide I am hungry. I incorporated several changes at once, so it might be something else but honestly who cares what gets credit I will just keep up all of it!
Glad it is helping. I plan to look into probiotics too. I think they will benefit me in other ways and if they help with cravings too that would be icing on the cake (that I am not eating ) !!
Probiotics are amazing. I have been taking one every day for months, and they've been SO useful for me. TMI, but I get chronic yeast under my tummy fold, along my c-section scar. My scar is an ugly one that is the result of tunneling wounds, meaning that it dips in places, and those dips like to get yeasty FAST. Probiotics have seriously decreased the frequency of my yeast issues.
I'll also mention that my entire household has been sick for 10+ days. Coughing, hacking, mucousy. I have yet to get sick, despite plenty of mouth-kisses from a coughing 4 year old. Could be the keto, could be the probiotics. Either way I'm gonna keep doing what I'm doing!
I'm so happy to hear you've been able to put down the cookies!3
