Out of control carb cravings...

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stephreed11
stephreed11 Posts: 158 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm all for "everything in moderation"...but the carbs are literally controlling my life. Sounds silly, but I'm pretty sure I'm completely addicted to carbs. I plan my day & stay within my calorie goal-until around 9pm every night, then it's all downhill. I'm sure it's just turned into a habit now, but I literally start thinking about chips, chocolate, any kind of carbs, & have gotten to the point where I feel like I'm completely out of control, & end up overeating those things every night. Every night I say I'll "start over" tomorrow, & get back on track. The next night-same exact thing. I'm starting to think the only way to control it is to maybe go low carb for a couple weeks? Until I get all of it out of my system...then maybe I won't crave them & have no control with them. Until I can control myself with them in moderation, do you think that would be a good idea? Should I just track my carb/sugar intake on here & not look at calories for awhile? For those of you with experience with this, when will I know when I can start introducing carbs again without gaining weight, etc.? I'm not looking to do low carb as a lifestyle, just to break this terrible habit. I'm looking at atkins.com right now for food ideas. I appreciate any advice you have to offer!
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Replies

  • boehle
    boehle Posts: 5,062 Member
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    There are some low carb cracker things you can eat.
    I try to rarely eat after 6pm but tonight, I was craving some chocolate.
    I walked right past it and got some carrots..
    Mind over matter!!
  • juliapurpletoes
    juliapurpletoes Posts: 951 Member
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    Carb cravings are a sign of being tired, simply put. Don't jump into any atkins or weird nutrtional plan until you incorporate more rest into your lifestyle.

    Been there! Do some research on this :)
  • bjfmade
    bjfmade Posts: 543 Member
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    I would not keep the carbs you crave in the house or go to bed at 9 :)
  • maureendonahue
    maureendonahue Posts: 468 Member
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    Are you sure you are hungry and not just thirsty or tired? When I really crave carbs, it usually is because I am tired. However, when you have to keep going, it's tough!

    Another trick is to brush your teeth. It works for almost any craving because who wants to eat with minty fresh breath?

    Good luck in your journey!
  • caramkoala
    caramkoala Posts: 303 Member
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    I just don't keep them in the house. The cravings go away eventually.:ohwell:
  • Amy_B
    Amy_B Posts: 2,323 Member
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    I did a low carb diet for one week. The only carbs you really got were 2 pcs of fruit. I couldn't make it past that week because of my workout program, but it did help me with my carb cravings.

    If you do try a diet for a week or two and that doesn't work, maybe get some healthier carbs to snack on at night....whole grain cereal, whole grain crackers, fruit.
  • nanodot
    nanodot Posts: 154 Member
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    I''ve been there and done that.

    The good news is that two weeks on a low-carb (under 100 carb) diet will make it stop. It feels so SO good to be free of it!

    The bad news, is that if you start eating carbs again it will totally start again. That's because the cravings are a physical response to carbs. They raise dopamine and serotonin and insulin and lots of other happy brain juice. When the happy brain juice drops, the body demands more.

    Why not try a low-carb experiment for 2 weeks, or 4. See how you feel about it.
  • McSnoozle
    McSnoozle Posts: 24 Member
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    I can easily fall into the late night wanting stuff --- especially recently with colder weather. A couple of things to keep in mind:

    The more or less you eat something, the more or less you'll want it. Eat processed high-carbs and you will crave them. Stop eating them and in time you won't want them. Eat more veggies and you'll begin to crave them! Etc.

    Get rid of the temptations! Don't have cookies and chips and stuff in your house or, if it's there for others, explain that it's going to be put away in very inconvenient places --- and you'd prefer not to know where!

    Deprivation can sometimes backfire, though, so maybe you want to "allow" yourself one "treat" per night. PLAN for it; portion one serving into a container in advance and look forward to enjoying it. Eat it slowly and savor the taste and texture. When you're done, drink a big glass of water. Then go look in the mirror and tell yourself how wonderful you are!

    Another issue for me is if I have not drank enough water --- I'll be wanting to munch on something (I think) when really all I need is a big cool glass of water!

    You may want to experiment with eating MORE during the day, and maybe having your dinner slightly later, so you're not hungry again.

    I have found that a cup of frozen blueberries (set out for about 45 minutes to almost thaw) gives me that cold/sweet satisfaction instead of ice cream!

    Try just going to bed when you feel the munchies coming on! :)

    Hope some of these help.
  • _Amy_Budd
    _Amy_Budd Posts: 378 Member
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    http://fitbie.msn.com/eat-right/tips/8-reasons-wheat-making-you-gain/tip/0

    Here's a link to an article that goes in detail about those cravings and carb addiction. I am a recovering carb addict, and have eliminated grains from my diet. I honestly do not crave them anymore. At all. And I feel great, and am very happy to keep eating this way. :)
  • kalexander2005
    kalexander2005 Posts: 223 Member
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    I would keep an eye on calories, but make carbs your main objective. I strongly recommend atkins.com for guidance. Try phase One for a couple of weeks and see if it doesn't help. At night, I would recommend eating a few tablespoons of real whipped cream instead of junk food. I use sweet and low to sweeten it. Just a suggestion. Good luck. :)
  • thinnerjenn
    thinnerjenn Posts: 18 Member
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    I liked the suggestion to not buy it...if you dont have it you cant eat it! :) Also, you can get carbs from fruits and veggies. Those carbs can help you fuel work outs and such without being "low carb" (Carb does not necessarily mean grain). Although, I am a bit biased as I full Paleo. I feel great on Paleo and after a few weeks the carb cravings will subside. Best of luck to you! Remember that you are worth it and more important than the junk! Be strong!
  • kalexander2005
    kalexander2005 Posts: 223 Member
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    PS -- I got a book called Beat Sugar Addiction Now that has been really helpful for me. Good luck
  • thinnerjenn
    thinnerjenn Posts: 18 Member
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    http://fitbie.msn.com/eat-right/tips/8-reasons-wheat-making-you-gain/tip/0

    Here's a link to an article that goes in detail about those cravings and carb addiction. I am a recovering carb addict, and have eliminated grains from my diet. I honestly do not crave them anymore. At all. And I feel great, and am very happy to keep eating this way. :)

    So true! Eliminating grains is the best thing I have ever done! I gave it a try and now it has become a lifestyle. I feel so great!
  • mjsohm
    mjsohm Posts: 40
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    Maybe this will help: http://trinityhealthweightloss.com/life.asp. I'm not proposing that you buy any products or even subscribe to this world view, but the video under good food very well explains the sugar/carb spike and how it can be very much like an addiction. I experience the same kind of carbohydrate cravings, and also attribute some of it to psychological stress related eating patterns, but there does seem to be more to the craving than that. In short, these folks promote a lower carb diet, but after a week of "cleansing", which I won't lie, is super hard, but temporary. After that a balanced diet and most of the carbs need to very complex, which means they digest slower and hit the blood stream at an even rate. This keeps your insulin from having these wild up and down spikes. Smaller meals more often is also one of their proposals. I lost thirty pounds doing this, but more importantly never felt better in my life. I did not really have to count calories either, in fact I was always full and losing weight. As I am getting closer to my goal weight, it seems more important now to to count cals in order to trim that last bit, and course to add reasonable excercise until my body is ready for more advanced training. Hope that is useful. You can do it! Add if you like!
  • AdAstra47
    AdAstra47 Posts: 823 Member
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    ...I feel like I'm completely out of control, & end up overeating those things every night. Every night I say I'll "start over" tomorrow, & get back on track. The next night-same exact thing. I'm starting to think the only way to control it is to maybe go low carb for a couple weeks? Until I get all of it out of my system...then maybe I won't crave them & have no control with them. Until I can control myself with them in moderation, do you think that would be a good idea? Should I just track my carb/sugar intake on here & not look at calories for awhile? For those of you with experience with this, when will I know when I can start introducing carbs again without gaining weight, etc.? I'm not looking to do low carb as a lifestyle, just to break this terrible habit.

    You sound exactly like me, my whole life up until last February. And yes, I think it's a good idea to try going cold turkey.

    This depends on your metabolism, and may or may not apply to you. But some people's bodies process carbohydrates inefficiently, and because of the different hormones released, it is possible to become addicted to the carbohydrate "high" and to constantly crave them when you come down off of that (which would happen if you don't eat for a few hours before bed at night).

    It really can be a physiological addiction, where your brain chemistry is altered. So first of all, don't beat yourself up about your lack of willpower. It may take a lot more willpower for you than it does for other people. That doesn't mean to give up: that just means that if you think "this is really really hard, I don't think other people have it this hard," you're probably right. But still, it can be done. All those jerks who took one look at your weight and judged you as a lazy glutton? Prove 'em wrong!

    Second, I would see a doctor, one who knows about the low-carb lifestyle, and is willing to do the 3-hour blood glucose test & any other metabolic tests that might tell you the best way to handle your metabolism. My doctor was able to give me a precise prescription of how many carbs I should eat per day, based on those tests. Once I started eating the right way for my metabolism, I've lost weight steadily for the first time in my life.

    And if you can get through the first few weeks, you may find, like me, that you really don't crave carbs at all anymore. I may inhale deeply at the popcorn smell from my neighbor's cube at work, but I have no problem saying "no thanks" when I'm offered any.

    The most important thing, if you want to try low-carb, is to eat enough protein. Your body needs protein to sustain your muscles, but also, it needs protein to burn fat. So replace all those carb calories with protein calories. I try to eat at least 300g of protein a day while keeping my carbs at or below 25g. But again, that's what my doctor recommended for my particular metabolism. I would highly, highly encourage you to find a good doctor & have him/her advise you on the proper ratios for your body. Check out the American Society of Bariatric Physicians & see if there's a doc in your area. If you're in the E KS / W MO area, Dr. Mary Vernon & Dr. Gordon Clark have been treating carbohydrate addiction, insulin resistance, and type II diabetes for decades now using these techniques.

    You can also check out the documentary "Fat Head," available on Netflix & Hulu; the Canadian documentary "My Big Fat Diet," and the book "Good Calories Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes;
    http://danceswithfat.wordpress.com/2011/06/02 /calories-incalories-out-science-says-no/
    http://www.diabetesnewsstand.com/vissue/vernon/titlepage.html

    Good luck to you!
  • Cathleenr
    Cathleenr Posts: 332
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    I'm all for "everything in moderation"...but the carbs are literally controlling my life. Sounds silly, but I'm pretty sure I'm completely addicted to carbs. I plan my day & stay within my calorie goal-until around 9pm every night, then it's all downhill. I'm sure it's just turned into a habit now, but I literally start thinking about chips, chocolate, any kind of carbs, & have gotten to the point where I feel like I'm completely out of control, & end up overeating those things every night. Every night I say I'll "start over" tomorrow, & get back on track. The next night-same exact thing. I'm starting to think the only way to control it is to maybe go low carb for a couple weeks? Until I get all of it out of my system...then maybe I won't crave them & have no control with them. Until I can control myself with them in moderation, do you think that would be a good idea? Should I just track my carb/sugar intake on here & not look at calories for awhile? For those of you with experience with this, when will I know when I can start introducing carbs again without gaining weight, etc.? I'm not looking to do low carb as a lifestyle, just to break this terrible habit. I'm looking at atkins.com right now for food ideas. I appreciate any advice you have to offer!

    Of course you are "addicted". You need carbohydrates to function properly.
    You don't make your food journal public, so we can't see your macros or how many calories you are taking in or how often.
    And you don't say anything about your activity level: if you are VERY active, you'll need more fuel.
    What are your goals?
    You CAN eat at night, you know. Nutrients, distributed throughout the day with proper fat and proteins will keep your energy and satiation levels consistent. Even if you are not looking to lose weight, you need to have an appropriate intake of food during the time you are awake.
  • AdAstra47
    AdAstra47 Posts: 823 Member
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    I''ve been there and done that.

    The good news is that two weeks on a low-carb (under 100 carb) diet will make it stop. It feels so SO good to be free of it!

    The bad news, is that if you start eating carbs again it will totally start again. That's because the cravings are a physical response to carbs. They raise dopamine and serotonin and insulin and lots of other happy brain juice. When the happy brain juice drops, the body demands more.

    Why not try a low-carb experiment for 2 weeks, or 4. See how you feel about it.

    Dang. You said exactly what I was trying to say. Using 1/10th of the words. Sigh. I need to go to bed. :laugh: :yawn:
  • RNMDFF
    RNMDFF Posts: 153 Member
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    Pick a carb you like. I'll use chips as an example, either buy single serving packs or buy a big bag and portion it out in small bags. Let yourself have that and only that. What ever it is, allow yourself that one treat. If you tell your self you can have that carb and only the carb it will eventually get used to it
    Good luck
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,670 Member
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    I find that the more carbs I have in my diet, the more I crave them. I have them set to 40% right now and I'm happy with that.

    Baby carrots! That's what weened me off in the beginning. The crunch gives that starchy/carby satisfaction I needed when nothing else did the trick. A whole 16 oz. bag is 213 calories. So I would just save 213 for the end of the day and kill it! Now it's tough to eat more than half a bag most times. ;)
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,670 Member
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    http://fitbie.msn.com/eat-right/tips/8-reasons-wheat-making-you-gain/tip/0

    Here's a link to an article that goes in detail about those cravings and carb addiction. I am a recovering carb addict, and have eliminated grains from my diet. I honestly do not crave them anymore. At all. And I feel great, and am very happy to keep eating this way. :)

    So true! Eliminating grains is the best thing I have ever done! I gave it a try and now it has become a lifestyle. I feel so great!

    Ditto on grains. I still eat them on occasion because they are freakin' delishemz but I feel fantastic when I skip grains altogether. My BFF recommended I try it after he felt positive changes after going Paleo. I don't eat Paleo but they're certainly dead-on about grains.

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