"Lower Carbs" to kick cravings?

Options
2

Replies

  • CHHOLLAND71
    CHHOLLAND71 Posts: 1
    Options
    FitnessRX magazine (volume 11, number 4) has a very interesting article about just this type of situation. It is fairly new thinking and suggests that carbs, even cravings for sugary sweets, should be consumed early in the day. It is worth the read. You will still have to learn to exercise some self control however. Lots of luck!
  • bltrexler
    bltrexler Posts: 180 Member
    Options
    I am back on the lower carb diet after a 2 week vacation that included ice cream 2x day. I have a wicked sweet tooth and any cookie or sweets is a gateway food to another cookie, brownie, bowl of sweet cereal or what ever. For me I like to low carb because it eliminates my craving for those decant treats. I even said no to ice cream cake at work yesterday.

    I eat high protein so I feel full longer. If I need something sweet then I grab a handfull of bittersweet chocolate chips and that does the trick. Otherwise I will mix ff ricotta cheese with plain greek yogurt, and marcapone cheese and splenda for something sweet. Or make a orange cremesicle greek yogurt drink with extract and splenda. Its can be challening to start (48 hrs) but after that I felt a noticable difference. You do need to drink alot of water, but with high protein diet I get crazy dry mouth so thats not a problem like it use to be.

    Good luck
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    Options
    I know this has probably been asked a ton of times, but ya know what? I've noticed this site is full of repetition, and there are still a bunch of supportive people that take time of their day to reply, soooo I'm trying my luck. ;)

    I've fallen off the wagon a long time ago and I cannot for the life of me get back on. My problem is CRAVINGS. It's not the typical "I want a donut because it sounds good", it's a more intense, almost severe "I NEED this donut because my heart is pumping, my leg is shaking, I'm incredibly anxious and it won't go away until I'm stuffed full of sugar". It's THAT bad.

    I eat a healthy breakfast (most days) and I eat every 2-4 hours, I try to keep my meals at 300-400 each, and I try to focus on protein and fiber, but I find myself wanting to overload on CARBS and SUGARS - but not fruit sugar, I want the refined, processed, delicious, addictive crap. And it gets SO bad to the point where if I DON'T have it, I literally feel anxious like an OCD person inexplicably compelled to tap their doorknob 14 times before leaving their house.

    I guess my question out of all this rambling is... would a low carb "diet" (or lifestyle, whatever) help my cravings? At this point, I don't even care about losing weight, I dont' care about working out, all I want to do is be able to be around food and not feel the NEED for it. I want to be able to be around the unhealthy foods and not want to drop everything just to have it. I want these damn cravings to go away!!

    Anybody currently on lowER carb plan, or tried it, or thinking of it for this reason?
    What are your experiences?
    What plan are you on?
    Is it helping your cravings and aiding your weight loss?

    Thank you all. :)

    Love and Alohas,
    Ihilani Kapuniai

    I went lowER carb ( 100g net or less per day) almost 3 months ago, and it has definitely changed my cravings. I have a box of donuts that has been sitting on top of my fridge for close to 2 weeks now, and I have had ONE. I have candy in my fridge, but I might have A piece a day. In the evening I will make a plate of cheese and olives (or pickles) and summer sausage instead of greasy chips. For breakfast I eat eggs, bacon, cottage cheese and berries instead of a small bowl of cereal.

    ETA: I am loosely following Atkins. When I ate a *normal* amount of carbs, I exercised for 90 minutes 3-4 times a week, and it took 3 MONTHS to lose 7 lbs. When I reduced my carbs to under 100g net per day, I lost 8lbs the first month, 6 lbs the 2nd month, and so far I have lost 2.4lbs the 3rd month. So 7lbs VS 16.4.....I think I'll stick to lowER carb!
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
    Options
    It definitely sounds like you have a simple carb/sugar addiction. Keep in mind that your brain does release some pleasure chemicals after eating simple carbs and sugar, so it's not really that strange to have an addiction to them. Your best bet for breaking this addiction is to just flat out stop eating refined carbs and foods with added sugar for awhile. Avoid artifically sweetened food and drinks as well. They simply reinforce your cravings and sweet tooth. No more diet soda (or any soda). Get used to drinking water, black coffee, plain tea, etc. Once you've gotten back on the wagon, you can start adding those types of foods back in, but only in moderation. Use fruits to satisfy your cravings. They won't fully satisfy of course at first, but eventually they will.

    Also, NEVER keep simple carbs like chips, snack packs, etc., sitting around your house. Nobody who has your level of cravings can resist that temptation. NEVER rely on your willpower, that's a sure fire method for failure. Simply make sure not you're hungry when you go grocery shopping (I find cheat meals are great right before grocery shopping b/c then I buy super healthy food), and don't buy any processed carbs or sugary stuff to take home with you.
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
    Options
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/9-ways-to-deal-with-hunger-on-a-diet.html
  • beamer0821
    beamer0821 Posts: 488 Member
    Options
    if you are binging there is more going on than food. its not about the food (and its also not-not about the food). you wont resolve your cravings via dieting, you need address the core issue (the real work). you need assess why you are eating, whats going on. are you anxious, sad, depressed, worried, etc. track your emotions daily you might be surprised how something from a few days prior is affecting you today.

    a good therapist can also help you process as well

    i talk from experience..
  • maroonmango211
    maroonmango211 Posts: 908 Member
    Options
    I had this problem too, for me it was after I wanted to get healthy and fit after my daughter. Every time there was unhealthy food around I made excuses for having it or would get anxious if I didnt. My solution was to ditch everything in the pantry and fridge that even resembled unhealthy food, even the bulk sugar went. I spent a week on a fruit and veg cleans with the cheat of one portion of meat and one portion of grain a day (not including being able to have oatmeal in the morning). After this week my body craved the sugars in FRUIT so much more than any doughnut or icecream cone.

    After the cleanse was done I slowly let back in certain food into my diet, especially at celebrations. I never went back to feeling that insensibly overrun with almost an addiction to sugar and processed foods. Instead of keeping everything out of reach but still in your house/ around your work etc I would recommend fully having it far enough away that its out of sight out of mind and even if you do cave in, you have to WALK to the grocery store to get it.
  • xarge
    xarge Posts: 484 Member
    Options
    Also, NEVER keep simple carbs like chips, snack packs, etc., sitting around your house. Nobody who has your level of cravings can resist that temptation. NEVER rely on your willpower, that's a sure fire method for failure. Simply make sure not you're hungry when you go grocery shopping (I find cheat meals are great right before grocery shopping b/c then I buy super healthy food), and don't buy any processed carbs or sugary stuff to take home with you.

    I agree wholeheartedly. When I have processed carbs in the house, I eat. When I don't have them, I don't even remember their existence after a while.
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
    Options
    Low carb is helping me a lot with my cravings, but my life is not completely craving free. There have been two or three days in the last month where I really just wanted to give up and go to McDonald's for a double quarter pounder, some fries, and a soda, then hit the gas station for a pastry. I mean, I wanted to so bad.

    I made myself eat eggs instead and it wasn't pleasant, but the craving passed.
  • MoveTheMountain
    MoveTheMountain Posts: 764
    Options
    Anybody currently on lowER carb plan, or tried it, or thinking of it for this reason?
    What are your experiences?
    What plan are you on?
    Is it helping your cravings and aiding your weight loss?

    Thank you all. :)

    Love and Alohas,
    Ihilani Kapuniai

    Yes, I'm totally off bread/sugar/starchy carbs - basically, it's primal/paleo, but I do allow myself a little bit of dairy (a little skim milk in my protein shake, a little feta cheese on my salad).

    As far as cravings go, it has worked wonders. And I've lost 2.5lb over the past 2 weeks (more or less since about the time I kicked the carbs), which is the most progress I've made in the last two months, despite being on week 6 of P90X.

    I can't discount that some of the weight loss might have to do with the exercise regimen finally kicking in, but honestly, I think it's more the diet that accounts for the changes. Yes, I'm stronger, yes I have better endurance than I did 6 weeks ago. But I started noticing those changes almost immediately. But since I cut out all grains/wheats/starches, the weight has really started to come off.
  • stephinpitts
    stephinpitts Posts: 33
    Options
    DanaDark - I appreciate your response, however... I'm the type of person that can binge up to 10,000 calories a day... no exaggeration. I will sit and eat... and eat... and eat... all day, until I feel the urge to vomit. Then I'll eat some more. I can eat any kinds of chocolate (or any dessert, really) by the pound, no matter HOW sweet it is, and still crave more. It's severe.

    In that case I suggest talking to your doctor and possibly a psychologist / therapist. The urge to eat (or the non-stop process of eating) like that could be indicative of a health issue, or an issue like OCD.

    Please know that I'm not intentionally insulting you, and I apologize if I come across that way. While dieting is sure to help, it appears that there are issues that may need to be addressed first before you'll be successful with dieting. For now it sounds like you're fighting a medical issue of some sort, and that's a struggle that's ultimately lost if we don't address it first.

    Most of us want you to succeed, so double check with your doctor first to make sure that there aren't issues that are going to prevent that.
  • mndamon
    mndamon Posts: 549 Member
    Options
    I personally hated the idea of completely cutting carbs. It's necessary for energy to workout. I simply cut them down to just a few or none the last meal or two in the day (except a post workout meal). It's worked so far, I'm steadily dropping fat, it may not be as quick as completely cutting them out would be, but it's more likely for me to stick with it and that's the whole point.
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
    Options
    Well I'd agree about not cutting out carbs completely, especially if you're working out. In fact, not even the Atkins diet recomends completely cutting out carbs permanently. I'm just recomending cutting out processed and refined carbs until the addiction is fixed. The OP can eat all the fruit she wants IMHO. Once she's gotten over her cravings, she can start eating carbs again in moderation, hopefully mostly avoiding foods with added sugar, chips, etc.
  • gogospice
    gogospice Posts: 185 Member
    Options
    I'm a bit of a carb *kitten*... I started eating quinoa and that all changed. I no longer crave bread, pasta, rice... I eat it as a substitute for oatmeal and pasta the most.

    Breakfast consists of Quinoa and fruit with some cinnamon
    Lunch or Dinner consists of Quinoa with pasta sauce and some sort of meat (hamburger, chicken...) and sometimes if I have a ton of calories left over CHEESE!!

    Ever since I started eating this I never feel like I'm missing out. I actually feel better eating it, and I find that eating other gluten products I feel worse. Once I start eating them I can't stop. This was a great transition food for me! Pretty sure it is the one thing that has kept me on track!

    PS... I make it up in big batches and portion it out (adding sauce and everything) Makes it easy to pop in the microwave and heat up! Because I'm a snacker, and if I have to wait for something to cook... I'm probably going ot have my hand in that cookie jar!
  • Roxiehart9
    Roxiehart9 Posts: 32
    Options
    I'm the same way...pizza, taco bell, a doughnut...if it tastes good, I want it! I worked really hard on my will power for two strong weeks not allowing me to have any of those items and the cravings start to subside...they don't go away, but they become smaller and way more managable. Then I don't mind allowing myself once every month to go ahead and enjoy because I know it's not something that is gone, but I have to set limitations for myself otherwise, I gorge. When I started keeping track of my food intake, I noticed that one meal I ordered at home: two tacos, two papusas, and two beef patties, = 1000 calories!! in one meal! And I told myself to just eat one each and eat the others tomorrow...nope, I ate them all. So the key is to know yourself, know that dieting and getting healthy is work and if you really want it, stick to it, and reward yoruself every now and then. I still have a long way to go but I'm really trying to stick with it and I keep telling myself, those calories will taste better when I don't feel guilty about eating them.

    Best of luck!
  • BlackLabel1803
    BlackLabel1803 Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    Yes, I was in the same situation- literally could not sleep until I was in a proper food coma. Once you get through the first week or so without processed sugars, starches- you will not crave them. Check out reddit.com/r/keto. The FAQ has a lot of good info and videos. I definitely reccommend the movie Fat Head, available on Hulu. Now, I *occasionally* get the urge to binge, but it's usually on broccoli and cheese. :P
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    Options
    i eat very low carb (20 grams a day - most days)

    ketosis has cured the physical cravings.. but not the mental ones.

    i will be addicted forever, that won't go away.
    ketosis makes it 100 times easier to say 'no'
  • bhankiii
    bhankiii Posts: 217 Member
    Options
    Cravings sabotaged me for years until this last time when I gave up sugar completely. i didn't give up carbs - I gave up sugar. I threw out everything that contained added sugar, honey, agave, dextrose, etc. My food cravings disappeared the next day and have never come back. I'm a sugar-aholic. A little sugar makes my body want a little bit more. I could eat a whole cake because my sugar appetite was never satiated so I'd eat until my stomach couldn't hold any more. So I gave it up entirely - and it was much easier to do than just cutting back.

    I still eat fruits, still enjoy the natural sweetness of dairy, still enjoy my carbs - although I don't eat so much wheat these days. I've also found that everything tastes much better than it did in my sugar-saturated days, so I get a lot more enjoyment from what I do eat. You'll also find that eliminating sugar also removes a lot of fat from your diet since sugar often comes wrapped in fat - although I don't make an effort to avoid fats generally.

    You might try it for a few weeks and see how your body reacts. Good luck.
  • mpf1
    mpf1 Posts: 1,437 Member
    Options
    There are some processed carbs that I cannot eat in moderation. I am better off without them at all. But I do allow for substitutes that don't trigger the same problems. I don't think the problem is just psychological.
  • Biggipooh
    Biggipooh Posts: 350
    Options
    I used to crave a lot of sugery stuff, like gummi bears, sour patch, cake, chocolates, donuts etc. It ended up a lot of times in binge eating. Anyhow, ever since I changed my diet to at least 90 g protein a day, the cravings stopped. I have to make sure to eat to every meal a lot of protein. Like I eat bread always together with ham or cheese, never with jam or nutella. For lunch i eat fish or chicken or eggs with some carbs. And for dinner I try to eat only protein. It is something about the protein, that keeps my sugar cravings away and also keeps me full for several hours.

Categories