Cravings

[mishka]

I've been trying to follow the plan as closely as I can the last few weeks. Occasionally I'll go under my protein for a meal (usually at work from bad planning) but I make sure I get it all by the end of the day. I also have been following the carb amount really closely except for a few meals I didn't calculate beforehand.

My question is this, I haven't been craving carbs at all until the last few days. I think part of it is seeing the rest of the family finishing off the cake and ice cream from my husbands birthday. I also have been craving breads a lot. I think some of it may be from feeling "deprived" of what the rest of the family eats with their meals and missing what I used to eat a lot.

Is there anything that has helped the rest of you with this? I really want to go back to not craving them since cravings are what usually get me off plan when I'm trying to change my eating habits.

[laughingW]

Is there anything that has helped the rest of you with this? I really want to go back to not craving them since cravings are what usually get me off plan when I'm trying to change my eating habits.
If it were me I'd add some sat fat to my meals, and make sure carbs were not too low. Only veggie carbs do that to me - must have some starch in ECC amounts.

Disclaimer - the Eades don't talk about this in their books, but that sounds like a slow decline in serotonin over the weeks you've been doing the program. Some people experience this with the initial carb allowances, depending on how you get your carbs. Cravings for bread are a clue.

A giant discussion of this recently in "Hyperlipid" in the comments section, including links to other sources:

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=36840063&postID=3352018840006345635

[Ammy]

I can tell you this.
Once I lost 75lb's, I really struggled with carb cravings.
I dont' know that I needed to change anything (I didn't change anything), and I learned that it was my mind trying to convince me I could "eat like other people".
I suffered through, and kept losing...but I will say, it took a LOT longer after that point.
Hmmm Maybe I shouldn't say that.
Okay...don't read that last line...
Oh wait, I suppose it's too late...
crap...



:razz::D

[gitfiddle]

Mishka, if you increased your fat intake (butter, cream, meat fat, etc.) you would feel more sated and that's the cure for me. Also more protein is often advised. Check your diet to see if there are sugar alcohols from "low carb bars" or sugar-free snacks. That won't change the deprived feeling, but it might help you cope with it.

It helps me to think about the good things I can eat and that I'm doing something positive for my health. I also try not to hang out in places that will give me that "white knuckle" experience. :)

[mishka]

Disclaimer - the Eades don't talk about this in their books, but that sounds like a slow decline in serotonin over the weeks you've been doing the program. Some people experience this with the initial carb allowances, depending on how you get your carbs. Cravings for bread are a clue.

Interesting... I've been on Lamictal for about 6-9 months and one of it's side effects is inhibiting serotonin reuptake. Maybe I should check with my doctor about that. I'll have to read up from that link also.

[aurelia]

Carb cravings really only hit me when I smell sugar. The coffee shop when they are baking scones is deadly. Also, the bakery at my local grocery store is between the produce aisle and the meat counter. I swear the doughnuts are whispering to me.

Don't get those cravings at home because there are no sugar treats in the house to smell.

[laughingW]

Interesting... I've been on Lamictal for about 6-9 months and one of it's side effects is inhibiting serotonin reuptake. Maybe I should check with my doctor about that. I'll have to read up from that link also.

yeah, when serotonin reuptake is inhibited, it's like using the same tea bag over and over - eventually it just gets too used to have any effect. Same can happen if you are not making new serotonin as fast as you were, while re-using what you did have ... a gradual depletion is what the working theory is, for those of us who buy this idea.

[mishka]

yeah, when serotonin reuptake is inhibited, it's like using the same tea bag over and over - eventually it just gets too used to have any effect. Same can happen if you are not making new serotonin as fast as you were, while re-using what you did have ... a gradual depletion is what the working theory is, for those of us who buy this idea.
So, is there a good way to deal with this without binging on carbs?

[maxlharris]

Since no one else is going to suggest it, I guess I will:
L-Glutamine has been suggested in other forums (and the original Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution) as a good method of fighting cravings. I have only really used it for one period of time, and it seemed to work. You can find it at GNC or most places that carry a wide line of herbals and health foods. Maybe Whole Wallet. I don't think Profiteer Joe's. Definitely GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, and netrition.

I know people who swear by it for the early in the process cravings.

[nrobles]

Why suffer! When craving ice cream, make your own low carb delight. Sugar free Jello and heavy cream in the mixer and 10 seconds later, voila! Im eating a sweet, creamy low carb dessert with almost no added carbs. LivinlaVidaLoCarb has some chocolaty delights that seem promising for those really bad craving days. I recently made a cream cheese/no added sugar fruit preserve/cheese puff pastry cravings killer. It sure helped. Almost no carbs but real comfort food! And I'm down to 179 from 235.

[Ammy]

Aww..but first do research. How do you handle sweets?

If you are a "sweet-a-holic", then don't mix up a sf dessert, because once you start, you can't stop at one serving (or two or three). :o

If you are NOT a sweet-a-holic, then GO for it! Nrobles is right. Mix it up, and ENJOY!!! :nod:

[maxlharris]

Why suffer! When craving ice cream, make your own low carb delight. Sugar free Jello and heavy cream in the mixer and 10 seconds later, voila! Im eating a sweet, creamy low carb dessert with almost no added carbs. LivinlaVidaLoCarb has some chocolaty delights that seem promising for those really bad craving days. I recently made a cream cheese/no added sugar fruit preserve/cheese puff pastry cravings killer. It sure helped. Almost no carbs but real comfort food! And I'm down to 179 from 235.
I have a good reason.

Maybe you are in this to unlearn crap eating habits. Maybe it's detox for your taste buds, and you want to recalibrate so you can taste everything as it should be.

The original modern ketogenic diet (Atkins) was about that. PP was about that as well. Consider, what is actually in SF Jello. Or in SF chocolate. There is a reason people have explosive gastic upset with SF chocolate.

Again, there are a lot of roads to success, but if you give in to cravings at the start, what behaviors are your really learning and how useful are they liable to be in the long haul?

<rant about Jimmy Moore's soul, now a fully owned subsidiary of his sponsors deleted>

[Belfrybat]

I'm with Nrobles on this one. I know if I'm craving something really badly and I begin to feel deprived I better do something "legal" or I'll end up on a carbfest. I no longer crave bread (one of my downfalls) because I found a great substitute -- flaxmeal bread -- which I make up one serving at a time. That way I don't overindulge. If I want cake, I add cream, flavourings and SF sweetener which ends up similar to a coffee cake. Or I'll eat a couple of squares of dark chocolate and let them melt very slowly in my mouth. If its pizza I'm craving (another favourite), I make one with Flatout bread as the base. LC yogurt half frozen substitutes for ice cream.

In the past, I've lost control even with LC treats, but my philosophy is if I'm going to overindulge, doing it with LC foods is less harmful than diving into an Italian creme cake and not coming up for air until it's all gone. Been there, done that.

Only you know if you can eat substitutes without them causing further cravings. But I'd recommend a trip to the recipe forum and copy some easy to make treats for those times when you really need something. I'll check and see if my flaxmeal bread is there and if not, will post it.

Hang in there -- this too shall pass.

[gitfiddle]

I can judge my stress level by the urge to have something sweet. It might be zero carb or dark chocolate, but if I see a pattern I go cold turkey for a while. I can't afford to have sweet as a comfort food. I'm a compulsive overeater and sweet is the trigger.

BC, I used to have flatout pizza very regularly and I just realized that I haven't wanted it in a couple of years. I never considered it a bad choice because it was within my carb count. I've stopped eating grain for the most part, so I would have to find a new crust! :)

[mishka]

If its pizza I'm craving (another favourite), I make one with Flatout bread as the base.
<snip>
I'll check and see if my flaxmeal bread is there and if not, will post it.

Hang in there -- this too shall pass.

This sounds good... breads were a biggie for me, challa, french bread, bagels. Pizza too (it's a tradition the night we pick up our boys for our visitation time). What is flatout bread?

[laughingW]

So, is there a good way to deal with this without binging on carbs?

Alas, no simple rule that works every time. It's an art and has to be worked out by you.

For me, it means, getting enough sat and mono fat, getting my ECC as starch with roots and veggies, and not going below 12 ecc per meal - I have 3 meals.

Sometimes I (gasp!) go to 50 g carbs in a day to avoid bingeing.

[gitfiddle]

What is flatout bread?It's a flat, kind of a pita-looking thing that makes a better pizza base than a tortilla. They had one low-carb version that was around 8 ecc., as I recall. They also made excellent sandwich wraps. You will probably find them in the deli area of your grocery store rather than the bread aisle.

[maxlharris]

If you are going to get Flat Outs, (If they are available in your area), you have to be sure to get the Lite ones, rather than the regular ones. It's a difference of about 8g of net carbs (or more, I forget), which doesn't sound that bad, but if you are trying to do PP as prescribed, +8 to anything that is already carby will not work.

As to previous comments: for me, giving into cravings with either full on carbage or faux carbage tends to reinforce my cravings. It tamps it down for a day, or three, but it does not really eliminate or satisfy. I do not feel like a food addict, but that's mostly because I can soldier through a craving for, say, fried chicken, with a nice one ounce serving of almonds in safflower oil.

The other reason why I don't like faux carbage is that I find I am much better able to control portion with PP foods than with things from my old way of eating. I eat mindfully when I eat PP foods, and I do not when I eat carb foods or faux carb foods. I find that I do a lot better when I eat mindfully. So, if I were facing cravings, I would try the L-Glutamine again or figure out real, whole, PP foods that will satisfy the cravings. But, everyone needs a custom tailored solution.

[deirdra]

Gluten, casein, soy, too much artificial sweeteners or more than 10g net carbs at one sitting cause me cravings, so I avoid them.

[Belfrybat]

What is flatout bread?

It's a brand -- FlatOut. I get mine at Walmart in front of the deli counter. I can find Italian and whole grain in the low carb varieties. The ECC count is either 7 or 8 depending on type, so with the toppings added, it might come to 11-12 ECC -- not bad, but if you are just starting, don't eat a pizza made from it on a regular basis. I also like Joseph's Lavish bread, also found in front of the deli section at Walmart. It is very thin and makes wonderful crackers, similar to potato chips in texture (but not in taste). I think both of these are also available at netrition.com.

Again, only you can know if you are able to have a few treats without triggering additional cravings. I've learned I need to make a one-serving treat of sweet things, otherwise I overindulge, but can make a batch of savoury treats (such as crackers or bread) and only eat one serving.

[mishka]

Thank you all! This gives me some definite things to think about and try.

[aurelia]

There's a post on the Modern Forager blog about food cravings. It includes a link to a list that connects your cravings to the nutrient your body is asking for, then gives you alternative foods to satisfy the craving.

For example, a chocolate craving indicates a need for magnesium and you should eat raw nuts and seeds, legumes or fruits instead.

Just remember that it's not a low carb focused list.

http://www.modernforager.com/blog/2008/09/22/what-food-cravings-mean-and-how-to-control-them/