Every now and again I have a week where all I want is toast, cereal, pasta and the easier the better as I seem to lose my desire to cook. I have, in the past, always told myself I must be craving carbs and I must need them or it must be hormonal and that it is just the way it is. But is it, or is it just me using it as an excuse to eat more ??
The disappointment today was giving in to the vending machine, I didn't even think about it, I just ate both crisps and sweets for no reason other than greed. Because I had no plan today I also ate a baguette and cream cake for lunch. I say ate but maybe inhaled is a better description. The food went in that fast I cannot even remember if it tasted good. To say I am not happy about it is an understatement.
I then sat at my desk this afternoon, feeling full, bloated, slightly sick and very fat. The difference one day can make to your mood is unbelievable, the low it brings should be enough to stop me doing it again, doubt it will but it should. I still have the memory of how good I felt at the beginning of the week so it was easy to compare how the bad food had made me feel today, and it hit home quite hard.
Me being me, to find out if body craves carbs I googled it and found this :
- Following a diet that's extremely low in carbs and calories can trigger cravings for carbohydrate-rich foods. Restricting your carbohydrate intake reduces serotonin production in your brain. Adequate serotonin helps to keep your carbohydrate cravings reined in, psychologist Judith Wurtman writes in "The Serotonin Power Diet." Conversely, inadequate serotonin can make you feel low and moody, eager to reach for the foods you've been trying to avoid. If you suspect that your serotonin levels are low, try eating a piece of dark chocolate, a banana, eggs, salmon or whey protein to lift your mood.
Now I may just want to believe this but it makes sense to my moods and how I feel. So just to be sure I googled again and found this:
Why Do Carbohydrate Cravings Occur?
There are several theories for why carbohydrate cravings occur:
- We’re hungry. Our bodies run on carbohydrate, so when we get hungry, it may be the body’s wisdom telling us that it needs fuel – especially when we get too hungry. Carbohydrates are digested faster than protein or fat, so energy gets to the body faster. Can you think of any behavior that sets you up for carbohydrate cravings? If you said, calorie counting, you’re right. How many of us walk around feeling truly satisfied when we were watching every calorie we eat?
- We’re deprived. It’s obvious that when we’re cutting out carbohydrate foods, we might feel a little deprived and want them more. For someone who’s never dieted, this may be an easy thing to overcome. But for the diet-weary, it’s a big hurdle to overcome. Diet deprivation not only sets up carbohydrate cravings, it generally causes us to eat more than we really need to feel satisfied.
- We’re carbohydrate-deficient. Technically, the body can make carbohydrate from protein and fat. But it takes longer. Ask an athlete who has tried to limit carbs – energy levels are dramatically decreased.
- We’re insulin resistant and making the wrong choices. This reason still needs to be elucidated, but it does appear that some people crave carbs because their bodies don’t handle the types they eat well. Note the emphasis on type. It’s not the whole grains, fruits and starchy vegetables that set us up in this instance; it’s the very sweet and/or low-fiber sources eaten in excess.
Answer to my original question is, Yes, I can be craving carbs and it is not just in my head. At least I am not going mad but I am determined to get this under control before I work my way through a whole loaf of bread.
Thanks to the Ladies on the WW Support group for helping put things into perspective.
