Craving Carbs

[Ben86]

Hi all,

A little bit of a back story. I was overwight from about age 13-16 or so. I really kicked it in gear before I turned 17, I'm 20 now and I've been working out, learning everything I can, researching, doing it all for 3.5 years now. I used to be a runner and I got myself cut up really nice with a pretty extreme diet and a lot of running.

Now that I've slowed down on the running I've lost some of my cuts. I feel like I could get them back if I ran a few times a week, but still had a really strong diet. Problem is I can't seem to maintain my old diet as well anymore. I crave carbs all the time. I always feel unsatisfied, and like I need a bowl of cereal or something. I quit buying cereal and things like that because I tend to eat it extremely fast. I try to use old fasioned oatmeal and things like that but I still feel that I'm getting too many carbs, but still craving them all the time.

Any tips on why this would be? Or how to counter it? My current remedies are drinking a lot of water, and grabbing a hand ful of almonds to try to satisfy a craving. Works ok, but the craving is still there. I'm not opposed to appetite suppressants if anyone has an idea.

Thanks,

Ben

[latefordinner]

Do you still eat refined sugar? cut out ALL of it - even fruits for a month or so.

Do you eat multiple small meals or a few bigger ones?

[skunkworks]

Sometimes I'll have powerful cravings for carbs. I figure it's my body trying to tell me something, so I'll listen to it on occasion and have a moderate serving of whatever I want. If you're very carb-sensitive, you may not be able to indulge as much as you'd like to but I don't think it's ever good to ignore the signals. It really wears on you mentally, and good, stable diets shouldn't do that.

[Ben86]

I eat "no sugar added" canned fruit, and a lot of yogurts with like 5-8g sugar. I also eat a lot of bars but they are normally ~10-15 protein, 4-7 fat, and then they can be like anywhere from 2-17 sugar. I think most bars are not giving me refined sugars though... not sure. Would any of this be the culprit? I also take in a lot of caffeine.

edit: and i almost always get 5-6 meals a day.

[Acein8ter]

Try Splenda instead of sugar if you use it. I'd also like to find out how to cut carbs as I'm a carb addict. They say to cut down on all of the 'white' carbs:

Rice, Bread, Pasta, Potatoes.

If I don't have them, I don't feel real satisfied. Also get hungery faster...

[zer0]

i know it sounds like a really boring "snack", but i always keep a bag of spinach in my fridge, pop it in the microwave for a minute and mix it w/ a tsp of extra virgin olive oil....does the trick.

i like vegetables though, and have never really liked chips or candy, maybe its not an option to "quench" your need

[BreakfastBurrito]

Why can't you just start running again?

[jah7_fsu1]

Good suggesstions, I've found brushing your teeth to be a great way to stop cravings although I have no science on it, I think the effect is largely psychological.

[Korch]

I agree. In my experience, if I cut out carbs for a while I will eventually stop missing them. If I eat a lot of carbs, I often feel hungry later or the next day. Just eat a chicken breast or something

[Jetboy2]

[ QUOTE ]
with a pretty extreme diet

[/ QUOTE ]

What was your extreme diet?

[Ben86]

A normal day would be:

8AM Wake up. Walk 10 minutes, Jog 45, Walk 5

9AM Bowl of Old Fashioned Oatmeal and a very low sugar yogurt.

11:30AM chicken breast and salad (very very little no fat dressing)

2:00PM 1slice wheat bread, turkey, apple.

3PM Weight Workout.

430PM Whey Protein with 12oz nonfat milk.

7pm Chicken breast, bowl of peas, handful almonds

930PM Salad
edit: and water, always water all day.

something along those lines, I got seriously cut and it was great just very difficult to maintain that schedule with school and my girlfriend.

[WalkUpCondo]

Hey,

I'd probably put some olive oil on that salad (and vinegar if you want), and take some fish oil capsules throughout the day. Also include some protein in breakfast and your pre-bed meal. Then go from there.

Good luck.

[Ben86]

appreciated but i dont exactly eat like that anymore. close but not that good. are you suggesting that a lack of fat is causing the craving?
thanks,

Ben

[WalkUpCondo]

Good fats - avocados, walnuts, almonds, natural peanut butter, fish oil, flaxseed oil, olive oil - will definitely increase your overall health and help stave off hunger cravings if ingested throughout the day in moderate and varied amounts.

[Jetboy2]

[ QUOTE ]
with a pretty extreme diet and a lot of running

[/ QUOTE ]

What is your "extreme diet"? There is no way to approach an answer to your question without that info.

[Ben86]

I listed an average day above. I'm not that disciplined anymore, but maybe 5 meals about like those. More bars, less salads recently. im trying to stay close to it, while laxing up a little bit (because ill need to take my girlfriend out or whatever). Still find myself craving carbs daily.

[Jetboy2]

[ QUOTE ]
I listed an average day above.

[/ QUOTE ]

I didn't calculate it. How many calories? Break it down. Your life, so you tell me.

-jb

[Ben86]

Right now I would estimate im getting 2500 cals on a good day, a day where I get a craving one of my 350-400 cal meals may turn into 800-900 and that can cause a problem and boost the daily intake over 3k.

The cravings are always for something like a cliff bar. for example, today for a meal I had 3 8oz turkey, 1 slice wheat bread, 2 scrambled eggs. Then about 20 min after that I had a 150cal detour bar, (15 protein, 2 sugar, 15 carb, 5 fat). Got a craving, had a 250 cal 20 sugar 45 carb 4.5 fat 10 protein cliff bar. Craving remained, had a kashi bar, 170cal, 5 fat, 10 protein, 18 carb, 10 sugar. craving remained but I got up and left. You can get a feel for how it gets out of hand rather quickly though. Going to run now, be back in around 45 and Ill check this.

[skunkworks]

Ben, that is pretty ridiculous. You need to break that cycle quickly. Have you found anything that scratches that itch? Chocolate? Bread? Chips? Anything? Taking in 100-200 calories of something awful is better than 500-600 of pseudo-healthy stuff.

[Ben86]

I know it makes me feel like [censored] for a couple hours too. I always end up running later for some sort of recovery (at least a recovery mentally). No I haven't found a cure yet...

[thirddan]

ben,

give the bars away, can't eat what you don't have...problem solved...

[Ben86]

guess that might be the only thing that makes sense. I would like to keep em around for on the go type meals but if i cant that would be the easy fix.

edit; just to be clear, i am very thin I just have leanness goals that I inhibit everytime I submit a craving and id like to make them go away. sounds like im some slob with eating disorder.

[thirddan]

wtf is that last sentence?

[skunkworks]

You are very thin but you have leanness goals. Hmm. Are you anorexic? I'm kind of serious.

[Ben86]

jesus no its just a hobby, something I strive for because it keeps my healthy and makes me feel good.

[skunkworks]

Well, you're thin and you have leanness goals (a touch strange), you binge on carbs and can't shake that craving, and then you run afterwards to assuage the guilt. You can understand why I might have some small concerns.

[jah7_fsu1]

Skunk: Precisely what I was thinking. Perhaps this is why:

[ QUOTE ]
A little bit of a back story. I was overwight from about age 13-16 or so.

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe he is fearful of putting back on weight???

[Ben86]

yeah, well sort of. Not so much fearful as just wanting to maintain what i worked so hard to get.

[skunkworks]

Ben, what percentage of your daily calories are from carbohydrates? Also, do you eat fruit?

[Ben86]

I've been eating this no sugar added canned fruit cocktail lately. Its grapes, pineapple, peaches, and cherries.

per day I would say my breakdown is something near

20% fat
40% carbs
40% proteins

[skunkworks]

Try to identify common details between your cravings -- what did you eat before? What were you doing when the craving hit? What foods are most effective at stemming the urges? Besides that, I gots nothin for you. Let me know if you find anything interesting since I'm interested myself.

[zer0]

[ QUOTE ]
I've been eating this no sugar added canned fruit cocktail lately. Its grapes, pineapple, peaches, and cherries.

per day I would say my breakdown is something near

20% fat
40% carbs
40% proteins

[/ QUOTE ]

well, that is what you should be aiming for as a breakdown anyways(for the most part), maybe you should add more carbs into your meals if you crave them afterwards? don't be afraid to eat a baked sweet potato, english muffin, bread for a sandwich, its not going to kill you. body needs carbs, too.