Massive post-holiday potato cravings

  • I just got back (a week ago) from a two-week trip to the UK, then a week in Santa Barbara and another week in San Francisco. I had a really lovely time, ate well and exercised a lot. I lost 4 lbs during my trip, even though I fell off my very-low carb wagon (and got dragged behind it too!).

    Since coming home, it feels like my carb cravings have really increased. Maybe I didn't notice it so much while on holiday because I was too busy having fun and distracted by activity to note cravings of any sort. But at home, with lulls in the excitement (laundry and dusting...woo hoo!), all I want now is to eat potatoes and watch TV!

    I'm back on track with exercise and I have been making mostly healthy food choices. But everyday, I gotta have the potatoes! I've been eating potato chips (not my traditional go-to form of potatoes) and oven-roasted potatoes. I made some really amazing potatoes the other day, combined with baby artichokes and summer squash. I tossed then with a jar of artichoke and piquillo pepper bruschetta sauce and baked for an hour. So tasty! So while the potato chips aren't the healthiest of choices (at least I'm getting some organic chips with no additives on them), my other forms of potatoes aren't overly fatty and I'm not eating massive portions. But I still gotta have them daily.

    I'm hoping this craving will go away soon. I've gotten rid of all other carbs from the diet again. Hoping this is just my transitional carb indulgence.

    I'm just trying to trouble-shoot why this is happening. I think it's a lack of greens and I haven't taken any vitamins or other food supplements in the last month either. Usually my cravings come from being undernourished in some way.
  • I watched a seminar today (Dr Phinney) that talked about it taking 2-6 weeks to truly change the metabolism from sugar to ketones. Even one cheat of excess carbs will knock the process out and one would have to start again. Cheat days on low carb are not the same as on other types of diet because the source of energy is different.

    You may want to do more research on it all, see where you want to be with it. For me, it simply isn't worth the cravings and the toll on the body.
  • Quote: I watched a seminar today (Dr Phinney) that talked about it taking 2-6 weeks to truly change the metabolism from sugar to ketones. Even one cheat of excess carbs will knock the process out and one would have to start again. Cheat days on low carb are not the same as on other types of diet because the source of energy is different.

    You may want to do more research on it all, see where you want to be with it. For me, it simply isn't worth the cravings and the toll on the body.
    This is very interesting stuff--watched him on YouTube after I read your post....! Thanks for mentioning it!!!