Something unexpected has happened to my cravings!

  •   #1  
    truehappiness's Avatartruehappiness , 11-29-2013 02:06 AM
    I have been HOOKED, like majorly addicted to sugar for as long as I can remember. Sugar has been my biggest problem and temptation through this whole lifestyle change (I'm 2 months in). Then, all of a sudden the past few days the thought of sugar makes me nauseous.

    The only thing that I can think of is that I recently went on the birth control pill, so maybe my hormones before were the reason I was craving sugar.

    All I know is that I am going to avoid sugar as long as I can, until (or if) I start craving it. It's great, because now I am craving lean protein and vegetables. I really never expected this to happen!

    Has this happened to anyone else after starting birth control or has it happened randomly a few months into your diet?
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  •   #2  
    SparklyBunny's AvatarSparklyBunny , 11-29-2013 04:52 AM
    Hello! I love your nickname :-)

    Hormones absolutely have an affect on cravings. I notice it in myself that at a certain time during my cycle I need to have carbs. My cravings aren't necessarily for sweet foods, but just carbs. Then at another point I feel like I lose appetite completely.

    Anyway, here's something about it:

    Quote:
    Imbalances between estrogen and progesterone will often increase cravings in women. This is thought to occur because estrogen has a serotogenic (i.e., it can act on serotonin receptors in the body) effect; when estrogen levels drop too low, mood can be adversely affected. Low moods often create cravings for sweet foods, because consuming these foods will momentarily raise serotonin levels in the brain.2 This occurs because an increase in blood sugar will cause increased uptake of tryptophan into the brain, and tryptophan is the immediate precursor of serotonin. However, this is short lived (because the underlying imbalance is still there) and creates a vicious cycle of craving and eating sweet foods. Low progesterone levels can also affect mood by lowering gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA). 2 In addition, estrogen excess in men and women will promote fat storage.
    I was lazy and just copied the first thing I found after googling "progesterone cravings" :-)
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