I thought I'd share this partially to see if this has happened to anyone else and partially to embed it into my brain by writing it down.
I was completely off plan for a long Memorial Day weekend (Thurs - Wed.) I had planned to be off plan as I was out of town and doing lots of fun things. I'm still recovering from that weight wise, but I have to say I'm pretty surprised at the other things that are happening as a result of that in regards to food.
Normally I'm on about 1200 calories a day. It's been pretty easy to maintain that with no real cravings or hunger issues.
Now, while I was off plan, I found that the more sugary/fats/carbs I ate the MORE I wanted. It was like a flat out addiction. Plus I found I was hungry ALL THE TIME. I'm still hungry in fact now after being back, and craving those same sugary/carby things. I also have the same headache I had when I first started restricting calories last year.
It's almost like my body is starting out all over again in "coming down" off those types of foods. I've read quite a few times on here that sugar is an awful addictive drug and I have to say I completely agree with that now.
I guess I wonder whether it's truly a physiological process or more of a mental one, meaning that once we go off plan we allow our minds to entertain thoughts of hunger, cravings, and "letting loose." I don't know.
It is totally true. I had an english muffin the other day as a snack and I was SO hungry by my next meal. And then I wanted sugars and bread for the rest of the day.
For myself I know it's more of a mental thing. But I do experience the higher cravings in the days following a splurge.
I guess the way I look at it is the same way I look at smoking -- when I first quit (almost 4 years ago) it was certainly physical as well as mental. In the years since I have had 1 drag off my sister's cig; in the days that followed all I could think about was having a cigarette. Was I physically addicted again? No. But it triggered all the mental stuff again.
ETA: I do think higher sugar foods tend to trigger cravings, and some people are much more sensitive to sugar than others!
Yes indeed, sugar and starch create strong physiological responses with our endocrine system, in particular. Chemical reactions and hormonal responses to the breakdown of sugars is a real and very problematic thing for many folks, but few recognize their symptoms or the cause of them and are willing to actually limit or out and out ban the foods to which they are responding so poorly.
As for me, I decided that overall the physiological merry-go-round, cravings, increased hunger and hypoglycemic symptoms were NOT worth it. Thus, I heavily limit the sugar junk to special occasions and free myself from the negative symptoms in my daily course. It's been nothing but positive for my waistline, mood, AND energy.
I have finally learned to steer clear of sugars - unless paired with other things, it's no good. Bananas send me over the edge turning me into a craving madwoman. Pancakes, etc. Things like banana bread though, do not - maybe it's the fat? Same with peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Weird how some foods create triggers or cravings and others don't.
I began to feel out of control several weeks back, wanting to munch on everything in sight. I eventually figured out it had been because I started eating Triscuits, and decided it's going to be a long time before I buy another box!
My main trigger seems to be sugar though, and as long as I avoid it daily and pair it with fiber, protien, or fat for an occasional treat, my cravings are virtually non-existent. But when I have too much sugar or other carbs, I become an eating machine. And I prefer not being an eating machine.
Last edited by Elladorine; 05-31-2012 at 04:49 PM.
That's a nice article but in the context of a mixed meal with plenty of fat you're not going to see a large insulin spike or resulting crash. Also, for many people, the smallest amount of sugar can create big cravings.
My point is this: I agree it is physiological but it is not so simple as insulin and crashing blood sugar. It is much, much more complcated than that and I believe varies both with genetics and enviornment.
Consider this - the university of Leeds hooked people up to a functional MRI and discovered that those people who skipped breakfast had the reward centers of their brain activated by the sight of high calorie foods. The same people who ate breakfast and were shown the food did not have the reward centers light up like a christmas tree.
Hunger and cravings are not easily understood but there certainly appears to be a big correlation between sugar and cravings regardless of insulin. Even the taste of food makes a big difference ... it is, a fascinating subject.
Whether is psychological or physiological doesn't really matter to me; I totally agree that carbs are an addiction! I've been trying to eat lower carb (not LOW carb, just fewer carbs than I was binging on before) and I've noticed that I'm significantly less hungry throughout the day. I can satisfy myself with a handful of raw almonds and be fine until the next meal consisting mostly of veggies and lean meats. I had a bread item from the bakery the other day, though, and I was hungry for the rest of the night!
Vex - I wrote a post with almost identical sentiments regarding my carb/sugar fest over Memorial Day weekend. I don't know if it is physical or psychological, all I know is that carbs beget carbs! It's like potato chips - you can't eat just one. Too true.
I have finally learned to steer clear of sugars - unless paired with other things, it's no good. Bananas send me over the edge turning me into a craving madwoman. Pancakes, etc. Things like banana bread though, do not - maybe it's the fat? Same with peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Weird how some foods create triggers or cravings and others don't.
This is pretty much true for me. However, I LOVE BANANAS. And I have learned that if I have some SERIOUS protein WITH my banana, I am not hoppin'hungry like when I have the banana alone. I've started eating a banana each morning, with a healthy serving of cashews or almonds. Likewise when I feel like having a waffle, I make sure to eat some crispy bacon & a scrambled egg on the side. That seems to work for me.
However, something like a candy bar or slice of b'day cake? DANGER, Will Robinson! DANGER!!!! I tend to steer clear of those. And if I feel like I JUST HAVE TO HAVE some sort of "evil treat", I opt for something like Peanut M&Ms. Get that protein WITH the sugar. It does really help me.
That's really interesting, hearing how eating protein with sugar can help stave off the cravings that sugar alone can produce. Something to think about...
My point is this: I agree it is physiological but it is not so simple as insulin and crashing blood sugar. It is much, much more complcated than that and I believe varies both with genetics and enviornment.
Totally agree - I just posted something as an example and kept it simple. There are about a million things I could reference, and I usually defer to Lyle McDonald or Alan Aragon with things like that. For most people here, they aren't overly concerned with a lot of the in-depth science behind these topics.
Interesting thoughts about going off plan...
I tend to steer clear of those. And if I feel like I JUST HAVE TO HAVE some sort of "evil treat", I opt for something like Peanut M&Ms. Get that protein WITH the sugar. It does really help me. 
