What is happening here? Eating excess crap causing more hunger?

  • So...two weeks before my vacation I had a major personal crisis. Ate barely anything but gradually got most of my appetite back. Lost probably about 3-5 lb. Then went on my vacation for three weeks and because I was in Taiwan where there is limited English and only Chinese characters, we found it really difficult to eat and skipped a lot of meals, plus it was hot, etc., so I lost even more weight by not really eating that much.

    I have been home for almost 4 weeks now, and during the first 3 weeks still managed to eat WAY less and felt good, light, not hungry, not eating any junk, etc.

    THEN - slowly for the past week now the junk has crept in and I just can't stop EATING. Or WANTING to eat.

    Also - excess coffee consumption, even had Krispy Kreme donuts and my favorite cupcake place (which I usually reserve for a treat once a year), coffee after coffee with cream/milk (which I was able to cut out all milk for months before this).

    It's almost like, the more I eat/drink this junk, the hungrier I get and the more I want of it.

    Today I am ravenous. Even just for plain old food (not sweets). I've already had two coffees and can't stop thinking about wanting a coffee (and it's 7 pm!).

    Is this a purely psychological thing - or does eating junk and drinking excess coffee actually physically cause hunger/wanting to eat all the time? Does anyone else get this?

    ~Choirgirl~
  • It's part psychological, but mostly physical.

    See, junky food tends to induce rapid rises in blood sugars (from the simple carbs). What goes up tends to come down just as quickly, and when your blood sugar gets low, you crave more sugar. So you end up in a wicked cycle of high and low blood sugar, which can cause you to feel genuinely hungry when it's low, and that'll make you crave more junk (or even other foods).

    Totally normal - usually, after removing the junk food, it takes 2-3 days to bring the cravings back under control, for me.
  • Hmmm, so I have to get crazy strict and stick it out for a few days - get back to normal. Have to quit the coffee too. Funny, just when I made the decision to start cutting down/completely off caffeine. Now THAT must be psychological I know! Caffeine is a sly fox that way.

    ~Choirgirl~
  • Nope. Caffeine, too, causes a rapid rise in bloodsugars, followed by a crash. It also causes other physical things, not just psychological. And if you drink it with sugar and milk that just increases the effect.
    I cut my coffee consumption back to 2 cups (black, no sugar) in the morning, and drink water or herbal tea the rest of the day.
  • When I ate junk it definitely made me crave more junk. And sometimes after cutting back for a bit and then eating junk I would wake up the next morning absolutely ravenous, when normally I have to force myself to eat breakfast! Good luck taming the junk food beast!