Carb Cravings page

[PrimalPat]

I've been eating Primal for many months with a lot of success. I typically eat fairly low-carb during the week (maybe 50-100g) but I allow myself more on Saturdays. Rice, noodles, potatoes, sweet potatoes, especially when eating put which is most Saturdays!

My problem is that every Sunday/Monday I go through crazy carb withdrawal symptoms. I makes my life difficult -for two days every week, but I certainly won't stop eating out and enjoying more carbs on the week-ends!

My question is: How do you handle carb cravings? Any tips to make the transition easier and faster?

Has anyone tried the Cyclic Ketogenic Diet? If so how do you handle cravings?

Thanks for your help!

[Penady]

For me, I really have to either cut out the starches and sugars or severly limit them. Then the cravings go away after a couple days. If you're not willing to give up the going out, maybe try cutting back on quantity (wouldn't work for me...downward spiral and all that, but we might be different). Maybe one starchy dish ...either noodles, or rice, or potato, then back to Primal/paleo. Definitely don't make a whole day of it.

[magicmerl]

I do eat more on the weekends socially like you do, but I still don't eat anything wheat based.

So if your craving are for wheat I can't help you sorry.

One thing I do after 'carbing' is to make sure that the breakfast the next day is a particularly high fat one. So bacon, eggs, onions, mushrooms and courgettes swimming in ghee (for example).

[Leida]

Badly. Transition day is always a nightmare. I find that the diets that require huge switches just promote binging and mood swings in me. I heard that people do great if they fast or fat fast (only take in fat) after the carb load, but respond even worse when I try to fast. So I do step by step carb reduction, and stick to the starches that cause less withdrawal symptoms. In my case tubers & legumes are better than grains. I completely avoid grains.

Cyclic Ketonic put me on the verge of fainting 2 months in twice, and I gained weight on it. I tried cutting the carb-up to one day, but it did not help. I would initially lose weight, but then it rolled right back on & I starved.

[MissJecka]

Honestly, in my opinion, you have to choose: indulge in wheat products because you're going out on Saturday and suffer the withdrawl, or break the cycle and treat yourself in other ways on the weekends.

If we go out to eat, I still won't eat wheat or grains. The treat is going out and not cooking; the treat is not eating something that may make my body unhappy. I'll have a few drinks. Or I'll eat some ice cream. This past weekend, for instance, the boyfriend and I wanted to try this new trendy asian-fusion restaurant. We shared tempura sweet potatoes for an appetizer and I had two vodka-and-seltzers. I didn't overdo it and think that just because I'm out I can or should eat rice or noodles; it just isn't worth it to me.

Choose how you treat yourself on the weekends. If you think it's worth the anguish on Monday, then don't change. If you are sick of the cycle you're in, break it. Instead of having noodles, pasta, rice, etc. treat yourself to good carbs like a sweet potato, some good-quality ice cream, or a gluten-free treat of some kind. Don't overdo it, and don't make it some kind of requirement to enjoy your weekend. Not all weekends are mandatory free-for-alls!!

[Gadsie]

What do you crave? Bananas?

[inesenite]

I generally eat around 50g carbs a day and do one cheat meal a week/5 days when I eat up to 200 g of carbs (rice, potato, fruit, sweets, some booze but no wheat or other grains (exc. rice)). I find that if I keep the carb-up to one meal, there are no symptoms of withdrawal or cravings next day. Also, if I keep it gluten free, I have no stomach issues either, even if I eat a ton. Everyone is different, I suppose, but if after a splurge I was suffering for next couple of days, I would try to find different ways to "cheat" that would result in less symptoms. May be it's not carbs in general that make you crave things but one particular part of your "cheat". For me it's alcohol - reach a certain level of booziness and I will eat every bad carb in sight

[Dirlot]

Seems pretty simple if your weekend eating is causing problems - which it is - moderate it.

[Leida]

I am in the same place as PP, and I find that weekends are always harder than the workdays. The tighter the control over the first day, the more likely I am to take a nose-dive into the fruit bowl and don't leave the next day. The longer I stay home, the worse it becomes. I had 4 days off this week, and I managed reasonable for 3 days, and then yesterday all hell broke lose. And I am not socializing, just feed my folks. At least I have no compulsions for anything but fruit and beets/carrots. Small blessing, but I count it! I used to crave baked stuff, potatoes and millet/buckwheat.

[patski]

*looks at the OP's handle*

*looks at her own website name*

Iiiiiiiiinnnnnteresting...

*glares just a little bit*