Ok, let’s talk cravings. This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart since I lived my life for years struggling with really intense sugar and carbohydrate cravings.
The cycle would go like this:
-Wake up and just grab something quick, a granola bar, piece of toast, or some kind of breakfast bar (not really wanting much because honestly, I would have really overeaten the night before.)
– Eat a small lunch because I was dealing with food guilt from overeating the night before. Lunch would be maybe a handful of spinach, some spoonful’s of cottage cheese, maybe some sunflower seeds and some other veggies – carrots and cucumbers.
– Mid-afternoon cravings would really start kicking in. Maybe grab a cookie or some small dessert item from the kitchen at work OR try to snack on some almonds
– Get home from work around 4..STARVING and eat whatever I could find: chips, crackers, crunchy carby foods…I found I wasn’t eaten dinner meals, just kind of grazing and eating until I went to bed.
– Start the whole cycle over
I look back on that and feel sad because I remember thinking, “Katie! What is WRONG with you!” You need to have better willpower and not eat so much at night.
It wasn’t a willpower problem. It was a biochemical problem. A hormone problem. A blood sugar problem.
A few key takeaways how I was able to get off the craving cycle
–you need to eat enough fat and protein to feel satisfied.
– transitioning your metabolism from because a “sugar burner” to a “fat burner” has a profound effect. We talk about this in the Best You Plan
– Eat full meals throughout the day to avoid overeating later in the day. For example, if you are going to eat a salad, eat a satisfying salad! Try 2-3 cups of veggies + 4-5oz. protein (eggs/cheese/meat) + add fat! (full fat salad dressings without soybean or canola oil, avocados, nuts and seeds).
To your best you,
Katie Vigesaa, RD
registered dietitian
Intermittent Fasting: Tips to Get You Started
