carb monster xpost

It's my first post in the 'grads' forum. I thought some of you might be able to help.

Ugh! I'm really struggling with carb crazvings (the z when in there as a typo, but they are crazy cravings so I'll go with it). I don't want to lose a lot, only about 5 lbs, but I want the cravings to stop.

I think I need to cut out sugar significantly to help get the cravings to go away. I'm not sure the best way to do this.

I guess I should maybe try going back to strict food planning and stopping the bites here and there, and the kind bars and the little treats... :(

Any other suggestions?

Good for you for stopping this at 5 pounds. My manta is that it is MUCH easier to lose 5 than 50. 5 is generally my limit, too. I think you should go back to strict food planning for a few weeks.

There is no magic. Just do it!!

In the past 11 years since I've been on this journey, I have struggled with this as well. Seems the more you eat the more you crave them. It's so hard to rid yourself of them. Sugar is also another enemy. What I try to do is keep some cooked chicken cut up and when I crave, I make myself eat that instead. It's a lifetime struggle for sure, sometimes the carbs win out :(.

Good luck!!

JA

I too have some MAJOR problems with carbs.  I am 7 years out.  I started out at 300 pounds and got down to 158 for my lowest number.  I had been maintaining between 162-166 generally until I had my son.  I only actually gained about 6 pounds in the end after I had my baby - but the exhaustion and the poor food choices made me gain about 20 pounds.  I saw a nutritionist who helped me realize that I just CAN'T eat starches and sugars.  It's my own personal brand of highly addictive drugs.  I went on a low-carb, slighly ketogenic plan and lost the weight in a few months.  Honestly - I can't even do very much fruit - it makes me crave more sugar.  Grains, potatoes etc - Forget it.  I have found myself saying many times "One meal with a baked potato won't hurt me".... In theory no - and potatoes themselves nutritionally aren't bad... It just makes it darn near impossible for me to walk by a cookie an hour later if I've eaten one. 

I'm actually in the same boat again right now.  We moved houses, and I've had 2 miscarriages this year.  It's been rough so I've been making poor food choices again and find myself close to being up to near 20 pounds again.  I have been lax with myself over the holidays knowing that if I try to 'be good' during the celebrations I'm setting myself up for failure.  

However - I am back on the path of righteousness come this weekend.  I have found that the EASIEST way of breaking my carb cravings is to do a "Egg Fast" ala Jimmy Moore (You can google it).  It does sound like a crash diet and it's true - I do lose about a pound of day while on it but that's really not my focus.  My focus is going gold turkey on the carbs.  I have found that once I have excluded them from my diet for about a week I just don't NEED them anymore, and it makes adhering to a healthier eating plan much easier.