6:21 pm
All I want is bread. And cake. Chips, bread, cake, all the carbs!? All. The. Carbs.
Yet, I know I can’t do that. And, I know I’ve been working WAY too hard these past years, literally, to lose a few pounds around my waist–way too hard to let it slip away with a few untimely carb binges. But, I want. I want, I want, I want! Gah!
It’s been about five months since I started on a low-carb diet–well, let’s be honest, a “less carb” diet; an ATTEMPT to eat LESS carbs than I have been eating (at least since I got sober!). And, by carbs, I mean specifically bread (I’ll allow wheat bread once in a while, but it’s an arbitrary distinction), white pasta, and well, sweets, like actual sweets (cookies, cake, etc.) but also “sweets,” like anything that is a high-carb bomb (juice, fruit, um, pretty much everything that is not a vegetable and/or comes in packaging, it seems).
UGH. It is making me cray cray, this CRAVING for bread, carbs, all the carbs!? Bread and butter–YUM. And, it seems, the more I try not to eat carbs–and it’s been five months of intentional cutting back–the deeper the craving gets. Last night, I gave in and ate pita bread and white rice and like, four freaking oatmeal raisin cookies (and, of course, the topping to the rice, which was homemade chana masala–good stuff). Only to feel like a wobbling, dizzy baloon before going to bed and well, the same after waking! And, today, it’s happening again: I cannot stop eating all the things, especially chips. I got the yeast out and was trying to decide between making naan or regular white bread when I was like, gurl, what are you doing?
The reason I started on this whole low-carb thing was because, last year, I went away on a trip for about 10 days, during which time I was sort of forced to drastically change my diet–and my perimenopausal night heat (burning up, dry chills, no sweating) went away! I mean, I stopped the bread, the pasta, the snacking, and the sweets; I only had one small cup of hot coffee in the morning with my breakfast (which consisted of eggs and rice and fruit)–and, no night heat! For the first time in like, years. SO, I tried to keep that up when I got back to the States, and I thought the craving would get less as time went on, but…it seems to be getting worse. Like I’m in a carb deficit and the sinkhole just keeps getting bigger and bigger, pulling me under…! Haha.
I gained weight years ago after quitting drinking–um, I started eating instead of drinking–and it’s been a struggle to not dive into every sweet, carb, or boredom-filling whatever since then. So, it was a great feeling when I went away last September for a week or so, to not only feel better but lose weight. Now, it seems, the cravings for carbs are stronger than ever–it’s almost painful, actually, like my belly is a yawning chasm, like my mind is in a constant state of semi-anxiety over not having carbs in me. I mean, I do have carbs once in a while, but really, the pasta is out since it makes me feel bloated now, and the bread and cookies and cakes and juice, and all that–I am trying to minimize it. UNTIL…I just cannot and I binge.
I’m convinced that the severity of my perimenopausal night heat is made better by not eating carbs (which cause inflammation and other stuff, I have to assume, related to hormonal fluctuations). And, well, not eating after a certain hour. Like, if I eat dinner late, or eat in the middle of the night (out of anger or anxiety that I can’t sleep!), I feel horrible the next morning, like that food has not budged! I try not to eat late anymore, but that doesn’t always work out. I TRY not to eat carbs, but as you can tell, that isn’t always easy.
Anyway, feeling pretty good today aside from that. Any other ladies experience the same (or different) off carbs?
Drunky Drunk Girl 
DDG have you lost weight by doing this? I have been thinking about doing the Keto diet after seeing all these amazing posts of people losing a ton of weight but then I started researching and started to worry about other people saying that they lost all the weight and then they just found the diet to restrictive and started craving carbs again. Once they started they piled all the weight on and then some more than the weight some of the poor things started at 😥 I’m just curious how you feel about it AND OMG I hope this doesn’t make you crave them more because that would suck. xox
Have you tried sitting in a different seat than you normally do to eat. Sitting in a ‘new’ spot might make it easier to see the new lifestyle from a new perspective and ease the cravings.
kept didn’t work for me as a long term thing- i hated it after a few weeks and Bread is my kryptonite…i have decided i will allow SOME of it -but experimenting with how much .For the next few weeks i am going to try 2-3 low carb wrap sandwiches /week. i tried several apps on my phone to keep track and after using each for a few days decided on”lose it” and then upgraded to premium to get the added features. I am amazed and disgusted at how much i have been consuming ( thinking i really wasn’t) and even more dismayed at the fat ratio..i always thought my protein level was higher than my fat. Ugh. Fortunately i don’t gravitate towards rice, potatoes, and pasta so that wants an issue.But Damn – i love junky chocolate bars( snickers, Reece’s PB cups, etc) and hate dark chocolate.So this will all be an experiment period. I have written down a list in a notebook of my usual foods and intend to figure out what fills me up that i don’t despise and stays within the calorie allotment. Fingers crossed….good luck to you also!
I recently did Keto, for a whole week! I felt so restricted by the constant diet of eggs, cream, bacon etc etc. Funnily though no carb cravings. One great thing it taught me was more education around carbs. I have switched over to a balanced diet now. Counting the calories & working out as often as I can. So far so good.
Have you read Potatoes Not Prozac? (My apologies if I’ve mentioned it to you before! I love this book.) It gets into the brain chemistry of sugar and carbs and alcohol, and suggests a plan for moving into a no-sugar lifestyle in a stable and sustainable way.
I generally eat low carb/keto.
I do find it helps reduce water retention and I have more energy.
I am celiac, so I am always gluten free.
I find as long as I plan in advance that I am not hungry. When I don’t I struggle because I have too many dietary restrictions and they make me crazy.
It’s a fine balance.
I do not weigh myself. I am an average weight I think. I continue to work on feeling good in my body and moving regularly.
I’m 48. I also have perimenopause symptoms. The keto diet doesn’t seem to impact that…but I Aldo take cymbalta which manages my pmdd.
When I quit drinking I found it all to easy to fall into the trap of filling my cravings with sugar/carbs. With diet, I’ve come to believe that nothing extreme is sustainable. I lost quickly with keto, but gained it all back and then some when I could no longer take the bacon and butter, lol. I think limiting carbs is the way to go, especially refined sugars and processed foods. Best of luck with this!! Xx
I follow WW.I eat bread, carbs, but in moderation. It’s taken me almost a year to lose 7 pounds. That’s the age factor.
Yes I relate in a BIG way. I am a carb monster! haha. I’ve always been more savoury than sweet too, but carbs are my biggest nemesis! I do however eat way way less takeout now that I’m never hungover, and I get more exercise so I’m keeping my chubby little fingers crossed for some weight loss! (I write this as I’m tucking into a bowl of bacon rashers crisps hahaaa). Annoyingly they are vegan which means I can eat them. I blame Tesco.
x