Food Cravings

wirednomad42 said:Honestly, I’ve come to realize that I only ever give a damn about what I'm eating when everything else in my life is actually falling into place. 🤷
Maybe I just have a fundamental problem with order. 🤣

Maybe you’re just carrying some deep-seated childhood trauma that's buried somewhere in your subconscious. Or maybe, plain and simple, you have bulimia.😉People with bulimia stuff themselves until they hit a limit, then they purge, chasing that specific, fleeting sense of relief that follows. It’s all about that momentary high.
There's a whole spectrum of eating disorders out there, but at the end of the day, most of them are really just psychological issues manifesting through food.

A quick chat with a therapist would probably be enough to get things moving in the right direction.

Honestly, tracking everything I eat throughout the day really works. I stuck to it for three weeks, and my diet was actually under control for once. I’m not entirely sure why I stopped, though. Most of the time I can manage to stay on track, but then there are those days where I just... well, I basically just shovel food into my face. It usually happens on Saturdays or Sundays. But even during those weekend stretches, while I was still logging my meals, things stayed pretty much under control.

Hopefully, this post helps some of you out there.

I’ve been exactly where you are. The mental toll is just brutal—constant weight fluctuations, mood swings, and that uncontrollable urge to just eat everything in sight.

When you’re dealing with an addiction, your brain basically hijacks you. All you can think about is satisfying that craving right this second, regardless of what happens next. You lose the ability to think rationally... and then, once you finally give in, you feel absolutely miserable because you let yourself down again. You don't even understand why it was so hard to say no, and before you know it, you're stuck in this endless, vicious cycle. And the worst part? That gnawing hunger that never seems to go away, no matter how much you eat.

For a long time, I convinced myself it was all in my head—that I just lacked basic self-discipline. Of course, every time I failed, my self-esteem took a massive hit, sending me into a downward spiral of feeling completely useless.

But here’s the thing: I want you to know that the root cause isn't necessarily psychological. I actually stumbled upon the real reason for my struggle quite by accident. I saw this incredible holistic practitioner who did a deep dive into my history, looking through years of medical records and everything else I could find.

Ever since high school, I’ve been diagnosed with PCOS. I’ve gone through countless tests, including the glucose tolerance test (OGTT), which measures how your body processes sugar and helps identify metabolic issues.
The whole issue revolves around insulin. If your body has any kind of dysfunction regarding insulin secretion, it’s going to have a direct impact on your body weight.

Out of all the doctors I’ve seen, she was the only one who looked at my OGTT results and realized I was actually suffering from hypoglycemia. That was the real reason behind my carb addiction..
It’s essentially a biological condition that often progresses silently over many years. Your blood sugar levels are constantly swinging wildly—either crashing too low or spiking too high. Eventually, your brain adapts to this chaos by constantly hunting for the quickest possible source of sugar to stabilize itself.

That was my reality. I reached a point where I had to consume massive amounts of sweets every single day just to stop the shaking and other symptoms from hitting me.
Since my dad also struggles with tremors, I honestly just assumed it was nothing unusual.

People struggling with carbohydrate addiction often secrete two to five times more insulin than they actually need, and it's widely believed to be a genetic factor. Insulin is frequently called the "hunger hormone" or the "fat-storage hormone," and its release is triggered by carb-heavy meals.
If your body pumps out more insulin than necessary, you're left with a lingering sense of hunger or intense cravings.
That hunger usually isn't satisfied by a full meal, which is why people with this addiction feel the need to snack constantly on things like candy, chips, ice cream, pastries, or fruit. This often leads to a "foggy" or "drugged" sensation, yet despite that, the craving for the next hit of carbs returns almost immediately.
This creates a feedback loop where the addiction develops alongside weight gain, because excess insulin actively signals your body to store fat, making it incredibly difficult to lose weight.

Hypoglycemia symptoms can show up in various ways:

In 90% of patients: nervousness.

In 80%: irritability, exhaustion, weakness, dizziness, tremors, cold sweats, or speech lapses.

In 70%: depression, drowsiness, brain fog, and headaches.

In 60%: digestive issues (like ulcers, bloating, cramps, or stomach pain), forgetfulness, insomnia, constant worry, and anxiety.

In 50%: weight gain, heart palpitations, indecisiveness, numbness, or a general sense of being "out of it."

In 40%: antisocial behavior, outbursts of yelling or crying, loss of libido, allergies, breathing spasms, lack of coordination, leg cramps, blurred vision, muscle twitches, and intense cravings for sweets, coffee, soda, or alcohol.

In 30%: itching, skin crawling sensations, sighing, slowed speech, yawning, or stumbling.

In 20%: erectile dysfunction in men, nightmares, arthritis, phobias, skin changes, suicidal impulses, and various fears.

At the 10% mark: we’re talking full-blown nervous breakdowns.

At 2%: seizures, sudden braking, even epilepsy.

There’s actually a straightforward way to eat that breaks this cycle of addiction. It’s been used for the last 15 years, and based on patient observations, about 80% of people manage to normalize their weight with this diet and keep it off for five years or more.

It worked wonders for me personally. I started back in July, and now that I've finally adjusted, there is absolutely no way I'm going back to my old eating habits. I've already dropped about 12 pounds and feel totally back to normal. But just to be clear—don't think food is doing all the heavy lifting here; I've also been getting out for some recreational runs.😉

To save you from reading this massive wall of text, I've included a carbohydrate addiction test below.
I've also listed the specific foods you should incorporate into your diet to kick the addiction for good.

Answer "Yes" or "No" to every statement. For every "YES," add up the points listed at the end of the claim. A "NO" earns you 0 points.

1. I often find myself feeling wiped out or starving by lunchtime. (4 points)

2. Within an hour or two of finishing a full meal—even if it included dessert—I’m already craving more sweets. (5)

3. If my breakfast was loaded with carbs (think toast, jam, sugary juices, pastries, cereal, fruit, etc.), I find it way harder to control my eating for the rest of the day compared to if I just had coffee or nothing at all. (3)

4. When I'm trying to lose weight, it's actually easier for me to just skip most meals throughout the day rather than trying to stick to several small "diet" meals. (4)

5. Once I start snacking on carbs or sweets (chips, popcorn, chocolate, cookies, cake, fruit), I often struggle to stop and end up eating way more than I planned. (3)

6. I'd much rather have a standard meal that includes dessert than a gourmet meal that doesn't. (3)

7. After I finish a full meal, there are times when I feel like I could easily go back and eat the whole thing all over again. (5)

8. A meal consisting strictly of meat and vegetables leaves me feeling unsatisfied or incomplete. (3)

9. If I'm feeling down, a little snack like a cookie or some cake makes me feel better. (3)

10. If there are potatoes, bread, pasta, or dessert on the table, I frequently end up skipping the vegetables or salad entirely. (3)

11. I feel sleepy—almost drugged—after a big meal heavy on bread, pasta, potatoes, or dessert, whereas I feel like I have way more energy after eating just meat and veggies or tofu and veggies. (4)

12. When I'm fasting or not eating, seeing other people eat can sometimes be genuinely irritating. (4)

13. Sometimes I find it hard to drift off to sleep without having a little snack before bed. (3)

14. Occasionally, I wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep unless I eat something. (3)

15. Before heading out to dinner with friends, I sometimes grab a quick bite beforehand just in case the restaurant is running late. (5)

16. Every now and then, I think to myself, "I might just be a closet foodie." (3)

17. At restaurants, I almost always overindulge on the bread basket, even before the actual food arrives. (2)

18. Whenever I lose weight on a diet, I inevitably gain it all back (sometimes even more than when I started). I'm a classic "yo-yo dieter"—losing weight, gaining it back, over and over. It's incredibly hard for me to maintain a target weight through diet or exercise alone.

If you answered "YES" to everything, your total score is 65.

0-21 points: Questionable dependency. You probably don't need this diet.

22-30 points: There is a slight tendency toward dependency, though most people can still maintain control. You might have occasional episodes where you eat more carbs than intended. This diet could help prevent slipping into a deeper dependency and assist with losing a few extra pounds.

31-44 points: Moderate dependency. Most people in this group benefit from this diet, finding they feel better and have significantly more energy. It helps curb cravings and the urge to snack on starches and sweets. Often leads to reaching an ideal body weight.

45-65 points: Severe dependency. This diet will likely be of great benefit to you; it would be wise to try it for at least a few months. In fact, it's recommended that you adopt it as a permanent lifestyle choice.

So, that's it. It's a bit of a silly little test, honestly, but I'm just passing along what was written in the little handbook my doctor gave me.

The dietary framework works like this:
You eat three main meals a day, plus one little treat meal.
Each main meal is just protein paired with specific vegetables (specifically the ones that aren't loaded with sugar).
You don't actually have to give up any food entirely; you just save those cravings for your designated treat meal.>
The goal here is steady weight loss—we're looking at about 1% of your body weight per week. If things start moving too fast, you might need to add an extra snack between breakfast and lunch, if necessary.
By doing this, you basically kill off those intense cravings for high-carb junk.
Most people report feeling a massive difference after just three days. It’s not just about losing the addiction to sugar; they feel less exhausted and generally more mentally and physically balanced.
You really need to stick to this consistently for at least a month. And please, don't try to mix this with some other random diet while you're doing it.
If you focus on high-quality ingredients, this can actually become a sustainable lifestyle for you.
Also, don't forget that hydration is key. You should be aiming for about 1.5 to 2 liters of water a day. This is especially important if you start dealing with constipation or feeling sluggish.

For your main meals, you can mix and match from the following list:

Proteins: Aim for roughly 70 to 130 grams per meal.
-eggs
-all meats, poultry, and game
-fish, squid, other seafood, and shellfish
-cheese (just stay away from fresh cow's milk cheeses)
-tofu
-mushrooms (button, oyster, porcini, etc.)

*Feel free to cook these however you want, just skip the flour and breadcrumbs (so, nothing fried/breaded). If you're making omelets, soy flour is fine.

Vegetables: About 100-200 grams per meal, served as salads or steamed/boiled (but again, nothing battered or deep-fried).>
-leafy greens (lettuce, romaine, butter lettuce, radicchio, dandelion, endive, etc.)
-Swiss chard
-cucumber
-bell peppers
-celery
-pickled cucumbers and peppers
-olives
-broccoli
-cauliflower
-cabbage (red or white)
-kale
-sauerkraut and pickled turnips
-half of a medium tomato per meal
-garlic (just one clove, don't go overboard)
-onion (just half a serving per meal)
-asparagus
-spinach
-parsley
-half a leek per meal
-Miso soup made from the veggies listed above

Fats: Use 1-2 tablespoons per meal.
-olive oil
-pumpkin seed oil
-sesame oil
-sunflower oil and other standard cooking oils
-sour cream
-butter
-ghee
-margarine (though honestly, you're better off avoiding it because of the trans fats)
-regular mayo (don't grab the "light" versions; they usually swap fat for sugar/carbs)
-1-2 almonds

You can use these fats as listed, use them sparingly, or skip them entirely if you prefer.

Drinks:
-plain water
-sparkling/mineral water
-black coffee (no sugar)
-unsweetened tea

You can enjoy these drinks whenever you like, even between meals.
You can add a teaspoon of cream to your coffee, but stay away from whipped cream—that stuff is packed with sugar.

The Reward Meal (just once a day, and you have to finish it within an hour) consists of:

1. A plate of salad to start things off. I'm talking leafy greens here—think romaine, arugula, dandelion greens, chicory, radicchio, or even some fresh red or white cabbage. Season it however you like, whether it's olive oil, yogurt, sour cream, or whatever dressing you prefer. (Just a heads up: don't kick things off with a tomato or zucchini salad, because those actually have more sugar in them.)

2. The Main Course which should be composed of protein, vegetables, and carbohydrates in a 1:1:1 ratio.
Drink whatever you want.
It’s vital that the meal stays balanced; if you decide you want seconds of the main course, just make sure you keep those proportions equal.
And look, it is extremely important that you eat this reward meal within a 60-minute window.
For the first two weeks, try to eat this reward meal at roughly the same time every day (like lunch, for instance). Once you've cleared that two-week mark, you can start playing around with the timing.

Here is the grocery list:

Proteins: 1/3 of the meal
- eggs
- all meats, poultry, and game
- fish, squid, other seafood, and shellfish
- cheese (just stay away from fresh cow's milk cheese)
- tofu
- mushrooms (button, oyster, porcini, etc.)

*In this case, you can use flour or breadcrumbs for prep, and any kind of flour works for omelets.

Vegetables: 1/3 of the meal
- various salads (romaine, iceberg, butter lettuce, radicchio, dandelion, chicory, endive, etc.)
- chard
- cucumber
- bell peppers
- celery
- pickles and pickled peppers
- olives
- broccoli
- cauliflower
- cabbage (red and white)
- kale
- sauerkraut and pickled turnips
- half of a medium tomato per meal
- garlic (just one clove, don't go eating a whole head!)
- onion (just half per meal)
- asparagus
- spinach
- parsley
- half a leek
- Miso soup made from the veggies listed above

Carbohydrates: 1/3 of the meal
- fruit (fresh or dried)
- pasta
- candy
- cakes
- pastries
- bread and rolls
- grains (rice, millet, barley, rye, wheat, oats, corn, etc.)
- crackers and cookies
- popcorn
- carrots
- zucchini and squash
- beets
- potatoes
- chips
- milk and buttermilk
- cottage cheese, yogurt, fruit yogurts
- dairy desserts
- juices
- soups (homemade or instant)
- honey, sugar
- molasses and other syrups
- beans, lentils, and other legumes
- ice cream, chocolate
- nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, etc.)

Fats:
As you wish, though it's definitely healthier to stick to cold-pressed plant oils.

Drinks:
Same rules apply as the complementary meal.
But you can also enjoy:
- fresh fruit or vegetable juices
- other types of juice
- tea sweetened with honey or sugar
- sweet iced tea
- beer
- wine 🙂
- other alcoholic beverages

Oh, I almost forgot to mention: hypoglycemia is considered the metabolic foundation for addiction to alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. This list of hypoglycemic symptoms was compiled based on the work of Dr. S. Gyland-u. Generally speaking, successfully treating this condition is done through diet.
If you want to confirm hypoglycemia via lab testing, a five-hour OGTT is performed, and you should eat more refined carbohydrates heavily for three days leading up to it.

I'd suggest checking in with your doctor after the first month of the diet, or sooner if you feel you need to.

Anyway, I hope this helps someone out. 🙂

Binge eating fueled by low self-esteem

The article basically says you don't need a full-blown clinical disorder to fall into this trap. Even just having shaky self-esteem is enough to drive someone to eat way more than they actually need.

There was a topic being discussed on The Oprah Winfrey Show recently. What exactly are you all craving? I find myself sitting here staring at an empty fridge, wondering if I should just order something from DoorDash or actually attempt to cook something that isn't toast. Honestly, the decision fatigue is real today. Anyone else feeling that mid-day slump where nothing sounds good but everything sounds necessary?
The guests were just a group of teenagers, around fifteen years old, all struggling with significant weight issues. We’re talking anywhere from 220 to 350 pounds.
It’s not that they were actually hungry, you see. It’s much more complex than a simple physical craving. They weren't seeking out calories; they were using food as a makeshift substitute for something else entirely—something far more fundamental. It was a way to fill the void left by a lack of affection, a deficit of attention, or that deep-seated need to simply feel accepted by those around them. Food became a proxy for the emotional nourishment they were starving for.

I’ve always found this whole "compensation" theory a little shaky 🙄
maybe I’m just being stubborn 😁 but it always seems to boil down to a physical issue. Take Oprah—you mentioned her—I caught that segment where she was talking about her weight, and one minute she’s rambling about how people overeat because they're lacking something emotional, and then the next, she's pivoting to thyroid issues.
Look, it’s probably a mix of both—mental and physical—but there's *always* a physical component involved.

Taylor Rogers said:-cheese (unless it's some fresh cow's milk variety)

Ever wonder why that is?
The whole theory behind it actually sounds pretty fascinating to me, and I’m a firm believer that we still have a massive amount to learn about how our own bodies actually function🙂
but it honestly baffles me that they've basically blacklisted the one type of cheese that most diet plans actually swear by...
I'm just sitting here scratching my head, being curious, I guess😉

edit:
Wait, I just noticed they've lumped it in under carbohydrates, right alongside yogurt and milk, which just leaves me more confused— http://www.coolinarika.com/namirnica...ition_analysis

Brandon Sullivan49, I honestly don't get why people are saying we need to cap our cheddar intake, especially since it’s loaded with protein and has such a low glycemic index. That's my go-to, though I have a massive weakness for mozzarella, so I usually just balance things out by skipping the harder cheeses. 😁
I also started incorporating soy milk (like the Alpro natural kind) which has cane sugar in it—probably isn't the healthiest move, I know—but it's still a solid protein source.

Regarding that article about how low self-esteem ties into obesity: I totally agree that emotions drive food addiction, but at the same time, we're looking at metabolic dysfunction. In my opinion, they feed into each other, creating this endless loop.
When you're dealing with low self-esteem, emotional baggage, stress, or even just pure boredom from having too much downtime, it’s so easy to just throw in the towel or lose the willpower to break bad habits. It’s just easier to grab whatever gives you that quick hit of dopamine. And if you keep eating that way, you end up wrecking your metabolism. Once your body chemistry is off, it starts messing with your head too, often without you even realizing it.

In my case, it spiraled into anxiety, depression, stomach issues, insomnia, and constant fatigue. My PCOS symptoms flared up, my periods became irregular, and I dealt with allergies, lactose intolerance, constant worry, paranoia, phobias... the whole works. For the longest time, I actually thought I was making it all up—that it was just "in my head" or caused by being stressed out at college or something.
But once I overhauled my diet, most of those symptoms just vanished. For the first time in ages, I actually feel like myself again. 🙂

I'd highly recommend seeing Dr. Grčić, she's a great homeopath.
http://senijagrcic.blogspot.com/

Finally starting to see things clearly when it comes to this whole food addiction thing.

You should probably double-check your garden spray if I were you. During my first two years, I had caterpillars just munching through every single leaf and fruit in sight...

I know exactly how this all started... back when I was just a little girl, my parents were always pushing me to "eat everything in sight," telling me I was way too skinny. So, I did what any kid would do—I started overeating. I wasn't even particularly unattractive or anything, I was just really, really unhappy, and I ended up using food as my escape. I’d spend all my time in the kitchen whipping up homemade biscuits and cookies, and then—well, I’d end up eating them all myself. That phase eventually passed, though. I tried dieting a few times and actually saw some progress, but the weight would just rush back within a couple of days. My mornings used to start with me scouring the entire house, hunting specifically for something sweet...
Eventually, I dropped quite a bit of weight, but honestly? It wasn't because of some incredible feat of willpower. It was more about losing my appetite entirely—just a series of life events combined with certain medications that basically shut everything down. I went from 165 pounds down to about 120. And look, I don't think exercise, strict diets, or pure self-discipline can truly fix this long-term. They might help temporarily, sure. But man, it felt so good to finally fit into a size 4 or 6 again.
I have to say, I really do feel for women who are struggling with their weight... because as long as that hunger is driving the bus, you're never going to win. No amount of willpower is strong enough to fight against true binge eating.
Everything just feels better—even the hard stuff, the money troubles, all of it—when I'm wearing a smaller clothing size. Unfortunately, for me, it’s just not something you can force through discipline alone...

Well,

If it isn't discipline, then what else could it be? 🤔
Is there really some secret shortcut to suddenly killing your appetite?

In 99% of cases, people gain weight because they’ve essentially trained themselves to eat more than they need on a regular basis. You don't just pack on 65 pounds overnight; it happens gradually over time.

It all comes down to your habits—what you eat and how you eat it. Certain foods will keep you full much longer than others, regardless of the portion size. Focus on finding things that actually satisfy you for longer.

There’s no deep philosophy here, and there's definitely no magic wand.

Are you working out? And if so, are you doing it correctly and how often?

When it comes to food, it really is just a matter of habit, and those can be changed through discipline.

I haven't touched bread in five years, nor do I eat processed stuff like canned meat, hot dogs, or deli meats... and I had eaten those my entire life. Back then, I didn't have a choice; now, I do. I work out whenever I can, mostly at home now since my gym is closed. I invested $83 into my gear, and I can hit every muscle group with it.

I assume you have a choice too, you just might not want to make it.

P.S. We’re coming from very similar backgrounds where you were expected to clear your plate every single time. The portions served to me were often double or triple what I needed. There was constant pressure—praise if I overate, and criticism if I didn't. I would have easily hit 220 pounds if I had listened to someone who was extremely overweight and complained every day about how everything hurt and how she couldn't even walk because her waistline was spilling over her pants... It was a huge lesson for me; the thought of overeating like that actually grossed me out.

I used to be pretty stubborn, choosing to deal with insults or punishments rather than doing something that felt wrong to me. Of course, everyone is different.

I’ve been dealing with this whole overeating struggle my entire life—and no, I’m not saying I’m overweight right now, I’m just hitting that half-century mark and standing at about 5'6" and under 130 lbs. Honestly, if I actually let myself go for even two weeks, I’d probably pack on another 45 pounds easy.
Right now, I don’t have aetit, otherwise things would just spiral totally out of control...
The truth is, I just can't seem to stop once I start eating.
Is it a lack of self-confidence?
Not really... I'd say it's more like having these gaps in my emotional life, some unfulfilled desires... just certain voids in life, I guess...
All my coworkers are younger than me and carry more weight, but I definitely wouldn't say they lack confidence.
The only time I ever actually lose weight is when I get sick and completely lose my appetite...

Yes, binge eating. Once you cross that line, there’s just no stopping. Honestly, I think it all boils down to stress and dealing with ghosts from your past. About five months ago, I ended up dropping 15 pounds purely by accident because of how things played out. Now, I'm just trying to maintain that weight, but man, it is a constant battle. Every single sugary snack on the grocery store shelf seems to be mocking me, practically whispering, "pick me, pick me." 😁