Cravings!

Cravings are one of the most difficult things to overcome. I cut down on my carbohydrate intake and made sure that I was not eating more then 100g a day. This was a drastic change from what my body was use to. I never find myself having an overwhelming craving for carrots...why is it always chocolate or candy?? Never in my life have I even craved sweets, and for the first 6 months of cutting carbohydrates, they are all I wanted! One night I needed chocolate so bad that I walked to the gas station at 10pm just to get a candy bar. I couldn't figure out why but I knew this had to change. I asked a trainer and this is what I found out...

The carbohydrates that we eat, such as bread, oats, and potatoes, have sugar in them which is called glucose. Glucose is the body's primary source of energy. When you cut out carbohydrates, your body is craving glucose..aka sugar. So the more I cut out carbohydrates, the more I was eating candy to get rid of that feeling. Not good. The way I see it now is I would rather have a half a cup of brown rice and keep my glucose levels in check then eat candy or chocolate which has no nutrition benefit.

I now have a piece of whole wheat toast or a pita bead in the morning. This helps control my cravings through the morning and keeps me full longer. For lunch, I will have quinoa or brown rice. This truly does help my cravings. I eat less through the day and stick with foods that will benefit me.