Carb craving/ over eating

[mindbodysOul]

The weakest aspect of my health is definately over eating. It's not a huge problem but i notice that if i'm stressed out alot, studying or i am bored at home i will feel more hungry (psychological or physical??)

I am the type of person who cant have one row of chocolate then put the packet back, once i start i will finish it.

I dont feel that my body handles sugar and refined carbohydrates very well therefore i avoid these foods, always. I am aware that i need complex carbohydrates yet i feel that even when i eat this type of carb (oats, wholewheat bread, rye, chickpeas & legumes etc) i will still tend to over eat them.

I dont know why this is. My body craves it and when i start eating carbs i find it hard to stop. I have been contemplating going on a high protein low carb diet but i really dont want to. I dont really need to lose any weight i just want to stop the over eating cycle and cravings. I also dont want to cut out a whole food group.

I have been tested for diabetes which came up negative but i know within myself that i dont metabolise sugar very well. Even with fruit i will tend to over eat it. And sometimes i wont really be hungry but then i'll have an apple and i could suddenly eat 5 sandwiches.

I find high protein diets really boring and i dont feel like cutting out carbs for the rest of my life.

My stools are never fully formed, mostly always broken up. I dont have constipation or diarrhoea but i do tend towardss constipation more. I feel i have quite a fast transit time and can go up to 4 times a day.

At times i thought i may have ceoliacs because i often get bloating after meals, but im unsure whether or not it's just because i ate too much. If i dont eat gluten i do feel better but it may just be because im limiting my carb intake. I never get cramping pain after meals however lately i have been noticing dull pain in my right and left upper quadrant. I was thinking pancreas and gallbladder, but then again it could be ovarian pain. It can happen at any time, most noticably about 1/2 hr after eating. This started about 4 months ago and would happen about 1-2x p/week.

I also get alot of gas after carbs, fruit and legumes which leads me to believe i have insufficient digestion either lacking digestive enzymes and/or good bacteria. I have also thought it may be an intolerance to fructose and when i limit my fruit intake it seems to lower my cravings slightly. (this may be placebo)

Soooo anyways, just wondering if anyone has any advice or insight to offer me. I really want to get to the bottom of this and i know it has something to do with inadequate digestion. Maybe intestinal permeability? I'm not sure. But i am really interested to hear an outsider's opinion.

Also just to add, right before my period i will crave alot of food and eat too much then during and after my period my appetite will diminish. This happens without fail.

Help!

 

[[S]alvatore]

If you can, post up an average days diet:

Eg.

7am:
100g Oats
6 Egg whites
Apple

Or pm me for a more detailed response.

 

[mindbodysOul]

Ok a typical days diet would be.

8am: bowl of oats w/ soy milk + blueberries or sprouted bread w/tempeh, avocado + tomato

11:30 am: banana

1:30pm: chickpea/bean salad w/capsicum, asparagus, carrot or a chicken salad or a salad+ chicken/beef/tuna sandwhich (usually on sprouted bread)

3pm: apple or hard boiled egg

6:30pm: lentil/minestrone/pumpkin soup or fish/red meat/chicken w/vegies (broccoli, sweet potato, asparagus) + sometimes brown rice or sprouted bread as toast.


EDIT: Also just to add, i find that if i have eaten alot of carbs the day before the next moring when i wake up i have swollen glands. That is what also led me to think it may be coeliacs, or maybe even a wheat intolerance, seeing as though these are the foods that i crave.

Or that it could be related to intestinal permeability with the larger undigested protein molecules permeating the gut barrier causing an immune/lymphatic reaction.

The swollen glands happens all the time after i've eaten too many carbs.

 

[StagnantReaction]

Wheat, dairy, meat, egg intolerance are all likely. Cut one out every week to find out.

 

[Strawberry_lovemuffin]

Oh yeah, boredom is a big one for me as well. I find if I'm working all day - especially if I'm doing something physical - my appetite is minimal. I can go for hours without eating, even without my precious water if I'm hyped up enough (I rarely go anywhere without a bottle of water).

But if I'm just sitting at home, nothing to do, I just eat for the hell of it. It's almost like it's a way to amuse myself. And it's always carbs. Today I pretty much fucked up and ate carbs all day... started with toast for breakfast, then had 1/2 box rice crackers, then corn and chicken soup with a white bread roll, then some crackers and cheese.. some chocolate slice and chips at a birthday party... then the other 1/2 box of the rice crackers and finally ravioli for dinner. I did fuck all today, yet ate all that. Urgh. Suxors. The only solution I find is to get OUT of the house and exercise... exercise always brings my hunger levels under control, well, pretty much always. Sometimes I get the after-exercise munchies but it's not as bad because at least you've earned it.

 

[mariacallas]

Also just to add, right before my period i will crave alot of food and eat too much then during and after my period my appetite will diminish. This happens without fail.

This is exactly how I am as well. I've learned to anticipate it and sort of make compromises that won't leave me feeling deprived and/OR binging to death and feeling really bad lol. I honestly can admit that the last two nights I've been eating LOTS of stuff I don't usually eat (ice cream, etc) and guess what? I got my period today. My appetite is kind of non existent right now and I'm glad. (Now to make up for the past week of gluttony!)

 

[protovack]

OK, mindbodysoul, you probably don't have a serious GI problem. It seems like you are over-analyzing your diet and looking for problems where there are none.

I dont know why this is. My body craves it and when i start eating carbs i find it hard to stop.

Like all humans, your body craves carbs because it needs them to survive. Easy access to carbs in modern society makes it so people can go crazy and eat too much. Just be reasonable and don't over do it. One major cause of excessive carb-craving is letting yourself get too hungry. If you spread out your meals more, you won't scarf down as many carbs in one sitting.

I have been tested for diabetes which came up negative but i know within myself that i dont metabolise sugar very well.

It is somewhat common for people to believe that they are eating "too much." They believe somehow that they should be able to function on less food, when in reality they just need that much food to function normally. It helps to realize that roughly half of the energy contained in your food is actually used up in *digesting* the food itself. It is possible that you have a GI problem. If you do, it could be caused by a disorder of some kind...or by a drug you take or your diet.

For example, do you smoke? Nicotine can do some crazy stuff to the digestive system.

I also get alot of gas after carbs, fruit and legumes which leads me to believe i have insufficient digestion either lacking digestive enzymes and/or good bacteria. I have also thought it may be an intolerance to fructose and when i limit my fruit intake it seems to lower my cravings slightly.

While everyone gets gas to some degree, you could produce more. You'd have to get tested to check your enzymatic activity. Don't just assume it is a GI problem though. For example, do you get more gas when you eat JUST carbs? Is the gas reduced if you eat a full meal with fiber, protein, and fat? The reason I mention this is that eating a full meal slows down the digestive tract which allows more time for digestion to occur. Things can be different when you eat just one thing and let that digest really quickly.

I really want to get to the bottom of this and i know it has something to do with inadequate digestion.

To know this for sure, you'd have to find out exactly what is going on with your intestinal enzymes and bacterial populations in your colon. Until then, investigate the other possibilities. Most importantly, don't over-analyze your GI tract. It is an imperfect system. Even people with the best possible diet will get spells of constipation, gas, or loose stool.

Also just to add, right before my period i will crave alot of food and eat too much then during and after my period my appetite will diminish. This happens without fail.

It's normal. It takes some energy/nutrients to produce the uterine lining that would feed a growing egg. Also the hormones estrogen and progesterone have effects on hunger. Nothing to worry about.


Think about your diet, and whether you are eating meals with a full complement of proteins, fats, and carbs. Make an appointment with your doctor to discuss the possibility of testing. The things your doctor will ask you about first will be your diet, and whether you take any drugs regularly.

But don't over-analyze your GI tract just because it is something to occupy your mind with. You are probably totally normal.

 

[gomer1985]

If I remember correctly, grapefruit extract capsules help reduce your cravings for sugar and simple carbohydrates. Atleast that's the claim on the box.

It might be worth a try.

 

[mindbodysOul]

Thanks to everyone got their input! Yep boredom is the killer! And CC i know, as soon as i feel myself hungry 24/7 i know i'm about to get my period so i make allowances for myself for that week!

For example, do you smoke? Nicotine can do some crazy stuff to the digestive system

Nope dont smoke or do any drugs

For example, do you get more gas when you eat JUST carbs? Is the gas reduced if you eat a full meal with fiber, protein, and fat? .

Yep it's pretty much only if i eat carbs, and generally only if i eat too much. So it's really not a problem unless i over eat, i guess that pretty much gives me my answer!

However i do find that fruit can give me gas but again thats if i have 2-3 pieces at a time.

The thing that gets me though is my stool. Never is it fully formed, NEVER. No matter if i eat fiber, high protein, low protein, increase vegies, decrease fat, increase fat. It always stays the same.

Not well formed, sinks, small 'clumps' but never hard pellets like constipation. The consistency is still the same normal 'softness' but never fully formed. It doesnt hurt when i pass and i dont have to strain so i know im not constipated.

And also the cravings bother me. If i dont have any sugar in my diet i am fine. Its not like i crave sugar or carbs much (only around my period) but if i havent had any junk in a while i'll think to myself 'yea i'm doing pretty well, i can handle just having a few bites then stopping' so i'll have something junky like some dark choc or maybe grab a pizza. But the minute i have it i cant stop eating, my appetite goes through the roof and have to eat everything in sight. It's a bit weird.

And i've tried not restricting myself so that when i did eat a little bit of junk i wouldnt go over board but i cant do that either. I tried having a little bit of choc here and there and rewarding myself but it doesnt work, ill still over eat it no matter if i've had it every day for that week.

I cant be the type of person who has a little bit here and there. It's like trying to quit smoking, i have to go cold turkey on junk food or i'll relapse! Hahaha seriously!

But don't over-analyze your GI tract just because it is something to occupy your mind with. You are probably totally normal.

Yea, you're probably right Thanks!

 

[protovack]

^^^
You have to get your energy from somewhere. Carbs are a pretty nice energy source, but you can't survive on carbohydrates alone. Get a good balance of carbs, fats, and proteins and you'll be fine!

 

[wizekrak]

Eating a large number of carbohydrates is a good thing. They provide slow release energy through out the day. Actually from what you've listed your average daily food intake seems to be lacking carbs (maybe the reason for the cravings?).

here's Canada's Food guide:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/images/food_guide_bar_big.gif

AS you can see you should be eating more carbs than any other food group. Fruits and vegetables come in a close second.

As for the bizarre digestive symptoms you may want to ask your doctor about delivering a stool sample, or having some blood tests done to determine enzyme levels.

They've actually done studies with 5000 dieters to determine who's most successful at keeping the weight off. They found those with high carb low fat diets and regular exercise were the most successful (sorry no source).

 

[nuke]

Also just to add, right before my period i will crave alot of food and eat too much then during and after my period my appetite will diminish. This happens without fail.

same here, drives me crazy

I also get alot of gas after carbs, fruit and legumes which leads me to believe i have insufficient digestion either lacking digestive enzymes and/or good bacteria. I have also thought it may be an intolerance to fructose and when i limit my fruit intake it seems to lower my cravings slightly.

beans are almost always the problem for me, nothing else ever seems to cause a lot of gas except massive amounts of bran

lots of carbs aren't a concern, so long as the majority of them are complex, imo. what causes me to really put on weight is mostly simple sugars from confections and candy, especially fructose. fats also obviously but it's very rare for me to overeat them, they really gross me out lately (but sometimes I get a need for some peanut butter or ice cream and just go for it -- so long as it's in moderation, it's not a problem).

 

[protovack]

ut if i havent had any junk in a while i'll think to myself 'yea i'm doing pretty well, i can handle just having a few bites then stopping' so i'll have something junky like some dark choc or maybe grab a pizza. But the minute i have it i cant stop eating, my appetite goes through the roof and have to eat everything in sight. It's a bit weird.

What you are calling extreme cravings may just be normal carb cravings. Again, why are you saying that this is abnormal? I do the same thing with carbs...I can just keep eating and eating. Unless you actually keep eating until you vommit or pass out, you are probalby just experiencing strong carb cravings - just like most people do.

he thing that gets me though is my stool. Never is it fully formed, NEVER. No matter if i eat fiber, high protein, low protein, increase vegies, decrease fat, increase fat. It always stays the same.

Not well formed, sinks, small 'clumps' but never hard pellets like constipation. The consistency is still the same normal 'softness' but never fully formed. It doesnt hurt when i pass and i dont have to strain so i know im not constipated.

Sounds like textbook "normal" feces...I wouldn't worry about it. Your large intestine creates feces in little balls due to a special muscle surrounding it that contracts the colon into "haustra" - basically little pouche-like sections that slowly move towards the rectum. If you look at a picture or diagram of a colon, you'll recognize them. The colon works on a small amount at a time, with each section moving progressively downward and out. This is why feces comes out the way it does in little clumps. It's normal and you shouldn't worry.