Cravings BeGone!

I am POSTIVE my struggles lately have been sugar related and I’m having a hard time getting rid of the cravings. A couple of weeks ago during my weeklong meeting, I had more sugar laden candy, and snacks than I have had in a very long time. I also ate more carbs like bread, and pasta than I normally do. I also drank some sugar laden pop (the regular stuff, can’t drink diet).  I gained 5lbs that week and it doesn’t surprise me. But what I have noticed is that I have been “hungry” ever since. I “seem” to have the constant munchies, whether I am actually hungry or not. And sometimes I’ve just eaten, feeling physically full, but I still get the feeling like I am hungry. I don’t really understand what my body/brain is doing but I’m pretty sure it is a sugar craving of some sorts.  Or fluctuating insulin levels….. It can lead to mindless eating.

So I’ve decided to do a little test  and try to  eat low-medium glycemic foods where possible.

I’ve done some research:

The body regulates the levels of blood glucose to avoid the detrimental effects of a prolonged high, or low, blood sugar by releasing hormones like insulin and other chemicals. High blood glucose causes insulin production, which helps the glucose move out of the blood stream and into fat cells and muscles. Low blood glucose causes the release of other chemicals and hormones, which reduce the effectiveness of insulin and help bring blood glucose back to normal levels.

Meals containing high glycemic foods can cause the blood glucose to rise twice as high as a meal of low glycemic foods containing the same number of calories and nutrients. The high glycemic meal cause a much higher insulin output, which would tend to increase the storage of glycogen and fat. Even though nutrient absorption slows after 2-4 hours, elevated levels of insulin remain, causing blood glucose to drop further--often resulting in hypoglycemia—very low blood glucose. Four to six hours after this meal, a second group of hormones is released, in amounts normally found only after many hours of fasting, as the body fights to restore nutrient levels in the blood.

High glycemic meals raise blood glucose so high extra insulin is produced, quickly sending sugars into the body cells, dramatically lowering blood glucose causing the body to release hormones to increase hunger and appetite to restore blood glucose. In tests where drugs are given to prevent the uptake of glucose into cells, subjects showed increased appetite and overeating long after blood glucose returned to normal. Low blood sugar causes overeating even though it all began with a very high blood sugar.

I still get confused by it all.

So what I’ve come up with so far is that high glycemic foods increase appetite, food intake, fat deposit and overwork the cells that produce insulin. So to me, that seems like a good idea to decrease my intake of high glycemic foods and increase my intake of low glycemic foods. Fortunately for me, apples are deemed low glycemic – cause I love me them Pink Lady Apples…

It isn’t like I eat a LOT of high glycemic foods to start with but I think I am in this cycle that I need to get myself out of. Kind of like going on the South Beach Diet – I need to cut out any high risk foods completely and then when I feel under control again, I’ll slowly add them back in.  Now my exception will likely be just after exercising. I will be adding something high glycemic to my protein to get it into my blood right away and help my body build more muscles.

I don’t have it all planned out yet, and this is an important thing for me to do to keep on track – planning. This weekend I will investigate low glycemic recipe’s and work out a meal plan to follow in April. If I can work it well for the next 4 weeks, I will be well on my way to meeting my May 3^rd goal (lose 5”). With finding the right foods for me and exercising every day, I should have NO problems losing the inches. It isn’t going to be about the calories, but the combinations…..

Do you think I might be going down the wrong street?

I hope you all have a FANTASTIC day and make good choices.

Ttyl

Sandra

p.s., you may have noticed from reading my blog that I tend to go ALL over the place :) Hope you enjoy the ride with me.

p.s.s. Bikram Hot Yoga was another killer last night - same instructor from a couple of weeks ago that didn't attempt to cool the room at all. It got unbearably hot again. I struggled in the end to stay focussed. In fact, I laid down a bit more than I normall do.