I find it fascinating that something as simple as a craving can be so intense as to completely reverse someone's intentions. One day you wake up, look at yourself in the mirror and sincerely promise that today is the day you stop eating junk; only to be foiled 12 hours later when the post dinner chocolate cravings come. It's actually quite sad when you think about it.
Cadbury's (or to whomever you go to get your fix) are reaching into your wallet, helping themselves and leaving you feeling worse, slightly fatter and generally lousy; and there's nothing you can do about it.
The main physiological causes of this weakness are as follows:
- Inadequate fat burning following dietary alteration
- Blood sugar imbalances
- Micronutrient deficiencies
Burning fat vs. burning carbs
Your body really doesn't need a lot of carbs to function well, in fact it can function without them completely. It's better not to, and I would not recommend it but it is theoretically possible; there are no essential carbohydrates.
When you reduce your carb intake, what normally follows are sugar cravings. It's just the same as a smoker stopping smoking, your body gets used to doing things a certain way and when it no longer has the resources to function as it was, it tells you it needs sugar.
But it can adapt, for some it takes a few days, for others it takes a lot longer, but eventually everyone is capable of living on a low carb diet quite happily.
Blood sugar imbalances
Most people are somewhere along the line for developing diabetes. You don't get clinically diagnosed with diabetes until you hit stage 4 beta cell dysfunction. But many people are sitting completely unaware at the very stable stage 2 (stage 1 being healthy).
This means that people don't handle their sugar as well as they could do. They get spikes of insulin regularly, and they also experience blood sugar dips if they go too long without eating.
This is why when you have hardly had anything to eat all day until you get out of work you make bad, impulsive food choices. Your body just wants sugary, fast energy as quickly as possible.
People think sugar cravings are normal. They think that low energy levels in the afternoon are normal. They think sleeping less than 8 hours a night is normal, and they're right. It's just everyone is unhealthy.
Getting too much junk, and not enough food.
When you body lacks essential nutrients it is unable to process your food properly and the result is low energy and poor blood sugar control.
Take the example of magnesium. Almost everyone is deficient and most of those who supplement with a multivitamin are too, because they take it in an indigestible, cheap, low quality form. Magnesium deficiency reduced the effectiveness of your muscles and organs taking sugar out of your blood. This contributes to high blood sugar and stage 2 beta cell dysfunction, it's that simple.
But we are also conditioned to psychologically crave sugar. Through conditioning and boredom. When we are emotional we give ourselves a temporary lift from eating sugar.
So how can you fight back against cravings?
The first is to improve your diet, by addressing the poor blood sugar management, nutrient deficiencies and allowing your body to adapt to a lower carb diet, the cravings will reduce. But for most this isn't the problem.
Food for thought:
Imagine you have some carb source that you are craving, shouldn't be too hard ... Let's say a lovely comforting bowl of banana porridge, maybe some raisins chucked in for good measure.
It's sitting right in front of you, you can move it forwards and backwards , you can move it left and right. You can even move it in a third dimension by picking it up off the table. But how about you take that bowl of porridge and move it along the fourth dimension, time.
Right now that bowl of porridge offers you no measurable long term benefit. In fact by eating it you will be jeopardising your future self. How many times have you regretted eating something and been annoyed at yourself?
By eating that porridge immediately you are hurting your future by denying yourself the ability to achieve what you want to achieve. You are demonstrating your preference for the current version of yourself as opposed to the future version, but there is a vital point on which you are missing out. Your future self will become your present self. The 'right now' urge you have now will be a 'right now' regret in an hour.
You are solely responsible for your past self selling out to buy ice cream, booze and chocolate.
Instead of acting impulsively, act intelligently. Use the fourth dimension to your advantage, you really can have you porridge and eat it too.
The value of that meal is nothing now, but in the future after a period of abstinence it will be incredibly valuable. As a post-workout reefed meal if will be used to spark your metabolism into life, burn more fat, increase your carb tolerance and fill out your muscles.
By delaying your indulgence and acting intelligently you have really learned to love yourself. Past, present and future. The secret to discipline, consistency and success is valuing your future as much as you value the present.
'Successful people do what they have to do, whether they feel like it or not'
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