Loving Low Carb

Leo41 · 08-06-2012, 05:28 AM

Although I have an incredible sweet tooth and have always loved good breads, I've never had any difficulty eating low carb and have been doing so for years. This is the healthiest WOE for me, and I have no desire to eat any other way.

However, I often see posts from people who struggle with 'cravings' and assume that their 'body' wants those carbs. No, it's not your body; it's your mind. Today I read the following that has proven true for me and is worth considering if you struggle with low-carb eating:

Taste buds can be rehabilitated. They are, in fact, very malleable little fellas: When they can't be with a food they love, they can quite readily learn to love the food they're with. Particularly if the food they're now with is familiar overall, but just a bit better for you. I maintain: We can love foods that loves us back.

When one of my relatives had to eat a totally sodium-free diet for medical reasons, her doctor told her that any way of eating done consistently for 2 weeks becomes 'normal' for the body. I sometimes wonder whether that's why so many diet plans have a '2-week' induction.

In any case, I know that if I ate a pint of Haagen Daz or a slice of Junior's cheesecake, I would love the taste and flavors. But I have no 'desire' for either and don't feel the least deprived with their absence from my WOE. My body loves low carb eating.

Luca · 08-06-2012, 05:41 AM

thanks

clackley · 08-06-2012, 05:41 AM

Excellent point Leo41. It is important to make the distinction between body and brain even though they often seem to overlap.

limetwist · 08-06-2012, 05:48 AM

I will readily agree with this. Over the past year and a half, my taste buds have definitely experienced a shift in preference, even within the low-carb realm. I've come to appreciate the baser flavors of meats and vegetables, preferring to step away from spice heavy mixtures to just a little oil, salt, and pepper. That's not saying that I'll never try and use exotic spices or anything; I'm just at a point in my life where I find that the meats that I cook taste absolutely divine with minimal alterations or sauces. Where I used to not be able to eat pork or ribs without a sauce of some kind, now I find myself savoring a slab o' spares without anything but the crispy top layer of fat and a dry rub to help me out.

I don't have much of a sweet tooth anymore either, but if I get a bite of cake, it still tastes amazing.

And there's nothing wrong with that, because it's something I eat 2-3 times a year.

cfine · 08-06-2012, 06:13 AM

Thanks for sharing. I have found that after over four months of LC'ing, my whole attitude towards food has changed. I still have issues of course, but I can be in a room full of desserts and never even look at them. This has never happened to me until now. Time is my friend in regards to my WOE. The longer I do it, the easier(in most ways) it gets.

juliekaboolie · 08-06-2012, 07:56 AM

True!!!

ravenrose · 08-06-2012, 08:04 AM

I agree, but sweets aren't that great an example since it's so easy to have our low carb cake and eat it too with artificial sweeteners...

for me the thing I miss is the texture of starchy dishes. I find that doesn't go away. I just look at those things wistfully occasionally, not a serious temptation, but it's there. bread in particular, a good baguette! and potato dishes that can't be emulated with cauliflower. and risotto. polenta. I will stop. yes there are substitutes, but I still miss the density and texture of the originals.

but no question the thing I think we miss most is the CONVENIENCE and lack of thought that is required of high carb eating. being able to find suitable "food" anywhere you go, usually at a reasonable price. Serious lowcarbing is like being an alien species which is poisoned by most of the food the indiginous creatures eat! LOL (you can tell I read science fiction)

SharonB61 · 08-06-2012, 10:58 AM

I too, love eating low carb - most of all, I like the way it makes me feel!!

I used to get cravings for "cake" like foods until I discovered the OMM. Now I think the only thing I occasionally miss, is french fries. I do indulge now and then, and usually with sweet potato fries and I like to tell myself it's healthier!

Leo41 · 08-06-2012, 11:33 AM

ravenrose-
Sweets are a good example for me because I have one of those weird bodies that seems to process anything with a sweet taste the same as regular sugar. All the symptoms that I get from sugar (insatiable appetite, joint pain, etc.) come with any artificial sweetener as well. And anything that tastes sweet is a 'trigger' for me (because of the appetite issue).

I've learned to make an egg-white brownie with unsweetened cocoa that provides a sense of 'dessert' without any sweet taste at all. And my taste buds now find it as delicious as the 'real thing.'

LadyKT · 08-06-2012, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leo41

ravenrose-
Sweets are a good example for me because I have one of those weird bodies that seems to process anything with a sweet taste the same as regular sugar. All the symptoms that I get from sugar (insatiable appetite, joint pain, etc.) come with any artificial sweetener as well. And anything that tastes sweet is a 'trigger' for me (because of the appetite issue).

I wonder if I have that same issue. I notice when I stay away from AS, I seem to lose weight.

Quote:

I've learned to make an egg-white brownie with unsweetened cocoa that provides a sense of 'dessert' without any sweet taste at all. And my taste buds now find it as delicious as the 'real thing.'

Recipe please

mom2zeke · 08-06-2012, 04:56 PM

This is so true! I love the foods I can eat on low-carb. When I started the WOL I asked myself if I would rather eat steak & salad or rice cakes and dry chicken breast for the rest of my life. It wasn't a hard decision

.

I actually find the hardest part of LC is dealing with business and social situations where food is provided.

And like limetwist over the years I just fell into eating simple foods. Grilled meats, salads with oil & vinegar, roasted or grilled vegetables. I used to make more complicated recipes and desserts and will still occasionally try one out. But I find myself really enjoying the flavor of simply prepared foods.

Abby · 08-06-2012, 06:02 PM

I agree that all cravings are in our mind aside from the physiological withdrawal which folks experience with substance abuse.

That said, I still dearly miss hot, San Francisco sourdough bread, frozen yogurt, and sushi. I just accept that they can't be on my radar if I'm to be successful. It's the old battle of the cortex vs. the limbic system.

08-06-2012, 05:28 AM	#1
Leo41 Senior LCF member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 8,426 Gallery: Leo41 Stats: 340 then/145 now WOE: Low carb/calorie cycling	Loving Low Carb Although I have an incredible sweet tooth and have always loved good breads, I've never had any difficulty eating low carb and have been doing so for years. This is the healthiest WOE for me, and I have no desire to eat any other way. However, I often see posts from people who struggle with 'cravings' and assume that their 'body' wants those carbs. No, it's not your body; it's your mind. Today I read the following that has proven true for me and is worth considering if you struggle with low-carb eating: Taste buds can be rehabilitated. They are, in fact, very malleable little fellas: When they can't be with a food they love, they can quite readily learn to love the food they're with. Particularly if the food they're now with is familiar overall, but just a bit better for you. I maintain: We can love foods that loves us back. When one of my relatives had to eat a totally sodium-free diet for medical reasons, her doctor told her that any way of eating done consistently for 2 weeks becomes 'normal' for the body. I sometimes wonder whether that's why so many diet plans have a '2-week' induction. In any case, I know that if I ate a pint of Haagen Daz or a slice of Junior's cheesecake, I would love the taste and flavors. But I have no 'desire' for either and don't feel the least deprived with their absence from my WOE. My body loves low carb eating. Last edited by Leo41; 08-06-2012 at 06:25 AM..

08-06-2012, 05:48 AM	#4
limetwist Senior LCF Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 826 Gallery: limetwist Stats: [5'8"] - 220/136.4 WOE: Low carb - Intermittent fasting 16/8 Start Date: Seriously committed in January 2011 [at 200 lbs.]	I will readily agree with this. Over the past year and a half, my taste buds have definitely experienced a shift in preference, even within the low-carb realm. I've come to appreciate the baser flavors of meats and vegetables, preferring to step away from spice heavy mixtures to just a little oil, salt, and pepper. That's not saying that I'll never try and use exotic spices or anything; I'm just at a point in my life where I find that the meats that I cook taste absolutely divine with minimal alterations or sauces. Where I used to not be able to eat pork or ribs without a sauce of some kind, now I find myself savoring a slab o' spares without anything but the crispy top layer of fat and a dry rub to help me out. I don't have much of a sweet tooth anymore either, but if I get a bite of cake, it still tastes amazing. And there's nothing wrong with that, because it's something I eat 2-3 times a year. __________________ Cristin, otherwise known as the Mistress of the Pork Butt. — Bright-Eyed & Bushy-Tailed

08-06-2012, 08:04 AM	#7
ravenrose . Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: California Posts: 9,071 Gallery: ravenrose Stats: lost 130 lb so far, and miles to go before I sleep WOE: low carb controlled calorie Start Date: June, 2009	I agree, but sweets aren't that great an example since it's so easy to have our low carb cake and eat it too with artificial sweeteners... for me the thing I miss is the texture of starchy dishes. I find that doesn't go away. I just look at those things wistfully occasionally, not a serious temptation, but it's there. bread in particular, a good baguette! and potato dishes that can't be emulated with cauliflower. and risotto. polenta. I will stop. yes there are substitutes, but I still miss the density and texture of the originals. but no question the thing I think we miss most is the CONVENIENCE and lack of thought that is required of high carb eating. being able to find suitable "food" anywhere you go, usually at a reasonable price. Serious lowcarbing is like being an alien species which is poisoned by most of the food the indiginous creatures eat! LOL (you can tell I read science fiction) __________________ Often I don't come back to read threads where I've posted. If you want me to see something, please send me a private message. Thanks! Last edited by ravenrose; 08-06-2012 at 08:05 AM..

08-06-2012, 04:56 PM	#11
mom2zeke Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Seattle Posts: 2,622 Gallery: mom2zeke Stats: 257/144.8/150 WOE: Nutritional Ketosis--Maintenance! Start Date: August 6, 2001	This is so true! I love the foods I can eat on low-carb. When I started the WOL I asked myself if I would rather eat steak & salad or rice cakes and dry chicken breast for the rest of my life. It wasn't a hard decision. I actually find the hardest part of LC is dealing with business and social situations where food is provided. And like limetwist over the years I just fell into eating simple foods. Grilled meats, salads with oil & vinegar, roasted or grilled vegetables. I used to make more complicated recipes and desserts and will still occasionally try one out. But I find myself really enjoying the flavor of simply prepared foods. __________________ Kristn 50 yo LC since 2001 257/144.8/150 BF% Goal 26%/20%/20% February Nutritional Ketosis...Are you in the zone? Nutritional Ketosis Thread Information and Posts of Interest My Maintenance Journal Original weight 2001--257 Maintaining 165-175 from 2002-March 2012 March 2012 to August 2012--175/150 Made Goal 8/27/12!

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08-06-2012, 05:41 AM	#2
Luca Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: NJ Posts: 1,492 Gallery: Luca Stats: 204/159/145 WOE: Low carb Start Date: 7/4/11	thanks

08-06-2012, 05:41 AM	#3
clackley Chatty Cathy Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Toronto Posts: 13,004 Gallery: clackley Stats: 228.5/168/125 WOE: N.K.=vlc/hf/moderate protein & organic/pastured Start Date: Restart Oct 18 2009	Excellent point Leo41. It is important to make the distinction between body and brain even though they often seem to overlap.

08-06-2012, 06:13 AM	#5
cfine Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Tennessee Posts: 2,442 Gallery: cfine Stats: 276/215/199 WOE: NK Start Date: Atkins 4/12 Nutritional Ketosis 1/13	Thanks for sharing. I have found that after over four months of LC'ing, my whole attitude towards food has changed. I still have issues of course, but I can be in a room full of desserts and never even look at them. This has never happened to me until now. Time is my friend in regards to my WOE. The longer I do it, the easier(in most ways) it gets.

08-06-2012, 07:56 AM	#6
juliekaboolie Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Bellingham, WA Posts: 1,382 Gallery: juliekaboolie WOE: Whole30 Start Date: 1/7/11	True!!!

08-06-2012, 10:58 AM	#8
SharonB61 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: North Carolina Posts: 391 Gallery: SharonB61 Stats: 168/131/135 WOE: VLC / IF	I too, love eating low carb - most of all, I like the way it makes me feel!! I used to get cravings for "cake" like foods until I discovered the OMM. Now I think the only thing I occasionally miss, is french fries. I do indulge now and then, and usually with sweet potato fries and I like to tell myself it's healthier!

08-06-2012, 11:33 AM	#9
Leo41 Senior LCF member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 8,426 Gallery: Leo41 Stats: 340 then/145 now WOE: Low carb/calorie cycling	ravenrose- Sweets are a good example for me because I have one of those weird bodies that seems to process anything with a sweet taste the same as regular sugar. All the symptoms that I get from sugar (insatiable appetite, joint pain, etc.) come with any artificial sweetener as well. And anything that tastes sweet is a 'trigger' for me (because of the appetite issue). I've learned to make an egg-white brownie with unsweetened cocoa that provides a sense of 'dessert' without any sweet taste at all. And my taste buds now find it as delicious as the 'real thing.'

08-06-2012, 06:02 PM	#12
Abby Senior LCF Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Boston Posts: 402 Gallery: Abby Stats: 5'7";197_'09;167/139/132_'12 WOE: LC/VLC	I agree that all cravings are in our mind aside from the physiological withdrawal which folks experience with substance abuse. That said, I still dearly miss hot, San Francisco sourdough bread, frozen yogurt, and sushi. I just accept that they can't be on my radar if I'm to be successful. It's the old battle of the cortex vs. the limbic system.