I hate to admit this, but I am still haveing cravings- mostly for sweet things. Is it possible that I am craving sweets because I have allowed myself to use slpenda in my decaf, and because sometimes I whip my cream and add spenda to that, and occasionally have a diet rite? Would I be better off cutting this stuff out altogether????? Thanks for your input!

Hi Slack32,

Artificial sweeteners do cause carb cravings for some people.

One thing that really helped curb my cravings (and quickly) is to take some L-glutamine. Found it near the vitamins at the drug store (also at WalMart). Within 15 to 30 minutes the craving is gone!

I know it has worked for others, too, so you might try it. Hope it works for you! It is a supplement that weight lifters use and it also helps reduce muscle soreness after workouts.

I've been LCing for 2 months now and don't have nearly so many cravings anymore and I can't remember the last time I took L-glutamine for a craving! (I did take some after shoveling snow to help my muscles recover!)

hth,
Pokey One

I have sugar cravings but it is ALL mental. I LOVE sugar. But I have not had it in a month!

You know, I doubt cravings ever fully go away. Everyone has wants and needs. I think we will always have cravings for foods. Not physical cravings, but mental. It's just a matter in how you deal with them or if you give into them. I have found that if I don't give into those cravings (which btw come once a month ::wink wink: that it just really consumes me for either that day or how ever long. So I find something that will help. May it be a LC version of what I'm craving, or as of late because I'm closer to my goal, a small version of what I have been craving. I've been on this WOL since last April and never have indulging in carbs caused me to gain fat weight. It puts maybe sometimes a couple pounds on the day after. But the day after that I'm back down on the scale. Probably just water weight. I'm not saying at all to eat those things. But to each his own. I'm just saying what has worked for me. I find that obsessing about something, some food, throughout the day is not worth it. Just have a little bit of it and go on. This WOL is my WOL, not a diet. So I know after my indulgence I will eat good. Always have. And I've very dedicated. So when I get mental cravings for sweets, I give in. Now physical cravings are another story. I have been lucky not to have them I think. Except in the first month or 2 of this diet when I was coming down off of carbs. Since then it's been fine. I know that for me I just couldn't go my whole life without sweets. Just a crazy thought. I am human. And humans eat sweets these days. They are everywhere. I feel that if I make the right eating choices and treat myself when my body is asking for it then all will be fine. But that is just what works for me. =) Take care all.

So, is it a CRAVING or just a strong WANT??

In my opinion, there's a big difference.
A craving is your body saying it needs something (sometimes that Need is based solely on the fact that it's been getting it in the past). Cravings usually go away in a few days, providing you're sticking to the WOE!

A strong want or desire is all mental!

Thanks for your advice/support/ kick in the pants. I guess it's just mind over matter- hopefully my mind is up to the challenge. It is.