I have an issue, and I was wondering if I was the only one who has this particular complaint. Here it is (men, if reading about womanly problems bothers you, please do not proceed):

In the two weeks prior to starting my period, I get very very intense cravings for food, especially sweet/salty/CARBOHYDRATE loaded foods. This does not stop until I have begun my cycle. The cravings and hunger is so bad that I get up in the middle of the night and eat, a big no-no when dieting, and even harder when on a low carb diet. I liken it to pregnancy cravings, but worse!! Is there some reason this happens, can it be controled? Or should I lock my refrgerator and pantry at that time of the month, and strap myself to the bed so I can't go on a feeding frenzy? ARG! HELP!!

I have experienced a similar problem, although for me it's only a day or two before my TOM. I know how you feel; it's almost like you're posessed or something. I have found that increasing my chromium helps and I've heard that either L-Carnitine or Glucosomine also help with carb cravings; check the Atkins website for suggestions on supplements that can help curb those cravings. It's all linked to the hormone fluctuations that occur during your monthly cycle. Somtimes you just have to feed a craving, but try to do it with low carb choices, such as low carb chocolate, salted nuts or (something I've just recently discovered), Atkins sliced bread with butter, Splenda and cinnamon on it. Just try to go easy on the stuff...you can binge on even low carb choices and stall yourself.

wow, two weeks--you poor thing!

Mine was more like a week--it has gone away now, though it was not an immediately effect of LCing. A slow decrease in cravings took place each month, and at some point PMS became no different than my "sane" days. (cough cough--can you tell my moods are still lousy at TOM? ) YMMV

With due respect to Lisa's advice, I say, eat fat for cravings rather than artificial sweeteners, which will just make cravings last longer or get worse. Scramble a few eggs. Have cream cheese on celery. cook up a half-pound of sugar-free bacon. Don't worry about "calorie intake" or "overeating." Just feed the cravings with fat, and they'll shush.

are hyperactive...maybe they need ritalin because they won't seem to shush LOL! I have done what you said, eaten protien/fatty snacks, but it JUST DOESN'T have the same impact as the sweet stuff I have been able to control it lately, but that unhappy two week period before my period hasn't hit yet I will survve, hopefully it won't be too bad this next time.

Sizzle...

I agree with Razzle that it does get better the longer you are doing this, although after 9 months of LCing, I still sometimes have some bad cravings around my TOM.

Razzle...

I realize that everyone reacts differently to things, but I don't get any insulin response from using Splenda. I checked it with my glucometer...no response from the Splenda, but my blood sugar bounces all over the place when I eat anything with Aspartame in it so I avoid it like the plague. Everyone has to gauge their own response to things that taste sweet...for some people it makes the cravings worse and makes them go looking for more, for others (like me) just a little satisfies the cravings and helps them keep on track. I encourage caution with the sweet stuff until you know how you will react to it. If you use it, use just a little until you know how if affects you and if it makes things worse, avoid it.

I empathise Sizzle. It does get easier the longer you stay with LCing. TOM time is often a challenging time. I found I had to increase the "legal" carbs slightly as well as take more mineral and vitamin supplements especially chromium.

You can go on an eating frenzy - just make sure you are still eating the right kind of foods as far as possible.

It will get easier - believe me.

Take care.

Sizzle--give it time. Every month the cravings decrease, if you don't feed them.

Lisa, of course, anyone's mileage may vary.

But the nature of the addiction to sweets is not about insulin. From a physiological perspective, it's more about serotonin (and other brain chemicals)

Carbs--sugar especially--make us feel emotionally better because they manipulate our brain chemistry. They give a temporary burst of (among other substances) serotonin--a feel-good chemical. But then there's the crash...which drives the next craving. After a lifetime of sugar abuse, our brain chemistry is messed up. There is evidence that sugar addicts' brains look on PET scans like cocaine or nicotine addicts' brains--vast spaces of non-functioning serotonin receptors. Only staying away from the substance that gives the drugged chemical rush can allow the brain chemistry to heal and homeostasis to return.

Or, if a mechanistic explanation doesn't appeal, think of it in psychology/addiction terms. The urge to eat sweets is driven by emotions. Eating AS serves to distract you from the emotional state, soothe you, and keeps you in an unhealthy cycle of denial, self-medication, guilt, more self-medication, etc. Abstenance is the way out, as is therapeutically (self-help work is fine) dealing with the underlying causes of wanting to self-medicate, healing, then expanding one's spiritual life, and so on. Karen posts many excellent comments about sugar addiction on the board, and I've found the comments at coping.org on addiction and bingeing very enlightening.

And yes, it's a your mileage may vary thing, but for me, the addiction keeps trying clever strategies to convince me that "just a little" or "artificial" or other special circumstances won't hurt, are an exception to the rule, not to worry. Clever and devious, those urges.

I think that PMS emotions are strong--and a number of writers say that this could be partly because women in our culture are so over-busy, yet the waning of the monthly cycle is a natural time of quiet and inward movement...but unable to do this because of real-world obligations, we get snarly and unhappy. Needing drugs to propel us beyond this reluctance and into action, we turn to chocolate, caffeine, sugar.

I think it's best to try and live just three months without AS (which can't be good for us) or sugar--let the brain chemistry heal some. See if you can live without sweets--just a small test. There's AS galore out there for the rest of your life after those three months. And if you can't get through the three months, that's a valuable thing to know, too.

Razzle...

very good advice and it would be an interesting "test" to do. I was aware of how sugar affects our brain chemistry, but I wonder if artificial sweeteners (Splenda, Aspartame, or Maltitol) have the same effect. Have any studies been done with those and if/how substances that mimic the taste of sugar also mimic the effect that they have on our brain chemistry? I'll have to do a little research on that one....

lisa, not that I know of, but I do know that part of what starts triggering the serotonin production system is the nerve impulses that begin at the tastebuds...so it has always just seemed logical to me that AS will also provide at least part of the self-medicative relief that sugar does (though perhaps not all). Do let me know if you find any interesting research! I love knowing more (and even finding out that what I knew before is being disputed!)