Hello Everyone:

I celebrated 8 months of Atkins last month. I have been great on Atkins. The only thing in the eight months that I have eaten "off" Atkins list was 3 oz of Ice Cream when I had a severe blood sugar drop at an exercise class. (Yes, they had ice cream to celebrate summer at an exercise class )

Anyway, the last 3 weeks I have started craving potatos, rolls and pasta's. I have gone back on induction to try to get over the cravings. The beginning of the cravings corresponded with the temperatures dropping. A friend thinks that cravings are related to the seasonal change. Anyone else experiencing this.

I am hanging in there strong. Just wondering if this is something I will need to watch out for each fall.

Dee

I have SAD and the change/cravings you are feeling are definitely related to that syndrome. I am also a severe carbohydrate addict which worsens the situation.

I switch between Atkins and CAD. I use Atkins in the late spring through early fall to optimize weight loss and CAD during the late fall through early spring to maintain the loss/lose an additional 5 pounds/keep weight gain to a minimum depending on the severity of my SAD symptoms and the darkness of the winter. Switching to CAD controls my cravings and prevents binges though by the time I get to late Feb not much seems to help.

Perhaps you can remain on Atkins year through. Perhaps others have. My symptoms are too severe and switching to CAD allows me to stay in control. At least until February. Haha!

I know since moving from Boston, MA to Washington, DC my symptoms are much improved. I am hoping to hold out on Atkins until November.

I do use a special light to sit under in the morning. It helps alleviate the symptoms. Some people with symptoms not as severe as mine can stay on Atkins year round with the help of the light.

Good Luck! Whatever you do, stay on some LC plan. I used to gain 30-50 pounds every winter before I discovered my two lifesavers.

Hi Zuleika

I too suffer from SAD. I have many bright lights that I too stay under. Switching to CAD is an interesting concept. I must admit that I haven't investigated CAD too much. I will look into it.

Right now I am 3 days back on induction and the cravings are decreasing. I hope this works. I guess I just want to go into early hibernation this year...

Thanks for the info.

Dee

I too get sort of depressed as the seasons change and the daylight hours get shorter. Usually for me from late November to February. Last year I gained about 20 pounds during those few months. They came off again fairly fast, but I sure don't want that to happen this year.

This year I started BFL toward the end of the year to try and keep myself on track more. So far it is keeping my spirits up some to be working out so much. I have a job this year where I manage to get some sunlight during the morning hours too, so I'm hoping that will help this year.

I think seasonal changes make us want things like soups and stews more whether we are SAD or not. It just seems comfy and cozy this time of the year and potatoes just GO in soups and stews.

Hi Sherry.

I agree, potato's are a natural in soup and stews. I have a couple of bundles of stew meat in my freezer and haven't been brave enought to make stew without potatos.

This weekend maybe. Thanks for your thoughts. They really help.

Dee

You may be onto something, Dee. I experienced what you're going through last year. Autumn hit and for a few weeks, I wanted every carby thing in sight. Fortunately, the cravings went away after a few weeks and I was fine again. This year hasn't been as bad, but I have noticed it again. My DH has been low carbing since the beginning of the year and has mentioned a sudden increase in carb cravings again as have a few of my low carb co-workers, so it doesn't seem to be an isolated thing.
I'll also note that I experienced much the same thing again last spring when the weather got sunnier and warmer again...but again only for a few weeks....Must have something to do with the change of seasons. My personal theory (and this is just a theory, mind you), is that it has something to do with instinct. The days get colder and shorter and our bodies realize that winter is coming and, much like the bear before hibernation, thinks it needs to take advantage of the "days of plenty" to stock up for the lean months ahead. After all, your brain may know that there's a ready supply of food available, but you body doesn't necessarily understand that.

I made our "family recipe" stew for myself and my finicky younger brother, but made it low-carb by substituting turnips for the potatoes. After my brother enthusiastically polished off two bowls, I told him what I'd done. I expected him to freak out like he usually does (did I mention that he's finicky and weird about food?), but he just shrugged, got another bowl, and said "they taste like potatoes to me."

-G.

Are turnips lower in carbs than potatoes? Aren't they root veggys too? I haven't looked it up, but I always thought that root veggys were all a little high in carbs. Guess I should look it up.....

According to "The Complete Book of Food Counts" by Corrine T. Netzer:

1/2 cup of turnips, boiled & cubed
3.8 gms carbs - 1.6 gms fiber = 2.2 gms carbs

1/2 cup of potato, boiled without skin
15.6 gms carbs - 1.4 gms fiber = 14.2 gms carbs

Turnips are versatile, too. There's a few interesting recipes involving turnips in the Kitchen: Low-Carb Recipes section of this forum.

-G.

What a great idea! Stew with turnips instead of potatoes. I usually make stew with the potatoes and just don't eat the potatoes. Sometimes I make a seperate pot for me with green beans and zucchini, instead of potatoes and carrots. I make soups all the time in the winter. It's such a comfort food. You just have to adjust what you put into the pot. In colder weather you want warm steamy food.

I have been ravonous the last few days. And I think it's because of the colder weather. We are still at 70 degrees in the afternoon, but feels chilly to me. Victoria

I know this thread is a little old, but......

I recently made a stew, substituting turnip for the potato. the turnip still had a strong bitter flavor, and was only tolerable once i cooked it down and it almost turned to mush. But I stumbled onto something better - Kohlrabi!

Kohlrabi is just like a turnip, but without the harsh turnip taste. I believe the carbs are about the same. The flavor is so mild its perfect for stews and soups! yummy. :-)

Thanks Rhachacha,
I just checked with fitday.com and 1 cup kohlrabi is 8 carbs with 5 grams fiber. So ECC is only 3 carbs. That's great. Can you find kohlrabi in the grocery stores? I almost put some in my garden this past spring, but I wasn't sure what to do with it. Now I know. Thanks again for your suggestion. Victoria

I read somewhere that kohlrabi is supposed to be available starting in mid-summer, but my local grocery store just started getting it around the beginning of October. Right now they are only carrying the green kind. There's also a purple kohlrabi, and a baby kohlrabi. Kohlrabi are usually light green turnip-like bulbs, usually sold with the greens attached. (more expensive than turnips, but worth it.)

I have learned from experience, the bigger the bulb, the more fibrous and woody it is. Ideally you should avoid any bulb that is bigger than a tennis ball - but sometimes there isn't much choice at my grocery store.
you also have to make sure to peel it very well. appararently I didn't peel it far down enough, and after I cooked it, you could see the fibrous outer layer. (it also takes a long time to cook.) I would love to find some tender baby kohlrabi.
But otherwise, this is a wonderful vegetable - and it keeps a long time in the fridge as well.

My next project: scallopped kohlrabi with ham and cheese! I'm planning to experiment this weekend - wish me luck. :-) If I'm successfull i'll post it in the kitchen forum.