Odd hunger cravings today.

I discovered the joy of ricotta cheese with a couple packets of Splenda last night, and then had a similar epiphany when making Mock Danish for breakfast this morning. YUM!!!

At work I ate an Atkins Advantage Bar (which I do on a regular basis to power me through a day of preschool), and after school (normal lunch time) had some leftover spaghetti squash carbonara.

I came home and had a Diet Rite (more Splenda), and was already hungry by then. So I ate a couple handfuls of pork rinds and some more ricotta before going grocery shopping. When I came back, I ate dinner (carbonara squash again; I needed to clear out the fridge!) and then set to do some low-carb and non-low-carb baking (but no snacking or licking the bowl.)

And after the baking was finished, again with the hunger! I ate turkey wrapped around some brie. And I was still craving sweet, so I had some Diet V8 Splash (which has a trace amount of real sugar with Splenda).

I should point out that I'm not on formal Atkins, just general low-carb, so I don't usually worry about counting carbs, just keeping them down, and I haven't had a hunger problem like this except with TOM.

But then, my nighttime weigh-in matched my lowest morning weigh-in yet. So maybe I'm due for a whoosh? Maybe the hunger is my metabolism kicking it with the fat burning? Here's hoping.

Anyway, does anybody else have hunger problems with Splenda? How much Splenda is too much? I would blame it on the smell of the non-sugar-free pies, but I was hungry before I started the baking. (Maybe it was because I was thinknig about the baking? :lol.

I think that hunger is a sign of a comming whoosh, so that may be it. I haven't had problems with Splenda causing hunger-but I have it only in my coffee and sometimes in cream cheese.

If this is normal eating for you and the hunger thing is unusual I would say it is whoosie time-if what you reported is different from how you normally eat, then it could be a few too many carbs.

You had a lot of SUSPECT foods in your eating... the worst of which is the low carb bar. They contain glycerine and for many of us ... you have to count the FULL carb count as the glycerine DEFINITELY triggers an insulin/glycemic reaction in many of us. I would suspicion that the combination of all the higher carb choices you were making (including the low carb bar) that you are taking yourself out of a deep state of ketosis (which is what suppresses your hunger) and now are having cravings as a result.

When my hunger kicks up - it is almost always a result of carb creep (particularly from the hidden carb effects of glycerine or too much artificial sweetners). I eat VERY clean for a few days and usually the hunger abates and I am back on track.

Just my personal opinion and experience.

But the thing is I've never been in ketosis - remember, I said I'm not on Atkins? I've only recently (as in two weeks ago) cut whole grains out of my diet. The only thing that has changed is that I've added more low-carb meals on a regular basis - more eggs, meat, cheese, vegetables, and low-carb varieties - no more cheats, no more whole grains. I've been eating the Atkins bars regularly for about three months. I also started exercising on a regular basis (cardio/Pilates alternating) three weeks ago.

I cut out the whole grains at the beginning of my vacation about three weeks ago, and this was my first week back at work. So if it is related to a change in my diet, that's not a good sign. It means I don't have enough energy in my diet to keep up with preschool (which is entirely possible, I have to be very active during the day. I had to cut out one of my workouts this week because I was just too tired, which didn't happen when I started them at the beginning of vacation.)

Is it possible that I need to "carb up" for special ed?

If you have been using the bars for three months and they haven't caused a problem before-I wouldn't worry too much about it.

You had one day of hunger-just wait and see what today brings. I have days where I am all snacky and basically graze all day long. That usually happens for me when I have increased my activity or pms or I might have had too little to eat the day before.

Yeah; you're one of those people I WANT to be....that can eat bars. I have a history of eating on the run; and if it didn't affect me badly, I'd probably end up eating at LEAST one a day. Oh well. I'll experiment, (carefully) with adding them back in when I get to goal weight.

I'm curious what made you decide to cut whole grains?

I decided to cut whole grains to see if going lower-carb would help hasten the drop a little. Summer is fast approaching and all... I lost weight just fine with grains in my diet, but especially with reading all these Atkins testimonials, thought I'd give it a try and see what my life would be like without any bread at all.

It mostly seems to have gone well! I seem to be dropping inches again.

"Wait and see what today brings" - oops, today is a bit of a problem, it's a planned cheating day for me (Kentucky Derby Day, as a Kentucky Colonel I'm throwing a party for my friends in New York, so lots of pie available). Maybe the thought of all the pie was making me hungry? Tomorrow I'll be back on the wagon!

Mmm... berry pie is pretty low sugar if you skip the crust... Made me hungry too!

Glad to hear you're melting again.

Splenda definitely causes hunger and cravings for me. The only time I ever used it by itself was for breakfast and the whole day was a disaster . That was the only change I made that day - and there was no whoosh before or after. I have been hungrier before a whoosh - but not with cravings too. If I use it at all anymore, it's in very minimal amounts - I tend to mix it with Sugar Twin in order to use my box of it up, but never use more than 1/2 teaspoon (if that) at a time.