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4/2/08 3:18 P

Thank you for the input ladies
You have some good points and good ideas. Something else that helped me was laying down. I may have been overly stressed and tired so once I was able to lay down and get some rest everything seemed more manageable. I agree that lots of water helps as well as doing something distracting. Not to mention, keeping all junk out of the house which is what I do hence why I was so crabby yesterday because I didn't have anything to take the edge off.

Posts: 58
4/2/08 2:04 P

If you follow strict low-carb (veg based carbs only) diet, the cravings should disappear totally after a week. It sounds to me like something is setting you off. Check your diet again. Peas, corn, lima beans, kidney beans, chick peas, and black beans are starch and if you have eaten them recently, they will set you off more.

Otherwise, consider this - it could be entirely possible you are feeling the effects of not withdrawal from the food, but from the habit of nibbling or snacking.

If it's not the first, then it is the second option. The first is easy to fix, just further eliminate different choices from your diet. It is only difficult in the sense that it takes a lot of trial and error. Some people can handle whole grain toast in the morning and others, like me, have to avoid all simple starches like the plague.

For the second, keep very, very busy. Take up a new hobby, or if you have young kids, go out to the playground and physically involve yourself in games of chase or tag or whatever with them - they'll love the attention and me-time. Enlist your husband or significant other for help and do something together for adult-time like learning to play squash or tennis at the Rec center, or go for a him-you walk in the evening, or anything, just get out of the house. If you can fight off the cravings just 1 more day, it's easier the next day, and the next and the next. Exercise releases endorphins which suppress appetite and make you feel good. They say some athletes almost feel a high after exercise, so even PCOSers are able to get similar benefits from lower-level exercises.

One more thing to consider - if you've been following a low-carb diet, you could very well be beginning to change your metabolism. A lot of people find their hormones start to fluctuate and some even start cycling again. A fluctuating hormone level from ovaries that are starting to wake up from sleeping (something PCOS does to them) will increase cravings. You are not used to those hormones any more, remember? The ovaries have been sleeping, so having them wake up is a bit of a shock to the system.

Increase your snacking on zucchini strips, celery and cucumber and this time add a dip made from no-fat Miracle whip, white wine vinegar and a drop of Stevia. There is no limit to the amount of snacking on these foods so eat them by the handful. And for me, and I can't explain this, there is something in the zucchini that stops certain cravings. I have NO idea why this is, but it works every time.

Avoid your trigger foods like they're the plague. For me this is chocolate, sugar, and bread. I'm a vacuum with these items. I can't even have a nibble or I'm set off and want the whole darn grocery store. Sucks to be me.

Also, one more thing, if you're now making all your meals from scratch and adhering to a low carb diet, you will actually need to increase the salt in your diet because you are no longer getting sodium from junk foods. !!! I'm just learning about this. Try a slice or two of tomato with some salt on it and see what happens to your cravings. Limit your tomato, however, to 1 medium a day.

Hang in there, hon, cuz all you can do is grit your teeth and work through it. And post on here! Vent, fume, rage, cry, steam, scream, whatever... we can take it and help you all we can! We know what it's like fighting the tiger.

Edited by: RODAWN at: 4/2/2008 (14:10)

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4/1/08 10:40 P

I notice my cravings for sweets are usually after dinner or first thing in the morning. I don't drink diet soda and I don't eat foods with artificial sweeteners. I drink decaf tea and imbibe coffee occasionally. I don't tend to crave bread, pasta, rice and etc. My cravings are usually for oatmeal raisin cookies or anything with chocolate : P I am sure it's a sign that my blood sugar is either low or spiked. I have tried eating more fiber, but even that doesn't always work. I do know from past experience, once you get past the initial withdrawal period, staying away from sweets is a breeze.

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4/1/08 9:09 P

Yes, the cravings can be bad. I know what you mean. I find it helpful if I eat some beans. If I'm not so hungry my cravings are less. Also, if you cut out diet soda's and caffeine your cravings will be less. Sucking on sugar free candy helps too. Good luck! I know it's rough.

current weight: 199.5

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150

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4/1/08 7:48 P

I have found that eating something every three hours helps, and drinking the water also. Just make sure that the "something" is low carb/sugar free. As you said, some days its just very difficult to stay on track,and once I go off track it's easy for me to just blow the whole day with the promise of starting a better fresh day tomorrow. But, with the PCOS we need to stay on track and be more diligent. Taking days off doesn't seem to cut it anymore. Best of luck to you.

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4/1/08 6:19 P

I have gradually cut out most simple carbs, processed foods, and etc so I can better manage my PCOS symptoms and cravings, but am finding it to be difficult. My cravings today are overwhelming which makes me cranky and I have a terrible headache. Does anyone else have the same issues and if so what do you do to combat them? I find going for a walk or doing something distracting helps, but not today : (