Comments on: Forbidding foods may cause us to obsess about them, and what to do about it

By: Digby

Digby — Sun, 21 Jul 2013 13:43:55 +0000

@Joseph- You answered your own question, for if one is not affected, then ipso facto there was no affect. There will nearly always be a spectrum of results for anything, as in this case.

By: Digby

Digby — Sun, 21 Jul 2013 13:35:02 +0000

I’m glad for those people who seem to have no cravings for carbs on low carb or paleo, and I notice this seems more likely for men than women; however, sluggish or low thyroid, insomnia, high stress, and other such conditions make carb cravings more likely and more intense. For quite a while I was apt to blame my cravings, while on a very low carb diet, as “psychological” then found I was dealing with low thyroid. It is important to get some tests if you are still dealing with strong cravings on low carb diets.

By: Episode 46 - Paleo Masculinity - Caveman Doctor

Episode 46 - Paleo Masculinity - Caveman Doctor — Sat, 06 Jul 2013 13:43:10 +0000

[…] Jason Fried idea and could restricting junk food be a bad idea via Dr. Briffa? […]

By: SueG

SueG — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:19:39 +0000

I struggle with sweet carbs. I have pretty much given up pasta, rice, potato and bread and I don’t miss them. I don’t get hungry either yet I find my morning coffee a challenge. If we go out shopping then we have a coffee. I can resist any sweet stuff in an outlet like Costa because I am of the opinion that it’s all rubbish anyway but in, say, Waitrose, I am tempted and fall. As we only eat twice a day I tend to reassure myself that it’s just like having lunch but the effects are not, invariably my weight goes up.

I have stuck to the low carb eating for over a year, I have lost only few pounds and am very disappointed. I don’t lack willpower but I do probably eat sugary things because I am not losing weight and think what’s the point?

I know that weight varies on a daily basis for lots of reasons but how do you put on 3 or 4lbs overnight sometimes? This happens to my husband too. On our fast days we are juicing using recipes from Jason Vale. Whatever I lose after a day, it’s back there after a “normal” day. Do I have to be really ruthless and try to cut all sugary food out, or will this be pointless as noted in the article? I wish I knew the answer.

By: Joseph

Joseph — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:46:52 +0000

If someone has a strong will power, and is not affected at all to see a restricted food in front of them then does it still affect the person negatively.

By: Robert Park

Robert Park — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:17:31 +0000

Now into my sixth day of a grain-free diet (see comment above) I did not find the change difficult; it was simply a matter of remembering to be aware. The immediate impact was the feeling that the body, internally and externally, was lighter. This feeling has remained with me since. There was no eureka effect, yet as each day passed my energy levels increased and so did the feel-good feature. For the first time this morning I noticed that the bathroom scales moved fractionally to the left indicating a slight reduction in weight. I am not eating as much yet have increased the consumption of vegetables and fruit. I enjoy steaks with plenty of its fats but then this has always been the major part of my diet. Hunger is something I have not experienced during the week nor indeed the desire for anything made from grains. At this moment of time I feel ‘top-of-the-world’ so long may it last.

By: eddie watts

eddie watts — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:45:21 +0000

been low carb/paleo/primal whatever you prefer for a number of years.
i literally do not crave any of those foods that we would consider “junk” or whatever term you prefer.

i think the craving is a learned behaviour and we can learn new behaviours easily enough if we want to. (albeit with biochemical background too)

By: Dave P

Dave P — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 19:14:34 +0000

Havn`t needed any help reducing my carb intake, I can quite happily walk down the Cereal Bread Aisle and not bat an eyelid. Yes I do still have a roast tattie on Birthdays etc but it dosnt bring back the cravings.

By: Tracey Greenwood

Tracey Greenwood — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 23:31:57 +0000

I would be very interested to know where I can get such ‘high’ doses of L-Tryptophan, as my Dr cannot prescribe it, and can only find 50mg tabs (at around £10-£15 per 120 capsules!).Thanks!

By: Galina L.

Galina L. — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 09:37:39 +0000

I found it much easier to eliminate whole food groups like bread and sugary deserts than to practice “moderation”. As a result I stopped looking at pastry or an ice-cream as food sources. I make an exeption sometimes for social reason when I visit other people.

By: Robert Park

Robert Park — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 21:53:18 +0000

How coincidental as I have just launched into a no grains diet. Now at the end of my second day I find that my body feels lighter and the severe gout symptoms that affected me prior to taking up the diet have dispersed. This morning at the commencement of my second day I noticed upon arising and emptying my bladder that the volume passed was twice as much as was usual. My weight remains stable so I am presuming by consuming grains that they are inflammatory and by passing a larger volume of urine that grains may tend to retain water in the body. Tonight, at the end of the second day, my body still feels lighter.

Emile Coue, the late French psychologist, stated that the law of reversed effort comes into play when one ‘wills’ oneself to achieve some aim; he suggests it is like challenging one’s self and that it is best to use less challenging words like ‘may’ or ‘wish’ or ‘I would like’. I have found this advice very helpful.

By: Glyn Blackett

Glyn Blackett — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 20:16:40 +0000

The book “Maximum Willpower” by Kelly McGonigal is well worth a read, if you’re interested in research on willpower. One of the best books I’ve read in years.

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 18:48:23 +0000

I’m not so sure about the bit in the article where it states:

” if the same thing is denied to people more generally, it tends not to have this effect [1]. So, someone who is perhaps trying not to drink alcohol may find themselves thinking about alcohol more than is healthy. However, if that person were to live in a country in which alcohol was prohibited, then not drinking alcohol might present less of a challenge.”

I am more or less tee total – just don’t like the taste of alcohol. I probably drink about once a year when under extreme peer pressure to do so!
However, I have spent some time in Saudi Arabia, a totally “dry” country (but where perversely, alcohol is plentiful and parties frequent). Even though I’m normally tee total, when it was forbidden, I really found myself wanting to have a drink! One for the psychologists!

By: Adele

Adele — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 18:07:23 +0000

As a diebetic your views make good sense.
Would like to know your views on the Paleo diet and whether it would
reduce glucose cravings and even “cure” diabetese as claimed.

By: RadiantLux

RadiantLux — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 17:20:47 +0000

Some of this is psychological and some is physiological. I started taking L-Glutamine in between meals after reading the Diet Cure by Julia Ross. It helped me very much.

If I have been following the low carb lifestyle strictly, I am better able to avoid temptation because I don’t want to ruin the benefits I have received from the previous days or weeks. If I have been lax it is easier to eat a starch in front of me. That could be psychological but it could also be blood sugar stability.
Interesting.