Metabolism/Cheat Days & Cravings

figroll

hi Folks,

I'm Female, 49kgs, 5ft 4 and exercise most days (cycling, walking, resistance for toning) so i'm in 'maintenance' mode rather than trying to lose weight but there is always a bit of body fat that we don't like the look of :-) . However i've been keeping a food diary for months now (when i did want to lose a few lbs) and i've noticed that i've been getting major cravings for carbs/food in general towards the end of the week.

Normally i would have gone on a long-ish(20-25m) cycle that day or the day before and i have an almost insatiable appetite, I really started to notice this about a month or two of my food diary so my question is this..

a. Has anyone else experienced such cravings?
b. Is it normal?
c. I've heard that 'cheat days' are actually good for your metabolism - something to do with 'tricking' your body between calorie deficit/calorie surplus eg. Monday/Tuesday - calorie deficit, Wednesday - calorie surplus. Do you think this rings true?

thanks in advance,
Figroll

EileenG

A 20-25 mile cycle will typically burn 1500+ calories, more if you are going very hard. If you don't allow for that in your diet, your body will definitely remind you. If you didn't have hunger or cravings, there would be something wrong.

Keeping your calories at the same level all the time encourages your body to burn that number of calories. If you vary the calories occasionally, say with a cheat meal, then your body is less likely to reduce your metabolism to match the calories, as it can't say exactly what the calories are. However, a study in America found that women are more likely to suffer from cheat meals and diet breaks than men. The answer might be to have an occasional high calorie refeed day, but try to make it with very clean food.

figroll

Thanks EileenG! (and thanks in general for all the good advise you give on a regular basis)..

I'm not sure if that cycle would burn up quite so many cals but i know what your saying alright - basically listen to your body! The only thing i will say is is its a bit unnerving because i'm being quite careful most of the time and the appetite verges on binging - like even after eating alot i'm not quiet satisfied so i eat more (semi-clean like peanut butter on ryvita, oranges, apples - strange combos!) until i'm totally stuffed. Then usually the next day i can go back to normal..

I take a multivitamin (multibiontia) but i'm wondering would a good quality omega-3 supplement help because i would be lacking in that as i don't eat fish really.

But maybe we can get away with a day or twos 'cheating' or refueling if you do a fair bit of exercise in a week.. I just wish the impulses weren't so strong!

Thanks again,
Figroll

EileenG

I'm always in favour of an good fish oil supplement. Unless you are eating fish every day, chances are you could do with the extra. Lack of essential fatty acids like Omega 3 is one of the biggest factors in stalled weight loss.

Do you take any sort of protein supplement after cycling? I found that a big whey shake after a long cycle really did help to refuel the muscles and reduce the weird cravings. But you can easily burn 600-800 cals an hour cycling, more if you are hitting hills or headwinds or really belting along.

figroll

Cheers EileenG,

Yeah i defo could do with more fish oils i'd say cause although i eat tuna, i've heard that the processing (tinning process?) means that the omega content is negligible, plus i've very dry skin and hair so maybe thats got something to do with it.

No i hadn't thought of a protien suppliment, i guess i always thought of that wrt resistance training but i could knick some of my other half's stuff and give it a go. I'll definately need to do something to improve my diet shortly as i'll be training for a 75m hilly spin so i guess my current 'lets fit nicely into a bikini' eating plan won't be enough. ;-)

Man i don't know how people/celebs can go without eating enough for months/years - maybe they just don't exercise (?), but by God does your body have strong impulses when its not getting what it wants!

Currently i'm still craving any sort of fruit loaf/cake with raisins in it (like Maltana - something i used to eat an hour before going running/cycling) but now i just can't get enough of it.

Protein here i come!

Cheers,
Figroll

EileenG

Tell me that when you get off the bike, your legs don't wobble for a while! Your leg muscles are getting a hammering on the bike, so give them what they need to replenish themselves.

Celebs are a special case, their living depends on how they look. I remember Anne Robinson making some crack once about how she hadn't eaten food since 1997. You do it if you have to. There's such a long list of things you can't eat when you are pregnant, and even though I was literally crying with hunger a few times, I still avoided all the stuff on the banned list. Made up for it after, though.