craving pumpkin seeds...

[rawfigure]

I rarely crave a food for more than 20 min....so this is a fairly new experience for me. So odd as this question seems, I need ideas here !!!

SO I Crave pumpkin seeds. I could eat them all day and have to force myself not too. When I go to the NFS I find myself on the beeline to the pumpkin seed bin.

I know pumpkin is full of magnesium and zinc, so maybe substitute a fruit / veggie that is loaded with this.

Second craving is almonds, but to a lesser degree. These are Calcium rich so is a craving for these due to that ?

What do all of you think about this simple but annoying little thing ?

[jaurequi]

Maybe you need more fat right now? Have you cut back recently? I notice, if I cut back on fat, it will show up somewhere, sometime. It's inevitable. It may show up in a carb binge (usually, that's the way I react), or it may be I need to add a bit more fat later in the week to make it right. This is why I think people fail when they cut too much fat, meaning they cut into the fat they need instead of the excess fat.

It's probably the balance thing that I've found so important to my personal experience. When I am out of balance, my eating becomes erratic and I begin to overeat on something.
I have discovered that I am very sensitive to being in balance every day. I must be careful to get X-amount of each: carbs, fat, and protein, daily, or I will be out of balance and feel "off."

Do you know what your ratio of needs is?

Pumpkin seeds are delicious, though :).

Best,

[rawfigure]

Thanks for the thoughts. I have been running about 30% fat (35 grams a day) 40-45 carbs (mostly veggies) and 25-30 % protein.

Before Raw my fat was always about 15% - 20 grams a day. I have it in my head that I am eating too much fat (feel a little soft right now, though weight is same, more fat/ less muscle maybe ?? since I so drastically changed my diet 6 mo. ago ) so I am trying to cut it back some. So yes in answer to your question I am trying to eat less fat more fruit and veggies. Today I replaced my snack which is usually some nuts or seeds with carrots and red cabbage.

I also cut out my Hemp Protein Fudge Balls in an attempt to reduce the nuts in my diet.

[misslinda]

I wonder if you're body is making drastic changes b/c you are no longer body building?

I know for myself, when I worked back into cardio-running now that I am healing much better, I craved FATS like crazy off and on until my body mellowed out and now I don't have that fat spike.

I can't explain it but that is what I noticed consistenly now and in the past.


:) ps I love your new property!

[rawfigure]

misslinda, another good point I was pondering too. Yes I think you could be onto something there.

I have made DRASTIC changes in my macronutrient, & types of food...not only did I go raw but I went vegan to...and my protein intake plumeted. After all I was 15% fat /25% carbs and 60% protein for 6 years at least ! And fruit, I did not touch it for years. If I ate 1-2 piece in a month that was all that was recommended by my trainers , now I eat it daily !!

..and a carrot !?? my friend commented that she could not believe I was eating a Carrot, it was just too many carbs :rolleyes: I would never eat a carrot in my BB day, after all it is not protein ! HA!!!!

So then I reduced my weight training to 2 full body work outs a week, just enough to maintain and not build ...and running 3-4 times a week. I am up to 45 min runs already !!

So my body is trying to work throught it I guess !

I will keep you posted on my body and what it decided to do next :D

[jaurequi]

It's interesting to me that you've maintained the weight. It sounds like you take in the same amount of calories, just in a different ratio of elements.
You were leaner with 15-20 % fat -- perhaps that's your ideal. Mine is 10-15% or I get "soft" (staying within the same caloric intake).

Over the past 5 years or so, I've been hearing/reading that weightlifting is better for fat loss than cardio. After being a cardio-Freak for almost 20 years, I know that one's body adapts to it and it no longer "works." I've tried to incorporate other exercises (cardio) to move beyond plateaus, and it works temporarily. But I've been doing this so long that my body is just too used to rigorous exercise, and I do now believe weightlifting is probably the best way.
Now that you've (stopped?) lessened your weightlifting, you may just be getting softer.

I think you are right about the carbs too. If you've been off them and then start them, your body goes into that panic modes and tries to store it in anticipation of the next famine, ha,ha. But it will eventually release it. It takes a while. I remember reading that some pop celebrity went on a high-protein diet to get "skinny" for a movie role, but hated it and went right back to carbs after the movie. She said she "blew up" for a while, but eventually got back to normal.

I've always been a huge carb eater because of my running, so when I cut back I drop weight super quick. When I cut back on running and keep eating the same carbs, I also get "softer" because it's too much carbs for my activity.

These are reasons why when refining my diet, I have to be careful about it all. My activity level, metabolism, and just plain facts (like excess calories = weight gain), factor in to how I feel, perform, and look.
If I were to stop exercising, I would have to drastically cut down my caloric intake. Since you've changed your routine, you probably have to do some adjusting.

What does your exercise regimen consist of now?

:) sorry to write so much! I'm just really interested in this type of discussion.
I'd love for you to keep us updated on your changes and what you find working for you.

[rawfigure]

Over the past 5 years or so, I've been hearing/reading that weightlifting is better for fat loss than cardio. After being a cardio-Freak for almost 20 years, I know that one's body adapts to it and it no longer "works."
.

I will write more later as this is an interesting subject. I am not in total agreement with the above statement. I have seen that when Natural BB reduce there cardio in the winter, weight train heavy, the bodyfat goes up and in the pre contest period the majority of us (there are those genetically gifted ones though..) need to do cardio (some of us are doing two sessions a day) to strip down to that desire 10% or lower bodyfat level. I was leanest doing 6-9 cardio sessions a week, lifting 5-6 days a week...but that is a huge time issue which I cannot do right now !!

I am always leaner doing cardio than lifting. That being said the body adapts to both so we do need to consistently change things around.

I am doing step and rebounder several times a week. I ran a 5K 3 times this week...and weight train 3 times. So about 3 hours in the gym and 3 hours cardio...tomorrow I may run hills.

[jaurequi]

rawfigure, I agree with you about the variations. We could go on and on about differences! Those people switching from cardio to more weights could have also changed their diets.

I think it's individual with the weights; but I have been hearing/reading that one burns at a higher rate for the 24 hours after lifting than the cardio (?) But, again, there would most likely be a lot of variations according the individual constitution. It seems there is no one "truth" in much when it comes to working out, I'm finding...For example, me: I have been running for so many years and doing little weightlifting. I can run for miles on end and not break a sweat; but adding in the weights and cutting the running makes me burn like crazy. It's sort of like the plateau syndrome, I guess :).

Sooooo, how's the pumpkin craving going? :D