Me: No, I just really want the friggin’ ice cream. Now out of my way or I’ll cut you, foo.
One of the things every dieter knows is that people eat for other reasons besides hunger. I guess I have always accepted this food-as-panacea argument. After all, how would you test it? Make people stop having emotions and then see if they eat as much? I don’t see that flying with any Ethical Review Board. (You did know that all research on human beings has to pass muster with an ERB, right? Yep, that Stanley Milgram study with all the sadistic shocking of strangers and weeping of commenters for generations afterward – totally passed an ERB.)
But I’ve never before heard of anyone trying to pinpoint a specific emotional need to a specific type of food. People say stuff all the time like “I’m an emotional eater. I eat to fill a void in my life. I eat to be happy, avoid pain, grieve, & celebrate.” And I believe them. Sometimes I feel the same way. So I was intrigued to find this list of what your cravings mean from the patron saint of dieters: Oprah.
-Meat could mean you’re angry
-Sweets might be a sign of depression
-Ice cream might mean you’re anxious
-Salty snacks could mean you’re stressed
-Pasta might signal loneliness or sexual frustration
-All of the above might mean you’re just a little bit jealous
-Sweets might be a sign of depression
-Ice cream might mean you’re anxious
-Salty snacks could mean you’re stressed
-Pasta might signal loneliness or sexual frustration
-All of the above might mean you’re just a little bit jealous
And you know what? It’s pretty true for me. I never crave meat and I’m rarely angry. Instead, I choose to channel that emotion inward thereby making me depressed – so much better!. And I totally crave sweets. My other predominant negative emotion is anxiety and ice cream is probably the #1 reason I don’t look like Heidi Klum. (Oh wait, I’m not blonde. And I have no boobs. Are you telling me she represents an unattainable physical ideal?! Noooooo! Next you’ll tell me she’s heavily airbrushed. Gimme those Mike & Ikes!!)
I never crave pasta. Ahem.
But who among us isn’t depressed, anxious, or stressed? The biggest factor in my cravings, I’ve discovered, is fatigue. When I’m tired, I crave that sweet sweet love of sugar – in any variety. If there’s nothing else in the house I will actually eat straight sugar sometimes. As in from a spoon. It’s not pretty but it’s the reality of having small children with no respect for circadian rhythms.
So now you know my secrets – what’s your take? Do your cravings line up with Oprah’s? If we all do, will she fly us out to be on her show?? We could all win cars! Think carefully, my friends, there’s a lot at stake here.
I crave the sweet stuff when I’m stressed. I never crave anything else, except peanut butter. And then I eat it with a spoon straight out of the jar standing in the pantry. Which of those does PB fit into? Salty?
My Dr told me once that craving things high in specific nutrients (like the fat and protein in PB) is a sign that you’re body is low in that particular nutrient – giving into the craving helps to take care of your deficiency. Not sure how that works with ice cream, though. Or if there’s any scientific basis behind it.
I’m with you on this one…I crave sweets when I am depressed or tired–or both. Lately I seem to be both, which explains the pile of wrappers from the valentine’s day candy that I swore I would not buy. Maybe if i get angry over it I will crave some meat? (lol!)
I am definately an emotional eater. I had to change my life to change my eating habits and that is the success I had in losing my weight, though I just cannot shake the chocolate thing. I definately have the craving when my kids are asking me to do a million things at once or are just driving me crazy!
Boredom is another time when I go to the kitchen, but I have learned to stear it towards some other activity until I am actually hungry.
Charlotte, I thought that if I didn’t have it in the house I wouldn’t eat it, but I think I would be like you and go straight for the spoonful of sugar!
Candice
Wow – the salty cravings = stress thing totally describes me! I’ve always preferred salty, crunchy snacks over sweet ones, but I think the salty cravings really started when I was prego w/ #2…I was tired, achy, etc. – nothing that I hadn’t felt w/ the first one. I was just having a hard time feeling all those things while having to take care of a very active 2 year old at the same time. To this day I have a week spot for Doritos, and I swear I can feel the stress melt away with every bite… 😉
I think this is bogus as I am angry ALL the time and very rarely do I crave meat! Hmmm!
But I do love the sugar and the more sugar I eat the more depressed I am. It’s just a vicious circle!
Hi,
I am trying to figure out whether I actually do crave my 3 pints of ben & jerry a week or whether I just like it and it’s okay (these are the only sweets I eat) and whether its damaging to my body! Does anybody know? I guess I want to hear that it is okay, hmmm. Anxious might fit my mental state, but so does anger and I am a very happy vegetarian. Then, I eat the ice creme after dinner and think of it as enhancing digestion. I don’t gain any weight because of it….
Maya – I’m no nutritionist but I say if it’s your treat and it isn’t making you gain weight, then enjoy that B&J! You gotta have some pleasure in life, right? Plus, they’ve shown a moderate amount of high fat dairy can help you be more fertile, lol! PS> Concession Obsession is THE BEST;)
I’ve heard of this concept before too. It makes kinda sense, but for some reason I can’t buy into the whole thing. I have a mean sweet tooth as well, and in one philosophy, the need for sweets was a symbolic way of needing more “sweetness” in your life aka joy. Now that I could believe.