Oh my gosh, I ate the best snack yesterday afternoon: sliced banana with peanut butter and Trader Joe’s pumpkin butter. Holy crap, it was delicious. That is all.
Workout
I was feeling kind of mellow yesterday afternoon, so I nixed CrossFit and went to yoga instead. I guess I was just in a funk. Usually, I’m pumped for CrossFit, but, yesterday, I just wanted a low-key workout.
I took a 75-minute Vinyasa Flow class at Dancing Crow Yoga. It was stretchy, flow-y, and just what I needed. Although, the instructor was a real stickler (she even called herself a āball busterāĀ) for proper form and technique. At first, I found this a little annoying because I just wanted to relax and unwind, but then I looked forward to her giving me feedback. She definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone and it was much appreciated because I felt like I got a really good workout. My upper back, hips, and legs felt amazing (so much looser) and my blah mood totally went away. Oh, the powers of yoga!
Dinner
Last night’s dinner was simple yet delicious: steak with roasted broccoli, onions, and red potatoes.
I added a little bit of ketchup to the potatoes for dipping.
After dinner, I watched TV and gave myself a pedicure, which was quite challenging with a 27-pound (pushy) pug on my lap.
While I was painting my toenails, I started to crave something sweet, so I ate a couple of Wilbur chocolates that Katie gave me this past weekend. (Random side note: Holy crap, Wilbur chocolates are mighty delicious!) I ate two ābudsāĀ and then two moreāĀ¦ and then two more. Then, I ate a Chocolate Chip Protein BarāĀ¦ and then another.
At this point, I knew I needed some food with substance or I’d keep eating sugary things all night long, so I ate a spoonful of Teddie peanut butter and then a piece of leftover steak from dinner, which finally did the trick.
Any time I get snack-y like this, I always look at my previous meal and ask myself a few questions:
- Did I eat enough?
- Was there a balance of carbs, protein, and fat?
- What was missing from the meal?
Looking back at last night’s dinner, I realize it was missing some healthy fats and perhaps some more protein. It was pretty much all carbs, so no wonder I wanted something more to eat later in the evening. Eating more ārealāĀ food is definitely key for me when it comes to managing my sugar cravings.
Question of the Day
Do you generally crave sweet or salty foods?
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69 Comments
I find that yoga can totally be “exactly what I needed” sometimes. I love that.
I usually crave sweet over salty. Good call on reflecting on what happened earlier to figure out why you were snacky. I try and do the same thing!
Hi Tina! I’ve noticed that when I eat steak for dinner I usually feel super snacky afterwards and crave sweets. It could be a total coincidence, I don’t know. At home and at school, I make a plate almost identical to yours thinking it’ll be super satisfying…it’s steak, after all! But I actually feel more satisfied after I eat a more voluminous meal like a salad with tons of roasted vegetables, potatoes, chicken or sausage, etc. It’s weird and annoying! Anyways, I love your blog so much and get so many meal ideas from you! Thanks!
@Katie: š
I almost always crave sweet..unless I overdo it, then salty food is all I can stomach!
I always crave sweeeets! I’d rather have a box of cookies not a bag of chips!
Always crave sugar. Every moment of every day. š With all the Halloween candy bars floating around, I’m in trouble this time of year. I do better if I don’t eat any sweets at all for a week or so and then the cravings really die down.
I have SUCH a sweet tooth and I definitely have to watch what else I’m eating that might be making it act out.
I went to an “advanced yoga” class at my gym the other day but it was my first time in that class and the teacher told me to “take it easy and modify as necessary” but it was definitely not an advanced class. I got a good stretch which was what I needed but I was also hoping for a bit MORE.
It’s great when yoga instructors can strike a balance between a somewhat intense sweat session while still providing feedback and making the practice fun; when you find an instructor like that, hold on and don’t let go! š I usually crave sweet treats, specifically dark chocolate. š
Last night, after work, I was craving all kinds of salty things, but then after I ate dinner (not-so-healthy hamburger helper :-/), I wanted something sweet. Went to the movies with my dad and got Edy’s Dibs, Crunch flavor. That and a bottle of water at the theater did the trick. Yay!
Funny that you consider 75 minutes of any exercise, “mellow”!! That is a lot of yoga.
I go back and forth on my cravings for sweet and salty things. When I really crave things though, I think they tend to be more salty…french fries, nuts, chips, ect.
I always crave sweet after dinner. I’ve found that maple almond butter, or nutella or a jam on a rice cake usually does the trick.
Yesterday I was looking at recipes so long that all I want is a seriously delicious cookie. Heath Bar will probably be put in it.
@Laura @ RunningJunkie123: Justin’s maple almond butter? That stuff is a-mazing!
@Tina: I have never had that! Everytime I go to the store it’s sold out, probably best for me. lol. I had the Marathana Raw Maple Almond Butter. SO good. The texture is really awesome. Plus it was MUCH cheaper.
Tina, great insights about evaluating your meals and hunger. I get super snack-y too! If I remember to focus on not skimping out on complete nutrition at my meals, I’m golden! š P.S. LOVE the plank challenge!!
Definitely a sweet person – I could go my entire life never eating another chip, but without chocolate I’d cry. :-p
I’m a sweet tooth at heart, and felt on the way home tonight that I just was so tired, I feel like my perk in my step is missing! Then I thought about my meals today, and I’ve been waaaay overdoing it on sugar. I need to get that balance back instead of lifting and crashing!
I always crave sweets! I’m a sweets kinda girl!
Salty. I am always craving salt. But a dark chocolate covered pretzel covers all cravings!
The Kidless Kronicles
I never crave salty foods, only sweet! And I crave them every night after dinner–it’s a work in progress to eliminate those cravings!
I have a huge sweet tooth! Salt cravings are very rare for me.
I LOVE that banana + pumpkin butter + peanut butter combo too! Sometimes I’ll put it all on wheat toast too which is also wonderful. Before I was pregnant, I’d always crave sweets when I didn’t have a satisfying meal! I have a huge sweet tooth for sure. Since I’ve been pregnant, I’m finding that I crave salty more than I ever have before which is quite interesting.
Actually too much protein can lead to sugar cravings as your body endeavours to maintain the calorie to protein balance! š I haven’t been craving sugary foods since incorporating more fats; a dollop of nut butter hear and there goes a long way!
Oh, yea? I’ve never heard that before. Interesting! Although, I’m not sure that’s the case here?
@Tina: I’m with Tina on this….the MORE protein I eat, the less I crave anything….especially the more fatty cuts of steak like ribeyes.
A few spoonfuls of nut butter always does the trick for me too when I’m feeling “snacky”. I haven’t been able to relate it to my previous meal though. I swear my body has such a delayed response. I’ll be super hungry on days when I don’t work out (but did the day before). Or after a particularly draining day, mentally or physically. I pretty much just go with it and eat something satisfying!
Sometimes a girl just needs some chocolate…
@Dee: So true.
I have a HUGE sweet tooth so I try to have a little something sweet everyday whether it be chocolate or some sunbutter with honey.
Wilbur buds are THE BEST so much better than hershey kisses!
@Emily: YES! So much better!!
I crave both sweet & salty. I am gonna try your banana, PB & Pumpkin butter mixture. That sounds awesome. 3 things I love mixed into one…wow!!!
I crave sweet things…and usually, the more tired I am, the more sweets I want!
I just purchased some pumpkin butter from TJ’s the other day and LOVE it! It’s good on anything! Or straight from the jar!
@Laura @ LauraLikesDesign: I’ve been sneaking bites straight from the jar! š
If I crave, it’s definitely sweets.
Love this post – thanks for being honest. This happens to me ALL the time and I always wish I had just eaten more at my previous meal. It’s way better to eat a bigger meal and avoid the crazy snacking!
This happens to me all the time. What time do you eat dinner? I find that if I have a reasonably early dinner, say around 5, 6 or even 7, I’ll get hungry before I go to bed (around 10-11pm). Then I decide not to start late night snacking, and just brush my teeth and go to bed. But then I can’t fall asleep because I get hungry! It’s a no-win situation. Any suggestions for this?
What about eating more at dinner? Or including more protein and fat? A meal should hold you over for 3-4 hours.
nothing wrong with a before bed snack… like greek yogurt or fruit, something light. contrary to popular belief you will not get fat (OMGZ)
Agreed. Banana w/ pb is great around 9 pm or so.
@Katerina: Agreed! It’s okay to eat if you’re hungry before bed. Eat a snack! š
I’m still fighting the sweet cravings and it can be a real struggle sometimes. I often find myself referring back to the post you wrote months ago about how you’d gotten over yours for the most part.
I generally go for sweet over salty too. But when I get snack-y, it’s whatever I can get my hands on really. All bets are off.
I have always craved sweet foods – especially after dinner. I’ve been following a paleo diet for 6 weeks now and have STILL not have any chocolate (aside from some wedding cake the other weekend). It’s been such a crazy realization and accomplishment but it really is all about the previous meal and (for me) healthy fats!
@Jenny: That’s great! š
I definitely crave sweet foods when I’m hungry! It’s dangerous…
I usually craves sweets.. but lately it’s been all about salty. Actually just crackers haha I love club crackers
Salt. Always salt!
I MUST get to Trader Joe’s for that pumpkin butter ASAP!!!
I just went to a wedding in Philly last weekend and Wilbur buds were in the hotel bags! I’d never had them before…and I ate 3 last night. What a coincidence!
Also trying the plank challenge…My first plank time was disgraceful. I planned on doing the plank workout last night, but went to bootcamp class (in Southie! Woot!) and did 10 mins of abs during class, so I’ll do your workout tonight.
Thanks!
I totally get sweet cravings too! I think it’s key to recognize when these cravings pop up that something else is going on other than my body needing chocolate! Great post!
I usually crave sweet. I was so used to having dessert or something sweet after every meal before starting Paleo. It’s still a daily battle for me. I do find that when I eat enough fat I don’t crave more after.
I just got in to yoga because I was constantly hurting myself and it has been amazing. I always felt bad if I cheated on CF by not doing a WOD but sometimes I’m more sore from my yoga class than some CF WOD’s I do!
What a great tip for not snacking through the night. I am going to start asking myself those questions. Thanks Tina!
You have to try William Sonoma’s Pumpkin Pecan Butter! It is life changing.
I need yoga. Totally doing some later today!
I usually crave salty, as of late. Like salted almond butter, protein chips, and cottage cheese atop salads. When I want something sweet, I usually grab dark choc almonds, or a nice piece of dark choc. On the weekends I tend to have a bowl of ice cream at least twice š
Get out! I live in the same place where they produce Wilbur Chocolate. The store is so fun to visit and they have the best salted carmel truffles. Oh my gosh, remind me to bring you some next time I see you. š
@Lauren: Oh my gosh, lucky you! Their chocolate is pretty awesome! š
I loooove pumpkin butter big time. We were at TJ’s a few weeks ago and it inspired me to go back home and try to make it. This version is cheaper and has less sugar, which I prefer: http://www.kellytheculinarian.com/2012/10/cooking-with-kelly-perfect-pumpkin.html
I had to give away half of the recipe because I can’t be trusted to let it sit in my fridge.
Have you tried it on apples? Perfect fall treat.
@Kelly @ Kelly the Culinarian: Thanks for the link! š
Sugar, most deffinitely…but a sweet potato, coconut water, or a few minutes of meditation nixes it!
I’ve always been someone who craves anything sweet after I have a meal. But since I’ve been cutting back on sugar (a-LOT) I’ve found that this doesn’t happen anymore, and its great! I literally used to have to eat something sweet after every meal or it wouldn’t get off my mind. My new trick is to eat dinner, wait a little bit, and then pop in a piece of sugar-free gum. The mint flavor usually does it for me and keeps me from eating anything else before bed. Its true that you crave things the less you have them.
I definitely crave sugary stuff waaay more than salty food! Last night my sweet tooth was raging; I couldn’t get enough chocolate!
I am glad that you brought that up about asking yourself what you ate and why you were still hungry… It is a great reminder for us to do that and be aware of why we are having cravings. I tend to crave sweet, always have. If I get even a small taste of something sweet, I want more… it will be a battle for the rest of my life! But, I think by asking questions to myself as you did, “what was in my last meal” etc, maybe I can start to lessen the cravings at night (which is when mine typically are). Thanks for brining this up!
My cravings get worse at night especially when I’m working a 3-11 shift at the hospital. Then when I get home all I want to do is snack! Urgh. Knowing I’m not the only person out there with crazy sweet cravings makes me feel a lot more sane and normal. The mixture of sweet and salty is my weakness!!
I can’t believe steak doesn’t upset your digestive tract. When I ate meat, steak was one thing that I could NEVER eat. It was horrible.
Pumpkin butter and peanut butter is one of the best combos. I discovered it 2 years ago when TJ’s first came out with pumpkin butter. I packed gluten free pretzels to take to work and wanted peanut butter to dip but then decided last minute I wanted pumpkin butter so I layered it on top. After mixing the two I fell in love. š
I always crave sweet things! Even if I’m full after a meal, I still like to finish it off with a piece of chocolate.