Lesson form Atkins that appears to apply to any plan that
takes your carbs low enough to trigger ketonuria - The
initial cravings can last as much as two weeks but generally
less than that.

Carb cravings have an interesting pattern.  View the glycogen
stored in the liver as a "carb tank" like a car's gas tank.  If
the tank is full there are no carb cravings - This is why low
fat programs often suggest munching on rabbit food at any
sign of craving.  If the tank is partially full there are cravings.
If the tank is empty you're back to no cravings again.  This
feature of carb cravings going away when empty is probably
the single biggest advantage low carbing has over other types
of plan IMO.

The liver isn't the only place that stores carbs.  The muscles
store gylcogen carbs as well.  But the muscles don't seem
to be as involved in the cravings.

A futher lesson from Atkins that will probably work for you -
In the 1993/1999 editions he said "Be shockingly unafraid
of fat".  While eating extra fat won't make the cravings go
away it will make them much less sharp and it will make
them complete sooner.  Of course this advice to eat what it
takes during the cravings is widely attacked by antis as if
the advice lasts forever.  Nope, it only lasts until the cravings
go away.  Eating higher fat, lower protein, during the craving
days takes it from a trial to get through cravings to a surreal
experience.

Vast numbers experience it.  Atkins at one point suggested
that the harder the initial craving the more benefit the person
is likely to get from low carbing.  The cravings can last anywhere
from a couple of days if fought with the strange high fat low
protein trick or as much as two weeks.  For that matter, give
in to the cravings and have some extra carbs and you can
extend the cravings for a very long time.  Because of how that
"carb tank" thing works doing the obvious of feeding your
craving a little bit backfires.

You're aware that staying low has its own potential issues,
right?  It's obvious and if the obvious worked like that every
single low carb book would recommend it.  Yet none do
recommend it.  Funny how that works.  Consider trying the
non-obvious approaches from the various books.

"Gavsta" <gwilby@iom.com> wrote in

It's just boredom, you're eating for entertainment!

A fist full of peanuts or Almonds fills you up real quick and the natural
fats are real good for you too!

Atkins writes in his book that if you have a craving, eat a dozen hard-boiled
eggs. He then goes on to write that most people wouldn't do that--but you get
the idea.

I have a variety of cheeses in my refrigerator and will eat a slice in the
evening if I get an urge to snack.

Mark
280/221/200