Strict macros VS eat according to cravings | Glucose VS Fat oxidation

GreekDemiGod

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Wanted to open a discussion around this topic. Do you follow a certain macro split/range(for example 40-50% carbs, 20-30% fats...) or do you eat according to cravings?
Lately, I've entertained the idea of not restricting my fat intake, of eating according to cravings. If I do this, I crave up to 30% or even 40% fats in my diet. I have phases where I crave less fat, but my default is around 30-35% fats.


Other observations:
- taking B vitamins(B1 and B3 especially) and other metabolic boosters(Taurine, Inosine, coffee...) drives up my sugar cravings/ requirements, that is naturally to be expected
- I have the most energy after a meal when I eat a 2 : 1 : 0.5 carb:protein:fat ratio(for example, 80g carbs, 40g protein, 20g fats), but that's not what I usually crave. I crave the fat and the protein first, and at the end the carbs/ sugar.

And I was also wondering how do our cravings correlate to our metabolic health.
 
Joined
Mar 10, 2021
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Wanted to open a discussion around this topic. Do you follow a certain macro split/range(for example 40-50% carbs, 20-30% fats...) or do you eat according to cravings?
Lately, I've entertained the idea of not restricting my fat intake, of eating according to cravings. If I do this, I crave up to 30% or even 40% fats in my diet. I have phases where I crave less fat, but my default is around 30-35% fats.


Other observations:
- taking B vitamins(B1 and B3 especially) and other metabolic boosters(Taurine, Inosine, coffee...) drives up my sugar cravings/ requirements, that is naturally to be expected
- I have the most energy after a meal when I eat a 2 : 1 : 0.5 carb:protein:fat ratio(for example, 80g carbs, 40g protein, 20g fats), but that's not what I usually crave. I crave the fat and the protein first, and at the end the carbs/ sugar.

And I was also wondering how do our cravings correlate to our metabolic health.

I think most obese and sick people eat according to their cravings, so I don’t find that strategy to be one for good health. Adopting a healthy lifestyle and “listening” to what your body is saying and finding a compromise is more of what RP suggests. Just because one craves and eats a burger and a plate of French fries does not achieve anything except more fat and more illness. That is why when Ray Peat was asked if he were wanting to lose fat what would he do, he didn’t say follow my cravings, he said he would first stop eating. He said if you want to kill cancer eat zero fat. Listen to your body, but don't follow it off a cliff.
 

Hans

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Wanted to open a discussion around this topic. Do you follow a certain macro split/range(for example 40-50% carbs, 20-30% fats...) or do you eat according to cravings?
Lately, I've entertained the idea of not restricting my fat intake, of eating according to cravings. If I do this, I crave up to 30% or even 40% fats in my diet. I have phases where I crave less fat, but my default is around 30-35% fats.


Other observations:
- taking B vitamins(B1 and B3 especially) and other metabolic boosters(Taurine, Inosine, coffee...) drives up my sugar cravings/ requirements, that is naturally to be expected
- I have the most energy after a meal when I eat a 2 : 1 : 0.5 carb:protein:fat ratio(for example, 80g carbs, 40g protein, 20g fats), but that's not what I usually crave. I crave the fat and the protein first, and at the end the carbs/ sugar.

And I was also wondering how do our cravings correlate to our metabolic health.
I change my diet all the time based on what I crave and how I feel. It's good to have guidelines but still follow your cravings. Just be sure not to overeat on fat and carbs else you'll pile on body fat.
I personally don't think cravings tell us all that much. If I crave nik naks or pepper steak pie or something like that (which happens rarely, and only when I'm really hungry), is it because I really need it? Nope. But if you crave fatty meat and you prep good quality fatty meat without PUFA and other inflammatory food, then it's good.
 

76er

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I'm probably back up 40% fat regarding my daily intake (from ~30%) because I do crave them.

I rather just have more cheese, whole milk, etc. than more carbs.

That said, I do watch calories and I'm trying to run a small deficit atm so I'll nibble on my full-fat classic gouda
very slowly b/c I ain't going to get that much in a given day.
 

CastorTroy

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I think most obese and sick people eat according to their cravings, so I don’t find that strategy to be one for good health. Adopting a healthy lifestyle and “listening” to what your body is saying and finding a compromise is more of what RP suggests. Just because one craves and eats a burger and a plate of French fries does not achieve anything except more fat and more illness. That is why when Ray Peat was asked if he were wanting to lose fat what would he do, he didn’t say follow my cravings, he said he would first stop eating. He said if you want to kill cancer eat zero fat. Listen to your body, but don't follow it off a cliff.
I think he refers to predominance of macros as energy source when talks about craving, rather than specific foods. Obviously among "real" healthy foods. Not industrial, processed, artificially flavor improved or additive loaded products, etc. I think craving on this can be of high interest, since not all bodies or metabolisms work or are built the same. Even from one season to another can be variations in this regard.
 

Cloudhands

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i think craving fats is a sign of not burning sugar so much, maybe being high cortisol or something. Earlier today i asked my gf to squirt 3 drops of lapodin in my mouth because i hate missing and getting yellow stain on my beard. She accidentally squirted a whole fuckload because she didnt know how sensitive the bottle was to being squeezed. I took an enormous ***t and felt like i was gonna pass out on the toilet, but i was craving sugar like no other. Went to the fridge and chugged some milk, but it tripped me out for a second. It was 2% milk but tasted like a vanilla latte, it tasted sweeter than anytime Id ever had milk before. I think the more your body is ready to burn glucose, the better it tastes. It tasted like white chocolate or melted vanilla icecream. So good. Then i took another monster ***t and ive felt super calm all day.
 

FoodForeal

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I think most obese and sick people eat according to their cravings, so I don’t find that strategy to be one for good health.
If we exclude processed foods we can generally rely on taste and smell as an indicator of how healthy a food is. Seed oils which are normally repulsive because of the rancid smell are turned into tasty food additives by deodorization. People's instincts (taste) are telling them that seed oils are good for them like the fat they would normally get from animal fat, but their olfactory instinct has been blinded by removing the smell that would tell the body that seed oil (and fishy stinky fish oil) is unhealthy. When your body observes seed oil through taste only, what it "sees" is animal fat. That's why so many people eat so much processed garbage; your body is telling you it is similar in health to saturated animal fat rich foods. It probably tells you to eat it even more voraciously ironically because the food is nutritionally deficient so your body is starving for good food and thinks it found it so tries to get you to eat it as much as it possibly can.
 

Rasaari

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i think craving fats is a sign of not burning sugar so much, maybe being high cortisol or something.
I agree, I think its both hypothyroidism and inability to burn sugars (b1, mg, high ffa...). High cortisol would reduce glucose oxidation, increase ffa, and sugar and sfa together would be a potent counter.

Back when I didn't have a thyroid supplementation, and it was winter, adding heavy cream to every food seemed like the greatest idea. I also craved coffee. Once summer came, I sometimes would forget to drink coffee, and my desire for fat lowered. Now that I supplement with thyroid, I crave neither even in the cold and dark winter. But I still eat fatty stuff to fill in the calories.
 

ReSTART

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just eat normal and dont boost your metabolism with random supplements and pills
 
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just eat normal and dont boost your metabolism with random supplements and pills
I agree! Toxic supplements keeps the body out of balance, but if one continues to eat a diet void of nutrition to appease their “pleasures senses” then I guess they gotta stay on that merry-go-round to stay alive.
 

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