The M&M Test

(jketoscribe) #1

I find hunger feels so differently when I’m keto. I rarely have true hunger, but then I’ll see food and think “yes, I want to eat that”–that’s turning out to be my hungry sign. When I’m truly not hungry, the same food has no temptation for me. This is helpful when I’m intentionally fasting, and it allows me to often delay or entirely skip meals easily, but sometimes it backfires because sometime I suddenly get ravenously hungry and want to eat everything in the house if I’ve waited “too long”.

So one sign that I am hungry and really do need to eat is when I see something that I would not normally eat and WANT it right now! In my office there is a jar of peanut M&M’s that serves as that trigger for me. I can look at it 100 times a day and each time I think “Bleh, rat poison”. But when I start to think “maybe I’ll have just one”–that’s my signal. Oh, I must be hungry. Time to eat real food. So then I eat the good stuff I have stashed in my office (nuts, olives, coconut oil, unsweetened chocolate) or the lunch I brought.

Staying aware of this has been helpful. I know NOT to reach for the M&M’s when they look good to me, but to recognize the symbol that it’s time to eat real food. Today that was lunch at 3 p.m.

What’s your M&M test?

(Stickin' with mammoth) #2

Hunger pains.

#3

pangs? :blush:

(Michelle) #4

Nice! love it. I do have junk in the house for my boyfriend’s kids, but I’m not tempted to eat it. For me, my M&Ms are just awareness. If I get a “craving” for something, then I ask myself if it’s really a craving, or if it’s hunger. Like, could I eat cheese and be okay? Will I still be hungry? Do I need a real meal and not just a snack? I try to be aware of the signals my body is telling me and then I follow it.

(Stickin' with mammoth) #5

I stand by my statement. (growl)

(eat more) #6

my m&m’s are apparently changing…
i knew i was actually hungry at the gym when i started craving broccoli…who craves broccoli?!
i didn’t even used to like broccoli :flushed:

prob some “your body was deficient in ____” or something so prob not on topic lol

(Jan) #7

I’ve got the same thing for M&M’s.

When I was a couple of week/months in, my wife bought some M&M’s for herself, but couldn’t finish it up in one go. Therefore the bag was put in the carb section of a drawer. Every time I opened up the drawer I wanted to take a hand full of those small, sweet, chocolate goodies.

Good thing she at them soon after and never bought them again.
Same goes for the Milka chocolate bars, they are also very yummie!

I’m glad I’ve got enough willpower to resist the urge, but those kind of candies make it hard :slight_smile:

(Jamie Hayes) #8

I don’t have an M&M test but I have some tips to avoid it. I think this comes from researcher Brian Wansink who wrote the book Mindless Eating.

Consider these levels of temptation and which would work best for you.

  1. The M&Ms are in an open glass jar on your desk with all colours
  2. The M&Ms are in an open glass jar on your desk but only with 2 colours
  3. There’s lid on the jar
  4. The jar is not see-through and there’s a lid
  5. The jar is not see-through, there’s a lid and the jar is in the kitchen
  6. The jar is not see-through, there’s a lid. The jars is out of site in a kitchen cupboard.

I call all the above options “Boxing it in”. If none of those work for you, then “Box it out”. Clear the house out and don’t let any non-keto foods in the house.

But some well-meaning family member says “But what about the kids?” Just shake your head and say “No”. (You don’t want to set them us with obesity, diabetes or tooth decay.)

PS: When our three boys were growing up, we never denied them and their friends any choice of drinks. They could have either tap water or fridge water!!!

PPS: Quotation: “I find total abstinence far easier than perfect moderation.” St Augustine 6th century

(jketoscribe) #9

I don’t have a choice in the office because I’m a subtenant, so I have to live with the clear glass container of M&M’s staring at me on the lunch counter. But it’s really not a problem unless I’m hungry. At that point, when I want the M&M’s, it’s my signal that I’m hungry, but I eat real food, not the M&M’s. Today I skipped breakfast, and around 2 p.m. I passed by the jar of M&M’s and they called out to me. I didn’t feel hunger pangs, but I realized I was probably hungry. I pulled out my lunch and ate that instead.

What’s weird is that I rarely have a strong physical sensation of hunger UNTIL I start to eat. As soon as I took the first bite of my lunch I felt hungry and ate with great satisfaction. I didn’t even eat all of my lunch, but what I ate I enjoyed way more than some M&M’s.

(Jamie Hayes) #10

Maybe you could consider IF and skip lunch. It sounds like you’ve become pretty resilient at avoiding the M&Ms.

Well done janknitz.

(Jessica) #11

I did that with all the christmas goodies at home, because my bf still eats carbs. So I didn’t want to throw it away. It totally works, I don’t feel tempted because I forget about them. So did bf.
But I also have this situation that my colleague (who collects the post, so I go there frequently) always has sweets displayed for everyone. I never thought about them as a test for my real hunger. But I will now!

(Stickin' with mammoth) #12

I freakin’ LOVE that book! It should be required reading for anyone to eats food.

https://www.amazon.com/Mindless-Eating-More-Than-Think/dp/0345526880

(Jamie Hayes) #13

If it becomes a problem, find an NLP practitioner to help you change your association with M&Ms so they do not represent food or anything that you’d be even tempted to place in your mouth.

I’m pretty much that way with chocolate now.

(jketoscribe) #14

Most of the time, the smell of sugar, especially in processed goodies, smells like rat poison to me now. I thank going SIX months with no sweeteners of ANY kind. It cured my sweet tooth. So most of the time sugary treats hold no temptation. Unless . . . I’m hungry. I just need to keep remembering I am not hungry for M&M’s.

(Jennifer) #15

I am currently on a two-day water/tea fast, going to go till Friday evening. A big glass of water or tea calms any hunger pains right away.

I must say that the fasting component has completely changed everything about my cravings. I have food all over my house because my husband is 6’3” and 175lbs (about 10% BF) with a runner’s build. And my two boys are similar. But the fact that I am controlling when I eat, has made a huge difference.

I have been fasting and not sticking to any pattern so not to have my body adapt to what I am doing. So, If I decide to eat lunch and dinner, I will allow a snack in that feeding window, but outside the window, nothing. No snacking allowed. Most days I only eat one meal and I am usually so full from the meal itself, I have no desire to snack.

(Jennifer) #16

I had to pick up a few dozen boxes of Krispy Kremes for church a couple weeks ago and the smell of them almost made me gag. Crazy…

I did buy some dark chocolate bars just in case I had a taste for it. Haven’t gotten into them yet. And if I really feel that I NEED some chocolate, I will eat a few pieces. :slight_smile: