Health & Support

I just don't understand it, I've never had any real "cravings" myself. I may WANT to enjoy the taste of something, but my body isn't producing a crazy intense physiological NEED for that food. I wonder if people just exaggerate their desires? Are these food "cravings" real, or just mental?

Enlighten me! :)

I've read somewhere that it's a body response to whatever's missing. So for example if your blood sugar is low, you may crave donuts or something similar. Personally I believe it's mental cravings rather than real. Happens mostly when you cut out foods and then just feel the 'need' to eat because it's forbidden.

*Runs off to eat chocolate*

look up the definition of the verb "to crave."

Cravings are mental.  Craving = intense desire or need.  A craving can be strong or weak, rational or irrational -  varies from individual to individual. If you've ever suddenly 'fancied' a bit of chocolate for no apparent reason... that's a mild craving.  Pregnant women  often experience cravings for foods (mine was cranberry juice) but it's by no means mandatory.  And there's a condition called 'pica' which is often caused by severe iron deficiency.  Sufferers from pica will crave and eat all kinds of weird stuff.  Coal, ice, soil, raw potatoes....

For me they're definitely real! In some instances when I crave something, I lose concentration and can only focus on the thing that I'm craving. I believe that it's a craving if you want something so badly that you feel you won't be satisfied until you have it. Sometimes I'll even give in to my cravings and still not feel satisfied after I've finished eating. So I guess it depends on the person really!

To me, a craving is when I have a void or am missing something in my life. Then I "crave" food. Really I just crave something to do, or something to occupy my idol mind and body. I guess I crave certain types of food only when I start really thinking about food, and let my mind wander.

Cravings can be caused by a deficiency in something.  For example, if you're not getting enough iron, you might crave meat.

I get random cravings all the time and I believe mental cravings count as "real" cravings. I'll just be sitting around, or maybe I'll be in class and suddenly the thought hits me - I really want (insert food) and I want it NOW. NOW NOW NOW NOW!

I doubt mine are caused by any sorts of deficiencies. I remember I once got a craving for toast and used an extra meal I had (I'm at college) to just make a pile of toast... Right now I'm experiencing two very strong cravings; one for falafel and one for coffee cake. I have no idea why, I've been craving those things all week.

It's  a desire like sex.

When my blood sugar drops, I crave things that are sweet, but nothing in particular.  Just something with sugar in it.

Well, when I had a craving, it would consume all of my thoughts and attention. The entire day, I would focus on nothing else but that food. It was debilitating, because I started severely overeating on everything (even peas! I ate two family sized bags of frozen peas when I started craving that). For me, it was partly emotional, partly physical since I was overeating on foods that had nutrients I wasn't getting on a rice-and-beans only diet. Now that I've gotten a much more varied, better diet, my cravings have been severely reduced, and they are controllable.

i agree that when you crave something, you feel as if you MUST have it.

i haven't had a craving in a long time, but the last one I had was for peanut butter. i NEEDED to have to some peanut butter; the thought of it was practically making my mouth water, and i was utterly preoccupied with it until i had some.

"Why do people say they "crave" a food when they really just want the taste of it?"

isn't that what craving is?

I think craving are for the most part all mental. Like most people said it is something they just want and then it burden's the mind until you get that thing. Also as turtle baby says she will eat that thing and the craving will not be gone, this I think proves that it's not really something your body needs but something your mind believes your body needs. If your mind is still burdened with the craving it will not go away, which encourages the overindulgence that some people experience, such as eating 2 entire bags of peas. 

When I 'crave' it's usually always the same things.... Hot Dogs/corn dogs, (and not some you just buy in the package) Funnel cake, popcorn, and those huge dill pickles. You may have guessed... it's all carnival food!  When I get cravings  I can literally smell the fair! I smell the cotton candy and the funnel cake, the lights an sounds come to my mind I can close my eyes and see myself at the state fair. I really just start intense cravings of fair vendors delicious treats.  OMG, It's Happening!!! LOL

It's definitely all MENTAL!

 

I get small cravings all the time.  I only get really huge, hard to control cravings the first few days of my period.  And it's always for really random things, one time I'm convinced i won't survive without a big chocolate fudge brownie, and the next time I couldn't possibly live without a can of 7-up and some chicken nuggets with bbq sauce.  Completely random, my friends always joke that i'm pregnant.  But they're definitely "real" cravings, whatever that means.  They're so strong i can practically taste the foods already, and all of my focus is on either getting whatever I'm craving, or getting something that will get my mind off of it haha.