How Cravings Are Like Mosquito Bites (Really!)
/Weight Loss Fluctuations (6.30.2025 to 7.6.2025)
"Cravings." The word is rather benign-sounding. Kind of cute. A craving, and caving to a craving, is even a commonly accepted, impish little thing to do—a guilty pleasure, if you will. One of the questions I receive from people commencing the ketogenic protocol is what to do if one experiences an urge for a specific food or taste. (This is different from dealing with hunger, which is a subject about which I've written before.)
No, having a so-called craving feels more like a get-out-of-diet-jail-free card. "Ooh, all I can think about is getting my hands on some chocolate. My cravings are driving me crazy!" And it doesn't help that food advertisers take direct aim at us, urging us to satisfy our hankering for whatever it might be with their product. It's along the same lines as a certain hamburger chain telling us to go to their establishment for our cheat meal. Or maybe two. (Imagine that freckled, red-haired girl taunting us to do what we work so hard to avoid doing, she, looking so innocent with her pigtails, trying to ply us with fries and frosties!)
Our bed at la casita at our little coffee farm. the mosquito netting has been a game changer.
Cravings are tricky things, and we shouldn't indulge them. "Ha!", you might be saying. "That's easier said than done." And so it is. I find it helpful to compare some challenges to others that I encounter. The juxtaposition adds perspective. Plus, I like analogies!
One analogy I've used regarding how to approach a craving is to think of it like having a stray cat show up at your side door. We had that happen with our cat, Luna, and I've written about that before as well. In short, cravings are like stray cats. Don't feed them if you don't want them to come back. (We know of what we speak. Luna was a tiny stray who lived with us for seventeen years, all because of that first dish of food.)
“Luna” the stray we fed once. she declined to leave for 17 years. (and, of course, we continued to feed her. she passed away whilst on my lap.
Another analogy is how cravings are like mosquito bites. Having spent time at our little coffee farm in the mountains of Colombia, I've learned some things about those chomping little beggars. The first lesson is that, just as having an urge to eat a particular food does not need to overpower our decision making or behavior (resistance is not futile), the itching that results from the tiny, nearly invisible skeeters injecting saliva into our skin does not require that we scratch. Again, easier said than done. But ultimately doable. It takes effort, but it's doable.
The itch is our body's histamine response to the invading substance deposited from the bite. The thing is, scratching causes more histamine to be released, leading to an urge to scratch more, or to rake a hard-bristled brush over the miserable bumps that erupt. If you don't want cravings to come, don't feed them. If you don't want mosquito bites to itch more, don't scratch them.
Being prepared to deal with both food urges and mosquitoes helps. Anticipating that there may be moments when a favorite, yummy goodie pops into our thoughts—and let's be clear, 'craving' is really a word for thought—can gird our resolve to invite that thought to vamoose. Over the course of my returns to La Casita on the little farm, I developed progressively improved strategies to protect me and My Lovely Mate from an onslaught of nibbles from no-see-um zancudos, as mosquitoes are called in the area. Repellent sprays and lotions, strategically placed oscillating fans (they may be lifelong fliers, but mosquitoes are easily blown off course as they aim for us), incense, mosquito netting over our bed, and better clothing choices (I had made the opposite of the right ones previously). Plan, plan, plan, and don't scratch.
Cravings? Plan, plan, plan, and don't cave.
Another fun fact that folds nicely into the parallel between a yen for a beloved snack and bug bites is that it is possible to become almost immune to the histamine response to the bites. After many, many bites, the body recognizes that its energy is better spent addressing real issues rather than on fighting what is essentially a harmless series of gnat nips. (However, mosquito-borne disease is no joke, and both My Lovely Mate and I have had the appropriate vaccines against Yellow Fever and the like) So, the bugs bite, but the body ignores them.
Likewise, if we avoid certain problematic foods for a long enough period, we stop craving them. Taken to an extreme, and as an example, think of a food you never eat, then ask yourself if you ever think about eating it. I'm thinking the answer is "no."
I've never had an urge for Vegemite, Nutella, or cigarettes, never having partaken of any of them. And given enough time, refraining from eating even those foods we've eaten for years, they fade from our thoughts.
Intrusive thoughts, as well as invading bugs, can be dealt with. It takes resolve, good planning, and being honest with ourselves. None of those are very glamorous, nor are they necessarily easy. But an improved quality of life, whether emotional or physical, is the payoff. And make no mistake, staring down intrusive thoughts of food is a life upgrade.
So is mosquito netting draped over your bed. Game changer!
We need to remind ourselves that we're stronger than we realize. Stronger than we think. And we can change even those things we thought were impossible to change.
Remember, if I can do this, you can do this. I promise.
Disclaimer: I’m not a medical doctor, researcher, or Ph.D., but instead, I’ve been fortunate to have had the time and resources to research the ketogenic diet, also known as LCHF (low carb/high fat). The information I share is based solely on my understanding of that research. We are all responsible for our own choices, including what we put in our mouths, and there’s no substitute for each of us checking things out ourselves. And I’m not a medical professional in any way. Go Keto With Casey is not a medical site. “Duh,” you might say. But best to make it clear to all. I welcome questions, comments, and even civil criticism. I’m still learning. So, if you have something to add, go for it. Links in this post and all others may direct you to affiliate links, where I will receive a small amount of the purchase price of any items you buy through those links. Thanks!
