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figurechamp
New member
I've been craving carbs like mad, especially at night or just when I'm bored. So I read about this 5-htp stuff and bought a bottle last night. Anyone ever try it? Did it help? Any weird sides?
5htp?
- Thread starter figurechamp
- Start date
You've probably figured this out by now but 5-HTP is a serotonin and melatonin precursor, so in theory it would help to make sure you have enough serotonin around to keep your brain happy and enough melatonin to let you sleep (through the same pathway that turkey makes you sleepy).
It's kind of a long shot but unlikely to harm you, so you could try it and find out. If you wanted something more natural you could increase the tryptophan in your diet (dairy, bananas, turkey... Google a list). Either way it's likely to take a couple weeks to start working.
Good luck! In the meantime look up "sleep hygiene". That's a good starting point for insomnia before you medicate it. Sleep tight
It's kind of a long shot but unlikely to harm you, so you could try it and find out. If you wanted something more natural you could increase the tryptophan in your diet (dairy, bananas, turkey... Google a list). Either way it's likely to take a couple weeks to start working.
Good luck! In the meantime look up "sleep hygiene". That's a good starting point for insomnia before you medicate it. Sleep tight
I use 5HTP as a mood enhancer, much like Cutie described it. I spent 12 years on various cocktails of medications and I have been off for 4 years but find that the 5 HTP is just enough to keep me fairly even keeled. Sadly, I still go through periods of craving and I don't find it does much for my sleep but I'm a poor sleeper for other reasons too.
Did you try it, FC?
Also, do you eat sugar/flour? I found when I cut these (and artificial sweeteners) out of my diet the carb cravings pretty much went away.
It took about a week
Also, do you eat sugar/flour? I found when I cut these (and artificial sweeteners) out of my diet the carb cravings pretty much went away.
It took about a week
figurechamp
New member
No I didn't try it yet. Read something elsewhere about how it was also supposed to lower your sex drive. Like I need THAT to happen. But I have been paying really close attention to how the carbs I get are making me feel. Friday is a high carb day so I tried to REALLY load up yesterday. And today (Saturday) I had more than my usual carb intake. I feel fantastic! My workout today was great coz I could actually get through it without losing all kinds of energy. So I'm gonna try eating a few more carbs than normal today and then go back to my usual starting tomorrow (Sunday). Thinking I'm going to have two high carb (fridays and saturdays) days instead of just one. Otherwise, I just start to drag by Tuesday and that just sucks. I can't get through these workouts with such low carbs. It sucks!
I've eliminated added sugar but I still need sweetness so I use that truvia stuff when I wanna sweeten something up. I really do think it's the carbs though. How do all these fitness competitors do such low carb diets?!?! I'm so ready to kill someone coz I get so cranky and just miserable!!!!
I've eliminated added sugar but I still need sweetness so I use that truvia stuff when I wanna sweeten something up. I really do think it's the carbs though. How do all these fitness competitors do such low carb diets?!?! I'm so ready to kill someone coz I get so cranky and just miserable!!!!
