Addicted to Sweets! HELP!

bfgjanieb

My spare tire keeps growing! I've started a daily exercise routine--Zumba Gold and strength training, however, my sweet tooth kicks in and I break my diet by eating cookies, candy, etc. I know I should keep all of those sweets out of sight, but that is so much easier said than done. Any ideas?

AspenDan

Well I kicked my horrible soda habit (5+ cans a day) by using mio and diet sodas instead and over time I just stopping drinking those outside of moderation...I too have trouble with cookies and brownies
...maybe we both should look for low cal alternatives ??

snickerscharlie

There's nothing wrong with adding a few treats to your daily intake provided you allow room for them in your calorie budget for the day, and that you are getting most of your calories from nutrient dense foods.

IsaackGMOON

No reason for not consuming your faovurite sweet treats in moderation...

Patttience

You are probably eating sweets because you are getting hungry. Could that be so? Solution, eat more and never run short of healthy options.

I quit sweets about 1.5 years ago. I love being sweet free. Not totally never eat sweets but i never buy them, nor cook them up. No sugar, honey etc. I'm a savoury girl now. Just eat lots of fresh fruit for my sweetness. Fantastic. If you need more tips, message me and i can fill you in tomorrow.

Ps. I didn't find it that hard.

GiveMeCoffee

Stop restricting them from your diet and if you want a cookie or other sweet make it fit into your day. I have a serious sweet tooth and in the past when I went on a diet I always thought I had to cut them out entirely and was overly restrictive on what I would eat which is why I always quit. This time realizing I didn't have to cut out anything just learn to include them it's been much easier.

So every day my diary has either a serving of ice cream, a cookie, or a cupcake and I just make it work. Been doing this for almost 3 years now and over 100 lbs lost. In the beginning it might be easier to buy single serve snacks or whatever helps you.

EttaWB

You might now want to hear this but you already know what you have to do. Keep them out of sight and if possible for a while, out of the house. I too am a sugar addict. As much as I wanted to tell myself that I could control myself around them, early on I admitted I could not. I found myself in an internal war with myself and most times the addict won. You can't control sweets being around outside of the home and sometimes that's the biggest challenge. But if you want to win you have to believe that you don't need it all the time. You also have to look for healthier alternatives. That sounds easy but I know firsthand that it's not. I'm literally praying that one day I'll get through a day without talking myself out of having sweets. What helped me was accepting a 21 day challenge to not eat sweets or fatty foods. I got through the challenge then realized that I didn't need it everyday. It's still a temptation, everyday. But I'm getting better at controlling the urges. Right now I'm going though something and I've been eating rice cakes and peanut butter 3 or 4 days in a row. Health option but I still have to eat them in moderation to ensure I don't go over my daily calories. Also, 4 days in a row is too much. Now I have to go back to the drawing board. This tells me I still have a control issue. I have one rice cake left. After it's gone, I won't buy any for a while. You have to believe you can and keep it away as much as possible. Different things work for different people. Maybe someone else will suggest somethng else that you might feel works better for you. No matter what, you can gain control. Here's a quote a MFP friend shared, "Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don't.” ― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free congrats!!!!!

EttaWB

Let me add, my post is not about total restriction. It's about gaining control. We should enjoy what we want in moderation. But if you're not eating them in moderation, you, like I have to figure out how to control ourselves. That's the outcome I'm looking for. For instance, last week at work there was a baby shower. Instead of eating a huge slice of cake and a cupcake, I ate a sliver of cake and a mini-cupcake. I then added them to my diary and adjusted my meals to ensure that I didn't go over my calories. When it was all said and done, I believe I went over by about 50 calories. That wasn't too bad and I figured the walk I took that day took care of the 50 calories. At least I hoped.

malibu927

If you don't think you can handle moderation of them within a calorie deficit, then eliminate them from your diet. Otherwise, there's nothing wrong with a treat here and there. I always make room for some type of dessert in my day, even if it ends up just being a couple squares of chocolate.

FinntheVeggie

Well, I'd reccommend experimenting and finding a strategy that works for you personally - and don't get discouraged because you haven't found that winning strategy yet!

It took me a long time to realize that I simply could not have certain things in the house. Chocolate is one of them. Butter is another (I had a small bread and butter addiction..). Granola bars, trail mix...If they were in my house, they would be eaten until they were gone. But I could resist the temptation with some other things like soda, graham crackers, licorice. So when I need something sweet I will buy one of those so I know the whole box won't be gone by tomorrow morning. When I really, really want a chocolate bar I take exactly two dollars to the store and buy one - just one. That way I avoid all the nasty willpower battles that ultimately end in bingeing.

I find that when I have junk food, even if I work it into my daily calories, it makes me crave more junk food. Eating really clean and healthy makes me feel fit and refreshed and I feel less tempted by sweets (compared to when I eat junk, I feel fat and I know it's all in my head but it makes me want to just eat everything and forget about it). So I'm best off when I can avoid sweets all together for a few weeks at a time. But for some people this would be utterly counterproductive, because the feeling of deprivation might lead them to get frustrated and give up or break down and eat way more than they planned.

So it's all about experimenting and finding what works for you! There's lots of good advice in the comments above mine too.

Kalikel

Put them out of sight or, better yet, don't buy them.

You have to learn to tell yourself, "No." This is going to come up over and over again throughout your weight loss...and life. You have to figure out how to say No and then practice doing it. It might be easier to start saying no when you don't actually want the thing. That's a little practice of saying No and not eating it.

The first time is the hardest. After the first few times, it gets easier and easier.

YOU are in charge of what you eat. You can do this.

blueboxgeek

I'm the same as the above, some things I just cannot have in the house. I buy myself sweet treats that I know I am ok to eat in moderation. The things I go crazy for, I just do without as I KNOW I won't just eat 1 or 2.

Francl27

I avoided sweets for a month and satisfied my sweet tooth with protein shakes. Haven't had any issue with moderation since (unless I have PMS, then it can turn ugly, but to be fair sweets are not what I tend to crave at that time and I'd eat something else anyway if there were no sweets in the house).

I don't believe in sweets addiction, but I believe in lack of willpower. But in the end, I love sweets and I don't want to give them up, so moderation is really the only option. When I start restricting, I end up binging, and it's not a solution either.

I just don't eat them mindlessly anymore... prelog them, and take my time to really enjoy them... and I probably won't have ice cream and chocolate the same day. I also tend to eat lower calorie ice cream now, which still satisfies my sweet tooth but is easier to fit in my goal etc.

Also, I focus on the sweets I REALLY want to eat. Last week I really wanted pie, so I made one, had two small slices in 2 days and froze the rest (well, what my husband didn't eat). Right now I'm not craving any specific dessert so it's easier to just say no. There are also cookies, ice cream, and chocolate in my house. I just eat them when the craving hits, and not just because they are there. I make choices... do I really want some ice cream or do I want pasta more today? Some days pasta will win. Or I'll skip a hamburger bun for two squares of chocolate.

It's really about thinking about what you REALLY want to eat... make your meals as satisfying as possible so you don't rely on sweets to be satisfied... then take small bites and really enjoy your food, and you'll be satisfied with less. And I've found that when you eat something because you really crave it and not just because it's there, it's way more enjoyable, and you're satisfied with less anyway...

There are a lot of 100-140 calorie sweets out there that you can relatively easily fit in your days too. Just take small bites and tell yourself you're only having one. I still avoid the sugar free or 'healthy' versions of things (apart from Edy's slow churned ice cream, which I actually like) because they're just not satisfying at all for me.

snickerscharlie

Food is just food. It's not 'junk.' Labelling certain food as bad makes you a victim instead of a participant. Take control of what you eat, enjoy treats in moderation and if that's not possible, eliminating certain things until you are better able to do so is the wisest choice. But demonizing foods only makes you want them more.

Need2Exerc1se

How does any anyone quit something they are/feel addicted to? Will power and determination. It might not be easy, but if you want to quit bad enough you will.

No matter what tricks you employ, it's going to come down to you. You must choose not to overeat.

Packerjohn

For most people makke around 80-90% of your daily calories nutrient dense foods. The rest can be the "other".

GaleHawkins

bfgjanieb wrote: »

My spare tire keeps growing! I've started a daily exercise routine--Zumba Gold and strength training, however, my sweet tooth kicks in and I break my diet by eating cookies, candy, etc. I know I should keep all of those sweets out of sight, but that is so much easier said than done. Any ideas?

@bfgjanieb last year at age 63 weight at new highs and general health declining due to sugar abuse I got ticked with myself when quit foods containing sugar and or grain and left them cold turkey. Thought I would die the first two weeks but after 30 days the sugar cravings were fading my my pain was fading fast as did my IBS months later.

With the wife and teenagers still living on carbs the house is full of them but they lost their grip on me after I quit them cold turkey. At 63 I had tried most every way to manage my sugar intake but nothing had worked long term.

Thankfully after 11 months this is still working well for me. Actually I do eat a few carbs like in almonds, coconut, cottage cheese, etc because they contain some sugar but I keep them to < 50 grams daily to keep my pain under good control.

Research and read all the info you can find on losing weight so you can come up with a solution that works well for you. We are all different.

WBB55

Don't know if this will help, it's just what I did to kinda re-calibrate my brain and tongue's need for donuts and Little Debbie's.

For a couple months, I cut out all sources of High Fructose Corn Syrup. Every source. Check labels: bread, soda, ketchup, salad dressings... every source of it. I still ate things with sugar (homemade cookies, etc.) but I looked at labels and the ingredient lists at restaurants and ate NO HFCS. If something like barbecue sauce had HFCS, I put it back on the shelf and found another one.

I'm not trying to bash HFCS. I'm just saying that after about 3-4 weeks of this, my brain and tastebuds regenerated or something, and things like carrots and sweet potatoes began to taste better and, well, sweet. My experience could just be a n=1 thing, but I've never since felt "out of control" regarding a daily need for dessert and find them much easier to resist if I want to.

That being said, I do typically have a piece of dark dark chocolate most days, and it's something I look forward to each day. I think this also helps me avoid other sweets during the day, knowing I have that piece of chocolate at home.

bfgjanieb

Everyone has given me such great ideas. Thank you!!! I plan to try to eliminate sweets like candybars, cookies, etc. and all high fructose cron syrup for the next 21 days. I am going to try to get my sweet fix through fruit. I love fruit so I am hoping I can do it. I made it through tonight's HS football game without getting a candy bar, so I've made it one day!! 20 days to go!

scookbey

I have a problem with sweets as well...it's so sad-I don't have any "Stop!" in me when it comes to Ice cream. I know my weakness so I don't buy ice cream that is bigger than a pint. I enjoy cookies and cake like the next person but I have to say "no thank you" sometimes and that's OK. Plus, I don't want Diabetes when I get older-that helps in keeping me grounded.

SLLRunner

snickerscharlie wrote: »

There's nothing wrong with adding a few treats to your daily intake provided you allow room for them in your calorie budget for the day, and that you are getting most of your calories from nutrient dense foods.

IsaackGMOON wrote: »

No reason for not consuming your faovurite sweet treats in moderation...

Both of these. Moderation is key.

scyian

Ask yourself why you're eating it? Is it out of habit e.g I always have a cookie when I watch my favourite TV show? Or, is it an emotional reason? Before I change jobs I was always eating sweets because I was so miserable there. If you can identify the triggers then it can make it easier to make changes and create new healthier habits.

katiadef

bfgjanieb wrote: »

My spare tire keeps growing! I've started a daily exercise routine--Zumba Gold and strength training, however, my sweet tooth kicks in and I break my diet by eating cookies, candy, etc. I know I should keep all of those sweets out of sight, but that is so much easier said than done. Any ideas?

I read in the newspaper that some research found that playobg Tetris helps dealing with all types of cravings.
So if you have an urge coming up, take your smartphone and play a few minutes of Tetris. Good chance your forgot about your craving.

If you want to bring your diet to another level, you can ban sugars for a few weeks. But I would advise you to do this under professional supervision. Keeping your insulin - sugar spikes under control will reduce cravings.

But definitely try the Tetris. It's fun!

snickerscharlie

Or better still, go for a walk. That way if you *do* cave, at least you've earned a few extra calories through exercise.

USAMcK

I keep splenda in the pantry and do green tea throughout the day. Kicks any sweet craving, hydrates you and helps you feel full til your next meal. Hope it helps.