Please help!

Katealy08

Hi, I'm Maria and I'm an addict! I have learned since starting MFP that I'm addicted to sweets! It's such a problem and I wasn't even aware. I can stay in my calorie goal, eat very healthy all day but it seems impossible not to have a sweet treat! It's pretty awful and I'm not sure how to make it go away. Anyone have any advice? I was wondering if I can stick it out for a couple days maybe the cravings will start getting better buy that could be just wishful thinking. I have ALOT of weight to lose so I simply must tackle this issue! By alot, I mean 60 pounds!

SueSueDio

Hi Maria, welcome to MFP!

Do you think you can exercise some self control and have some sweets in moderation? Or do you think you won't be able to stop if you get a taste?

If it helps, I had at least 67lbs to lose, and I love sweets. I knew I wouldn't be able to stick to any eating plan that involved cutting them out, so I've learned how to fit moderate amounts of the things I love into my calorie allowance. I have things like dark chocolate, low-fat Fudgsicle bars, low-calorie sorbet, yogurts and fruit. So far I've lost 32 of the 67 without feeling like I'm depriving myself of the foods I love. (I also have things like pizza, bacon and donuts - just not all the time!)

Some people do have problems with moderation and find that they really have to cut out their "trigger foods" completely, but many manage to enjoy small amounts. (Or sometimes not so small!) Why not give it a try - find some treats that you like which aren't too high in calories, and include one in your daily allowance every evening? It might help to prevent you going nuts during the day if you know you have something to look forward to later, or you can schedule your treats for the times of day you know you're most likely to be craving them. Whatever works best for you!

In my opinion it seems a shame to cut out foods you love, especially since you need to learn to eat them in moderation anyway over the longer term (unless you plan on never ever having sweets again), so why not start now and learn how to include them? I do realise that it doesn't work for everyone, but there's no harm in giving it a try and seeing how you cope with it.

For what it's worth, I have found my cravings for chocolate are way less than they used to be, and although I always have a bar of 85% dark stuff in the house I've eaten very little of it over the past month. Sometimes I look at it and think about having a square, but then I realise that I don't really want it - if someone had told me a few months ago that I'd ever feel that way, I wouldn't have believed them! Yet here I am, turning down chocolate even when I have the calories to spare for it. It can be done!

druidkat7

Hi, Maria! I understand about the sweet struggle. You wanted advice? Here are a few "somethings" you can think about, try out, etc:

1) Having a sweet treat can be largely psychological. Are you a "social" sweet eater? Meaning, do you feel obligated to have something sweet because everyone else is having something sweet, especially after dinner? Or, is it an emotional thing? My PA, Deb, gave me some really helpful advice, either way: write down in a food journal, whether it's here, or in a physical notebook, your emotional state on eating anything--be it an actual meal, or that sweet treat.

2) If/When you DO choose to have that sweet treat, sit and savor it. Don't eat it in front of the TV, Internet, etc. Ask yourself what that sweet treat means to you, either emotionally or otherwise. Take note of the flavors, be they chocolate, mint, whatever sends you to happy flavor heaven. Thinking about this might actually give you some perspective on how often you choose to indulge.

3) Also, if you're still in your childbearing years and still having menstrual cycles, you might find yourself gravitating towards chocolate more often than not (if you like chocolate, that is--some women don't). There is both a physiological and psychological reason for this, and it has to do with the theobromine and antioxidants that naturally occur in dark chocolate. Of course, the more processed and refined the chocolate product, the less of the good stuff there is. So developing a taste for the 65-70% dark choco is a good thing!

4) I personally advise not to go completely cold turkey with getting rid of the sweet treats. Yes, cutting back is a good idea, and it sounds like you keep yourself in decent check by staying in your calorie count and eating healthy all day, but denying yourself completely can backfire. Try this: out of the seven-day week, cut your sweet treat consumption by three days. So, for example, instead of having a treat Sunday through Saturday, go for Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. Get your psyche used to this alternating pattern, and still track your calorie count. If you still want something sweet (as in a piece of cake, or a cookie), try some red grapes with canteloupe, or an orange, just for an example. Fruit is "Nature's candy," so you get your sweet thing going on, but you're getting fiber and antioxidants and natural fructose, instead of refined sugars and a bunch of chemicals you don't need.

5) Now, this last thing is kinda on the spiritual side, and I know that many people these days aren't that religious, but if you really truly feel that getting rid of the sugar cravings is an absolute, and you find it difficult, and you have spiritual leanings, you can always ask Archangel Raphael for help. I am not kidding about this. I once asked him to help me with changing my cravings from the unhealthy stuff to more healthy choices, and yes, it worked. (I also do Angel readings and have several decks, so if you're keen to get some advice that way, I am more than happy to help. :-))

I honestly hope what I wrote helps you out. I'm getting back in the saddle again after a year and a half of being "off the health wagon," and I need to iron out some kinks in my habits, too. But that's what sites like this are for.

Blessings,
Kat ^.^

SueSueDio

druidkat7 wrote: »

3) Also, if you're still in your childbearing years and still having menstrual cycles, you might find yourself gravitating towards chocolate more often than not (if you like chocolate, that is--some women don't). There is both a physiological and psychological reason for this, and it has to do with the theobromine and antioxidants that naturally occur in dark chocolate. Of course, the more processed and refined the chocolate product, the less of the good stuff there is. So developing a taste for the 65-70% dark choco is a good thing!

Now that's interesting - I've always preferred dark chocolate over milk anyway, but I'm peri-menopausal now. I wonder if that has anything to do with the reduced cravings? (Although I've been in that state for well over a year, and it's only the past few weeks I've noticed a difference.)

But yeah, lots of good ideas there Kat! (I love fruit too, especially strawberries which I was VERY happy to find are low in calories! But it would cost me a fortune if I ate as many as I'd like to... )

druidkat7

SueSueDio wrote: »

druidkat7 wrote: »

3) Also, if you're still in your childbearing years and still having menstrual cycles, you might find yourself gravitating towards chocolate more often than not (if you like chocolate, that is--some women don't). There is both a physiological and psychological reason for this, and it has to do with the theobromine and antioxidants that naturally occur in dark chocolate. Of course, the more processed and refined the chocolate product, the less of the good stuff there is. So developing a taste for the 65-70% dark choco is a good thing!

Now that's interesting - I've always preferred dark chocolate over milk anyway, but I'm peri-menopausal now. I wonder if that has anything to do with the reduced cravings? (Although I've been in that state for well over a year, and it's only the past few weeks I've noticed a difference.)

But yeah, lots of good ideas there Kat! (I love fruit too, especially strawberries which I was VERY happy to find are low in calories! But it would cost me a fortune if I ate as many as I'd like to... )

I honestly don't know about peri-menopause being a reduction in cravings. It may have more to do with how you've trained yourself. I'm not menopausal yet, so I can't say for sure on that end. Every woman is different. My mom is way past menopause age and she still loves chocolate, so it may indeed have more to do with how you've trained yourself, rather than "the Change." :-)

I did mention chocolate, because it does seem to be a go-to treat for many women around their monthly time, and it's been largely suggested it has to do with the body and brain's natural gravitation for the stuff that gives a woman a state of well-being, mentally, especially if she has a tendency towards a bit of PMS-related depression or dysphoria. Being congenitally hypothyroid, I have a specific sort of insight on hormones and the brain. Plus brain science and psychology fascinate me!

earthakin66

Hi Maria

I consider myself to be addicted to sugar. I struggle with it. For two years I gave up sugar completely, and to be honest I felt completely great. So many foods are naturally sweet without added sugar, but when I'm on the sugar I can't really taste them. Sugar is actually toxic to our bodies, people don't want to talk about that. When I want to stay off the sugar I watch anti-sugar documentaries, just look up sugar on youtube. This helps me understand the science of the sugar addiction and gives me motivation to stay away from it. Like every addiction, though, one moment my brain just decides that some sugar would be a great idea, and I'm back on again. After about 3 days without sugar you will begin to feel better and your cravings will go away. You can do it, so can I and you are motivating me to try again today. Yes, some people can eat sweets in moderation and some people can drink in moderation and have a cigarette once in a while and not be addicted to these things. That isn't me! Oh well, I've got other good things going on.
Feel free to add me if you'd like support
Kat