Craving sugar (please help)

theatric_musician
theatric_musician Posts: 3 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi guys. I’m typically doing well with staying under my calorie limit but I turn into such a witch when I cut back on my sugar. I’ve always ate sweet things and it use to be that most of my calories where solely from sugary sodas and ice cream. I’m working on my diet but I crave sugar constantly. Is there anyway to curb this? (I literally ate most of my calories today in cookies I needed sugar so badly)
Also I get really mean on the diet and don’t know why? Is it because I’m detoxing from the sugar? (Or is my personality on sweet because of the sugar lol)

Replies

  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    I seriously love sweet things. Watermelon or cherries are the best at the moment. I track my intake and everything is good.
  • naomi8888
    naomi8888 Posts: 519 Member
    I used to have a terrible sweet tooth and I really had to totally cut sugar from my diet to be able to manage my cravings. I did an eight week program called "I Quit Sugar" and that helped me a lot (Australian program that no longer runs). Also, I believe that gut bacteria balance contributes to the cravings (I have put a lot of work into this!) so I would look at restoring the balance. I'm not an expert but that's what worked for me.
  • missysippy930
    missysippy930 Posts: 2,577 Member
    If you can’t learn to moderate certain foods, maybe you have to totally restrict them from your diet.
  • tlpina82
    tlpina82 Posts: 229 Member
    missysippy930 wrote: »
    If you can’t learn to moderate certain foods, maybe you have to totally restrict them from your diet.

    I agree. Get rid of it, completely.
    It will suck in the beginning, but eventually, it will pass.
  • Ssssss666666
    Ssssss666666 Posts: 560 Member
    I have heard it can take up to 6 weeks to get sugar out of your system, not sure if that's true. I tend to get my sugar from fresh fruit. You could try that. Good luck on your journey
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    To quit anything, you have to really bring your rational mind into focus. Write up a contract that includes the reasons you want to quit, set your rules, pick a start date, psyche yourself up, and do it. You have to get the sweets out of your house for a while, so engaging your family is very helpful.

    I eat so much less sugar than I used to and somehow it's fine these days. My wife (a breast cancer survivor) has also cut way back on sugar. There are lots of good reasons to do it.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    Ssssss666666 wrote: »
    I have heard it can take up to 6 weeks to get sugar out of your system, not sure if that's true. I tend to get my sugar from fresh fruit. You could try that. Good luck on your journey

    You don't really get sugar out of your system. You run on sugar, and anything with starch gets broken down to sugar, as well as the sugar in veg, fruit, and dairy, etc.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    theatric_musician wrote: »
    Hi guys. I’m typically doing well with staying under my calorie limit but I turn into such a witch when I cut back on my sugar. I’ve always ate sweet things and it use to be that most of my calories where solely from sugary sodas and ice cream. I’m working on my diet but I crave sugar constantly. Is there anyway to curb this? (I literally ate most of my calories today in cookies I needed sugar so badly)
    Also I get really mean on the diet and don’t know why? Is it because I’m detoxing from the sugar? (Or is my personality on sweet because of the sugar lol)

    Are you also cutting cals drastically? Have you tried adding more structure to the diet and fitting in smaller amounts of dessert items in?

    I cut out sweets for a while, but I didn't find it hard (I thought it would help with stress/emotional eating, but not snacking was what really helped me with that).

    What I think might help is having a plan for the day that you enjoy mostly based on foods other than sweets (but see if including some fruit can help with the sweet tooth -- fruit has lots of sugar, most dessert foods are sugar + fat, as well as other ingredients).

    Then tell yourself you can have something you enjoy that is a dessert food within your cals. Since you know you can have it later that may help with the cravings vs. thinking you have to cut it out entirely. But make sure you eat enough other foods first, especially protein and foods with fiber (including veg) -- foods you find filling.

    I personally find it easier to eat something dessert-like in moderation later in the day and generally right after a meal rather than as a snack when hungry.

    Having enough sleep can be very helpful too.

    Just some ideas.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Eat some fruit
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,643 Member
    edited July 2019
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Eat some fruit

    This... for me, learning to enjoy fruit was the tipping point. It took me about 6 weeks of no added sugar foods and only eating fruit as my "sweet tooth" snack. After that, I had a much greater appreciation for fruit flavors and tend to find soda and added sugar foods far too sweet tasting.

    *Edited for spelling and grammar.
  • Rabid_Hamster
    Rabid_Hamster Posts: 338 Member
    Pay attention to when those sugar cravings hit. Is it random during the day, when you are stressed? Is it a specific time, i.e dessert after dinner. Find lower sugar or no sugar alternatives to substitute when they hit. I have a bit of a sweet tooth myself, so I get it. Some of the sugar free stuff is tastes horrible to me. For me, I quiet the "demons" after dinner with semi-sweet chocolate chips. I get the sweet and chocolate fix solved at the same time. Some of the low carb ice creams are also pretty good, i.e. Blue Bunny.
  • parveensamplay
    parveensamplay Posts: 16 Member
    I’m a chocoholic but in moderation. I’ve always had a few bite size pieces everyday for as long as I can remember.

    Now for the first time my taste buds have just changed. My team at work started buying fruit weekly to share, which I have switched to eating. I usually snack around 11am and 3pm. But I found the 11am snack had to be nuts and baby bell cheese to keep me going till lunch and fruit at 3pm as a treat.

    Don’t reach for that sugar and salt treat drawer any more!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    When I do the following, I don't have cravings:

    1. Get sufficient sleep
    2. Exercise regularly - when I get the happy hormones from exercise, I'm not prone to seeking them from food. Additionally, mild to moderate exercise appears to work as a mild appetite suppressant for me.
    3. Get sufficient protein in relationship to carbs. I'm not low carb, but reducing carbs and upping protein worked for cravings for me. See also http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/fuller/understanding-satiety-feeling-full-after-a-meal.html
    4. Eat moderate amounts of fruit. This makes me less interested in higher calorie sweets.
    5. Take a magnesium supplement. This can be especially helpful for women premenstrually.
    6. Save foods like chocolate for after dinner, in small amounts
    7. Stay hydrated
    8. Have a calorie deficit that is appropriate for the amount of weight I need to lose. An overly aggressive goal can definitely lead to cravings.
    9. Eat at maintenance when my appetite goes up premenstrually.

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