Weakness

luvingthesun

Hi everyone. Trying to eat better, again. Anyone find it hard at some point during the day to eat like you should? By lunch and definitely at dinner I'm CRAVING sugar or chocolate. Sometimes I feel like I'm addicted. Anyone have tips?

Corina1143

More protein at breakfast helps me. But people are different, so I suggest you experiment.
Buy or make small, individual sweets and allow yourself one after lunch and dinner. Allow for it in your calorie goal. (Tootsie Roll midgets or Hershey kisses are an example). Eat healthy sweet foods like sweet potatoes, Berries, grapes.

Sett2023

Why have you to renounce? Health's reasons? If not, why don't you allow yourself a "treat" or two, whether is chocolate or other, every day? Save some calories from your daily/weekly budget for it, and there's no reason to renounce. On the contrary, if you don't allow yourself the foods you like, you'll end craving and depressing and in the end you'll give up losing.
I eat everyday something sweet in the morning (sometimes is a croissant, others a muffin or a slice of cake) and every afternoon a square of chocolate; and once a week I also have a tiramisù, when I eat out in pizzeria. And I lost without problems, and now I'm maintaining without problems. And the same strategy I adopted for my ultra-favourites (pizza and potatoes).
Simply, 1) make sure that the treats are more healthy possible (examples: chocolate? Better dark than other kinds. Cakes? With fruit, if possible; pizza? wholewheat and with vegetables; potatoes? Limit fries, other ways of cooking are better); 2) don't over-eat them (one croissant a day? Okay. Two? Better no); 3) make sure the rest of your meals/foods is healthy/low-calories; 4) make sure not to go over your weekly budget of calories. Many people here suggest a 80/20 percent (80 healthy-low-cal, 20 treats-what you like).

frhaberl

I know some people benefit from a 3 week sugar "fast" to break the craving cycle. The version I've heard includes removing refined flour as well as refined sugar sources.

I've never gone that route. I cut out certain sugar sources and don't keep them in the house anymore - full sugar sodas was the primary one. I found some teas that have a natural sweetness (Good Earth Original is my favorite) and switched to carbonated water. I personally don't care for artificial sweeteners, so I just limit the amount of natural sugars I add to my foods.

I like the concept of "eat what you want, add what you need" for handling sweet treats. I focus on adding protein and fiber. Some examples of the things that have become the sweets I crave -
- Raspberries (fiber) and cottage cheese (protein) drizzled with honey (sweet)
- Apple (sweet and fiber) dipped in a mixture of peanut butter protein powder (protein), greek yogurt (protein) and a bit of granola (fiber)
- Chia seed pudding made with chia seeds (fiber), cocoa powder (sweet), almond milk, protein powder, and honey (sweet).
- Square of dark chocolate (sweet) and ounce of beef jerky (protein). I know this one sounds a bit weird, but it's my go to when I want something quick. Haven't figured out a fiber source for this one, but now that I think of it, I typically eat this when I've had a bulky meal, like a big salad.
- Baked, roasted, or grilled sweet potato. I add these to salads or have them as a side to a meal that already incorporates fiber and protein.
- Protein pancakes (protein and fiber) topped with peanut butter protein powder mixed with water to make a syrup (protein) and a sliced banana (sweet).
- Another strange one, but what I had for breakfast yesterday: Blueberry bagel (sweet) paired with a chicken sausage (protein) wrapped in a high fiber tortilla (fiber).

I also have found that it helps to be intentionally "present" when I'm preparing and consuming my food, especially the ones I'm craving. I now spend as much time savoring one square of dark chocolate as I used to spend eating an entire bar before. I am thoughtful as I unwrap the bar. I appreciate the snap as I break off the square. I rewrap the bar and tuck it back into the drawer where I keep it. I nibble at the corners and think about the texture and flavor. It may sound a bit strange, but it's definitely helped with my satisfaction level and reduced the urge to go back for more.

As mentioned above, this is what works for me but might need some tweaking to work for you. It might be helpful if you include some of the sweets that you crave that you're struggling to fit into your eating plan. We may have suggestions for substitutions or additions that have helped them work those into an eating plan.