Cravings

nancycorr48

How do I curb my cravings for sweets?

AnnPT77

Different things work for different people. Here are some things to try, that help some people:

• Don't try to lose weight fast. Cutting calories too far makes it hard to stay within calorie goal because of cravings, so increases odds of giving up before losing a meaningful amount of weight. Slow but steady often works better.
• Improve sleep quality/quantity if possible, especially if the sweets cravings are more likely to happen later in the day. As the day goes on, fatigue accumulates. When it reaches a tipping point, the body tends to seek energy. Food is energy, and sugar is quick energy: Voilà, sweets cravings.
• Reduce stress if possible, or use non-food stress management techniques to manage it. Stress increases fatigue, so similar issues as with sub-par sleep.
• Make it a point to eat several servings of whole fruit daily. The effect can take a small number of weeks to kick in, but it helps some people. It definitely helped me.
• Get enough protein.
• Get enough fiber, ideally from food, not supplements.
• Eat mostly things like lean meats/fish, veggies, fruits, whole grains; less of refined, highly processed foods. I'm not saying to be absolutist about this: It's fine to include treats or processed/refined foods in reasonable portions. But most people find so-called whole foods more filling, so if eating LOTS of refined, processed foods now, increasing whole foods may reduce cravings. These foods affect hunger hormones, and some foster natural forms of the active ingredients in those new weight-loss drugs.
• Don't rule out sweets entirely, turning them into "forbidden fruit" and making them extra tempting. It's fine to eat some - anything you can eat in moderation, within your calorie goal, while still getting reasonable overall nutrition.

I'm not saying "do all those things". That would be too overwhelming.

I'm not saying each of those will work for you, or that any will be a 100% cure for cravings. Some of them help some people reduce cravings somewhat.

They're things to consider, maybe try if a thing sounds manageable, see if they help you.

neanderthin

Remove them.

jovitacarrillo2067

I noticed I tend to scavenge around for snacks when I'm bored.. So, I'm trying to keep myself busy with something to keep my mind away from it.

westrich20940

I'm a big believer in eating what you want … so if you want something sweet, have it (a sensible serving of it) and think about how you can ADD stuff to make it more nutritive/satiating. Usually I'd think about how to add more protein and/or fiber to it.