I can't kick my cravings

amandalepeshko17

Lately especially at night I crave sweets and I've been indulging in ice cream and peanut butter cups every night for the past week now!!! So I went to the grocery store and instead I picked up lollipops. I figured instead of eating ice team every night I would substitute it for a lollipop to save in calories and at the same time satisfy my sweet tooth. Does anyone have any tips on how to satisfy a sweet craving?

livingleanlivingclean

Don't feed it....

la8ydi

I try and leave room at the end of the day for something sweet. :-) I buy low-fat ice cream or some skinny cow desserts or something else that might kick the craving. I found the more I tried to substitute, the worse the cravings would be, then I would sit down and eat an entire box of cookies or carton of ice cream! Good luck!!!

readyfortaipei

You control what you put in your mouth. You just have to make the choice to not eat sweets. It may take several days, but eventually the cravings will go away.

Good Luck - I know sweets are a tough one.

dangerousdumpling

Three things help me deal with that. 1)Eat a good amount of protein and fat. 2) Create a reasonable calorie deficit - not a huge one. 3)Save enough calories for a treat at the end of the day.

wide2bride

I have the answer to this 100%...I am a recent recovering sugarholic!! It seemed I let myself have one thing and it led to another and another and another and well...before ya know it I thought "i better cut this out or i'm never going to get to my goals" and I found that I simply couldn't do it. I HAD to have that ice cream (or whatever it was that evening) or I was going to go crazy.

You know what I had to do? I had to find a way to hold myself accountable, and go cold turkey off the sugars (this meant no non vege carbs after 2 pm for me) I literally thought I was going to DIE for 3 whole days, but I found my will to make progress stronger than the cravings and held strong. I watched motivational youtube videos, googled clean eating recipes, looked at pictures of women that I aspire to look like and guess what??? Day 4 it was like magic, all of a sudden although still a little difficult to say no to the pot luck sweets at work I was able to control myself. I think I literally went through a detox of sorts.

My advice: Find your motivation. Hold tight and don't budge. One sugar leads to another!

EvaStrange

I drinks lots of cups of herbal and spicy tea at night. The different flavours satisfy my craving to taste something interesting. I have about 35 to 40 different teas on my shelf!

When I feel the need to chew something, I munch on raw vegetables: carrots, radish, cauliflower, frozen peas… The calories in them are negligible.

On good days, all it takes is for me to tell myself that eating is done for the day. Every now and then, I listen to myself and accept it. :happy:

SharonNehring

My best advise is to try replacing it with fruit that is naturally sweet. That said, I have the same problem. When I can't sleep at night I want to eat. And I never crave a carrot, it's cookies, ice cream etc. Once I recognized that fact, it became easier for me to control.

I now keep healthier, easy snacks in the frig ready to go when the urge hits. I allow myself to snack but it can't be anything else. I also plan for these snacks by saving some calories to cover it. If I don't have one, then I just did that much better for the day.

In those moments when I just can't take it anymore, my go to choice is Skinny Cow products. Their caramel truffle ice cream bar is fantastic, tastes sinful but it isn't. The wafers/bars are great too.

christa0130

I started drinking chocolate protein shakes with just whole milk in them last night, and that alone has helped me a ton. It also helps me to stay fuller longer.

RaggedyPond

I usually go with fruit

emdeesea

I unfortunately have to abstain because sugar affects me much in the same way alcohol does to an alcoholic: I can't stop at just one. So now I just don't eat sweets, cookies, cakes, ice cream, etc. The cravings go away eventually.

Capt_Apollo

make your craving part of your life.

you like something sweet at the end of the day? well, make sure you have enough calories left at the end of the day for a serving and enjoy!

this is what i do with wine.

Factory_Reset

welp, you're in charge of you

you either figure out a way to get them to fit

don't buy them

or

JSF

your choice

carrieous

the reason you are having cravings is because you keep caving and having just a little. you are just torturing yourself.

you have to go cold turkey. No fake sugar substitutes either.

give up everything sweet for 3 days and you're out of the woods. Don't go back.

turtleball

You're pregnant



Congratulation on the triplets.

carrieous

you really shouldn't do that at night.

carrieous

I started drinking chocolate protein shakes with just whole milk in them last night, and that alone has helped me a ton. It also helps me to stay fuller longer.

you really shouldn't do that at night.

RaggedyPond

I started drinking chocolate protein shakes with just whole milk in them last night, and that alone has helped me a ton. It also helps me to stay fuller longer.

you really shouldn't do that at night.

If you have plenty of calories at the end of the day it is fine. Time of the day makes no difference.

GingerLolita

First of all, the less sweet foods you have, the less sweet foods you will crave. Whether you slowly reduce the amount of sugar or go cold turkey, the sweetness cravings will become easier to deal with. I've been making my own granola, muffins, etc. and reducing the amount of sugar the recipe calls for. I also never add sugar to my coffee in the morning and I used to be a Starbucks addict!

Second of all, since I know I love sweet foods, especially for dessert, I plan that into my day. Fresh fruit and dark chocolate are my best friends; I find that it's helpful to have a combination meal, like oatmeal with dark chocolate chips and banana slices, to satisfy my sweet tooth but also fill me up so I don't continue stuffing my face with chocolate.

Factory_Reset

you really shouldn't do that at night.

STILL laughing at this

I eat before bed. I've worked whatever it is into my calorie allotment and macros for the day

#losingweightthewrongway

linorang1

I assume you can resolve this problem through proper meal timing throughout the day, this will ensure you can enjoy foods at times you crave them.

carrieous

I started drinking chocolate protein shakes with just whole milk in them last night, and that alone has helped me a ton. It also helps me to stay fuller longer.

you really shouldn't do that at night.

If you have plenty of calories at the end of the day it is fine. Time of the day makes no difference.

wrong. Digestion slows to almost a stop while we sleep. You burn about 60 calories per hour while sleeping

tealgrove

It's pretty amazing what happens when you go cold turkey. I've been on a meal plan since early December. I have more than enough to eat, I'm losing weight and I don't feel deprived. I got rid of all the "crap" in the cupboards, i.e., sugar laden foods and took them out of my diet. This morning I realized that I was drinking my coffee without even a sweetener. My palate has changed completely.

Sugar is a drug to many and it acts like a drug. You actually have to go through a withdrawal period (cravings and fighting them) to free yourself from the addiction.

When you realize that you are not in control of what you are eating and that it is the sugar addiction that's controlling what goes in your mouth then you will be in a better place to deal with it.

There are many articles and research dealing with sugar in our diets and how it affects us. It's poison to many.

Capt_Apollo

I started drinking chocolate protein shakes with just whole milk in them last night, and that alone has helped me a ton. It also helps me to stay fuller longer.

you really shouldn't do that at night.

If you have plenty of calories at the end of the day it is fine. Time of the day makes no difference.

wrong. Digestion slows to almost a stop while we sleep. You burn about 60 calories per hour while sleeping

so, if that is true... then whats the big deal? your system would just start digesting in the morning.

Confuzzled4ever

Here's what I do for approx 2 weeks to kick the sugar cravings.

Eat massive amounts of protein and veggies, I literally eat 12oz or more of meat with a huge salad for dinner. Stop eating fruit after 2. Reduce carb intake, No sweets, no sugar, no bread, no pasta, no pasta sauce, no potatoes, no squash, no honey, peanut only peanut butter, no other nut butters. I mean I read the ingredient list and if anything sugar is *added* I don't buy it. Example.. plain yogurt is usually good. but yogurt that is pre mixed has sugar added. I get 0% chobani and mix fruit in myself. I use keifer in the morning for smoothies. If you use protein powder body fortress from walmart has the least sugar and a ton of protein and it tastes pretty good. I mix those together with fruit and water.

For 2 weeks I eat, low sugar fruits (apples, oranges, grapefruits, grapes, berries for example) plain greek yogurt, keifer, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, egg white, loads of non-starchy veggies (lettuce, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, carrots, celery, tomatoes, garlic, onion,) , olive oil, avocado, sauerkraut, sugar free jams or jellies, low carb marinara sauce, for dessert I mix plain yogurt with sugar free jam or make snickerdoodle pudding. (1/2 cup of lowfat Greek yogurt in a bowl. Add 1 t of vanilla, 2 packages of Truvia, (I use agave syrup since truvia makes me feel bad)1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.) oh and no sugar or creamer. Coffee black or with truvia is ok. Green tea is good too. Again plain or with truvia if you need it a little sweet.

It's a little big boring.. and the third day SUCKS... i suffer headaches every time I do this for the first few days. It's simply because of sugar withdrawal. The only way to do this is to decide to stick to it. This is ok for 2 weeks or so.. don't do it longer as you need carbs for health. I'm doing this right now.. and was bad today (whisky AND a cliff baf bad me) .. but I feel loads better already, and the headache will be gone tomorrow.

Bonus is you will drop weight and after the first few days you will feel a lot better! Once you get the sugar out and you stop craving it you add back in the carbs and other meats fruits and veggies. There are certain things that trigger me to crave sugar, so i just don't eat those things anymore. it sounds drastic, but it's really not, it's not as hard as it sounds, it's short term and it works.

Oh and you are in control of your shopping. Don't shop hungry, make a list and stick to it. Don't even walk into the bakery or candy aisles.

inskydiamonds

Throughout most of my life I've had a massive sweet tooth, particularly a sweet tooth that loved chocolate. In fact, the only real sweet I would pick was chocolate.

I was also raised Catholic. While this has little to do with my chocolate recovery, it does explain what cut my cravings. In school every year at Lent we were encouraged to give something up for 40 days. Every year I gave up chocolate. Ever year I'd fail by the first week. My first year in college I decided to try Lent, on my terms, without being told to do it by anyone. I again said I'd give up chocolate.

And I did it. I gave up chocolate for 40 days. The first weeks were awful. I was craving it, I would reach for my candy drawer (which I luckily had emptied out.) I tried to find substitutions and was completely unsatisfied. But after about day 20, I didn't want it anymore. I wasn't craving it. And by day 40, I did eat chocolate, but I didn't ~need!~ chocolate. I haven't had a chocolate craving since.

My story is to show you that you need to break the craving. It will suck. It will be hard. But once you break that craving by sheer will alone, you won't crave it and then you will be able to enjoy it in moderation.

Confuzzled4ever

I drinks lots of cups of herbal and spicy tea at night. The different flavors satisfy my craving to taste something interesting. I have about 35 to 40 different teas on my shelf!

haha i do this as well. I'm drinking jasmine infused green tea right now and already thinking about what my bedtime cup will be. lol

JTick

I started drinking chocolate protein shakes with just whole milk in them last night, and that alone has helped me a ton. It also helps me to stay fuller longer.

you really shouldn't do that at night.

If you have plenty of calories at the end of the day it is fine. Time of the day makes no difference.

wrong. Digestion slows to almost a stop while we sleep. You burn about 60 calories per hour while sleeping

I eat before bed all the time. I've lost 80 pounds. I mean, maybe I'm doing something wrong. :indifferent:

susieoj

Don't feed it....

Exactly this. Don't substitute sugar craving with different sugar, that won't help the craving.

toofatandy

Think of a time when you had these treats and things went wrong. Instead of thinking how great it feels to eat eventually you will think of the bad experience and even smelling the stuff is a turn off.

bermequeen

Inormally brush my teeth when I have a craving that I don't want to give in to. The taste in your mouth will deter you from eating or dring something other than ice and water.