help with the nagging sweet tooth

Jnine25

Hi all,

My sister has a terrible sweet tooth that starts right after dinner. Any ideas on what she can do to fix this? Or does anyone have some low calorie ideas for her? She is trying to help support me with my weightloss and also shed a few pounds herself. As long as I've known her, she's always craved sweets. We need your help!

Thanks!!!

brandyosu

I don't know how to tell you to get rid of the sweet tooth. I have one myself and I can tell you what I do to keep mine under control. I keep a bag of Hershey kisses...and when I feel the craving for something sweet, I grab one or two, let them melt in my mouth and then make sure I track it right then. It really does help me keep the cravings under control - and I don't feel like I'm depriving myself of anything.

MMarvelous

Dark chocolate, sugar free gum or fruit/smoothie. Also look for the 3,2,1 cake recipe!

Leesseebee

bananas, dates and figs all have quickly absorbing sugar and are desert like-they might help.

amgriffin69

or toss in a piece of sugar free...minty gum. or go brush your teeth right away cuz then you wont want to spoil your good breath!

jadedone

My favorite solution: have a cup of flavored tea (decaf if needed). I have things like chocolate hazelnut, vanilla almond and even spicy chocolate. I add stevia and a bit of creamer or almond milk. It tastes like dessert in a cup. Even if you use sugar, worst case it is 40 calories.

http://www.stashtea.com/Creme-Caramel-Decaf-Black-Tea/dp/B005DM5PK0

kwest_4_fitness

It really depends if she craves anything in particular or sweets in general. I HIGHLY recommend Philly Swirls Delights. They are like a dreamsicle and come in orange & cream, cherry & cream, and grape & cream. Best part is, they're only 14 calories. She might want to give these a try.

MoogieOh

Sugar free gum, diet ice blocks, chuppa chup (50cals), diet soft drink (not too often), fruit has good natural sugar.. pineapple is great

fj211

I have make up some True Lemon drink mix and water--- and then add half real lemon. It tastes just like that old time lemonade and it takes care of my sweet tooth. Good luck!

slimmersooner

Cut back or out refined carbs and go light on other carbs like white potatos. This will help a lot. Also I have found that a cup of tea that is naturally sweet is a wonderful way to satisfy a sweet desire after dinner.

Jnine25

It really depends if she craves anything in particular or sweets in general. I HIGHLY recommend Philly Swirls Delights. They are like a dreamsicle and come in orange & cream, cherry & cream, and grape & cream. Best part is, they're only 14 calories. She might want to give these a try.

where could she find these at? are they in the frozen isle at any store?

deniseselah

+1 on dates. 2 = 140 calories and they are really good! I have a sweet tooth and they help me a lot.

also a small baked (not microwaved) sweetpotato with dinner might help too. also very naturally sweet - does not need any added sugar or butter.

CyberEd312

What works for one person may not work for others but I am in the camp of ridding the house of all those sweets and if they are not there I just don't crave them... I have oranges in the fridge, banana's on the counter and anymore would sooner grab that.... Now the one thing I have that I do drink every night right before bed is a glass of 1% chocolate milk... I am a type 2 diabetic and need something to get me through til morning and this fills that void and gives me a chocolate treat.....

pinktulip76

Dates are a good one . They are really sweet so 2 or 3 and your over the craving . Antiox dark choc is also good

nlkoelle

I'm no expert but do have a sweet tooth. By logging what you're eating, you may start to notice trends or triggers. For example, potatoes, bread, and some other starches make me want more carb-heavy foods, including sweets. Also, as soon as I have something sweet (real sugar or artificial sweetner), I want more of it.

I'm trying to limit my triggers. It's helping. I also have healthy options readily available - individual snack bags of celery ready to go (with peanut butter in the cupboard), blueberries portioned out, etc.

Good luck!!

ShadowSoldier23

For me, which this might not work for everyone else, I tend to eat a pickle. Something about the sourness gets rid of any cravings I have. But I LOVE pickles too so that is also a positive there. lol

yesthistime

Having more protein and fewer carbs at meals helps me avoid sugar cravings. And having diet soda/sugar-free jello/fruit around just in case...

pandasand

Fruit, 0 calorie flavored water, popsicles/fudgesicles, sugar free gum and hard candies. Brushing your teeth also helps. I used to have a sweet tooth but after I cut out junk food I don't crave it anymore. My tastebuds really changed. I used to looove chocolate, candy, ice cream (I can't believe I don't like ice cream anymore :noway: ), fried foods and other things but now they just taste bad. It's kind of weird because my favorite foods are vegetables and lean meat now :laugh: .

slnewberry

I actually have found that mandarin orange, lemon, or raspberry teas work well. I make them into individual ice cubes or pops. I suck on them and it helps with my cravings.

megala65

Does she like chocolate or more straight up sugary treats? I find that just two rectangles of Hershey's Special Dark after dinner can really help. Other times, when chocolate isn't what I seem to want, I like Twizzler's.

megala65

Oh and for a less processed option: frozen grapes are a nice sweet too.

froeschli

I LOVE my sweets, starting my day with a cup of milk, bit of coffee in it and 2 spoons of sugar used to be my routine. Then I looked up the calories in it No wonder i never felt like actually eating breakfast after that... Then an hour or two later - gimme more sugaaaaaaar....

I started the south beach diet 4 days ago - it cuts out milk, pasta, bread, sugar, fruit - basically any easily absorbed carbs for 2 weeks. I thought it would be hell.
But no, after 3 days i have hardly any cravings. weirdly enough i taste a veggie juice, or a piece of parsnip (i don't think that's allowed actually) and i find it's incredibly sweet...

I am not saying 'do the diet' but reading the book (or listening to the audio version of it - it's only about 2 hours) will make you look at sugars in a whole new way. the other one i read about online, but haven't started the book yet, is 'the metabolism miracle' by Diane Kress. Similar concept, different structure, maybe a slightly better explanation (judging from the website, so don't take my word for it).
Both those diets focus on how your body reacts to sugar. and how eating too much (fast) sugar pretty much causes your blood sugar to spike, and then decline rapidly until you crave another sugar fix.
Anyways, even if i don't go through with the 2 or 8 week plan, I have learned a lot about my eating habits.

My head still wants the milk, and the chocolate, and the pastries, but i am not physically craving them any more...

Jnine25

wow, see! I knew I could count on all you MFP'ers for tips!!! Thanks to all of you! There are some really helpful tips here and I really appreciate it! If anyone has more suggestions, please keep adding.

Thanks again for your help and caring hearts!

froeschli

Does she like chocolate or more straight up sugary treats? I find that just two rectangles of Hershey's Special Dark after dinner can really help. Other times, when chocolate isn't what I seem to want, I like Twizzler's.

call me biased (i grew up in switzerland ) but If you're limiting yourself, you might as well buy an excellent chocolate like a dark lindt or a good belgian brand which doesn't contain waxy fillers, they really don't help the taste. as they say: 'quality, not quantity'...
IMO over 70% cocoa is a bit too strong for a sweet craving though.

Cosmic_Unicorn

Full of chemicals, but I drink diet cola or Crystal Lite when I have that immediately-after-dinner sweet tooth that just cannot be ignored.

NalasMama

These are my personal favorites to feed my very persistent sweet tooth and my solution to enjoying satisfying snacks after dinner:

• Clemmy's Sugar and Lactose free Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (160 calories for 1/2 cup)
• Fresh Blackberries (60 calories for 1 cup)
• **The top two treats together are heavenly and I account for this treat according to my calorie intake for that day.
• Blue Diamond Chocolate Almond Milk- Sweetened (1/2 cup is 60 calories)

My absolute favorite is the sugar-free ice cream with fresh blackberries tossed in the bottom of the bowl. It is a great after dinner treat that completely rids of my sweet tooth and does so before 7pm when I cut off all food intake for the day. To me it is worth all 220 calories to get the "sweet tooth" monkey off my back. I've also made a Cherry Coke Zero float with the ice cream and then I only have added 200 calories for my after sinner treat. I make sure to adjust my calories for the day to accommodate this "special treat" after dinner. I will even take my dog for an extra walk in anticipation of enjoying this "have to have" snack. Many times just the cup of blackberries can satisfy my sweet tooth with just a mere 60 calories. Clemmy's Sugar-free ice cream is surprisingly creamy and very tasty. I feel it is even better than the Breyers brand. Of course I have many food allergies so once I find something I enjoy I will stick to it. I will kill any hunger pains I may experience with an ice-cold bottle of water that has been sitting in the freezer for 30 minutes if it's after 7pm.

As one of the other members posted... everyone is different, and may have more or less calories they can enjoy throughout the day so it may be a good idea to try a few different snacks each day to get a feel for which ones really satisfy that "monster of a sugar tooth" craving. I was pleasantly surprised to find how tasty a sugar free ice cream can really be while completely satisfying my need for sweets after dinner.

tangiesharp

bump

naepal

thanks everyone!

Asheea

I have to have chocolate! Since I've been keeping track of what I eat now I've trimmed down on the sweets but I still haven't given up chocolate. I don't believe that you have to forgo sweets just because you're on a diet. I still eat brownies and chocolate but I make sure that I have the points left over to do it.

I keep my sweet tooth in line by the Skinny Cow brand by Nestle. They have Milk chocolate dreamy clusters that are *awesome*! For a 1oz package of the Dreamy clusters they are 120 calories. I have one after lunch and dinner and still have points over to eat a Little Debbie brownie if I want.

Also, the 3 Musketeers bite sized bars are 70 calories each. 2 is 140 calories 3 is 210 calories. 17 M&M's are 180 calories. You can have your sweets and diet too! Good luck and have fun!

ettaterrell

Snack wells 100 cal yogurt pretzels.... OMG amazing!

iskyoork

York mini Peppermint patties. 3 are only 150, and you get chocolate. Yum.