Help with a crazy sweet tooth

osutuba

So... my downfall is sugar, and above that is chocolate. I've been down with an injury for a month now, and that month included Easter of all things. I started gaining weight because I couldn't run and I was eating so much chocolate. I still have some leftover but I haven't touched it since I started tracking myself on here again. Right now I have a bad headache, whether it's form the weather rolling in or a side effect from the anti-inflammatories I have to take for my injury, I have no idea. But, usually when I get a headache I go to the chocolate. Lately I've started chewing the strawberry shortcake Extra gum and it HAS helped. Maybe that's just what I need to do.

HeatherDerexson

Why don't you try the Snackwells snack packs, Nature Valley granola thins w/chocolate on the bottom or Fiber One makes a a really good 90calorie bar thats pretzels, chocolate and caramel. All of the above give you your chocolate fix for not many calories. Hang in there girlie. I've had my fair share of sports related injuries, one last weekend as a matter of fact. Being out of commission is hard but try to be strong and remember if your going to head for the chocolate to go for something thats slightly healthy w/chocolate in it and drink plenty of water!!

bunny1006

bump

stephc0711

100 calorie packs are nice, sometimes, I like to have 1/2 a serving of nutella. It helps the sweet tooth, and the 1/2 serving is 100 calories. It's a bit steep, really, but it helps a lot!

becca_21

Diet Swiss miss Hot Chocolate!!! It seriously saves me every time. It's only 25 calories, and it is amazzzing! It will solve your sweet tooth problem; I promise :-)

thriftycupl

I love chocolate and Pepsi. That's been some of the most difficult items for me to give up. I've found that sometimes it's best to just eat a little of what you are craving and move on. Make sure to record it in your food diary to see how many calories, etc you are eating. A little here and there never hurt.

moskinnny

Why don't you try the Snackwells snack packs, Nature Valley granola thins w/chocolate on the bottom or Fiber One makes a a really good 90calorie bar thats pretzels, chocolate and caramel. All of the above give you your chocolate fix for not many calories. Hang in there girlie. I've had my fair share of sports related injuries, one last weekend as a matter of fact. Being out of commission is hard but try to be strong and remember if your going to head for the chocolate to go for something thats slightly healthy w/chocolate in it and drink plenty of water!!

I totally agree with this....but I would like to add that I will mix up a chocolate protein shake (Isoflex) which give me not only my chocolate fix, but protein and water consumption as well.

RedefiningMe

Chocolate containes caffaine, which can both help a headache or bring one on depending on the circumstances.

I suffer from Migraines and if I have had too much caffaine (which is rare these days as I am not a coffee drinker and have cut out soda for the past several years) it can trigger my headache. Also when I do have a headache and absolutely nothing else works (with the exception of prescription drugs), I will resort to having a small fountain coke to see if it will do the trick before giving in to the prescription drugs. It usually does :~)

If you do resort to chocolate you might try dark chocolate, which has better health aspects, but still probably not the best choice for your sedentary condition right now.

With that said, I can't help you with sweet cravings as I am often in the same exact position. I have found the dessert Yoplait Light yogurts do seem to help my mind think I have had sweets and my cravings often subside.

Good luck and I will be watching this thread to see what others say as although our circumstances are different, our issue is the same.

sleepytexan

Apple Cider Vinegar can get rid of your sugar cravings (but it tastes bad). 3T ( take it like a shot) followed by a glass of water (I recommend a LARGE glass of water), 2-3 x day.

ACV also fights candida (yeast) in the gut, which is a major cause of sugar cravings.

good luck.

magerum

Sugar free jello by the bucket full. That's my recommendation. Very low cal (entire box is 40 cals), filling, & sweet. Is it as good as chocolate? No, but not much is!

-M

kelseyhere

I have a horrible, horrible sweet tooth and every night around 8 p.m., it flares up ready to cause trouble. After several months tracking and logging my food, I've learned that if I allow myself any sugar at all, the cravings actually get worse. I used to think, "oh, I'll just have one cookie so I can stop thinking about it." I figured if I let myself indulge, it would stop me from being so OCD about it. What I came to realize though, is I can't stop at just one cookie. Some people can, but that's just not me. If I let myself have one bit of bad sugar, I spiral down, down, down. Artificially sweet foods are just as bad, so I can't rely on those either. Another poster mentioned SnackWells packs, those may work for some but can be equally as dangerous if you eat more than one pack. Plus, who wants to fill their body with artificial chocolate?

Anyways, what I've found is I really have to completely abstain from added sugars for about a week, and then things get easier. I only allow myself to eat natural sugars a.k.a. fruit and that helps. Try having a few strawberries or grapes and a cup of coffee, see if that helps your headache.

I'm still struggling with this myself, and it's not easy. Stick with it, you're already doing great by logging. Try to realize that food can be just as addictive as drugs. I consider my problem with sugar an addiction and like a drug addict, I have to be completely clean and sober of sugar, otherwise all my bad habits will come back.

Red7Basil

I just discovered Kedem Tea Biscuits. They make them in chocolate and in vanilla. They are slightly sweetened and only 32 calories for two biscuits. They are .69 cents a package (a package has 15 servings) and I found them at my local Kroger here in Tennessee in the world foods section. They help with my sweet/carb cravings and do very little damage to my calorie count.

luvsunshine1

I had such a sweet tooth, but since I started MFP what I've found works best for me
is to eat healthy during the day and I usually have calories left by afternoon/evening
(especially if I exercised), I will have a couple of chocolate chip cookies or whatever
I'm craving and I still am often under my calorie goal. It has helped me since I don't
see any food as forbidden; just whether I have enough calories left to fit it in. Even
eating the sweets sometimes, I am losing (although I probably have a lot more to lose).

Also, I like individual servings of cinnamon applesauce and sometimes it satisfies my
sweet tooth because it tastes really sweet to me.

osutuba

This is all awesome advice! Thanks everyone :-)

wildhehr2

Sugar free chocolate pudding is my go to. I buy the snack packs...even the jello brand "decadent" flavors come in at about 60-80 cals.

robisonfire

This might sound dumb but I find that when I'm really craving something sweet, I brush my teeth. 9/10 times it takes the craving away. I usually get these cravings after dinner around 8-10 pm and this takes care of it for me.

osutuba

This might sound dumb but I find that when I'm really craving something sweet, I brush my teeth. 9/10 times it takes the craving away. I usually get these cravings after dinner around 8-10 pm and this takes care of it for me.

That helps me with general food cravings sometimes, because I don't like the taste of toothpaste.

This is definitely an adjustment, as I used to turn to some food to settle my stomach, help headaches, etc. I've found that my injured ITB tolerates a bike REALLY well. I was out riding on the trail for an hour today and didn't feel a thing in my knee. Now I just need a cushioned bike seat so I don't feel anything in my butt. LOL

rowenaaitken

Jaffa cakes are good, not sure if you have them outside the UK? <50cal each and also have that orangey tang that's really satisfying especially with a coffee

xcrunnergirl13

I have huge problems with sugar. If I have even a granola bar it can trigger a sugar binge for me. I find that instead of having a small snack pack of a treat (which wil make me go back for the whole box) I do really well if I have fruit for something sweet. Satisfies the sugar craving without making me go back over and over again. My favourites are peaches, strawberries and nectarines.

osutuba

I have huge problems with sugar. If I have even a granola bar it can trigger a sugar binge for me. I find that instead of having a small snack pack of a treat (which wil make me go back for the whole box) I do really well if I have fruit for something sweet. Satisfies the sugar craving without making me go back over and over again. My favourites are peaches, strawberries and nectarines.

I LOVE peaches :happy:

cassiepp4

I am exactly the same. I have finally realized that I am a true sugarholic and cannot have even a little bit. I have been sugar free for 3 or 4 weeks now. It was tough at first, but last night we had a family birthday and I was able to pass up the chocolate birthday cake (which is my favorite dessert of all time).
I knew if i had even one small piece that it would start me on a binge for sure.

thriftycupl

Try flavored water. Some of them have zero or very few calories. I find that they fill me up and satisfy that urge.

Bookchick887

I'm so glad to not be the only one with sugar/chocolate addiction. One sugary item sets off a binge, then I can hear the voice in my head saying, 'There's not enough sugar in the WORLD to satisfy this'. Jeez! That's what got me into this predicament. I must avoid it.

MissNations

Small portions of GOOD dark chocolate tend to satisfy me fairly well. Valor, Dagoba, Lindt, all have tasty flavored dark chocolate bars. 2 square for less than 100 calories...

MonicaT1972

Two words, dark chocolate. 1 or 2 pieces will do it for the sweet craving and it has plenty of health benefits.

Clarimusic00

I don't know if you like ice cream but I LOVE skinny cow ice cream. Very yummy and reasonably low on calories/fat/sugar.

Drawberry

This might sound completely insane, but if you need something sweet with very little calories try Crystal Light Energy in Strawberry. They're those little skinny packets of powdered flavoring you add to water, and this particular spin off (the 'Energy' ones) are suppose to be quite caffeinated and boast no sugar but has a very sweet intense flavor. So much so that half a packet for me is more then enough. I am not kidding on how sweet and candy-like this can taste. Each full packet is only 5 calories as well.

Seriously though. This stuff is sweet, really sweet, almost TOO sweet for me!

reactor25

I swear nothing helps me actually beat my sweet tooth cravings, especially for chocolate. If I try to eat something instead, a healthier option, I usually end up feeling unsatisfied and sometimes eating more because of it. I am now trying to just learn regular self control. It is so hard. I get headaches and all I want is chocolate/sugar. It is harder to control/reduce my chocolate intake than it was to quit smoking. Seriously!

mellisaweldon

Small portions of GOOD dark chocolate tend to satisfy me fairly well. Valor, Dagoba, Lindt, all have tasty flavored dark chocolate bars. 2 square for less than 100 calories...

i agree so very mush. i dont know about the valor or dagoba, never heard of it, and my mom had a candy store that i used to help her with alot. lindt was a constant in the store though, and just plain hersheys too. my fave of all time= hersheys dark chocolate. the king size!!!! i always break it into all the pieces that it suggest first, and then only have four or five pieces, depending on the craving size. and this is coming from someone who is so addicted to chocolate that if there was a rehab, id have been committed plenty of times. if you can get away with just that little amount, and not binge, go for it, but you have to be able to make yourself stop after those pieces. if it helps, get someone to watch you eat it, and have them take it away from you afterwards, lol. also, dark chocolate is the best healthy-wise too, because it has less milk, therefor less fat and calories, plus its almost pure cocoa which is chalk full of endorphins, and everyone knows those make you happy, too. plus the caffiene usually not just helps my headaches, but solves them, lol.

MA3804

Glad to know I'm not the only one with a sweeto tooth! I think I could live off sweets. I have heard that Ginger helps with weight loss so I am trying ginger snap cookies. I just get 5 out and put the bag up high so not to eat the whole bag. Seems to help so far, not sure it may just be a concidence.

thelovelyLIZ

I have a terrible sweet tooth, and when I want something sweet, I reach for fruit. It was hard at first, but it's really helped me reign in my sugar cravings, and now I can satisfy my cravings with less sugar.