My name is Stephanie… and I am a Sweets-Aholic!!!

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StephRenae32
StephRenae32 Posts: 8
in Motivation and Support
My name is Stephanie… and I am a Sweets-Aholic!!!

Chocolate, cupcakes, candy bars, ice cream, cookies, etc. How do I break the need to eat something sweet EVERYTIME I have a meal?

Contrary to what you may think, I love fruit, and I know that fruit is a great substitution, BUT sometimes I feel like “cookie monster” is living on the inside of me –not to make light of the situation, but I really could use some advice in this area.

I know that someone has probably walked in my shoes, and some may still be walking, but for once in my weight loss process, I am going to ask for help when I need it, instead of being embarrass.

So thank you in advance!
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Replies

  • TXHunny84
    TXHunny84 Posts: 503 Member
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    I wish I could help....but I'm also a Sweets-aholic. :( So I'm joining your club lol best think I do is pack my lunch so I don't eat out and eat a pre-planned dinner and then go workout or just go straight to bed....over time it does get easier because the cravings aren't so intense. But the first week will be hard. :-/
  • rubyalison
    rubyalison Posts: 28
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    I feel the same way. I want something sweet at the end of every meal... I think that will be my biggest challenge. I'm going to try brushing my teeth after lunch, and after dinner having a cup of diet hot cocoa.
  • Clowasa
    Clowasa Posts: 47
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    Just because you're trying to loose weight and get healthy it doesn't mean you have to cut out sweets. What I'd recommend doing is spend a little time online, just go to google and type in "low calorie" or "low fat" or "low sugar" in front of your favourite treats and I guarantee you'll find some great recipes. Also, try checking out your local health food store or organic section of your supermarket. They're lots of healthy options that are still satisfying for your taste buds. For example a few weeks ago I switched from skim milk to vanilla almond milk, it tastes really good, is low in calories, and still has a good amount of calcium. It's all about little changes, in stead of having ice cream have some greek yogurt (I'm quite partial to oikos key lime), it's still got the creamy taste and texture of ice cream but it's a lot lighter on fat and sugar.

    The most important thing, which I'm sure you already know, is portion size. That was my biggest struggle, getting myself to just eat 1 cookie instead having 4. It's a lot of effort to exercise self control when it comes to food we like but if you want it enough you'll get through this tough bit and fell better for it.

    Hope that helps and good luck.

    P.S. if you're having a sugar craving why not try some sugar free gum instead, still sweet and will take your mind off snacking.
  • celshade
    celshade Posts: 131 Member
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    Grab a post-it note and write down what you'll have to do in order to burn the calories for that item. When I read that one cupcake = 35 minutes of walking, I think twice. I wouldn't walk that long or that far to get one, so I definitely won't eat it!

    These days, I buy a lot of sweets that I don't feel bad about. The more I stress about telling myself to cut back, the more I'm thinking about them. It's better to eat a little and put the craving to bed than to carry the craving around all day.

    It's okay to indulge sometimes - Remember, thin people eat sweets, too!

    Dark chocolate, sweet yogurt, frozen banana ice cream, and milkshakes with fruit, ice, and almond milk - they're all delicious, and with small portions, I'm in control.
  • jynxxxed
    jynxxxed Posts: 1,010 Member
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    Pre-log your diary and schedule yourself to have one item after you have dinner or whatever meal you'd prefer. Pre-log the rest of your food as well, so if you /want/ more you'll know that it won't fit within your plan and eat one of the other snacks/items that you planned instead.

    It works.

    ETA: Oh, and my name's also Stephanie and I can relate. :tongue:
  • StephRenae32
    StephRenae32 Posts: 8
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    Yea, I'm not alone :-) Thank you for your advice! I said on this morning that I was going to take time to pre-plan my meals for the week, not only will it save me from making terrible food choices, but it will also save me some $.
  • StephRenae32
    StephRenae32 Posts: 8
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    Thank you everyone! I am going to use some of these amazing tips and practices, I know that it will take some work, and I am pretty sure I will slip a few times, but at least now I have a "game plan".

    Thank you especially for the tips on how to enjoy the "sweets" that I love, but maybe in a more "low fat" or "low calorie" way...

    Thanks everyone, I will keep you posted, today is my second day, so I am excited about my weight loss journey! :wink:
  • rachaelbmh
    rachaelbmh Posts: 54
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    Have more sweet vegetables with your meals - you might not crave those sweets later on. For myself (and this might sound strange), I found that the more green vegetables I eat, the less sweets I crave. I think my body was craving the nutrients in these other foods, but my brain was telling me I needed sugar for the solution.

    Also, yes, this sounds extreme, but taking a week or two where you cut sugar out completely will help your body to reset itself and then when you do have sweets, they'll taste even sweeter and you'll need less.
  • shrinkingislander
    shrinkingislander Posts: 315 Member
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    I can so relate to this as I have a bit of (okay a very large) sweet tooth. I love to have a sweet after a meal, I think of it as a palate cleanser. And with the recent insurgence of Halloween candy into our house (even thought we gave out fruit and vedgetable juice my daughter has a huge back of candy from trick-or-treating) I found my cravings becoming stronger. But you know what has saved my bacon, dried prunes (not sweetened with sugar). They are just the perfect amount of sweet and just the right size for just 1 bite. I bought a huge bag from Costco a few months and I have 1-2 day and they have managed to curb my cravings.
  • rosesigil
    rosesigil Posts: 105 Member
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    Me too. So what I am trying to do is to set my sights on some days in the future that I will allow myself to have a dessert. Like Thanksgiving, my birthday, Christmas, some big thing. But I will limit it and also track the calories on mfp. I tell myself, I can wait til .....that date, whatever it is. Also I bank calories for it. Nothing to me is a substitute for a real dessert, so, I just have to wait. I can eat anything I want---just not everything. It's just how it has to be. Everyday I have to choose not to eat the donut or pie or cake -- and it helps to know that there are times coming when I can and will eat them.
  • evilchickenfarm
    evilchickenfarm Posts: 1
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    Aldi's sells some really good protein bars. I like the caramel nut ones and my wife likes the cookie dough. They only have around 190 calories each. I need something sweet after my 8pm workout and it's great if you refrigerate it.
  • branson101
    branson101 Posts: 173 Member
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    skinny cow products. Low calorie and absolutely delicious. Also honey maid has a new treat out there called Grahamfuls. The vanilla banana one is excellent and only 110 cal and 18g carbs. Sweets are possible. That's not to say that I don't allow myself regular sweets, I do. everything in moderation.
  • tinchick
    tinchick Posts: 59 Member
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    I'm a Sweets-aholic too, more specifically, a Choc-aholic.

    The numerous times before that I've tried to lose weight and get healthy, I cut out most, if not all, of the sweets from my diet. I tried eating fruit instead because everyone said that it was a great substitute. But, like you, I still wanted sweets. I always say that when I have a craving for brownies, for example, nothing else is going to satisfy that craving. I've even tried that, substituting something less bad for me (like low fat pound cake with strawberries) for something I'm craving (like a sundae). It never worked.

    So this time, I let myself have something sweet everyday. I don't have anything sweet at breakfast (unless you count certain types of cereal), I have three squares of Dove dark chocolate with lunch, and then something for dessert after dinner, usually some type of ice cream. It keeps my sweet tooth at bay, but I'm still losing weight. So I say, have some sweets, just don't overdo it.
    (and FYI - York ice cream snacks are satisfying and only 180 calories and if you're having a chocolate craving, I recommend Milky Way ice cream bars, also at 180 calories each)
  • Sarac715
    Sarac715 Posts: 55 Member
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    This seems opposite of what everyone else is saying, and they do all make good points. But I allow myself a treat almost at every meal, even after breakfast I have a few chocolate chips (sounds crazy I know!), but I am essentaily at, even past my goal weight actually. So I just incorporate it into my calories. But I find if I indulge in fattier deserts, like very dark chocolate, I really only need a little bit. And they say dark chocolate is really good fot you, but its an acquired taste..... But I tend to think fat is better than sugar, especially healthy fats. A smaller amount of a much more enjoyable treat will serve you better in the long run. If you keep eating fat free things that are loaded with sugar and carbs, you won't feel satisfied.

    I actually generally aim for a large percentage of my calories to come from fat. A much larger percentage than recommended by MFP. Usually between 30-35 percent. Sometimes its even 40. But then again, I also eat a lot of almonds and eggs and not a lot of products with processed flour (i.e. breads, pasta, etc).
  • Sarac715
    Sarac715 Posts: 55 Member
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    Also, I found this recipe to be quite good for a desert. My boyfriend even likes them!

    http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/09/06/no-flour-black-bean-brownies/
  • NursRatchett
    NursRatchett Posts: 39 Member
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    I agree...I use Chocolate Covered Katie a LOT as I love sweets as well! I love the Samoa Babies....they really do taste a lot like my favorite Girl Scout Cookie. I also make the PB Breakfast Pudding in the morning at least 3 days a week. :heart:
  • JudyKay13
    JudyKay13 Posts: 1
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    Great idea, Stephanie! Makes sense!
  • StephRenae32
    StephRenae32 Posts: 8
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    You guys and gals (ok...I know "guys" and "gals", but I am from Texas...Lol) are amaing! Thank you for the tips, I could use all of the help I can get, I will keep you posted, and let you know how things go!
  • _Brown_Eyed_Girl_
    _Brown_Eyed_Girl_ Posts: 39 Member
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    Have you tried gum? There are some pretty good ones out there that help me when I want something sugary. I don't remember who makes it but they have a mint chocolate chip one that helps when the chocolate monster rears it's ugly head!
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    I have found that salt is a trigger for me. When I have a really high sodium meal, then I crave sweet and have a much harder time resisting the urge. When I avoid the really salty stuff, then I can stay in control a lot better. Just something to think about that might be true for others as well.

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