Whats the best way to cut back on sweets??!

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xscarletXbegoniasx
xscarletXbegoniasx Posts: 74
in Food and Nutrition
This is nearly the only thing I struggle with. I work out super hard and everything else I eat is really healthy but I haven't progressed as much as I would like and I think it's due to my sugar intake :(
What is something that has helped you quit eating sweets or helped you cut back... also what helps with the cravings?

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  • BaileyP3
    BaileyP3 Posts: 151 Member
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    I bake alot...raw cookie dough calls to me...the best thing I've come up with is distracting myself around the times of day that I normally feel hungry (for me, 4 pm is the difficult time) Also planning my food for the day seems to help. If I know I've already prepared for 1500 calories I'm less inclined to go for the treat.
  • bradwwood
    bradwwood Posts: 371 Member
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    well, will power goes a long way. You just need to think it through all the way to the end. what is the result?

    other than that, it helps to not have all the stuff in your house, or in your drawer at work, wherever.

    I have a sweet tooth too, so I've replaced candy and what not, with apples and dried fruit. I have a bag of dried apricots at home and at work, and if the craving hits, I'll eat one or two pieced.... works great.

    I also have changed the way I eat. I used to go six hours before food, and from lunch to the time I got home, by then I'd be totally craving sweet stuff as I walked in the door. I eat almonds mid afternoon, an apple before driving home, then I'm good for a small dinner.... cravings gone :)
  • drmerc
    drmerc Posts: 2,603 Member
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    will power helped me
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
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    Work out what your triggers times/ situations are and address that. Where are you getting the sweet stuff from? Don't drive past that store/ walk past that vending machine, don't carry cash you don't absolutely need, carry healthy snacks at all times, clear sweets out your kitchen, only grocery shop on a full stomach. Fill yourself up at every meal and snack with a combination of fruit, vegetables, lean protein and healthy fats - you can eat non starchy vegetables until you couldn't squeeze so much as a wafer thin mint in your stomach and still not sabotage your weight management goals.

    Check out the 'Smarter Science of Slim' podcasts on iTunes.
  • MissyBenj
    MissyBenj Posts: 186 Member
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    Will-power. Keep the food away from your home/office. Make a choc/peanut butter protein shake. Once your body gets used to less and less sugar, you will crave less often. A good site for healthier treats is chocolatecoveredkatie.com. I used to wonder how the heck people stayed under on their sugar intake, I set my limit to 31g and I never go over anymore.
  • arival
    arival Posts: 25
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    try get some bcaa´s with fruit punch flavour, for me i love some diet sodas but now i love drinking bcaa instead and its much healthyer, optimum nutrition has some great flavours, after i started drinking that i don´t have a sweetoth anymore
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    I so love my sweets! I don't really know of any tricks except will power and moderation. I limit my treat to 100-150 cals a day.
  • iWaffle
    iWaffle Posts: 2,208 Member
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    Log the calories before you eat it. If you can pre-log most of your day before you start you'll know if you can fit it in or not.
  • ChristineS_51
    ChristineS_51 Posts: 872 Member
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    Plan your day and include some sweet treats, as long as you come within your target. Don't deprive yourself, control yourself :smile:

    @bradwwood has some great advice - especially about eating small snacks so you don't get too hungry - almonds and apples are great choices.

    If you do have something sweet, have something that takes a while to chew, and take small bites, so you get that lovely mouth feel. Have something small ie buy a piece of fudge, not a whole packet; or a single icecream not a 4 litre container; or a small chocolate treat (eg today I have planned to have a small Freddo Frog - chocolate frog) that comes packaged in it's own pack - I don't buy a whole bar of chocolate.
    Celery with a small amount of whipped peanut butter - lots of crunch, rich sweet taste with just a tiny bit of peanut butter - 15g of peanut butter can do 100g of celery!
    Prunes

    Somewhere on this site is a list of 100 snacks under 100 calories, try searching the forum - that might have some ideas for you. They are savoury & sweet ideas - maybe we should start a list of 100 or less SWEET TOOTH treats? mmm :love:
  • luvmydog2
    luvmydog2 Posts: 243 Member
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    I admit.. I love my sweets to , and going through menopause has been a really hard for me at least two weeks out of every month .
    I agree ...clear out any thing you may be tempted with in the home ...car..or office .

    The one thing that does help me is Dark Chocolate ....I keep some in my fridge and when i get real desperate will have about six squares ....:bigsmile:

    I still have one teaspoon of sugar in my coffee ..But limit my cups over the day and drink water ...:wink:
  • brits111383
    brits111383 Posts: 55
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    I loooove coming up with a good recipe make-over! I will often swap in egg whites, diet coke, pumpkin, apples (or any fruit that is past its counter-appeal prime but still has something to offer), ff cottage cheese, ff greek yogurt, etc. with standard cake mixes instead of using any oil or butter. I also dig some ff greek yogurt with fresh fruit and agave, and I've lately been playing around with blending chocolate whey protein, ff cottage cheese, unsweetened vanilla almond breeze, cacao powder and ice to make high-protein "ice cream." Sometimes the results aren't fantastic, but it's great when something tastes good and is good for you!
  • piggydog
    piggydog Posts: 322
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    Get rid of all the junk in your house... Throw it away or give it to someone... If its not in your fridge or cabinets, its not there for you to eat.

    When I started, SO helped me clean the cabinets and there have only been a select few things allowed back in the house. I let him have DP's because I don't like them and he has a gallon of vanilla icecream...but I rarely eat icecream.
    No pizza unless I'm not home.... We have lots of rules but hes fine with it because I do all the cooking and he wants to help me.

    I love Dove chocolate though. Occasionally I'll have a square or two if I really want it and have been good. That is the only way I eat it...If I have worked out and am under my calorie goal
  • ShmoozyQ
    ShmoozyQ Posts: 390 Member
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    Sheer force of will.

    Logging/planning your day ahead of time helps. You may be able to work in a small treat and not feel deprived.
  • brandiuntz
    brandiuntz Posts: 2,717 Member
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    You can adjust your sweet tooth by eating less of it. I cut back on how much sweetener/sugar I put in my coffee, and I eventually adjusted to the lesser amount. As I focused on healthier foods, fruit and raw nuts started tasting "sweet" to me, while actual candy/sugary foods now taste too sweet.

    I eat dark chocolate versus milk chocolate.

    It takes time, but eating less of the really sweet stuff and more healthy choices will cause your taste buds to change their preference.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,248 Member
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    Log the calories before you eat it. If you can pre-log most of your day before you start you'll know if you can fit it in or not.

    This.

    I plan on having something sweet every day, but I typically make it a mid-morning protein bar that tastes as good as a candy bar, and at night, I have a glass of chocolate milk.

    But otherwise, if I really want something, I make it fit and stick to a normal serving size. IE, two (maybe three) fun sized candy bars, whereas before I'd grab three... then another three an hour later, then another three an hour later, then... screw it, there's only two left in the bag, might as well tidy up.
  • wocko6092
    wocko6092 Posts: 69 Member
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    I found sugar free jelly goes down well and its low cal as well and you still get the sweet fix
  • Luv2ChewBaca
    Luv2ChewBaca Posts: 15 Member
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    Yes, Pre-logging works for me as well. I also make sure to keep fruit, like apples, oranges & bananas at work & home. We have bowls of candy out all the time at work but I no longer crave this with my fruit nearby.
  • invictus8
    invictus8 Posts: 258 Member
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    STEVIA!!!
  • volume77
    volume77 Posts: 670 Member
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    sf gum

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