*help!* Killing that sugar craving

Kaorikaze
Kaorikaze Posts: 4
in Food and Nutrition
I am just starting MFP today and I am in some serious need of advice to help kill sugar cravings brought on by depression when my husband deployed. Depression, lack of excercise, and the inability to work due to immigrating to the US, helped me gain nearly 45lbs in 2 years. I used to be 150-155lbs and I am now bordering dangerously around the 195-200 mark! (Shame on me! Which has led to even further depression...)

I have finally come to the point where I know this can not continue and I have decided to swear off any foods containing radical amounts of sugars. I have started cutting off sodas, and other sugary drinks and any candy/chocolate out of my diet as much as possible, but this is where I am struggling to maintain my resolve. My body is in this state where it is just screaming for SUGAR! I don't want to give in so I need whatever kind of advice you can provide on how to stamp out these horrible cravings.

Replies

  • peaceissues
    peaceissues Posts: 77 Member
    Buy sugar free desserts, to me they taste the same as the sugar ones. Plus they are usually 90 calories or less. I have a sweet tooth as well and so far they have helped me.
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
    There's no need to kill Sugar cravings!

    In fact some would suggest you run with it.

    A little bit of Sugar is a great part of a healthy, sustainable, and balanced lifestyle.

    Unless your Dr. tells you to avoid Sugar I think you should enjoy him.

    :flowerforyou:
  • 1ConcreteGirl
    1ConcreteGirl Posts: 3,677 Member
    There's no need to kill Sugar cravings!

    In fact some would suggest you run with it.

    A little bit of Sugar is a great part of a healthy, sustainable, and balanced lifestyle.

    Unless your Dr. tells you to avoid Sugar I think you should enjoy him.

    :flowerforyou:

    I always crave Sugar. Completely agree!

    Enjoy Sugar! It is actually a subset of proteins, which everyone knows are great for you.
  • groundhawg
    groundhawg Posts: 121 Member
    1. Every time you want something sweet drink water, get up and walk, pop in some gum- all proven ways to kill a craving. For me, Ginger candy worked. The taste is so overwhelming that I could only have one, and then ginger, like toothpaste, lingers in your mouth.

    2. Make low-cal, low glycemic load snacks- smoothies, low cal cherry pies in wonton wrappers, you can find a ton of delicious and nutritious-as-possible snacks on dessertstalker.com or on other websites.

    3. choose a candy that its easy to have just ONE of. For me Riesens, Werthers, and Ginger candies work. They're all very strongly flavored so its easy to eat just one to satisfy my craving (which is better than binging)

    4. Drink a cup of chicken broth. When I first went paleo I cut out all sugars and carbs. God I had the worst cravings. Whenever I craved I would eat a handful of fruit (any fruit I wanted), if that didnt kill the cravings I had a cup of chicken broth. The combo of the natural sugars from the fruit and the salt from the broth convinced my body every time that I didnt need anything.

    5. And, as always, little cheats won't hurt. But its good you are trying to cut those thigns out because they simply arent good for you. For some people cold turkey is easiest, for others weaning is better. You have to behonest about what type of person you are. Personally I have no self control. I literally threw all of the sweets in the house out. I dont even walk down that aisle at the grocery store. Its about not tempting yourself.

    6. I always tell myself "You're not a dog, you dont need a treat to reward yourself." This makes me feel betterbecause it reminds me that it is MY body, and food does not control me. Remind yourself why you are doing this. Nothing worth having is easy.
  • iulia_maddie
    iulia_maddie Posts: 2,780 Member
    Hmm, interesting. I always thought people come to MFP, and then "learn" that sugar is the debil.
    I like sugar. Makes me happy.
  • NutellaAddict
    NutellaAddict Posts: 1,258 Member
    I eat sugar. In fact I eat candy almost everyday. Moderation but candy.
  • Kaorikaze
    Kaorikaze Posts: 4
    1. Every time you want something sweet drink water, get up and walk, pop in some gum- all proven ways to kill a craving. For me, Ginger candy worked. The taste is so overwhelming that I could only have one, and then ginger, like toothpaste, lingers in your mouth.

    2. Make low-cal, low glycemic load snacks- smoothies, low cal cherry pies in wonton wrappers, you can find a ton of delicious and nutritious-as-possible snacks on dessertstalker.com or on other websites.

    3. choose a candy that its easy to have just ONE of. For me Riesens, Werthers, and Ginger candies work. They're all very strongly flavored so its easy to eat just one to satisfy my craving (which is better than binging)

    4. Drink a cup of chicken broth. When I first went paleo I cut out all sugars and carbs. God I had the worst cravings. Whenever I craved I would eat a handful of fruit (any fruit I wanted), if that didnt kill the cravings I had a cup of chicken broth. The combo of the natural sugars from the fruit and the salt from the broth convinced my body every time that I didnt need anything.

    5. And, as always, little cheats won't hurt. But its good you are trying to cut those thigns out because they simply arent good for you. For some people cold turkey is easiest, for others weaning is better. You have to behonest about what type of person you are. Personally I have no self control. I literally threw all of the sweets in the house out. I dont even walk down that aisle at the grocery store. Its about not tempting yourself.

    6. I always tell myself "You're not a dog, you dont need a treat to reward yourself." This makes me feel betterbecause it reminds me that it is MY body, and food does not control me. Remind yourself why you are doing this. Nothing worth having is easy.

    Thank you everyone who has shared their advice. Just hearing the encouragement and advice is enough to keep me fending off that sugar today!
    I am just like you groundhawg, I have no self control really, which is why I also tossed everything sugary out of my house! I have never heard of ginger candy but I will definitely look into it and the chicken broth idea.
    I have been struggling trying to find foods I CAN eat that are low in sugar besides fruits, so any other junk food substitions are more than welcome :)

    I know many of you are suggesting that I eat sugar in moderation, but that is mostly my problem. I don't have the self-control for moderation right now. I'm running on pure frustration and what little willpower I have right now to get this weight off me, so for right now, I feel like going cold-turkey might be the better option. I just need that extra shove/wall/barracade...gate of hades, if you will, to keep staying away from it =P
  • groundhawg
    groundhawg Posts: 121 Member
    I am a-ok with natural sugars- fruits and veggies I dont worry about at all.... but I'm not a moderation person either. So I totally understand. After a year of being fairly strict with myself I do indulge every once and a while. I had a heath bar the other day, I earned it, lol, but I only bought one, I had enough calories left at the end of the day, and I didnt have to feel guilty about it because I made room for it. But it took a long time to learn that, and I had to start by being strict with myself. I had to do the same thing with potato chips, I could eat a bag of those, I just had to toss it. And I never let my lifestyle change get in the way of family gatherings, if Grandma makes a cherry pie, I'm going to eat it, and sometimes just knowing that those occasions are coming up motivates me to stay away from useless daily indulgences.

    feel free to add me as a fried, I think we could help each other ;D
  • getstrongkaylen
    getstrongkaylen Posts: 137 Member
    fruit(: after i workout, all i want to eat is sugar, so normally ill make (or buy...depending on time) a smoothie... satisfies my sweet tooth perfectly!
  • Annerk1
    Annerk1 Posts: 372 Member
    Natural sugar (in moderation) isn't bad for you. Processed crap is.

    First of all, don't shop on an empty stomach and don't buy junk to keep in the house. If it's not there, you can't eat it.

    Buy healthy fruits like berries--I like berries because I only eat one at a time so it takes a long time to eat 1/2 cup of them.

    I keep a box of Kashi in the house for when I really, really want some sugar. Again, I portion out 1/2 cup and eat it piece by piece. By the time I finish, the craving is gone.

    Find something that will distract you when you are having a craving. Polish your nails, knit, scrub the sink, do a crossword puzzle. Better yet, go for a walk. Distraction is your best ally in beating cravings.

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