Curbing sugar cravings

UsedToBeHusky
UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Okay... I know sugar is not really an "evil food". But some of us with insulin issues do have to manage it.

So, I find that I crave sugar at certain times of the day. Fruit is great, but I don't think eating fruit every time I have a craving is going to help me regulate my sugar because I would be eating an awful lot of fruit.

How do you suggest curbing sugar cravings? Is portion control generally the way to go? Or is there some other tips that diabetics and others with insulin-resistance can share?


*This thread is not a debate on the evils of sugar... or processed foood... or dairy... or fast food... or sugar substitutes... or any of the other popular "evils" of MFP. Please do not derail it because the answer is important to me. Thanks.

Replies

  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Green & Black's 85% dark chocolate. It's like eating chocolate cheesecake, SO rich, but there's hardly any sugar in it. I HATE dark chocolate, but I love this stuff. Even better if you can dip it in a little peanut butter.

    I keep several bars in my house and at 6 squares at a time.
  • josephed
    josephed Posts: 4
    Hello,

    I have insulin issues, I believe it acts very similarly to the insulin resistance women typically suffer from, so I feel your pain.

    I found the only way I could curb the sugar consumption when I was on a downward spiral was to completely cut out sugary foods. After a couple of weeks, I stopped craving them. It stopped the cycle of craving, satisfaction then crashing, craving etc.
    I then found I could introduce them back in slowly and limit my consumption.

    I find the worst time is when I'm sitting around doing very little. I then have a series of steps to go through before I allow myself to eat something sugary. I get a craving, I get up and do something (exercise if possible), have a drink of water, have a drink of low sugar squash.

    I try those things anyway. Doesn't always work but it's better than nothing!

    Joe
  • Amberlynnek
    Amberlynnek Posts: 405 Member
    I have a horrible sweet tooth. I swapped out my regular chocolate for dark chocolate with fruit pieces (Ghiradelli cherry tango and Lindt intense orange) I didn't even like dark chocolate before but these hit the spot for me. 3 pieces for 160 calories with lower sugar. I just tried really, really, really hard to control the rest of my cravings by keeping it out of the house. After just a few weeks i had a bite of cupcake and it was so overwhelmingly sweet that my need for sugar is slowly dissipating. The 1st two weeks are the worse but I can promise you if you can hold strong on it, it will get better!
  • tomomatic
    tomomatic Posts: 1,794 Member
    I'm chewing gum. It's about a half a pack-a-day habit now.
    If you must have something sweet, a jolly rancher is only about 35 calories and it will last in your mouth longer than a piece of chocolate.
  • Hot2Hotter
    Hot2Hotter Posts: 1 Member
    I have the same problem, as I have insulin resistance too. When u crave it, no amount of food really helps. I like keeping dark chocolate (single piece packing, NO bars) in my purse for this. But a friend shared a tip last week that sounded interesting. If you are out of dark chocolate and have to have some sugar, milk chocolate is easier to find so take that bite u want, swirl it in your mouth once and spit it out. That way you will get that sugar craving u have and also not consume all the calories.

    Other than that, zip the lip and walk the hip!! Nothing else works!!:smile:
  • nancy10272004
    nancy10272004 Posts: 277 Member
    I have insulin resistance and I've found that the way to control my cravings is to make sure that my blood sugar is steady throughout the day. I eat three meals and two snacks to make sure this happens.

    I'm not a clean eater by any stretch of the imagination and I eat fruit, cookies, rice or whatever but in moderation. I just had some dry cereal for my afternoon snack and now I'm all set until dinner.
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,064 Member
    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSFvtYsbAU7W099wzaBbY47Lw7W58fMva8Zq_aDdmCieUkrvqDo

    Sorry couldn't help myself :blushing:
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I don't have insulin resistance, but eating sugar with protein and/or fiber to slow digestion and cause less of a blood sugar spike might help. Something like honey roast peanuts or cocoa roast almonds.
  • aeb09
    aeb09 Posts: 424 Member
    I'm insulin resistant from PCOS so I understand. Been doing the ketogenic diet (low carb high fat). I never had a real sweet tooth before starting but my evils were bread and pasta. Since I started I haven't craved either; I haven't had them in over a month.

    I did make little chocolate peanut butter dessert treats for the evenings when I was in the mood for something chocolatey (not too terribly often) made with butter, coconut oil, no sugar added peanut butter, unsweetened cocoa powder and one packet of stevia, frozen in an ice cube tray and stored in the freezer. Great little dessert and only 1g of sugar in each.

    Monday and Tuesday I had 0g of sugar and today I will have 1g when I eat a chocolate for dessert. By going low carb I've regulated my blood sugar throughout the day and no longer have spikes and crashes. Eliminating these things eliminated my cravings 100%. I don't feel deprived at all. **I know low carb is not for everyone and many people dismiss the ketogenic lifestyle. I am just saying what has been working for me.**
  • kendrareanna2012
    kendrareanna2012 Posts: 1
    Quest Bars.
  • kari574
    kari574 Posts: 99 Member
    I recently cut grains out of my diet and have had fewer cravings as a result. I made it through Easter without eating any of my kids' candy. Candy was a big downfall for me, along with cheez-its and the like.
  • ekeatz
    ekeatz Posts: 6
    Hmm really like the tip about swishing chocolate! thanks! I might try that. I am doing 30 days no sugar (not even ketchup etc) and I am on Day 6 so far so hopefully I will make it through without a single drop of sugar.
  • ekeatz
    ekeatz Posts: 6
    I started taking L-Glutamine and that seems to help me. You can break the capsule and put the powder under your tongue every time you crave sugar, I think it stabilizes your blood sugar levels and helps cravings go away and satisfy what the craving actually needs.

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