How do you curb soda/sugar cravings?!

felicia8604
felicia8604 Posts: 274 Member
in Food and Nutrition
It might all be in my head but I cant seem to go 1 day without a soda, and of course its mountain dew. And I crave chocolate, sweets and sour stuff. What have you done to help with the cravings? I switched jobs a year and a half ago and I went from on my feet all day working as a cna to sitting all day as a bank teller. So my eating habits didn't change but my activity level went down. Since last April 2013 I have gained 20lbs. So I really need healthier ways to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Replies

  • Taiser
    Taiser Posts: 81 Member
    Although it's got a bad rep I use sucralose a lot instead of sugar. Better than aspartame or the other artificial stuff IMHO. I use to be a soda hound but found when I stopped drinking it I lost the taste for it. Still have a diet Pepsi once in a while but now I can't drink a regular soda, I find it tastes like syrup and can't believe I use to drink so much of it! :)
  • 6dens
    6dens Posts: 1
    I was able to kick a serious Dr Pepper habit by drinking It Works greens. And they actually taste good.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    I drink 2 or 3 Diet Pepsi a day along with my 100+ ounce of water and I fit in chocolate daily (normally Breyers Chocolate Reese's peanut butter cup ice cream). I found that it is best to work the things I like into my diet rather than try to avoid them altogether... Best of Luck
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    I kick those cravings by indulging them in reasonable amounts. Mini ice cream sandwiches and dark chocolate bars are mainstays in my kitchen.
  • liftingandlipstick
    liftingandlipstick Posts: 1,857 Member
    Crystal Light drink mixes and sugar free pudding (jello, too)! The pudding feels decadent, but is really low cal without sacrificing flavor or sweetness. I've never been much of a soda drinker, but I could pack away some sweet tea, which adds up fast. I found the Crystal Light sweet tea packets, and then branched out from there. As I get more and more accustomed to eating better, I find some of them too sweet at full strength, so you do get used to less sugar as you consume less of it.

    Many people here will slam those choices, as artificial sweeteners tend to be villified around here, but it works for me!
  • divas3026
    divas3026 Posts: 1
    Have you tried a big glass of ice water with juice of whole lemon? Years ago, I saw Princess Fergie when she was a Weight Watchers spokesperson recommend this. I find it a good way to interrupt a craving. I'll drink16 to 24 oz of very cold water (about 2 - 3 glasses, but in a big insulated drink container) with the juice of a whole lemon -- just say "I'll drink this first." That usually takes enough time, and reduces my thirst, so that my craving is much less once I've finished it.
  • healingnurtrer
    healingnurtrer Posts: 217 Member
    I started eating less desserts. I focused on getting enough protein and fat in my diet. I realized excessive sugar/carbs decreased my enjoyment of other foods- like meat. I found that if I started my day w/ eggs I didn't crave sugar as much. When I didn't start my day w/ protein/fat and fiber sources I'd be more likely to crave treats. Also eating a little fruit with every meal to taste something sweet helps. I don't try to fit desserts in everyday... that helped. I just relaxed about getting desserts and focused on eating great delicious well-balanced meals. (by well-balanced I mean balance of carbs/fats/proteins, w/ fruits and/or vegetables). And water.

    This is the only thing that has worked for me- and I used to wake up thinking about desserts so it's big. :smile:
  • ChelseyDAdams
    ChelseyDAdams Posts: 37
    I'm not a soda drinker, although I used to be. I gave up soda cold turkey in 2001 and now can't stand the stuff. After a while without it, it tastes very unpleasing, unnatural, syrupy and it BURNS to drink. Can't stand carbonation at all anymore. And I drank Dr. Pepper EVERY day before that!

    I have a major sweet tooth issue - and once i start, I just don't stop easily. The cravings are so bad that I'll eat it even if I'm not enjoying it, or in my mind I don't want it. Weird, but true. For me, honestly, I find the best way is to go cold turkey for at least 3 days. That is long enough to get rid of the cravings. Then, I only eat sugary things much, much less often, eat smaller amounts and am more quickly satisfied and done. I find that when I do this, fruit quickly becomes my "candy." I become less desensitized to sweet (which refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup really cause to happen) and so things like grapes become super sweet!

    If I try to "ween" off it without going cold turkey for long enough to have the cravings abate, it doesn't work.

    I have also heard many people say that adding some coconut oil into your diet can help reduce sweets cravings. I know people that take a tablespoon of it in the morning for this very purpose.

    Be wary of too many "sugar free" products that are still sweet - they just substitute the sugar for something equally as bad, and it can cause other issues and sometimes intensify cravings.

    Stevia is a great natural sweetener that is made from a leaf - it is great if you need to make a sweet tea or to increase sweetness in a smoothie - I always use it in my green smoothies, helps hide the taste of the spinach/kale and bring out the sweetness of the fruit.

    Best of luck, I totally understand your struggles in this area!! Keep at it!
  • Derpes
    Derpes Posts: 2,033 Member
    Diet soda tastes funny at first, but you get used to it.
  • itsbasschick
    itsbasschick Posts: 1,584 Member
    i use stevia, although be careful to read the label as some stevia products include other stuff that has calories, although not that many. i periodically sweeten cereal or oatmeal with xylitol, which has less calories than sugar and is metabolized differently. - although if you do try it, start gradually as it can cause abdominal distress.

    i find drinking cold herb teas like lemon zinger (hint, use only 7 ounces of water per bag) with the right amount of stevia is yummy and satisfying, and has no calories at all. or when i want a chocolate fix, i take cocoa powder, stevia and a little xylitol, mix it with non-fat milk, blend it - then blend in ice till it's the consistency of a shake. once you find the right cocoa and percentages of milk, ice and sweeteners, this is an awesome fat-free, low calorie protein fix with a sweet, choco taste.
  • NYstars
    NYstars Posts: 12
    If you cut them out the cravings go.
    One thing I always found hard about eating healthy was quitting sugary stuff. A week after not eating any and I tend to not crave them anymore.

    My Mum is the same. She LOVED chocolate and used to have some every day for years and years. Then she found out she would have to cut that out of her diet altogether (due to suffering with PKD and it getting worse) and she had no idea how she might do that.
    But she tried it and a few days later she wasn't craving it anymore. So it can be done.
  • vamaena
    vamaena Posts: 217 Member
    I was never a big soda drinker but chocolate/sweets is a weakness of mine. I switched from milk to dark chocolate (less sugar) and I indulge every once in a while. That helps ease away the cravings and the urge to binge eat chocolate because I know I will if I let it get that bad. I recently found a recipe to make my own chocolate at home so I started to do this instead. Making my own lets me control the amount of sugar I put into it.
    If it's not one of my days to treat myself and I get a strong craving for chocolate I eat fruit. Blueberries, strawberries, bananas, pineapples. The sugar in the fruit helps reduce that craving.
  • HannahMRoman
    HannahMRoman Posts: 3
    ICE cold fizzy water!! A couple ice cubes and a slice of lemon - so refreshing!!!
  • angelzxy321
    angelzxy321 Posts: 1,019 Member
    My go to is desert or fruit flavored chewing gums. My desk drawer is literally full with them. Each time I think of going to the vending machine I just pop one in. A diet soda every now and then shouldn't be that bad either. For me that is maybe twice a week. On top of that I keep berries handy. They're all low in sugar with a very sweet taste.
  • akscharaswak
    akscharaswak Posts: 8 Member
    Every time I try to kick soda, I fall off the wagon after a few days. I don't drink regular soda because I don't like how it tastes (all I can taste is the syrup). I have done it cold turkey but usually have an excuse (such as needing the caffeine (I'm also a Mt. Dew fan)). I have found that making myself drink water before and after taking a couple of sips of soda helps. Also when I want chocolate if I can get access to fresh cherries or grapes that curbs the sugar cravings immensely, and is infinitely better for me. I don't want chocolate as much as the fruit.
  • Elenagreek
    Elenagreek Posts: 10
    If you cut them out the cravings go.
    One thing I always found hard about eating healthy was quitting sugary stuff. A week after not eating any and I tend to not crave them anymore.

    My Mum is the same. She LOVED chocolate and used to have some every day for years and years. Then she found out she would have to cut that out of her diet altogether (due to suffering with PKD and it getting worse) and she had no idea how she might do that.
    But she tried it and a few days later she wasn't craving it anymore. So it can be done.

    I agree!!! I think sugar is addictive. I need 3 days to give up sugar and the fourth day I don't have cravings at all. Only few days before my period starts, I 'm getting crazy about sugar or chocolate although I am not a chocolate fun. On the other hand, I eat almost every day 1-2 biscuits with my coffee (with stevia), I count the carbs and sugars, so I don't feel I miss the sweets. Any time I eat cakes or other pastries, they taste for me very very sweet because I 'm not used not to eat so sweet foods.
  • qtmonica
    qtmonica Posts: 16
    I have a SERIOUS sweet tooth and that is the hardest part for me as well. It has helped me to fill up on all the good stuff so that Iam not hungry enough to go for the sweets. I never keep it in the house or office if I truely need something I have to get in my car and drive to the store which most of the time I dont feel like doing and if I really need something right away I eat peanut butter mixed with cool whip and throw strawberries in it YUM....as for the soda I was able to stop that by will power and ever once in awhile I would add a squeeze of water enhancer, had to deal with some nasty headaches in the beginning but it was worth it, good luck to you
  • hupsii
    hupsii Posts: 258 Member
    For me no soda but I LOVE anything sweet. I have found out that if I have bread for breakfast, the cravings get worse. Also what helps is eating good fats, also supplements - what works best for me is evening primrose oil
  • emmooney235
    emmooney235 Posts: 85 Member
    I cut out soada by replacing one a day with a big tumbler of ice water with some Mio for flavor. I slowly increased the water while cutting the soda to the point where after a month or two I just stopped the soda. The more water I drank the more I realized that some of my bloating and general yucky feelings were partially from the soda. My last full soda was March 30 and at thus point I don't miss it at all. I even weaned myself off the Mio flavoring too. As far as sweets, I love Skinny Cow! I get my sweets in a nice serving size that I can't mess up. And I've also noticed that by cutting back on the sweets I don't crave them as much anymore. Now when my vendor reps show up with all kinds of cookies/donuts/chips and what ever else, I can walk right on by and not care. Now I'm at the point where processed "junk" food tastes weird and I would rather make my own because then I know what's in it. It's a slow process, at least is was for me, but I didn't it and feel so much better.
  • cwoyto123
    cwoyto123 Posts: 308
    By fitting soda and sugar into my macros.
  • marilandica
    marilandica Posts: 88 Member
    How about fruit? Sure, sugar is sugar, but fruit generally isn't as calorie dense, plus it has fiber and lots of nutrients. If you need something even sweeter, then dried fruit. Calorie dense, but very satisfying. A serving of dried tart cherries or dried apricots is also incredibly good for you. If I am going to eat candy, then my rule is that it has to be good candy (i.e. worth eating). I buy good quality dark chocolate bars and keep a few in the cabinet. A square or two (with some fruit) is incredibly satisfying.

    I refuse to drink empty calories. I have a diet soda occasionally, but like seltzer with a chunk of lemon or lime. I also make iced tea with herbal teas -- they're light and often a bit fruity and give the impression of something sweet when they're calorie free. Mint, chamomile, even herbal chai will all do the trick.

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