Problem: Sweet Tooth

Are there certain foods or meals that "trigger" your sweet tooth more than others? Are you able to have a couple pieces of individually wrapped chocolates without eating the rest of the bag? After lunch, I always feel like I need to have a piece of chocolate or something sweet, so I'll grab two Ghirardelli squares. I add it into my day, and make it work. The real struggle is not going back a second or third time, which is all about willpower, sadly.

It's OK to eat sweets -- this is a lifestyle change, not a crash diet that restricts you from ever eating anything again! You have to log them accurately and move on, making better decisions throughout the day to offset the bad ones you make. Make sure your daily calorie intake isn't set so low that you can't have a couple sweets, and find a few lower-cal options to indulge with. That worked for me!

There are a lot of people who can do the moderation thing. They'll have a miniature candy bar instead of a whole one or a tablespoon of ice cream instead of a half cup and be satisfied. I'm not one of them, unfortunately.

The easiest way for me to stop my sweet tooth is to make sweets basically off-limits by going on a low sugar/carb diet. While I don't go crazy binging on sweets in general, I have a very hard time telling myself "no" when I think I can fit it into my calories. If I'm not eating any at all I find I have no trouble resisting. I've also found that a high carb meal will make me crave sweets after but one that consists of a lean protein and veggies, and omits the starchy side dish, doesn't. That makes it easier to resist sweets, too. Instead my "treats" become nuts, string cheese, green veggies in ranch dressing, pork rinds, sugar-free Popsicles, hard boiled eggs and even an awesome low carb cheese cake muffin I found the recipe for a few years ago.

I'm not saying that you should eat low carb but what I am saying is that sometimes moderation and substitutions aren't the answer and avoidance is.

I do my best to reserve some calories at the end of the day for something sweet. If I know it's coming, it's easier for me to not eat anything else sweet during the day. My personal favorite is a fiber one brownie microwaved for a few seconds with a small spoonful of light ice cream on top. It really it's the spot!

Recently discovered chocolate tea (seriously). A mug (like two cups) of chocolate mint sweetened with no-cal chemicals and my craving for 6 chocolate candy bars is under control. Helps, I think, that it smells wonderful & takes a while to drink...

Bought my first tin at Target, ordered some straight chocolate tea from Amazon & will be trying it soon. Zero to ten calories total per mug.

I feel you. This may not work for everyone, but I've found that if Im really craving something sweet and I don't have the room for it in my day, if I chew gum or eat 3 or 4 lemon drops (hard candy) as slowly as possible, it dampens the craving enough that I can get passed it without going nuts. Sometimes I just go ahead and eat the good stuff though. Not perfect.

I hear you! I love sweets! For me, it's important not to deprive myself, so I try to just have a small serving of whatever I'm craving. I also try to make sure that I really savor and enjoy every treat, so that I get the full psychological benefit and the satisfied feeling.

I keep a bag of Dove dark chocolate squares in my desk at work. 1 is 42 calories, so I can usually fit 1-5 in my calorie allotment!

Greek yogurt, fiber one bar, whey protein and fruits help me control my sweet tooth.

I've switched to raw organic mint chocolate - not terribly sweet but satisfies the chocolate cravings. Also, try Quest bars for a sweet but more nutritional treat. I've also found protein icecream that's low carb/low fat but tastes awesome. None of these leave me with cravings for more like that high-sugar highly-processed versions....