Addicted to Sweets! HELP!

There's nothing wrong with adding a few treats to your daily intake provided you allow room for them in your calorie budget for the day, and that you are getting most of your calories from nutrient dense foods.

You are probably eating sweets because you are getting hungry. Could that be so? Solution, eat more and never run short of healthy options.

I quit sweets about 1.5 years ago. I love being sweet free. Not totally never eat sweets but i never buy them, nor cook them up. No sugar, honey etc. I'm a savoury girl now. Just eat lots of fresh fruit for my sweetness. Fantastic. If you need more tips, message me and i can fill you in tomorrow.

Ps. I didn't find it that hard.

You might now want to hear this but you already know what you have to do. Keep them out of sight and if possible for a while, out of the house. I too am a sugar addict. As much as I wanted to tell myself that I could control myself around them, early on I admitted I could not. I found myself in an internal war with myself and most times the addict won. You can't control sweets being around outside of the home and sometimes that's the biggest challenge. But if you want to win you have to believe that you don't need it all the time. You also have to look for healthier alternatives. That sounds easy but I know firsthand that it's not. I'm literally praying that one day I'll get through a day without talking myself out of having sweets. What helped me was accepting a 21 day challenge to not eat sweets or fatty foods. I got through the challenge then realized that I didn't need it everyday. It's still a temptation, everyday. But I'm getting better at controlling the urges. Right now I'm going though something and I've been eating rice cakes and peanut butter 3 or 4 days in a row. Health option but I still have to eat them in moderation to ensure I don't go over my daily calories. Also, 4 days in a row is too much. Now I have to go back to the drawing board. This tells me I still have a control issue. I have one rice cake left. After it's gone, I won't buy any for a while. You have to believe you can and keep it away as much as possible. Different things work for different people. Maybe someone else will suggest somethng else that you might feel works better for you. No matter what, you can gain control. Here's a quote a MFP friend shared, "Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don't.” ― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free congrats!!!!!

If you don't think you can handle moderation of them within a calorie deficit, then eliminate them from your diet. Otherwise, there's nothing wrong with a treat here and there. I always make room for some type of dessert in my day, even if it ends up just being a couple squares of chocolate.

Put them out of sight or, better yet, don't buy them.

You have to learn to tell yourself, "No." This is going to come up over and over again throughout your weight loss...and life. You have to figure out how to say No and then practice doing it. It might be easier to start saying no when you don't actually want the thing. That's a little practice of saying No and not eating it.

The first time is the hardest. After the first few times, it gets easier and easier.

YOU are in charge of what you eat. You can do this.

I avoided sweets for a month and satisfied my sweet tooth with protein shakes. Haven't had any issue with moderation since (unless I have PMS, then it can turn ugly, but to be fair sweets are not what I tend to crave at that time and I'd eat something else anyway if there were no sweets in the house).

I don't believe in sweets addiction, but I believe in lack of willpower. But in the end, I love sweets and I don't want to give them up, so moderation is really the only option. When I start restricting, I end up binging, and it's not a solution either.

I just don't eat them mindlessly anymore... prelog them, and take my time to really enjoy them... and I probably won't have ice cream and chocolate the same day. I also tend to eat lower calorie ice cream now, which still satisfies my sweet tooth but is easier to fit in my goal etc.

Also, I focus on the sweets I REALLY want to eat. Last week I really wanted pie, so I made one, had two small slices in 2 days and froze the rest (well, what my husband didn't eat). Right now I'm not craving any specific dessert so it's easier to just say no. There are also cookies, ice cream, and chocolate in my house. I just eat them when the craving hits, and not just because they are there. I make choices... do I really want some ice cream or do I want pasta more today? Some days pasta will win. Or I'll skip a hamburger bun for two squares of chocolate.

It's really about thinking about what you REALLY want to eat... make your meals as satisfying as possible so you don't rely on sweets to be satisfied... then take small bites and really enjoy your food, and you'll be satisfied with less. And I've found that when you eat something because you really crave it and not just because it's there, it's way more enjoyable, and you're satisfied with less anyway...

There are a lot of 100-140 calorie sweets out there that you can relatively easily fit in your days too. Just take small bites and tell yourself you're only having one. I still avoid the sugar free or 'healthy' versions of things (apart from Edy's slow churned ice cream, which I actually like) because they're just not satisfying at all for me.

How does any anyone quit something they are/feel addicted to? Will power and determination. It might not be easy, but if you want to quit bad enough you will.

No matter what tricks you employ, it's going to come down to you. You must choose not to overeat.

bfgjanieb wrote: »

My spare tire keeps growing! I've started a daily exercise routine--Zumba Gold and strength training, however, my sweet tooth kicks in and I break my diet by eating cookies, candy, etc. I know I should keep all of those sweets out of sight, but that is so much easier said than done. Any ideas?

@bfgjanieb last year at age 63 weight at new highs and general health declining due to sugar abuse I got ticked with myself when quit foods containing sugar and or grain and left them cold turkey. Thought I would die the first two weeks but after 30 days the sugar cravings were fading my my pain was fading fast as did my IBS months later.

With the wife and teenagers still living on carbs the house is full of them but they lost their grip on me after I quit them cold turkey. At 63 I had tried most every way to manage my sugar intake but nothing had worked long term.

Thankfully after 11 months this is still working well for me. Actually I do eat a few carbs like in almonds, coconut, cottage cheese, etc because they contain some sugar but I keep them to < 50 grams daily to keep my pain under good control.

Research and read all the info you can find on losing weight so you can come up with a solution that works well for you. We are all different.

snickerscharlie wrote: »

There's nothing wrong with adding a few treats to your daily intake provided you allow room for them in your calorie budget for the day, and that you are getting most of your calories from nutrient dense foods.

IsaackGMOON wrote: »

No reason for not consuming your faovurite sweet treats in moderation...

Both of these. Moderation is key.

bfgjanieb wrote: »

My spare tire keeps growing! I've started a daily exercise routine--Zumba Gold and strength training, however, my sweet tooth kicks in and I break my diet by eating cookies, candy, etc. I know I should keep all of those sweets out of sight, but that is so much easier said than done. Any ideas?

I read in the newspaper that some research found that playobg Tetris helps dealing with all types of cravings.
So if you have an urge coming up, take your smartphone and play a few minutes of Tetris. Good chance your forgot about your craving.

If you want to bring your diet to another level, you can ban sugars for a few weeks. But I would advise you to do this under professional supervision. Keeping your insulin - sugar spikes under control will reduce cravings.

But definitely try the Tetris. It's fun!

I keep splenda in the pantry and do green tea throughout the day. Kicks any sweet craving, hydrates you and helps you feel full til your next meal. Hope it helps.