Sweet tooth alert!

Sly77
Sly77 Posts: 21
edited September 28 in Health and Weight Loss
HELP! Am sat on my couch and every evening around this time I normally have a hot drink to finish off my day...BUT I am really craving something sweet to go with it. I really want to get out of this habit and stay strong and resist the urge to raid my cupboards of chocolates or biscuits or anything remotely sweet tasting.

Anyone else going through this? If so please let me know what your tips are - thanks :-)))

Replies

  • karenkwalker
    karenkwalker Posts: 155 Member
    I always accounted my sweet tooth to my German heritage - I think it was just good way to be in denial. What I did figure out was that garlic is a trigger for wanting something sweet after I eat. So maybe pay attention to what you are eating and if it has a pattern. When I have garlic - it's one of those relentless callings for sweets - other foods I can ignore the call. Hope that helps. Also I just don't keep sweets in the house - if I really feel it - just a teaspon of low fat peanut butter will usually cut it - so I don't binge on something.
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    Do you have a good book around?
    If you have any calories left have a little snack. Maybe some cereal in a cup and eat it dry, Graham cracker with tea, a few saltine crackers with jelly, fat free sugar free pudding or yogurt.
  • BFlowers2
    BFlowers2 Posts: 50
    I find the more fruit I get in my day, the lesser and lesser my cravings are! When I do want something with a little sweet kick to it, I have sugar free/fat free pudding that really does hit the spot and you can't even tell it is sugar/fat free
  • lyndsaysutton82
    lyndsaysutton82 Posts: 30
    rather than avoid my sweet tooth (which usually wins) I keep healthier sweet options handy. You can try Special K chocolate drizzle, or fruit or my go to, Skinny Cow low fat ice cream sandwiches.

    I've found that if I constantly deny myself foods, I just sabotage my own diet. Skinny cow got me through my pms time without a hitch, and that's usually when old diets have failed.
  • thedreamhazer
    thedreamhazer Posts: 1,156 Member
    I indulge my sweet tooth when I get it bad. Fruit fixes a mild sweet tooth for me but, let's face it --- it's not so much a sweet tooth as a chocolate tooth.
    I give in and allow myself some chocolate. If I can have caffeine (it's not too late) I melt one tablespoon of chocolate chips into 1/2 cup of skim milk and mix with coffee.... or I just do the milk and chocolate and forgo the coffee. Melting it myself allows me to precisely control what I'm making and eating, so I can allow myself to indulge while keeping it healthy :)
  • rmsrws
    rmsrws Posts: 639 Member
    If you like flavored coffee.....I sometimes have a sugar free decaf coffee. It soothes my sugar tooth, and seems to satisfy if I happen to be a lil hungry!
  • deb_rn
    deb_rn Posts: 144 Member
    I also vote for Skinny Cow or fat free vanilla yogurt with fruit in it!
  • oliveyou22
    oliveyou22 Posts: 1
    Girl I know how you feel! haha I always crave chocolate! So now I'm trying to break that habbit by eatting fruit. I know it not as good but it's sweet and totally works. Cherries are the best! but just a few. Stay away from strawberries or melons. They have too much sugar in them. You could also try Fuji apples or an orange.
    Good Luck!
  • Sly77
    Sly77 Posts: 21
    Great tips ladies! Thank you all so much...I will keep an eye on what I am eating in the day also as it may be a trigger. I have always fallen in to that trap of 'needing' something sweet after eating my savoury dinner, just to complete my meal. Does that make sense? It's like closure on my day as such. Stupid I know!

    I am determined to fight these cravings for sweet things, especially as I know that once I get started I can easily hoover up a whole packet of chocolate biscuits in one sitting and bang goes all the great work I have done.

    Any other tips would be greatly appreciated girls (and boys!!!) :-)
  • Natgrazin
    Natgrazin Posts: 6 Member
    I also find that raiding cupboards/the freezer late at night for sweet things was a very common pattern. The worst is if I'm downstairs at night after my partner has gone to bed, when I just overeat terribly and addictively. Reading Gillian Riley's book about over-eating has helped me see that actually this is just a habit of association - "I'm here on my own so hurray I can be really naughty". Who is this cheating?? Me, not my partner. It's a childish feeling but a very powerful one.
    So my current strategy is to ensure that I'm simply not in this situation by going upstairs earlier. It doesn't have to mean going to bed earlier but just giving myself a different treat of reading in the bath, or watching a DVD on my laptop in bed (no association with eating whereas in front of the TV I expect to eat). So far this has been a really helpful strategy. I have to just ensure that I get out of the danger zone i.e. downstairs before the addictions take over.
  • 2stepz
    2stepz Posts: 814 Member
    I don't know if they carry them where you are, but my current favorite solution is mint dark chocolate almonds (by Blue Diamond). I can have half a serving (12 almonds) for 80 calories and satisfy my chocolate and sweet craving and increase my protein and good fat intake. Win Win!
  • murraylove
    murraylove Posts: 1
    You mentioned a hot drink...what about sugar-free hot chocolate? I find this satisfies my sweet tooth and fills me up so I don't want to keep snacking. Here's my low-carb recipe:

    1 or 2 T cocoa powder
    2T water
    1 C almond milk-unsweet
    3 T heavy cream
    Stevia

    I mix the cocoa powder and water in a small saucepan on medium heat. When it is well blended and hot, I add the almond milk and cream. When that warms, I add stevia to taste and enjoy:)
  • jocelynlewis
    jocelynlewis Posts: 94
    I indulge my sweet tooth when I get it bad. Fruit fixes a mild sweet tooth for me but, let's face it --- it's not so much a sweet tooth as a chocolate tooth.
    I give in and allow myself some chocolate. If I can have caffeine (it's not too late) I melt one tablespoon of chocolate chips into 1/2 cup of skim milk and mix with coffee.... or I just do the milk and chocolate and forgo the coffee. Melting it myself allows me to precisely control what I'm making and eating, so I can allow myself to indulge while keeping it healthy :)


    Like this!!
  • Sly77
    Sly77 Posts: 21
    Hey guys! You are all so amazing, thank you so much for your support - it really is helping me.

    Just for info - I am based in London, England so some of the ingredients/products you are referring to may not be sold here in the UK but (without sounding dumb) you can explain them to meand we may have an alternative or the same products as what you have in the States but they are simply called something else here that's all.... Please be patient with me LOL!
  • BFlowers2
    BFlowers2 Posts: 50
    For the chocolate tooth-

    I get this as well, but Jello's Sugar Free Boston Cream Pie pudding- instant fix for me :) I am trying to cut down on processed foods, but it is one I will allow myself to have. The 100 cal snacks or other healthy "snacks" just have way to much sugar...as long as I am eating fruits with almost every meal, my cravings significantly decrease. I love chocolate...especially anything reeses!
  • BFlowers2
    BFlowers2 Posts: 50
    You mentioned a hot drink...what about sugar-free hot chocolate? I find this satisfies my sweet tooth and fills me up so I don't want to keep snacking. Here's my low-carb recipe:

    1 or 2 T cocoa powder
    2T water
    1 C almond milk-unsweet
    3 T heavy cream
    Stevia

    I mix the cocoa powder and water in a small saucepan on medium heat. When it is well blended and hot, I add the almond milk and cream. When that warms, I add stevia to taste and enjoy:)

    Almond milk is so delicious! That seems like a great recipe! I might have to store it somewhere for later :)
  • Sly77
    Sly77 Posts: 21
    :smile:
  • marilou32
    marilou32 Posts: 19
    It's definitely not stupid at all. I have such a sweet tooth and I can't seem to kick my cravings but I have learned to adjust to a small portion of it. I find myself getting use to the small portions now. Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches (cookies & cream are my faves!) are great...sometimes I'll only eat half and save the other half for another day. They are low cal and taste great. My sweet tooth tends to kick in late in the afternoon at the office. I started buying those 100 cal. snack packs and they really help. I can fit them in my calorie range easily and a I don't feel so bad. My faves are the Keebler 100 Calorie Right Bite Fudge Stripes & Oreo dipped bars by Nabisco. Fruits also do the trick....I don't like a whole lot of fruits so I get the kinds I can nibble on...apples, grapes, and clementines. At night...I suggest hot cocoa too! :) Every few weeks...try something different and low cal.
  • milaxx
    milaxx Posts: 1,122 Member
    Honestly when I cut out processed foods and soda, my sweet tooth decreased to a manageable level. I can now safely buy lindts chocolate, eat 4 squares, put the rest away and be completely satisfied.
  • dulcy
    dulcy Posts: 69 Member
    I either - leave enough calories & have dessert, ie fat free yogurt, Muller do chocolatey flavours, virtually fat free ice creams like Skinny cow

    Or have either a boiled sweet or a toffee, a few calories but they last a while & one is enough to feel like I've had a sweet treat

    Or low fat/calorie hot chocolate drink like Options, lots of flavours to choose from

    :o)

    I know exactly what you mean about having something sweet to round off your day. For me it stems from always having pudding as a child after dinner. It might have been tinned fruit or a dairy type dessert but always something sweet at the end of a meal. Old habits die hard!:laugh:
  • Sly77
    Sly77 Posts: 21
    I also find that raiding cupboards/the freezer late at night for sweet things was a very common pattern. The worst is if I'm downstairs at night after my partner has gone to bed, when I just overeat terribly and addictively. Reading Gillian Riley's book about over-eating has helped me see that actually this is just a habit of association - "I'm here on my own so hurray I can be really naughty". Who is this cheating?? Me, not my partner. It's a childish feeling but a very powerful one.
    So my current strategy is to ensure that I'm simply not in this situation by going upstairs earlier. It doesn't have to mean going to bed earlier but just giving myself a different treat of reading in the bath, or watching a DVD on my laptop in bed (no association with eating whereas in front of the TV I expect to eat). So far this has been a really helpful strategy. I have to just ensure that I get out of the danger zone i.e. downstairs before the addictions take over.
  • Sly77
    Sly77 Posts: 21
    You are so right, that is exactly the trap I fall into...the cheating myself one!

    Just cos nobody is around I feel I can get away with stuffing my face as they are not there to judge me or be disgusted at my greedy behaviour. Like you say, I am only fooling myself. Thank you for your insight you are so right on so many levels, I need to occupy my mind with other things and other indulgences.

    To be fair, I have never been the type to get up or stay up late to raid the fridges etc...My issue is one of food portion sizes and greed in the sense that my eyes eat more than my stomach can handle :-(
  • dragonflydi
    dragonflydi Posts: 665 Member
    Honestly when I cut out processed foods and soda, my sweet tooth decreased to a manageable level. I can now safely buy lindts chocolate, eat 4 squares, put the rest away and be completely satisfied.

    DITTO! I used to crave sweets a LOT. I still enjoy them, but when before a huge bowl of ice cream or a candy bar was all that would do ... I can now easily make that sweet tooth subside with 8-10 chocolate covered raisins (80 calories) or a Mini York Peppermint Patty that I nibble on like a hamster (50 calories).

    I know myself well enough to know that if I try to ignore the sweet tooth, I will just obsess over it and in the end, I will eat more of something else, usually higher in calories and/or fat and still not be satisfied (or end up going overboard on sweets and then being sick to my stomach), so finding little treats that I can enjoy, especially if I've gone to the gym (5-6 days a week, so that is usually the case) is the best thing for my personality :)
  • katiewcurlz
    katiewcurlz Posts: 33
    I definitely agree with Bflowers2! I find that if I have a LOT of fruit in the morning, some yogurt at lunch (or a sugar free pudding cup), and reward myself at night or in the afternoon with 1 small dove chocolate square, my sweet tooth is curbed. Staying away from the sugar is NOT easy. Give it to yourself in small doses, and in healthy foods, instead of reaching for the bad stuff.
  • okotoks_mama
    okotoks_mama Posts: 4
    I have the SAME problem!! But i found a low calorie healthy snack that i reserve for moments like these.

    I pour a Yoplait Fat Free Yogurt into a small bowl; top it with Fat free Cool Whip (3 Tbsp) and then a table spoon of toasted sliced almonds. Sometimes too, i even add a tsp of dried cranberries.

    It is super yummy and is only 100 calories.
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