cant stop eating sweets

I am looking for better substitutions for my sugar intake especially when it comes to chocolate.
I am a chef and understand the different foods that can give mi natural sugar/sweetness. But it is not that its as if I have this taste even mine mind set gives up.
i tell myself not to but its really difficult. Has anyone had that issue? remember its not like that with any other food only with sweets. help please?

Replies

  • simplycidalia
    simplycidalia Posts: 46 Member
    Perhaps start by setting aside a time of the day (before bed, so you'll be sleeping soon after :p ) to allow yourself a portion of a sweet treat. That way, you have something to look forward to, can stick to your healthy eating during the day, and save some calories for the treat.
  • macgurlnet
    macgurlnet Posts: 1,946 Member
    I have a sweet tooth myself :)

    I try to reserve actual dessert-type stuff for with dinner. I have lots of options, and for 80-200 calories, I can have any one of those yummies.

    I wanted something sweet after lunch, so I added just a little cocoa powder to my strawberry greek yogurt. Mixed well, and it hit the spot. It's not the girl scout cookies I wanted, but it's gonna do the trick for now.

    ~Lyssa
  • jnunez1963
    jnunez1963 Posts: 35 Member
    I'm not saying this will work for you, but I would like to share my experience with the wonderful help I received from this community.

    I lost 53 pounds here in 2012 (5'7", female, 258 down to 205). I did fairly well maintaining that weight, even though I had another 55 to lose. Last summer, I started gaining again. I had gotten away from logging and started eating a LOT of sweets (my achilles heel) donuts, cookies, chocolate. When I hit 222, I came back, resolved to finish.

    I set my goals sedentary agressive (2 lbs per week), even though I walk on a treadmill and do weights. I would do great through the week while I worked, but on the weekends I would binge, and any progress I made was destroyed.

    I read the boards religiously, searching for help, but never found anything similar. BUT, the common theme in every thread, lower your expectations, feed your cravings, don't be so hard on yourself, slowly began to sink in.

    I did the unthinkable. I switched my goals to lightly active, 1 lb a week. I can eat 1880 calories a day! I eat good foods, I use real bleu cheese dressing again, I put bread and fruit back on the menu. I read dessert recipes that substituted sugar and butter with fat free yogurt and unsweetened applesauce and indulged my cravings occasionally. I took their advice on distracting yourself first, drink water, wait ten minutes, go for a walk.

    An amazing thing has happened. I have more energy, so I am more consistent with exercising, even after a hard day at work. I'm not starving at 8pm. I feel better and I'm more optimistic I can do this. I have not had a single binge thus far.

    In 45 days, I'm down 8.4 lbs. I am still pinching myself. Yes, it's going to take longer than I had hoped. And, 45 days and 8.4 lbs doesn't make me the most reliable person to take advice from, so do what you want with it.

    But, my advice is this. Rethink your diet. Are you being too hard on yourself? Are you starving? Do you leave room (and give yourself permission) to satisfy the occasional urge?

    I apologize for the long post, but I hope something in here helps you the way it's helped me. Best of luck to you!
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    jnunez1963 wrote: »
    In 45 days, I'm down 8.4 lbs. I am still pinching myself. Yes, it's going to take longer than I had hoped. And, 45 days and 8.4 lbs doesn't make me the most reliable person to take advice from, so do what you want with it.

  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    My comment to go with that quote was, I think that makes you the perfect person to be giving advice, jnunez1963! :)
  • lauraloo66
    lauraloo66 Posts: 12 Member
    I'm a sweet lover too. However I've found the less I indulge the less I crave. Sweets are like lighting a fire, you have to keep adding logs.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    I'm another sweet lover who found that the less I have the less I want it. I usually don't eat sugar (as in table sugar, or it's substitutes, added to baking) more than once every month and that has pretty much eliminated my cravings.

    I also cut carbs partially because I found baked good and starchy foods also triggered cravings.
  • cookielover_96
    cookielover_96 Posts: 177 Member
    Don't start out by eliminating it/cold turkey, reduce amount daily.
  • allaboutthecake
    allaboutthecake Posts: 1,535 Member
    You can still have your chocolate. Try the deepest darkest most decadent square you can get your hands on. Maybe fridge it (who cares if it turns white.) Keep it super cold. Then suck on it, let it just meld over your mouth....mmmmm....or take Hershey dark choc kisses & keep those in the fridge. Maybe just a few in the fridge vs the whole sack. Allow yourself to have one of those. They are good. I like the Lindt Chili Choc squares. They have a good kick to em that kinda takes your mouth by surprise after the "chocolate" is over.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,169 Member
    +1 to the idea that you can have some sugar-y treats, in reasonable portions, if you plan your goals & eating so that you have room for them within goal.

    That said, I found that my cravings for the routine kinds of very sugary foods (cake, donuts, cookies, candy) declined significantly when I started making it a point to get 3 servings of whole fruit daily. Yes, fruit has sugar, but (1) not nearly as high an amount as (say) a cookie, (2) it has fiber to slow the sugar's blood-sugar-spiking tendencies, and (3) it brings along a lot of good nutrition (vitamins, beneficial polyphenols & other phytochemicals, etc.).

    After eating that way for a while, I found I didn't have to do 3 servings every single day to keep the effect.

    I go for things like berries on my oatmeal, an apple for a snack (or with peanut butter for a light lunch), frozen fruit with plain Greek yogurt & 1T of all-fruit spread for dessert, half a grapefruit (sectioned) when I want something higher volume but low calorie, a tangerine or kiwi snack, etc.

    Don't know if it works for others, but it helped me.
  • cnbbnc
    cnbbnc Posts: 1,267 Member
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    I'm another sweet lover who found that the less I have the less I want it. I usually don't eat sugar (as in table sugar, or it's substitutes, added to baking) more than once every month and that has pretty much eliminated my cravings.

    I also cut carbs partially because I found baked good and starchy foods also triggered cravings.

    This is me too. I pretty much cut all baked goodies/candy, ect out of my diet and limited starches to a few times a week. I absolutely love sweets. I swear they're like crack to me in that the more I have the more I want, but this really did make the cravings stop. Now I'll have some sweets here and there and it doesn't bother me nearly as much.

  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,649 Member
    jnunez1963 wrote: »
    I'm not saying this will work for you, but I would like to share my experience with the wonderful help I received from this community.

    I lost 53 pounds here in 2012 (5'7", female, 258 down to 205). I did fairly well maintaining that weight, even though I had another 55 to lose. Last summer, I started gaining again. I had gotten away from logging and started eating a LOT of sweets (my achilles heel) donuts, cookies, chocolate. When I hit 222, I came back, resolved to finish.

    I set my goals sedentary agressive (2 lbs per week), even though I walk on a treadmill and do weights. I would do great through the week while I worked, but on the weekends I would binge, and any progress I made was destroyed.

    I read the boards religiously, searching for help, but never found anything similar. BUT, the common theme in every thread, lower your expectations, feed your cravings, don't be so hard on yourself, slowly began to sink in.

    I did the unthinkable. I switched my goals to lightly active, 1 lb a week. I can eat 1880 calories a day! I eat good foods, I use real bleu cheese dressing again, I put bread and fruit back on the menu. I read dessert recipes that substituted sugar and butter with fat free yogurt and unsweetened applesauce and indulged my cravings occasionally. I took their advice on distracting yourself first, drink water, wait ten minutes, go for a walk.

    An amazing thing has happened. I have more energy, so I am more consistent with exercising, even after a hard day at work. I'm not starving at 8pm. I feel better and I'm more optimistic I can do this. I have not had a single binge thus far.

    In 45 days, I'm down 8.4 lbs. I am still pinching myself. Yes, it's going to take longer than I had hoped. And, 45 days and 8.4 lbs doesn't make me the most reliable person to take advice from, so do what you want with it.

    But, my advice is this. Rethink your diet. Are you being too hard on yourself? Are you starving? Do you leave room (and give yourself permission) to satisfy the occasional urge?

    I apologize for the long post, but I hope something in here helps you the way it's helped me. Best of luck to you!

    Solid advice. And good for you. Way to go!

  • simon_pickard
    simon_pickard Posts: 50 Member
    "cant stop eating sweets"

    Don't buy them.
    If they aren't in the house, you can't eat them.
  • sokkache
    sokkache Posts: 220 Member
    I'm a huge sugar addict. And I realized that I eat sweets when I feel hungry. So my remedy is to always feel content. So that means that I eat throughout the day so that my stomach is constantly satisfied and therefore I don't crave any foods.
  • lemonychild
    lemonychild Posts: 654 Member
    I won't stop eating sweets
  • MrsMegBlevins
    MrsMegBlevins Posts: 10 Member
    What's helped me cut back on my sugar intake is making sure that I don't buy any to have at our house. If it's there, I'll eat it. Instead, when a chocolate attack hits, I'll have a 100 calorie fudge bar, or a greek yogurt cup, or a measured glass of lowfat chocolate milk. Usually it takes care of that sweet craving without being crazily outrageous on calories and sugar. I'm a major sugar/sweets addict, so I totally understand how it goes.
  • SaraSteeves1993
    SaraSteeves1993 Posts: 87 Member
    I have the issue sometimes. Lately I've been drinking tea to help with the cravings. I am drinking Red Velvet Cake tea from Davids Tea, it definitely helps with the sweets cravings.
  • mlclark86
    mlclark86 Posts: 33 Member
    this is why I take a day to eat what I have craved but avoided all week. Every Saturday morning I weigh in. If my weight loss meets or surpasses my goal, I take a day off, don't log, and eat that donut I wanted, or have pancakes and bacon for breakfast or something similar to these. I don't get too excessive, but I generally eat what I want. This keeps me motivated to really kick *kitten* during the week so that I can earn that Saturday.
  • GettinFit4my3
    GettinFit4my3 Posts: 15 Member
    I think it's expected to struggle with it forever. I don't think if I lose 5 lbs or 50 lbs I'll lose my want for sweets. Today the want for sweets won. I ate an amazing piece of strawberry cake. I already regret it though.