Is there anything that helps with craving sweets?

sew205 · February 2016

I'm not very far along in this, so I can't say that what works for me will continue to work, but here it is.
1) Yes, keep it out of the house. I apparently can't do moderation when it comes to sweets, so I can't even have it in the house. I have to treat myself like a toddler when it comes to sugar.
2) Eat some fat. (The healthier kind would be best, of course, but I find that for me, for now, it really works to go ahead and eat the small piece of fatty cheese that I want. It feels like an indulgence, it fills me up, and I am able to moderate my fat consumption more easily than I can moderate with sugar, so I can keep it all within my calorie limit.)
3) Cut back on refined carbs. Like many people, I have found that this really levels out my hunger peaks and valleys.
4) Yes, pre-log your treats. This helps me make a calm and rational decision about whether to eat that cookie. I can "budget" for a piece of chocolate or berries with whipped cream, and not feel bad about it.
5) When you feel like a feral animal around 7 pm, drink tea. Or seltzer water or something else distracting.

Good luck!

gothchiq · February 2016

freeze bananas, buy bag of frozen strawberries. Throw in food processor with a little milk and vanilla and have a fruit shake. It'll be something like 200 calories. No need for added sugar.

Susiepoop345 · February 2016

I love a frozen banana when I'm having a craving!
Fact: Sugar is addictive.
"The solution: Drink more water to help flush your system. Cut back from caffeine, until you are on one cup a day, then switch to herbal teas. Ban processed food and switch wholefoods such as brown bread, rice and pasta, which take longer for the body to digest, keeping blood sugar levels stable. Getting more sleep optimises energy levels, reduces appetite and slashes sugar cravings. When you are tired, you are more likely to crave sugar to generate energy artificially."

gemdiver00 · February 2016

I find that eating sweets slowly works for me instead of scarfing them down.

jeepinshawn · February 2016

eat2live2016 wrote: »

I started exercising and eating healthy last week Thursday per my doctors order. One of my biggest challenge is "sweets". My body is always craving something sweet. Today I ate a homemade carrot cupcake with walnuts, 1/2 of a plain Entenmann's donuts, and airheads sweetly sour candy. Is there anything that can help me crave sweet less.

apples help me...also I will suck on a jolly rancher or 2 through out the day if I get a real sweet tooth, they are like 20 calories a piece...

annagrace8204 · February 2016

I have a major sweet tooth and the only way I can seem to keep it under control is going completely cold turkey. It isn't fun but I just can't personally keeps sweets in moderation. The best way I have found is to not worry about dieting for at least three weeks while I detox from the sugar, then I start watching my overall calories more.
Good luck!!

Carlos_421 · February 2016

carmkizzle wrote: »

Going cold turkey seems to help some people (including myself, but I am back to having it in moderation) - you don't eat it, you won't crave it as much. Also, try eating a piece of dark chocolate (like 71% cacao) - it's bitter but at least you don't feel as guilty. Also, try swapping out some of those airheads or cupcakes with fruit, instead. As long as you aren't using most of your calories up on sweets, I see no issues.

It could also result in homicide.

Kapoten · February 2016

If I keep my favorite sweets in the house, I will overeat them at some point or another. It helps for me to keep only dark chocolate on hand (individually wrapped pieces like Dove) because a piece or two will satisfy my sweet tooth if I am truly craving sugar, but I don't like it enough to overeat it.

trjjoy · February 2016

Diet jelly is my BFF. I have ALL THE sweet teeth. Not tooth. Trust me. I can inhale sweets. But. My goal is more important than some refined sugar. So I eat diet jelly. And I allow myself 100 to 200 calories of sweets a day. Some days, like yesterday, I have zero sweets.If I can do it, you can do it.

mmarie_3 · February 2016

Tea!!!

smurfbus · February 2016

LCHF under 50 carbs a day for two weeks and cravings are gone for most part. Keeping LCHF for two weeks is the hard part as some people feel sick when adapting but it will go over. I haven't done this for a long time but it will stop your cravings for sweets.

mommyweighless · February 2016

I quit cold turkey. Soda and sweets. Once the first two weeks passed, I didn't crave them as much. But as far as those first two weeks...I would have eaten a dirty hairy m&m out from under my 2 year olds car seat. Now though, I don't crave them. I drink nothing but water, a shake for breakfast, and herbal teas with a dash of honey. If I do get a hankering for a sweet, I will grab a greek yogurt and add some dark chocolate bits to mix in, or mix fruit in it. I also found that the skinny cow bars are a great way to get a little sweet without the calories. Dark chocolate, at least 70%, is your best friend. It was hard to eat at first because you are used to the unnatural sweetness of milk chocolate. Either way, you can do it. You just have to figure out what works best for you!

lynz4589 · February 2016

I keep a small treat jar which Im allowed something from no more than once a week (most of the time its less than that - I still have loads of chocolate untouched from Christmas cos Its out of sight therefore out of mind)

I also make my own homemade honey roast cashews. I only allow myself 25g a day and it takes away any desire for sweet stuff cos I feel Ive had my fix for the day

Making it homemade means you control the honey to nut ratio too

rderrickwhite · February 2016

rabbitjb wrote: »

Did you log them before you ate them

Then stopped and considered whether you would be hungry later? So is this muffin worth no supper if it used up too many calories?

Did you meet your nutritional goals? Hit your minimum protein and fats?

It's a learning curve...if the opportunity cost of eating that doughnut now is potential hunger later do I really really want it?

This! Even if something is low calorie, or in some way a "healthier" option. Log it before you eat it, and decide if it takes you closer to or further from what you want.

ChrisRendon1128 · February 2016

For someone who is barely starting, cold turkey might not necessarily be an option.. I would highly suggest popsicles. There are some that are only 15 calories while others are 40 calories- not many calories at all and the 15 cal pops are sugar free

Good luck and congrats on making the choice to start on a healthy journey!

baileykatrina · February 2016

I think protein helps. It keeps you fuller longer. The thing with sugar is it is definitely addictive. Cold turkey may be a good option but you'll be miserable for a bit. The less you have it, the less you crave it. I feel you on all this though. It's only "natural" for me, due to bad habits, to want a snack after dinner, or to snack during movies, etc. Those little habits can be tough to break too.

AgentFlex · February 2016

I usually say "no" to this, but every so often something comes along that does the trick. And I need to write them down. I have eaten many flavors of Greek Yogurt to try and squelch a sweet craving and it hasn't worked, but yesterday I had Oikos Lemon Meringue and it worked. YUM

42firm03 · February 2016

Honestly, as you can see by the multiple answers you've gotten, there are lots of ways to get there.

But first your "why" has to be strong enough for you to bother.

None of us deployed any of the above until our "why" outweighed our "why bother".

My way was to give myself a single daily 'treat' (chocolate protein bar) and to just white knuckle past my old behaviors until they slipped far enough behind me to lose their grip.

biggsterjackster · February 2016

I eat eggs or tuna fish. Something high protein, fat.

Is there anything that helps with craving sweets?

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