Sweet snack suggestions

shellandcharlie
shellandcharlie Posts: 13 Member
in Getting Started
I need help...LOTS of help!
I've been on MFP in past but this week I'm trying to get serious and strict. I've been doing ok for a few days but today I'm really craving a candy bar! I can't stop thinking about sweets...any suggestions? I have no idea how to eat healthy so now that I'm craving junk food I don't have a clue what to replace it with and fruit I brought to work with me just isn't cutting it!

Replies

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I don't "replace" cravings. Fruit for chocolate? Not even possible.

    Eventually when I get to goal I will need to MANAGE my love of sweets. My desire for sweets doesn't magically disappear when I get to goal. Been there done that.

    So now, I work something sweet into my daily goal. Then I eat a measured portion and log it. This forces me to choose this sweet or that. Plus, I will know the calories and portion sizes when I get to goal.
  • starjam25
    starjam25 Posts: 4,828 Member
    If you do get a candy bar, try breaking it in half, or better yet, quarters. Eat only a small part of it slowly, to really enjoy the taste and then throw the rest away. I'm the same way and find that an enjoyed few bites is way better then suffering through none at all (which is sometimes just about torture!)
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »
    I don't "replace" cravings. Fruit for chocolate? Not even possible.

    Eventually when I get to goal I will need to MANAGE my love of sweets. My desire for sweets doesn't magically disappear when I get to goal. Been there done that.

    So now, I work something sweet into my daily goal. Then I eat a measured portion and log it. This forces me to choose this sweet or that. Plus, I will know the calories and portion sizes when I get to goal.

    ^Me too.
    My first two months on MFP I totally stayed away from sweets.
    I read a post here at that time that said don't give up the things you love.
    Ever since then, my reward at the end of the day for staying within my calories, is a Dove dark chocolate promise with caramel and sea salt. I have tried other kinds of candy, but this is my very favorite. My 4 year anniversary on MFP is 3/12. I have lost over 1/2 of my current body weight and kept it off for over 2 years now.

    This is a new way of eating for me, but it really works. All things in moderation. Pay attention to portion size. Move more. So far, it is working for me.

  • shellandcharlie
    shellandcharlie Posts: 13 Member
    Didn't you all find it so hard to get through the first week with no sweets?

    I like the idea of getting candy bar and having a quarter of it...think that may take the craving away. And I was thinking of saving some calories for my 8:00 tv show snack at night.

    Thank you and I hope you all are having continued success!
  • CrabNebula
    CrabNebula Posts: 1,119 Member
    I eat a lot of non-fat Greek yogurt. I add Truvia and things like raspberries, strawberries, light chocolate syrup, instant coffee, measured amounts of chocolate chips/chopped dark chocolate, vanilla, cherries, almond extract, lemon extract, top with a little granola or crumble topping...sky is kind of the limit, but eating that, especially after a normal meal, is extremely filling and satisfying. Especially when paired with coffee, tea, or diet soda. It generally helps me meet or exceed my protein macro for the day to boot.
  • murp4069
    murp4069 Posts: 494 Member
    If you can fit in your calorie goals, why not have a candy bar? My assistant occasionally brings me a candy bar, or splits one with me. I log it and move on with the rest of my day. If that means no dessert later on or exercising longer than normal, so be it.

    All in all, I've been successful without restricting sweets, but replacing them with lower calorie versions. For example, for my dessert almost every night, instead of baking cookies or picking up pies at the store, now I stick to WW or Skinny Cow ice cream treats. Both brands make low calorie frozen treats I actually enjoy, and are decent sized portions. I also like sugar free jello and pudding snacks, which range from 10-80ish calories per serving.

    Like the posters above said, everything in moderation is the key.
  • jwcanfield
    jwcanfield Posts: 192 Member
    starjam25 wrote: »
    If you do get a candy bar, try breaking it in half, or better yet, quarters. Eat only a small part of it slowly, to really enjoy the taste and then throw the rest away. I'm the same way and find that an enjoyed few bites is way better then suffering through none at all (which is sometimes just about torture!)

    I'm too weak and stingy to throw away candy - maybe because I know it isn't usually free but something I spent good money on - better to buy those individually wrapped snack sizes and then logging the calories like so many others have suggested here.
  • 6pkdreamer
    6pkdreamer Posts: 180 Member
    I'm constantly reducing my sugar addiction by reducing portion size and type of sweet eg like dark chocolate with 23% sugar. Homemade fruit sorbet with yogurt etc. Your taste adapts over time and I find all you sometimes is sugar and not the fruit or chocolate flavour. It's one of the keys to good health to reduce sugar slowly over time to reduce one's cravings. This suits me- some people just go cold turkey but bounce back quite often bounce back with even more of a graving.
  • evab25
    evab25 Posts: 9 Member
    One thing that helps me if I am craving chocolate is to drink some hot cocoa; i5 usually makes me feel full and satisfies my craving.

    As someone above mentioned, incorporate Greek yogurt and fruit to help satiate your sweet tooth. Every once in a while I add honey or granola to the yogurt to mix things up.

    Overall for me, if I tell myself I can't have something I usually want it that much more!! :( So I do let myself splurge peridiocally.

    There are a TON of healthy recipes on Pinterest too, which I have been using a lot larely. Just experiment and find what works best for you!!
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    edited March 2016
    Eat the candy bar.

    I have a lot of suggestions for lower calorie/high volume sweets but I don't really like sharing them here because we all have different preferences when it comes to low fat, low calorie kind of "diet" foods. And some people hate all of them. You can start doing some google searches for things you like and you'll come up with some alternate recipes that allow you to get your chocolate/sweet fix-but stay within your calorie allowance.

    For now just eat the candy bar. Or half. Or crumble up half of it over some greek yogurt and bam-a more filling snack WITH protein.
  • simlovgin960831
    simlovgin960831 Posts: 34 Member
    edited March 2016
    I have a sugar addiction that is downright dangerous, and I'm not talking about diabetes. I find that a consistent, regular yoga practice helps with my sugar cravings, and also helps me to maintain a healthy body image.
    When I quit drinking diet pop, my sugar cravings plummeted, and I somehow lost over 50 pounds when I replaced it with plain water. Scientific research has shown evidence for the weight gaining effects of pop and diet pop, in recent years. It has been shown to be due to the effects of the corn syrup, the aspartame artificial sweeteners, and the caramel coloring in the colas.
  • tech_hunter
    tech_hunter Posts: 350 Member
    Joining the moderation train!

    I got a couple bags of Hershey Kisses, not the greatest, but hey, Valentine's Day post day sale!

    I started thinking differently every day. Instead of, "I can't have chocolate." or "I can only have this much." I now say, "I have calories left, so I get to have a piece or two. I can do this EVERY SINGLE NIGHT IF I WANT!"

    Guess what, I get some, and I know I don't have to wait months to do it again. I found that sometimes, I just don't need it. Sometimes, it is all I think about all day, but I have a limit, my calorie goal, so I have to give something elsewhere to get what I want.

    Compromising with my food, I am hoping to win the war this time by getting on the same side and not fighting.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    86% cacao chocolate. 1 square per day. Very satisfying. My fav is Ghiardelli midnight reverie. About 60 cals per square.
  • Lovee_Dove7
    Lovee_Dove7 Posts: 742 Member
    When you lower your intake of carbs/sugar, your body feels that adjustment for a day or two.
    It's also a habit to eat a certain way.
    So both of these things change (your habits and your body) for the better as you log and learn to eat differently. You are in the moment of craving something: learn to work with your macros and with types of foods so that you feel satisfied, and are eating properly.
  • 6pkdreamer
    6pkdreamer Posts: 180 Member
    lorrpb wrote: »
    86% cacao chocolate. 1 square per day. Very satisfying. My fav is Ghiardelli midnight reverie. About 60 cals per square.

    Keen to try Ghiardelli now! My fav is Moser Roth Dominican Republic 75% from Aldi ( Australia ) 24% sugar. I have 1/4 square for me 40 calories.
  • laurenjennifer1987mfp
    laurenjennifer1987mfp Posts: 55 Member
    I work chocolate in to my day, sometimes I've been good enough to allow a full sized chocolate bar (I normally choose buttons, so I can pick through more slowly), sometimes I've over-eaten a bit, so I will end up with a freddo-sized hit! I haven't quite weaned my tastebuds on to dark chocolate. I often choose bulky, low calorie foods to fill up on during the day and I make swaps where necessary to keep my sanity in check. I cook a lot of slimming world recipes, which tend to be very filling but low-calorie for their portion sizes. This allows a little breathing room for a sweet chocolatey treat in the evening. It's only since I started calorie counting I realised how badly out of proportion my sweet treats habit was.
  • jessicarobinson00
    jessicarobinson00 Posts: 414 Member
    Betty Crocker- Double Chocolate Oatmeal Bar is my go to. It's super filling and tastes like a cross between a cookie and a brownie! It's 150 calories, but with how filling and satisfying it is: I can eat JUST ONE and it holds my appetite so it's a WIN-WIN for me!

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