cutting out sweets

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lucillekovalcik
lucillekovalcik Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Finding it really hard to cut out some of the sweets I'm offered is there any tips to avoid them? I try, if I'm going to have sweets to go for the less calorie ones like low fat vanilla ice cream but there's always donuts at my school and there hard to avoid haha any tips?
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Replies

  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
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    For the first two months, I didn't eat any sweets. Got me in the habit of not indulging in it.
    I taught myself moderation and portion control, and has worked for almost 4 years now.
  • flippy1234
    flippy1234 Posts: 686 Member
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    You can say no if you know it's crap.
  • nixxthirteen
    nixxthirteen Posts: 280 Member
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    I agree with saving the calories for sweets that are worth the indulgence.

    There are some cool threads around about things people used to love, and now are so not worth the splurge. My SO's mother is a pastry chef - her brownies? Worth it 100%. Store bought brownies from the bakery section? Eehhhhh no thanks.

    These days I'd rather buy expensive dark chocolate and eat a few pieces, than a whole oily bar of any of the crap hanging around at the checkout counter ;).

    My advice - pack a treat and bring it with you. Something you can prelog and have planned into your day. There is no reason to cut out sweets completely (I mean, I had Oreos for breakfast today after all.)
  • nixxthirteen
    nixxthirteen Posts: 280 Member
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    For ice cream cravings, I've been digging the Chapmans Premium Collection bars. Low fat ones are 90 cal (Tiger Paws), but even the fudge brownie regular kind are only 160 or 170. Not bad for dessert.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
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    Work them into your daily calories. Weight loss is all about eating less calories than your body needs to maintain.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 4,978 Member
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    I think of my calorie goal as a budget. If I have 1370 calories for the day do I really want to spend 250 calories on this or that treat? Sometimes the answer is yes and sometimes it is no. I used to love donuts. I still like them, but they don't keep me full or help me reach my protien goal like maybe a Chobani flip Greek yogurt would. So it is usually easy enough to decide not to spend that many calories on the donut. My advise is to work the treats in and if you can fit it in your budget then you can have it.
  • critterbug15
    critterbug15 Posts: 55 Member
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    Cold turkey... the euphemism, not the food. ;) Probably the only thing that will stop you from eating sugary stuff is to stop it altogether. There's a lot of evidence suggesting that sugar is addictive. Just like it's hard to cut cocaine usage down to 1 or 2 times a day, it's really hard to just 'limit' sugar intake.

    I swore to myself I would never nerf my morning coffee. But I had to. Once you make the decision, it's easier to block out the option. Instead of, "Do I want a donut now or do I want it this evening?" (you will of course want a donut now and rationalize like hell that you'll workout harder or cut more calories tomorrow, etc.) you can just say, "No. I do not want a donut." Make the commitment to ride it out for a week. Don't even look... do not even consider it. Once you stop eating sugar, it loses its power pretty fast. ;)
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Say "no thanks".
    Alternatively, work some into your calorie budget.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
    edited May 2016
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    Ok, just ask yourself - what dessert do I really want now? And tell yourself that you're making room for that... and only that. Why 'waste' calories on a donut when what you really want is a cupcake? Bonus is that when you finally eat the cupcake, it will be much more enjoyable (just go get a GOOD cupcake from a local bakery, not some supermarket crap).

    That's the tip I used for a month when I passed on dessert everywhere to save my calories for a piece of cheesecake. And boy did I enjoy that piece of cheesecake.

    Also plan tasty meals - I'm more likely to pass on a treat I don't want that much if I have something tasty I need to save my calories for for dinner.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
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    I agree with not depriving, but at the same time I found that giving myself permission to have a cookie whenever I wanted (while making the necessary calorie adjustments to stay on track) helped me for many years. Over the years I've just not wanted them as much, and those treats became further apart and now only a couple of times a year. I've been completely satisfied with sweet protein treats that I make without sugar, or maybe just a little honey or fruit and I feel so much better that way. It gives me the fuel I need plus satisfies my sweet tooth. I make egg white protein custard, pancakes, waffles, cookies, and other treats. Also frozen fruit/yogurt/protein powder treats satisfy my sweet/salty cravings and make me feel awesome. Everyone has to find their own way. Experiment until you find what works for you.
  • I_amnr
    I_amnr Posts: 129 Member
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    just have a cheat day
    on sunday anything goes .. anything between 3000 and 4000 calories but I try and keep it to just over 3000
    its almost like a reward for being good through out the week ..im still in a big deficit through out the week and it works for me.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    I_amnr wrote: »
    just have a cheat day
    on sunday anything goes .. anything between 3000 and 4000 calories but I try and keep it to just over 3000
    its almost like a reward for being good through out the week ..im still in a big deficit through out the week and it works for me.

    Depending on OP's goals and deficit, a 3,000-4,000 calorie day each week could easily wipe out the deficit she is creating on other days.

  • IpakDaley
    IpakDaley Posts: 46 Member
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    I don't have any tricks, but "No, thank you" works for me. I haven't had a Friday donut at work since I started losing weight. I would love a maple bar, but it isn't worth the calorie hit to me. I do enjoy a few Werther's Sugar Free candies almost daily though.
  • I_amnr
    I_amnr Posts: 129 Member
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    I_amnr wrote: »
    just have a cheat day
    on sunday anything goes .. anything between 3000 and 4000 calories but I try and keep it to just over 3000
    its almost like a reward for being good through out the week ..im still in a big deficit through out the week and it works for me.

    Depending on OP's goals and deficit, a 3,000-4,000 calorie day each week could easily wipe out the deficit she is creating on other days.


    I know :)

    but I'm a pretty big guy and still losing 0.7 to 1 kg a week
    on other days I'm on 1600 to 2000 :)
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    edited May 2016
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    MissusMoon wrote: »
    critterbug15 wrote: »
    Cold turkey... the euphemism, not the food. ;) Probably the only thing that will stop you from eating sugary stuff is to stop it altogether. There's a lot of evidence suggesting that sugar is addictive. Just like it's hard to cut cocaine usage down to 1 or 2 times a day, it's really hard to just 'limit' sugar intake.

    I swore to myself I would never nerf my morning coffee. But I had to. Once you make the decision, it's easier to block out the option. Instead of, "Do I want a donut now or do I want it this evening?" (you will of course want a donut now and rationalize like hell that you'll workout harder or cut more calories tomorrow, etc.) you can just say, "No. I do not want a donut." Make the commitment to ride it out for a week. Don't even look... do not even consider it. Once you stop eating sugar, it loses its power pretty fast. ;)

    I disagree with all of this. No particular food is "evil". Lack of moderation is harmful. Too much sugar can be harmful. Eliminating one type of food for life is not sustainable for most people. CICO.
    Yep. Too much of anything isn't good. Even too much water isn't good. Moderation is key.

    And, sugar is not addictive. You cannot compare sugar to coke. *sigh*
  • I_amnr
    I_amnr Posts: 129 Member
    edited May 2016
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    btw sometimes I just give into temptation

    I'm already on 1600 some days and if I'm craving some Oreos or something I have 2 or 3 which doesn't damage my deficit too much but its rare I give in anyway

    every day I have some no sugar jellyand that seems to kill my cravings and has only 18 calories (I don't buy the ready made ones )
  • Wicked_Seraph
    Wicked_Seraph Posts: 388 Member
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    I don't say no?

    I've tried to forbid myself from ~evil sugary treats - although for me, the weakness is savory foods. I just ended up feeling deprived.

    Someone else brought up a good way of thinking about it, and something that's helped me immensely. No food is "good" or "bad" - it simply is. Your calories are a budget - what are you willing to spend it on? There have been times where I was like OMG DONUT and as soon as I had a bite I knew this was NOT worth budgeting 500 calories on. A REALLY good piece of cake, or a rich cookie, though? Totally worth it.

    It's a matter of giving yourself control. Only eat something that you deserve. And you deserve better than mediocre donuts and stale grocery treats (although Publix's bakery is phenomenal ngl). You deserve super tasty treats - it might be easier to think of it less as depriving, and more as holding off for better things.
  • positivepowers
    positivepowers Posts: 902 Member
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    MissusMoon wrote: »
    critterbug15 wrote: »
    Cold turkey... the euphemism, not the food. ;) Probably the only thing that will stop you from eating sugary stuff is to stop it altogether. There's a lot of evidence suggesting that sugar is addictive. Just like it's hard to cut cocaine usage down to 1 or 2 times a day, it's really hard to just 'limit' sugar intake.

    I swore to myself I would never nerf my morning coffee. But I had to. Once you make the decision, it's easier to block out the option. Instead of, "Do I want a donut now or do I want it this evening?" (you will of course want a donut now and rationalize like hell that you'll workout harder or cut more calories tomorrow, etc.) you can just say, "No. I do not want a donut." Make the commitment to ride it out for a week. Don't even look... do not even consider it. Once you stop eating sugar, it loses its power pretty fast. ;)

    I disagree with all of this. No particular food is "evil". Lack of moderation is harmful. Too much sugar can be harmful. Eliminating one type of food for life is not sustainable for most people. CICO.

    ^^This.

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