Cravings

Have you tried dates, they're chewy like sweets and so tasty and sweet. Also they're so good for you.

cmriverside wrote: »

Time and making the decision to stick with it. I went through the same thing. It is made worse by dwelling on it in my mind. Try to distract yourself away from the thoughts by doing something productive.

Dates are really high sugar - if I eat dates, I want all the sugars. The best thing for me is to just limit my carbs in general. I am on 1400 cals a day. If I stay under 150g of carbs it is much easier for me.

True dates are high in "natural" sugars, but I'd rather get my sugar this way than eat processed sugar in sweets which is what the OP was craving. Also I still keep my sugar and carbs low eating dates and other fruits.

Most protein bars have too much sugar/calories for my needs. I feel like they're more appropriate for people doing heavy workouts more often than I do, or for people body-building.

When I was a few calories and protein, I go for hard-boiled eggs, roasted salted edamame, or beef jerky.

Sugar was always my best buddy. It would have been okay if I was active, but I'm sedentary with the exception of nightly walks & weekend bike rides. I noticed milk was a trigger for me when it came to going hog wild on bread & sweets. Once I dropped fluid milk, I stopped stuffing my face all the time. Tomatoes avocados & bell peppers are my fruits of choice now. Probably going to add some berries & Granny Smith apples to up my energy levels for those weekend rides. Sugar free jello cups with a handful of unsalted almonds or pumpkin seeds is pretty fun too. Good luck taming that sweet tooth. It's really worth the effort & it does get better. Backing off the sugar for a time helps you realize you are in control of what you put in your body, and which treats you'd like to incorporate daily or weekly. For me, I've decided my love for super dark chocolate & the occasional ice cream cone are no big deal.

Check out the Sugar Smart Diet. It is difficult to give sugar at first but after a few days it is easier. It gives all sorts of tips and recipes

My favourite is ordinary oatmeal topped with peanut butter. It keeps me full for hours

Here's my strategy... I always have a bit of protein with my little sweets - that way my sugar levels stay relatively stsble so a craving (need for sugar level balance) is averted. My favorites? 1. Sliced apples dusted with cinnamon sugar along with blue diamond almonds dusted with coconut. 2. A banana sliced, drizzled with honey, micowaved for 10 seconds and topped with plain yogurt... Sometimes I add a few berries. 3. A cored apple filled with water and1/2 teas brown sugar, microwaved for 1 minute, topped with 1 tbs chopped walnuts. Get creative.. The more flavors, the better... Complex flavors satisfy !

I'm not a huge sweets eater--I have to worry much more about salty snacks, but sometimes I get a huge sweets craving. I got chocolate covered and yogurt covered craisins, which were really good, but I ate them all at once, so I had to stop buying them.

I don't like plain yogurt to begin with, so any yogurt I get for whatever meal/snack is going to be flavored. But besides for a snack, I also have one for dessert. I usually have one Oikos greek yogurt (key lime), and if I'm feeling extra fanciful, I add white chocolate or yogurt chips and/or crushed graham cracker to it. You can also go a different way and make a parfait with layered vanilla yogurt, fruit (I prefer strawberries), and granola, which I find really delicious.

While not necessarily the same sweet as sweets, I sometimes go for an apple with peanut butter or caramel dipping sauce.

Also one of those snack pack pudding cups (chocolate!). And again, if I'm really feeling a craving, I crush an oreo on top of it. However, sometimes good old hot chocolate can give me that sweet fix.