How do I curb sugar cravings?!??!!

for me sugar is the problem too. I went cold turkey off processed sugar Jan 1. I still eat fruit but no candy, cakes, cookies, creamer, etc... Now that it has been a couple of months I have other things that help curb the sweet cravings...dates, sugar free hot cocoa, sugar free chocolate pudding, a dove dark chocolate (45 calories and I can fit it in with my day)

Mental is the biggest part...you have to be ready!

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I hear you, OP. I have a sweet tooth too.

When I was starting to lose weight, I did not have a lot of self-control around sugary sweets, so I cut them completely out of my diet. The exception: buying one cookie (or similar) at a coffee shop on occasion, to be eaten immediately. But not telling myself "Oh, I will buy this bag of cookies and only eat one per day" because lololol NOPE, if I bought it then I was going to eat them ALL, probably that very day. And then feel extra bad for eating them.

Some people don't have this issue, they just have stellar self-control from day one. Which is great. But don't feel bad if you aren't in that category. For me, my first exercises in self-control were "go grocery shopping while avoiding the sugary aisles." And later on, being able to go down the sugary aisles without buying anything.

These days I actually can buy cookies and candy and only eat one piece a day, but it took a lot of time to get to that point. I think it's easier to manage once your body is already used to being on a calorie deficit. In the meantime sweet fruit like apples can help your sugar craving. Also, those zero-calorie flavored waters.

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I take Pharmapure sugar blocker and it has helped me.

Ok. I apologize. It's not a diet pill though. I will delete if I can figure out how.

I like to work in something that is a good treat but doesn't kill me on calories for the day. My secret weapons to maintain sanity by getting a little treat but not bombing my numbers are the Yasso Bars. They are only 100 calories but will trick you enough to think you are getting some ice cream. Eat one after dinner and you'll feel real good. Also anything by Skinny Cow is usually reasonable. Letting yourself live a little in moderation with these completely reasonable snacks is an easy way to make sure you'll stay the course with your plan.

What I find most helpful for me isn't saying exactly "no you CAN'T HAVE ANYTHING ANYMORE RELATED TO SUGAR!" try slowly cutting it out. Maybe you're craving sugar, and so when you are, start with 3 pieces or servings of fruit one week each day. Next week cut it down to 2.5 (so a half cup of berries let's say) and then down to 2, until in two-three weeks you get down to 1 per day. I've been reading this book called Mindsight and it makes a good point of saying that we are not our emotions and feelings and while they are part of us, we can take advantage of our big beautiful brains and not respond to situations with impulsive behavior. I still struggle with this as I have a crazy sweet tooth as well. I also have replaced candy bars though with things like raw honey and almond butter on an apple. A bit high calorie but sustains me a little. Hope this helps! Just remember- you got this and you can conquer.

When I do the following, I don't have cravings:

1. Get sufficient sleep
2. Exercise regularly - when I get the happy hormones from exercise, I'm not prone to seeking them from food.
3. Get sufficient protein in relationship to carbs. I'm not low carb, but reducing carbs and upping protein worked for cravings for me. See also http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/fuller/understanding-satiety-feeling-full-after-a-meal.html
4. Eat moderate amounts of fruit. This makes me less interested in higher calorie sweets.
5. Take a magnesium supplement. This can be especially helpful for women premenstrually.
6. Save foods like chocolate for after dinner, in small amounts
7. Stay hydrated
8. Have a calorie deficit that is appropriate for the amount of weight I need to lose. An overly aggressive goal can definitely lead to cravings.
9. Eat at maintenance when my appetite goes up premenstrually.

It is a matter of self control and food I surround myself with. There are certain foods (oreos, brownies) I can't have in my house because my self control is limited, but most of the time it's looking at the calories I have left and knowing if I can or can't have a treat.
It's not always easy, but for me I find that if I don't completely cut out those foods it helps, if I cut out all that sugar then I tend to overeat.