How to beat sugar cravings

cgibson522 · September 2018

I’m just starting my weight loss journey and am having a hard time with my sugar addiction. I eat healthy meals but can’t pass up a donut or will binge on ice cream.

What tactics have you used to get past your cravings? Is it to allow yourself something sweet each day or totally disengage from desserts?

kommodevaran · September 2018

I would propose that you don't have sugar cravings, but that you're longing for something nice, tasty and comforting. I would also wager that sugar addiction is not a thing, unless you count all the things you read about as things. Compulsive overeating is what happens when we deny ourselves the foods we enjoy the most and think about them as evil, bad, fattening etc.

Then I would look into those "healthy meals". Newbies often go all-in and take out all the delicious things that makes a diet balanced and varied. And a healthy diet is just that, balanced and varied.

Then I would stop trying to beat cravings, and just learn to tolerate them. They're not harmful, just annoying. What's important is what you do. If you eat too much, over time you will gain weight.

I personally plan my meals, and plan for occasional treats, and whenever I feel like something I didn't plan, I decide whether to eat it or not; usually I don't, but when I do eat, I can finally eat it in some degree of moderation, after having read about and discussed and experimented with cravings and eating and thinking and feeling for quite some time (years now).

Lillymoo01 · September 2018

The way I will guarantee to have sugar cravings is to say that I can't have sugar. The same can be said for any food. No food is off limits, it is just that some is in moderation. Maybe try and stick with the 80/20 rule where 80% of the time you are eating unprocessed or minimally processed foods which are nutrient dense and the other 20% of the time you are eating foods that are treats. This could be a small treat every day or a special treat meal once a week. Just make sure it fits your calorie goals and it will not impact on your rate of loss. However, it will make your way of eating more sustainable which means a greater likelihood of sticking with it and maintaining for the long haul.

fiddletime · September 2018

I pre-log my day. I might have grapes and a banana in there as a snack for about 200 calories. If I really really wanted it, I’d check the calories on the donut I wanted, eat 200, and skip the fruit. The problem is I have a hard time eating 2/3rds of a donut so usually skip food like that.

I pre-log 2-3 fudgesickles every day (180-270 cal). I’m on 1200 calories, but I have a sweet tooth and this does it for me. If I feel like I really want to binge, I’ll eat a Klondike bar, but they’re my husband’s so I can only “steal” one a week. Over time you’ll figure out what works for you. It takes practice.

amusedmonkey · September 2018

If sugar, actual sugar, is what you are craving, hard candy is the perfect cure. It's pure sugar, so very calorie efficient without any other calorie fillers besides the thing you're craving. An average piece of hard candy is 25 calories so you can eat 3-4 of them or even more a day without it being too hard on your calorie budget, and it takes longer to eat each candy if you just let it slowly dissolve in your mouth and don't crush it, maybe long enough to satisfy the craving.

What I suspect, though, is that you just like tasty food, and some sweet foods are tasty to you (which is not very relevant). It's not about sugar, per se, but that you have a habit of eating things you like regardless of calories. Some of these things are harder to fit in when you are dieting and don't have an unlimited budget of calories. You can handle this in a few different ways, so pick something that best fits the situation:
- Replace with something you like equally but has fewer calories, not because you shouldn't eat the higher calorie item, but because you choose to eat something else to save calories. Doesn't work for all things for me because the alternative isn't always equally satisfying, but it works for some things.
- Eat higher calorie items in smaller portions. Works for some things but not other. If the smallest satisfying portion of something fits your calories, this would work. If the smallest satisfying portion is still too high in calories, then the next strategy may work better.
- Save up a few calories daily and bank them to have a satisfying portion of something you like once or twice a week.
- Have a maintenance day every now and then where you allow yourself more calories and are able to fit in even larger portions.
- Some people find it easier to not eat it at all than to eat some of it or eat it less frequently. If completely abstaining makes dieting easier for you, then do that. It's smart to pick the easiest path available when dieting, if possible.

Some mental strategies:
- Don't keep things you tend to overeat in the house if possible, and don't leave them around where you can see them if they're in the house. This helps you eat these things when you decide to eat them, not as an automatic reflex to seeing them. When you want them, buy a single serving (or however much you are planning to eat of it) or portion yourself the amount you are planning to eat then hide them again if they're in the house.
- When you see a donut, remind yourself that you can have it whenever you want. That you have a choice. Having it is an entirely valid choice (as long as you understand that it has calories). Nothing is forbidden. Not having it, however, is an equally valid choice too. You don't have to react to every food you see by eating it. It's just a choice you make sometimes.
- Tell yourself you can have the donut tomorrow when you've planned your calories to fit it better.

cheryldumais · September 2018

Personally I was a candy addict eating two or three bags in a sitting before losing weight. I had to get my eating balanced and decided on cutting out candy with sugar and substituting sugar free. That limited me because I am sensitive to sorbitol so I couldn't eat it mindlessly. Then I started walking and miraculously found it reduced my appetite. I have since (three years now) had the odd craving and occasionally indulge in a small dessert but usually when I am eating more sugar than I should I find I have been eating less protein and fat and too much carb. When I adjust my macros it gets better. Take your time and you will get there. Do what works for you and accept that changing habits takes time. Good luck.

midlomel1971 · September 2018

I just don't eat it. I find that the more time that passes without me eating candy or cakey things, the less I crave it. It takes a couple weeks, but eventually I don't miss the sweets at all.

Running_and_Coffee · September 2018

Personally, I have things made with stevia instead. The lack of sugar reduces the overall calories and usually helps me get in that sweet treat. But sugar is my weakness--I literally cannot be left alone with candy corns!!!

yayamom3 · September 2018

Mini tootsie roll pops get me through sugar cravings. They are 20 calories and worth every one.

anl90 · September 2018

My big weakness when it comes to sugar is soda. For me, progressing towards cutting it out is what helps me succeed. I start out every other day. And then gradually put more days in between when I have it, until I can finally cut it out completely.

Also, there isn't anything wrong with enjoying those things from time to time. Just watch how much of it you eat. Best of luck!

shunggie · September 2018

I work at a bank, instead of giving out lollipops they give out tiny Smartie packages. They are nothing but sugar and will take care of that craving with only 16 calories per package. They also bake Otis Spunkmeyer cookies fresh each day. Those smell so good, but I haven't succumbed to them yet in 4 months. It's a REAL challenge.

Millicent3015 · September 2018

Cravings for me are largely psychological. I had a subconscious fear that if I didn't eat all the sugary, calorie dense foods right away I would never have access to them again. And then, because of my diabetes, I told myself I could never have any of those foods ever again. It wasn't until I gave myself permission to have any of those foods at any time that I realised I could either choose to have them or not. And to my surprise, I found I wanted those foods less and less.

My palate has changed as I gradually replaced sugar with sugar free alternatives, and I'm now so used to the taste of artificial sweeteners that actual sugar tastes too sweet, sometime to the point of nausea. So I have a sweet thing once a week, usually ice cream, because I will never not eat that. I have a smaller portion with fewer or no toppings. If it's too sweet I have some and discard the rest. It does the trick.

The less added sugars I eat, the fewer cravings I get. But when I do eat lots of sugary things in a short amount of time, I don't let myself feel guilty for 'giving in' and I don't label myself 'bad'. It just is what it is, and I resolve to adjust for it calorifically in the next days.

It can take a long time to change how much sugar you eat. It's taken me about nine months of small changes. So if you want to gradually reduce/replace, take as long as you need, especially if it helps you to change your eating habits and your psychological attachment to sugar in the long term.

JeromeBarry1 · September 2018

My cunning plan to beat sugar cravings is to weigh the sweets and log them honestly. I don't pretend to avoid them.

Seffell · September 2018

I completely avoid foods which I can't have just one portion of. However every now and then I skip a meal or two and allow myself to go a bit above maintanance in favour of several portions of the food in question. Like 5 doughnuts with cocoa! Yum!
If I didn't do that I'd be very unhappy and frustrated. But I have to do it on rare occasions only.

hroderick · September 2018

Try chromium picolineate supplement, cheap and effective

jondspen · September 2018

This post says it's all in your head.

jsb0726 · September 2018

I went keto and it helped me fight the addiction. Took a bit of will power but my cravings are no where near what they used to be to the point I may go several days without sweets.

kimny72 · September 2018

cgibson522 wrote: »

I’m just starting my weight loss journey and am having a hard time with my sugar addiction. I eat healthy meals but can’t pass up a donut or will binge on ice cream.

What tactics have you used to get past your cravings? Is it to allow yourself something sweet each day or totally disengage from desserts?

As you can see, you used some hot button words

IMHO, first stop thinking of it as an addiction. Use of the word in this situation probably comes down to semantics, but the word often makes a person feel like a victim. Don't settle for that, you have control over what you eat!

Some things to think about/try:

Can you keep smaller portion versions of your fave treats around. Have you tried having a little and then making a conscious decision to stop?
Pre-log your treats. Every night around 9:30PM I have a snack. A bowl of ice cream, a couple of Oreos, a bowl of kids cereal. I save @ 200 calories for it, and I weigh out a portion, put the package away, and log it before I eat it. Knowing I can have it and it fits in my calories usually keeps me from over-indulging during the day.
Are you eating a diet you don't enjoy? Often people get intense cravings, because they think they have to eat a boring, lean diet to lose weight. Think about trying to build the foods and treats you like into your day. Again, I find pre-logging and strategizing really helps.
You don't have to eat nothing but "healthy" food, to lose weight or to be healthy. Make sure you are getting enough protein, fat, and fiber. If you have a goal to eat a certain amount of veggies or fish or whatever, make sure that's happening. If it is and you can still fit in a donut once a week, go for it.
Make sure you are eating enough calories! Trying to lose weight fast can often backfire by making you binge when you get near something calorie dense.

Good luck!

4legsRbetterthan2 · September 2018

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shunggie · November 2018

JeromeBarry1 wrote: »

My cunning plan to beat sugar cravings is to weigh the sweets and log them honestly. I don't pretend to avoid them.

Are you channeling Baldrick with you cunning plan?

FireOpalCO · November 2018

I go for healthy sweets first. For example, I frequently have BelVita Chocolate Breakfast Biscuits (240 calories, 3g fiber, 3g protein) and a cup of tea with 1 packet of raw sugar for breakfast. That's a little sweet without the sugar bomb of a filled doughnut and more satiating. When I pack lunches I will usually have fresh strawberries or blueberries in it or a cup of fruit on the bottom yogurt. Post dinner & workout I might have a Chobani flip if I have the calories.

Last night I had 4 fun sized candies from the bowl for trick-or-treaters and stopped because I was out of calories for the day.

We all have days when we fail to have a "perfect diet", but I try to plan those. Like when my parents fly in for this weekend I know we are going to go to Snooze and have their insane pancakes. So knowing that's coming up in a few days, it's easier to resist the free donuts that have a habit of walking into work.

How to beat sugar cravings

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