I have quite the stubborn inner child so the moment I say something is completely off limits is the moment I want it more. I try to deal with my cravings by indulging in moderation so they don't get out of control.

However I think you are dealing with a habit craving and sometimes cold turkey is a good plan. If it helps in a month or two if you drink a soda you will probably think it is way too sweet and wonder why you ever liked it.

My BP dropped a little too low while we were trying to figure out my medication and I drank some sprite (liquid plus sodium) to bring it back up faster. I used to drink them all the time. WHOA was it unpleasant!

People drink full calorie soda and lose weight. I think eventually there will come a time when you don't want to spend calories on it though. I assume diet soda is not a consideration for some reason... it was never for me because I don't like the taste.

The only thing I struggled with at first was alcohol and not because I was addicted to it but I have an issue with things that are routine. When I form a routine I find it hard to break out of the cycle. I still have it but it is very seldom these days and I am careful not to form any new patterns with it.

dsueteel wrote: »

I have the worst sweet tooth. I always want some sort or chocolate, ice cream, or cake type thing. Especially when I get off work and get home. I just want to snack and snack. How do I get cravings to stop?

I am not a cravings expert and worse I have next to no sweet tooth but there are some things I have seen many people say that worked for them:

1) Disallow yourself nothing. Some people (I am one of them) want things more when they are "off limits". Telling yourself you can eat anything you can make fit in your daily or weekly goals might keep you from rebelling against yourself.

2) Save calories for treats. You may have to substitute in a few lower calorie food items during the day to save enough calories for a small amount of treats. I find it better to deal with cravings in a planned way then allow them to grow out of control.

3) Don't be harsh or strict with your other food choices. There is no reason to be eating all "diet" food. Try to be happy-ish during the day.

4) Drop your rate of loss. If this is a new weight loss attempt you may be being too aggressive to start. It is better to go slow and succeed then fast and fail. You can always go faster later if you feel up to it. Sometimes weight loss needs time to really get a good foundation and settling for losing some weight is better than being miserable.

5) Work on keeping yourself satiated for longer periods. If you feel full you may be less likely to start the unwanted snacking behavior. There are several techniques to try if you feel this one is helpful.

6) Snack on lower calorie sweet options like fruit.

7) Keep it out of the house. If you absolutely cannot moderate try to keep it away from yourself so you are not tempted. The hope here is that once you are firmly grounded in your weight loss you will have better control.


This list is not meant to be a "do it all" list. It is meant for you to try a few things here and there to see what might work for you.

My cravings have died down some. I've tried to find alternatives for my sweet tooth, like lower calorie fudge pops or frozen tubes of gogurt instead of chowing down a pint of Ben and Jerry's. It's worked for me so far.

I'll admit it was harder when I first started, for sure.