Crave sugar

chipsgirl123 wrote: »

Thank you so so much for the replies and the lovely words. So appreciate it! Thank you Novus - I do wonder if it will help. Its so hard to reduce sugar and diabetes runs in my family so that’s another worry.
Thank you Cheryl that’s a great suggestion.... guess potato isn’t included

Just remember that diabetes is a disease wherein the body does not properly process any carb, not just sugars. If you have a family history, the best way to prevent it is to get to and maintain a good weight and stay active. Whether you eat sugar or not has no bearing on developing the disease (except where it is extra calories that cause you to gain weight).

carbos101 wrote: »

Hi CG123 - I find that refined carbs do not help the sugar cravings - maybe for a nanosecond or so - but actually make it worse. I do have my snack of junk each day - minimal. If you like grapes (red seedless, green, black, whatever) they help/satisfy like nothing else. Any fruit that is watery-sweet should do the trick. I can't ignore the sugar cravings or exist on high protein like paleo, Atkins and the plethora of other eating plans --but some can.

My motto is -- if you crave sugar then have some but find the most nutritional that's your fave.

This is what I do and I limit my portions. If I want cake, I will buy a cupcake at the bakery. If I want a candy bar, I will buy one regular size at the store or gas station. Some ice cream now comes in 1/2 cup portions in the grocery store (at least Ben and Jerry and Haagen Daz does). I find I don't do well moderating if it is in the house so I control what I bring in. I still enjoy the treat.

chipsgirl123 wrote: »

Hi all,
Just wondered if you had any tips regarding sugar cravings. I.crave.sugar. I have lost 3 and a half stone and take a high dose of Amitriptyline for nerve pain. If I could reduce my sugar I know I would lose more weight. But these cravings....

@chipsgirl123 for 40 years sugar cravings controlled my life and heath. I was never able to taper off off sugar but at 63 my pain levels and failing health became a wake up call. On a hunch I cut out a forms of sweeteners and and any form of any grain cold turkey. Pain started to drop like a rock in just 15 days but weight loss did not start until day 45.

Now 5 years later I have maintained a 50 pound weight loss for the last 4 years and still have good pain management. I do not know about your type of pain so I have no idea if sugar is a factor in your case. Losing the high carb Way Of Eating has lead to better health and health markers at age 68 than 30 years ago and continues to do so.

Best of success.

If I were merely craving sugar, I'd have fruit. Sugar is the major source of calories in fruit (unlike most dessert type foods like cookies), and fruit is quite sweet. I often do crave fruit, especially on hot days, and I see no reason not to go with it, as it's not that caloric and I find it as filling as whatever I might substitute it for (mostly starchy carbs). Peaches, plums, clementines, berries, pears, apricots, etc., so good.

Often when people say they crave "sugar" they mean something else, however, so if so there might be other approaches.