How to kill a sweet tooth??
calitj
Posts: 2 Member
Hi there,
My name is Joanne and I am really struggling with craving sweets. I have always had a desert and now the deserts are what I am craving more than a meal.
Any suggestions would be helpful on how to deal with this frustrating, nagging person in my head!
My name is Joanne and I am really struggling with craving sweets. I have always had a desert and now the deserts are what I am craving more than a meal.
Any suggestions would be helpful on how to deal with this frustrating, nagging person in my head!
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Replies
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This is kooky, but I did try bitter herbal teas, which I still do from time to time, only now it's mostly water, soon after I wake up and before I'll sit down for a meal@16 - 32 oz per cup, which has not once prevented me from finishing my one serving.
Initially I'd started out with bitter teas as a means to curb my cravings, from some article in the late '90s, only now, I actually do enjoy them.1 -
I have something that also seems a bit crazy. I think mine was cured when I fixed my gut microbiome. If you have too many of the wrong sort of bacteria in your gut they can drive an insane desire for sweets. I went through a bit of a protocol and take modbiotics to regulate the bacteria and it has really helped.
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This works for me, but might not work for other people. The more I stay away from candy, cake, etc., the more I lose interest in them.
My treats include fresh fruit of all kinds. Right now, blueberries are in season here. Something with a little salt and fat satisfies me, too, like lightly salted almonds.
If sweets are not a trigger food for you -- if you can control them -- then why not plan a dessert that fits in your calories.
Good luck!6 -
I love chocolate, and many others have suggested the Ghiradelli chocolate squares at 50 calories each. One per day. Unfortunately, I tried this and ate the entire bag of squares in one day.
So, what works for me, is to find something you like, but do not love. I like sugar free chocolate pudding, it helps with the sweet craving. But I don't love it and would never eat more than one.9 -
Pamela_Sue wrote: »I love chocolate, and many others have suggested the Ghiradelli chocolate squares at 50 calories each. One per day. Unfortunately, I tried this and ate the entire bag of squares in one day.
So, what works for me, is to find something you like, but do not love. I like sugar free chocolate pudding, it helps with the sweet craving. But I don't love it and would never eat more than one.
My old haunt@Ghirardelli Square plus their quality chocolates, picnicking by Fisherman's Wharf. I agree with you - with Ghirardelli's chocolates (also See's Candy chocolate), it can never be just the one, sometimes #Sweet unsweetened treat cheats.3 -
Pamela_Sue wrote: »I love chocolate, and many others have suggested the Ghiradelli chocolate squares at 50 calories each. One per day. Unfortunately, I tried this and ate the entire bag of squares in one day.
So, what works for me, is to find something you like, but do not love. I like sugar free chocolate pudding, it helps with the sweet craving. But I don't love it and would never eat more than one.
My old haunt@Ghirardelli Square plus their quality chocolates, picnicking by Fisherman's Wharf. I agree with you - with Ghirardelli's chocolates (also See's Candy chocolate), it can never be just the one, sometimes #Sweet unsweetened treat cheats.
Oh yeah - See's Nuts & Chews. I moved from Washington State to Oklahoma and I can only get See's by mail order. Long sigh . . .1 -
Lately I've had a huge canister of Nestle cocoa mix in my pantry and when I feel a super strong craving for something chocolate, I'll make a mug of cocoa and throw a little whipped cream and cinnamon in there. It's around 100 calories but I always feel full and satisfied from it and I can't say that for a square of chocolate that just makes me want more chocolate.7
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Plain old will-power! Once you break the habit, you'll find your cravings diminish and you won't have the 'hangry' feeling that comes with sugar.3
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My husband, who has a sweet tooth has one small goodie, like one cookie then makes a smoothie with some fruit, almond milk, yogurt, thickener2
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I dumped my sweets on day one of mfp. Within two weeks of eating pescatarian, my cravings were gone.
Some people fit their treats into their calories. My treats were part of my overeating, so I opted to go cold turkey. It worked well for me.4 -
Others seem to have been able to cut out the sweets and overcome their sweet tooth but this approach has always been a disaster for me and have found far more success managing it than trying to avoid it. Denying myself sweets inevitably ended up with the cravings getting the best of me and I'd crack and go to town.
Much of the success I've had losing weight I can attribute to adopting what I call my 'Forever Rule' which means that I won't do anything to lose weight that I'm not prepared to do forever. The idea is that anything you can't maintain forever you'll eventually start doing again and you'll end up right back where you started.
With this in mind cutting out sweets to lose weight wasn't an option as there's no way I could honestly say to myself that I'd never ever ever again enjoy a sweet. So I had to come up with a different approach which allowed me to enjoy my sweets and still get results.
For me this involves a combination of making room in my calories for something sweet every night. I have also found success in managing my sweet calories by managing the serving size. This involves only buying 'fun size' chocolate bars (all usually about 80cals) or taking larger servings (like say a bag of skittles) and re-bagging them in 80-100cal serving bags. This way, psychologically, I get the satisfaction of 'eating a chocolate bar' or 'eating a bag of skittles' but it only contributes a small amount to my overall calorie intake.7 -
I read an article years ago that said there are two kinds of cravings. The ones you can't stop thinking about and the ones that you only want because you see it. If there are free donuts at work but you weren't craving them before you saw them, skip it. If you've been thinking about something fabulous for a while, eat it but a smaller portion. That should satisfy your true craving.
I also believe in the forever rule. I don't want to diet. I want to change the way I eat permanently. I don't want to have to say no to anything. Just figure out a way to make it work for me.5 -
I like to have 1/2 cup of sugar free jello with a squirt of reddi whip real cream topping for a total of 55 cal ( 10 for jello 45 for topping). Its creamy enough to feel like you ate something satisfying.3
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Personally, I don't try. I like my sweets. I just make sure to keep my calories under. I haven't had to go w/out diner yet, but its been close a few times.2
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I'm this way with chips. I read somewhere that you should have a small portion. For me that means a whole bag of chips. Once I start... no off switch! However, after having a small portion you are then supposed to think about how you will be able to have some again another day/time and that you CAN wait for it. It's not going to be the last time you get it. It's trying to avoid the whole avoidance/backfire thing.
I've had success with this method a couple times with sweets, but for it to work with chips, I just need to buy a small container of pringles or a small bag to ensure I stop then and not after a big bag.2 -
oceangirl99 wrote: »I'm this way with chips. I read somewhere that you should have a small portion. For me that means a whole bag of chips. Once I start... no off switch! However, after having a small portion you are then supposed to think about how you will be able to have some again another day/time and that you CAN wait for it. It's not going to be the last time you get it. It's trying to avoid the whole avoidance/backfire thing.
I've had success with this method a couple times with sweets, but for it to work with chips, I just need to buy a small container of pringles or a small bag to ensure I stop then and not after a big bag.
Yep, I'm exactly the same way which is specifically why I pre-bag/portion appropriate serving sizes and by snack/fun/mini size versions. I find that I get that same 'ate the whole thing' satisfaction regardless of how big the serving was.
I want a snickers? Then I'll eat a whole snickers but it will be a whole snickers and will be a fun size snickers for about 80cals instead of 400cals. I want chips? I'll eat a whole bag of chips except it will be one of the pre-portioned ziplock bags of chips for about 100cals rather than the much larger 500cal bag.1 -
Hi! I struggle with this so much!!!! What works for me is a rice thin with peanut butter and a couple chocolate chips on it. I also keep trident layers gum at hand at all times. I also like Tampico popsicles, they’re super low in calories and sugar.0
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Mine is tootsie roll midgees. Don’t chew them. Let them melt in your mouth. Good enough to satisfy. Not good enough to want more.
Or go cold turkey if you think it will work better for you. The third day may be the hardest.
Drink something sour, grapefruit juice or sour lemonade.
Try frozen grapes or frozen strawberries. Just pop one at a time, instead of popping a mini candy bar.
Experiment until you find your way.
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I have read some people freeze choc chips, then just eat a few. I have choc chips but I know it would not do it for me.
What I do instead is make a mix of unsweetened cocoa, 1 packet of truvia, a bit of cinnamon, and add weighed out almonds and walnuts. Then measure out in 1 oz servings. And bag in snack size bags. And only eat one per day. I make sure I have the calories, fat, protein and carb room. It is a tasty snack under 100 calories. Often with a cup of hot tea.
I do not trust myself with a bag of any type of choc bars even if mini.0 -
Another thing I find really satisfies my sweet cravings are hot sweet drinks.
The ones I like most are Avalanche Hot Chocolate and the Jarrah varieties. Not sure if they're available outside Australia but I'm sure there's a local equivalent. They provide a delicious sweet hit at about 35-45cals which isn't difficult to make room for as a treat.
They're pretty sweet to begin with but adding a little splenda/equal/S'n'L/etc kicks them into party territory without adding further calories.0 -
maureenkhilde wrote: »I have read some people freeze choc chips, then just eat a few. I have choc chips but I know it would not do it for me.
What I do instead is make a mix of unsweetened cocoa, 1 packet of truvia, a bit of cinnamon, and add weighed out almonds and walnuts. Then measure out in 1 oz servings. And bag in snack size bags. And only eat one per day. I make sure I have the calories, fat, protein and carb room. It is a tasty snack under 100 calories. Often with a cup of hot tea.
I do not trust myself with a bag of any type of choc bars even if mini.
Are you sure your snack is under 100 calories? An ounce of almonds is 160 or so.0 -
Magnesium.citrate, bubble gum0
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Once I get off sugar if I have 1 damn jelly bean I'm off and running again. I dont understand a treat, I understand a carton .1
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