Cutting sugar but craving!

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katybecker
katybecker Posts: 18
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm trying to cut back on sugar but how does everyone deal with chocolate cravings? I've heard fruit can help with sugar cravings but I like some chocolate!

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  • k121777
    k121777 Posts: 306
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    Skinny Cow 100 calorie treats help. Just be sure to limit yourself to only ONE per day. (that's the hard part) LOL!
  • dragonbug300
    dragonbug300 Posts: 760 Member
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    I've heard omega-3 supplements can help cut chocolate cravings.
    I usually stuff my face with frozen blueberries. A bowl of frozen bluebs and soymilk plus a cup of hot tea does the trick.
  • ShellyMacchi
    ShellyMacchi Posts: 975 Member
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    so have some chocolate *S*

    Just make it dark chocolate, and THE best you can find.. and then make it last, just tiny bits.

    i have chocolate every single day... 2 tiny squares of Green & Black's organic dark chocolate.
    It is my 'treat' every night.. and i never chew it *L*.. i take a tiny lil nibble and let that melt on my tongue. It's amazing how long those 2 squares last that way.. and i swear i DO enjoy them more than when could easily eat the whole bar (it's a BIG bar *L*) at once.

    edited to add:
    the best way to cut sugar cravings is to also try to eliminate sugar substitutes.
    Personally if i have sweeteners of any kind now i only use honey or maple syrup, and only tiny bits of that, plus the natural sugar found in any fruits or veg i eat. Eliminating all processed and artificial sweeteners resulted in me no longer craving sweet stuff! That was not what i was trying to do.. it just happened and was a lovely surprise *L*
  • My1985Freckles
    My1985Freckles Posts: 1,039 Member
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    Gotta fight through it, Katy. You can do it! They'll be tough for the first few days, but they do eventually go away. Maybe get some miniatures and freeze them that way they take you longer to eat. I went cold turkey and don't have the cravings at all anymore.

    Remember: Nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels!
  • cre8freedom
    cre8freedom Posts: 63 Member
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    Here is an article you should read: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/behar15.htm

    A lot of things that we crave are due to insufficient nutritents/vitamins, etc. If you think about it - your body is programmed to survive. Why would it crave something like chocolate or chips in order to survive.

    But then the other side of it is that we can get addicted to foods. I would challenge you to quit chocolate for 2 weeks and take some supplements - see if you crave it later!
  • xraylady33
    xraylady33 Posts: 222 Member
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    Semi sweet toll house morsals...mix it with your nuts..yummy goodness!

    Dark chocolate has antioxidants..best of both worlds!
  • Jessiecouzcouz
    Jessiecouzcouz Posts: 3
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    Have you ever tried Nutella?? this is a healthy breakfast on wheat toast and some orange juice...i find that it helps with that chocolate craving... just make sure you eat it in moderation! Now...just to find a replacement for the italian food that i love soooo much.
  • Pollywog39
    Pollywog39 Posts: 1,730 Member
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    Chocolate is good for you...............especially dark chocolate.

    Now, that doesn't mean you should eat a whole bar, or go crazy with it, but it can be worked into a sensible diet.
    IF you deprive yourself of the things you love, you will eventually fail........that's my personal belief, and you can EAT ANYTHING - it's all about moderation and control.
  • SeasideOasis
    SeasideOasis Posts: 1,057 Member
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    Chocolate isn't horrible for you. Eating TOO much chocolate is. Luckily, I was born without the sweet tooth I hear so much about. Buy one of those hersheys chocolate bars, each one square. Its not eating a small amount that will be your problem, but having the self discipline to stop when enough is enough.
  • aecmagn
    aecmagn Posts: 30 Member
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    Good for you! I guarantee you will feel better and your cravings for all food will ease.
    I will tell you my experience--it may not be yours, but for what it's worth, here goes:
    I started cutting out all sugar 10 years ago. I did the atkins diet, and while I did not stay on that eating plan, I did notice a big difference in my energy level, food cravings (physical and emotional) and this sounds weird, but I felt...younger!
    the thing is, it took a long long time to get used to no sugar. I'd go for a month or two and then have something with sugar--bwam, it made me crave sugar more than before. this happened more than once....so it was "back on the wagon" for that hard beginning part again. but, once I did it long enough, and--here is a key--finding all the hidden sugar in stuff, like bread and canned stuff (even soup!) and meat and sauces, I finally cut enough out enough times to really change my craving twd sugar. now I can pass up chocolate very easily. for a long time, i did those "fake sugar"{ chocolates and while I like them, a lot, I just don't think about chocolate anymore.
    ONE BIG GO-TO in that hard first beginning part, and I'll do a lot now, is use cocoa. I'll mix a T of cocoa (12 cals, less than one gram of fat) with artificial sweetner or stevia and a little water, make a paste, and whip until smooth. can put that in milk (hot or cold), sf cool whip, or with club soda to make a chocolate "soda."
    the bottom line, if I start eating a piece here and there to curb my craving, I know I'll be back in no time. SADLY, now I crave salty things ha ha ha...probably no relation!...but i'm working on that, too.
    ADDING THIS, TOO:
    I find that artificial sweetners are a God-send. I have read many others do not,
  • sophiabethsmom
    sophiabethsmom Posts: 21
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    I'm cold turkey off if all sweets. Don't tell me it'll backfire; I know myself and am feeling great about my all-or-nothing approach as I find non-sugary foods I genuinely enjoy just as much. :D

    One of my go-to foods when I'm thinking about caving? FROZEN BANANAS. Chop them into small chunks, leave them in the freezer for a few hours, then enjoy. The taste and texture is so much like Cold Stone's banana ice cream it scares me.

    Best of luck! You can do it!
  • katybecker
    katybecker Posts: 18
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    Thanks everyone, I'm challenging myself and i feel better already. =)
  • xunsungxherox
    xunsungxherox Posts: 45
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    low calorie hot chocolate drinks is my way of doing it. i have options "chocolate brownie" hot chocolate, so delicious and only 60 cals. Great substitute.
  • coloradocami
    coloradocami Posts: 368 Member
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    Skinny Cow 100 calorie treats help. Just be sure to limit yourself to only ONE per day. (that's the hard part) LOL!

    LOL...ate 2 last night
  • isherryb
    isherryb Posts: 47 Member
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    Hersey's Bliss and Kisses, dark chocolate, satisfies my chocolate/sugar craving, and I include it in my food diary as a snack. Good Luck!

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