what to do about sugar cravings?

Years ago I had this same problem of frequent sugar cravings (especially in the afternoon or late night). I read that the way to get rid of them was to go 3 full days with no sugar. This means that in addition to no table sugar and no sweets (obviously), you should exclude fruits and also any packaged/processed foods that contain sugar. This worked like a charm for me and I couldn't believe it only took 3 days. I still have a treat every once in a while, but my frequent sugar cravings have pretty much been gone for 10 years.

Try adding fruits and vegetables that have natural sugars instead of refined or artificial ones to help temper your cravings. Think about roasting some carrots, sweet potatoes, or any other root vegetables. Also many fruits have natural sugars which could help temper your cravings. If you really want something sweet, stick to less refined sugars that will help satiate your cravings, such as agave nectar, honey, and natural maple syrup. Good luck!

Low calories ice-lollies.
I used to get sugar cravings after dinner but I have an ice lolly (around 18cals) and that pretty much cures it

If you give your body more protein the sugar cravings tend to do down. Next time you have one try eating something high in protein!

chew gum or find someone who's extremely hot and make out with them then your mind won't be craving sugar

Mulberry Zuccarin supplements killed my cravings completely.

Stabilize your blood sugar! I get the same way . I drink an herbal tea such as good earth sweet and spicy tea. Cinamon helps your blood sugar. Also make sure you are not eating too many cabohydrates. Calories are an excellent guide to help rein you in but remember that a calorie is how fast something burns in a test tube not a human body- you need a balance of fat , carbohydrate, and protein. Adjust your settings on the fitness pal to pay close attention to these macronutrients. Nutrition is so much more than caloric intake alone!!! Carbohydrates provide a source of instant energy while protien and fat take longer to burn in the body. Check out information on a thing called glycemic index. Also i would suggest tweaking your fitness pal settings to watch fiber as well. fiber slows digestion of carbohydrates. Frequently sugar cravings can be controlled by and increase in protien and fat intake, and decreasing or eliminating sugary foods or foods that cause a drastic increase and then decrease in blood sugar . I hope you find this helpful

I get it bad at night I will have frozen mixed fruit with fat free cool whip. If you freeze your cool whip the textue is just like creamy ice-cream.

When I get sugar cravings, I'll reach for an apple or baby carrots.


Sometimes I put a frozen banana in my small food processor with a bit of milk for a healthy alternative to ice cream.


For a chocolate fix I will puree 1 banana with 4 tbsp of cocoa powder in food processor. Then I spray a sheet of wax paper and pour out the mixture. Freeze until solid and break off like a chocolate bar.


Recently I have been fixing these sweet cravings with an easy recipe that you can make in the microwave. I posted it to my blog, but for convenience sake I will write it below as well:

Strawberry Microwave Bake

Ingredients:
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp oatmeal
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tbsp egg beaters (egg whites work well too)
1 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp jam
1 large strawberry, diced (other fruit would work too)

Directions:
Combine dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and mix until fully incorporated. Add diced strawberry. Mix. Then place in a small bowl and microwave for 60 seconds on 80% power. Remove, cool and top with whatever you want.

I like to top this with almond butter and strawberry jam. It is about 120 calories for the whole thing. Here is the link to the recipe: http://peanut-butter-lover.blogspot.com/2012/03/strawberry-microwave-bake.html


I also have tons of other healthy, low sugar recipes on my blog that are easy to make and fulfill a sugar craving, but low in calories too! http://peanut-butter-lover.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html

Honestly? I would have a serving size of what I'm craving, I would log it and I would move on. Restricting yourself too much and creating "off limits" foods usually leads to resentment and resentment leads to binge eating (or giving up). If you want chocolate, pick the chocolate you REALLY love and eat a serving size of it. There's absolutely no harm in eating treats once a day. I've done it and still do it. Lost nearly 60lbs and have kept it off since Sept 2010. There's no way I would be where I am today had I continued on the "all or nothing" path.

^this.

The whole "suck it up" thing never worked for me, so I usually ignore when people say that.

What I do is chew gum like Mentos Juice Burst with the fruit juice center. Or I would satisfy my craving by eating something sweet. Just log it and it'll work. Don't get too crazy with it though. As long as it fits into your daily calorie budget then it works. At least that's how I look at it. No point in trying to go cold turkey with cravings, you'll just end up saying f-it and eating a giant jar of pure sugar :laugh:

If you give your body more protein the sugar cravings tend to do down. Next time you have one try eating something high in protein!

Agree. Also, all or nothing doesn't work, you just end up splurging and falling "off the wagon" totally. Allow yourself a single serving of what you're craving.

Good luck!

Maybe it doesn't work for you. The longer your body goes without <insert whatever> the less your body wants it. Most people just give in so they cannot honestly say the all or nothing approach doesn't work.