SUGAR CRAVINGS

[SHANNON.D]

Hey, 

I have a MASSIVE sweet tooth yet I know that I need to cut the sugar from my diet if I am going to see results from going to the gym (and to feel healthy on the inside). I eat reasonably well for somebody my age (avocado for breakfast, bland chicken and salad for lunch) yet I still tend to add those sneaky treats into my day. I instantly regret it afterwards yet still continue to intake sugar. Can someone please help me with tips to stay away from sugar and for any alternative snacks that I might be able to have?

Thanks heaps:)

[TravellingSunny]

I've recently come across Jolly Rancher sugar free hard candies.  They're 9 calories each and they are made with sugar substitutes, but taste really good.  When I'm having a really tough craving, these are my new go-to!

[TravellingSunny]

Also, if you're an evening munchies kind of person, I highly recommend Halo Top ice cream.  Tastes just like the real thing, but at only 280 calories for the entire pint, it's a real life-saver.

[DanielleinDC]

Sometimes if I have the midafternoon blahs (which is when I'm prone to wanting a sweet), I'll have a sugar-free mint or chew some gum. There's a brand called Pur, which makes sugar-free, aspartame-free gum and mints. The gum is 5 calories a piece and the mints are 3 calories a piece. There are also a lot of Xylitol gums on the market that you can get at your local health food/natural foods store. 

That said, completely denying yourself is one sure way of backfiring. Can you budget your sweet treat into your diet? You can also try practicing portion control.

[emili]

I am more perplexed about why you eat bland chicken. It doesn't have to be gross to be good for you. Herbs and spices add minimal calories and will make you feel like you are dining, not just surviving. As for the sweet, I am a calorie counter, not a sugar watcher. As long as its reasonable in calories, I eat it. My go to are the 90 calorie bars, yasso yogurt bars, fruit, a home brewed flavored coffee with almond milk or kid cereal- not the whole serving, chocolate cocoa puffs are the best.

[LilLash]

I've been working on cutting out sugar myself, and cold turkey just didn't work. So, I suggest weaning yourself off slowly. 

For example, the first this I did was cut out sodas and fruit juices. Then, when I felt confident with that, I stopped letting myself go to the vending machine after lunch. Then, I stopped drinking sugar in my coffee. Now, I'm working on cutting out the treats that people bring into work. 

It's a process, and it takes a long time. 

I actually wouldn't suggest sugar-free alternatives, as the taste of sweet can make your body start producing insulin, and without the glucose to satisfy that, you'll be craving again. Personally, big fan of apples with peanut butter.

That being said, if sugar replacement like aspartame or Splenda help you, go for it. Do what ends up helping you. 

[Anniesusie]

I was also caught on the bland chicken and salad. Why don't you make your main meals more flavorful so it can offset the sugar cravings so you look forward to your main meals? That being said, I eat sugar free popsicles, low carb bombs, greek yogurt with cooked berries, and good earth tea at night. Those are my go to's. I watch the low carb bombs though. they can trigger me if I'm not careful.

[Lisa.Lane.]

I have tried FiberOne Brownies, Lemon Bars and Coffee Cake. They are 90 calories each and really curve my appetite for cake or any other type of sweet. 

[SwapnilP]

Fruits could be a better replacement to those processed sugary products! Natural sugar is anytime better than the processed counterpart.

[lmlt]

I eat fruits for my sugar fix. They have sugar but are much healthier compared to the sugar you find in snacks and desserts. Try eating some fruits! I eat a lot of berries, clementines, and bananas and I rarely crave for sugar and desserts. However, I crave carbohydrates NON-STOP.... hahahahaha.

If you don't like fruits look for the snacks that are like "100 calories per serving/etc". Like thinsations etc. You can snack on those and feel a bit more at ease because:

1) This prevents mindless snacking because you eat from the bag/packet/etc

2) The calories and everything are already done for you

🙂

[jazzybelle]

You can make healthy meals with natural sugars that might help kick a crave.  

For example sometimes for breakfast I'll make a texas sized muffin using only oatbran, mashed banana, eggwhites, and two packets of your sugar substitute of choice.  

Or I'll make a flourless pancake using only eggwhites, banana, and sugarfree calorie free walden farms pancake syrup and sliced avocado on top.   

Or i'll use eggwhites and turkey bacon seasoned with cinnamon and black pepper with pineapple slices on the side  

[esherman68]

Hey Shannon!

IMO, the problem isn't with the treats you're craving, but maybe your main meals? bland chicken and salad doesn't sound too good. 😉

Just because you're trying to lose weight, doesn't mean that you have to eat foods that aren't tasty, and I fully believe that we can include those treats in a weight loss diet. However, if you *DO* want to eliminate those treats from your diet, It could be that you aren't eating enough starch in your earlier meals that is causing you to crave those foods later.

Cravings can come up for a few different reasons: time of day, habit, lack of sleep/poor sleep quality or physiological. Maybe try to notice if there's a pattern to your sugar snacking? then, you might be able to avoid it.

[Dominique]

Regarding the (alleged) addictiveness of sugar, I just read an interesting blog post by Dr. Spencer Nadolsky arguing that sugar in itself is not that addictive. It’s rather the combination of sugar with fat (e.g. donuts), starch, fat and salt (e.g. potato chips) that result in "hyperpalatable" foods: these are the ones that are actually addictive.

Here is a related (and also interesting) recent post by him: Fruit Doesn’t Taste as Good as Cookies. Accept it. So true !

[Dave001]

Hello @SHANNON.D,

Sugar is not evil!

That's the most important message. 

Too much sugar might be evil. Too highly refined sugar might be a little evil. But sugar itself is not evil. It's actually essential for healthy functioning.

I've kicked refined sugar in to touch. I'm not going to tell you it was easy, but after only a few weeks the cravings vanished. 

If I want a sweet hit now, there's fresh fruit, dried dates (my favourite), or even a few nuts. Once you've got refined sugar out of your life, you'll be surprised how sweet a few cashews taste. 

If I want a really sweet, sticky treat, I make my own Nakd bars. There's loads of recipes online, but here's my simple one:

1. Line a baking tray with film. 

2. Put 250g dried dates in food processor and blitz into a paste. 

3. Add 250g cashews in and blitz into very fine crumb. 

4. Add zest of an orange and half of the juice. Blitz again. 

5. Press into tray. 

6. Chuck it in the fridge. 

7. Try to leave overnight (I can usually only wait an hour!).

8. Cut into bars.

9. Make strange appreciative noises as you bite into incredibly sweet treats with no refined sugar!

[Esya]

@Dave001

Thanks, I might try that recipe!

[josephz2va]

Protein Shakes, Yogurts, Fruits.

[JMIMEFIT]

Things i used to curb the sugar cravings;

• Full fat greek/natural yoghurt (reduced fat contains more sugars) with blueberries and lots of cinnamon - i think the cinnamon is the trick! 
• Dates - very sweet!!! 
• 85% Dark chocolate - (I didn't used to like it so started with 65%, and I've worked my way up. Now I absolutely love it!)
• Mango
• Slice an apple and dip it in peanut butter
• Vanilla flavoured protein shake - tastes like ice-cream!

[MagsOnTheBeach]

White sugar, I find it makes me crave carbs like soft breads and pasta.  It's a gateway to more comfort foods. I limit myself to 1oz of dark chocolate in the evening - I find it helps me relax to take small bites and let them melt in my mouth.   

Make food enjoyable - season your chicken and vegetables, try making vinegarettes with olive oil and lemon or vinegars and herbs.  Use them as a topping or marinade.

If you get a feeling that you are denying yourself, you'll always go for a filler of sugar.  Make your meals taste good and something you look forward to eating. 

[y2kcrash]

The two most important words to remember for continuous long term success.

Portion Control

Master this and it really doesn't matter what you eat.

I once had a doctor tell me the best diet  is knowing when to close your mouth.

[USAF-Larry]

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@y2kcrash wrote:

I once had a doctor tell me the best diet  is knowing when to close your mouth.

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It is Diet & Exercise combined:  Knowing when to close your mouth, and Pushing Yourself back from the table.