Sweet Cravings...HELP!

I started my diet about a month ago, from the day that I have decided to do this, I knew I would have to give up on my desire for sweet treats. I was doing pretty well for the first 2 weeks, then my sweet cravings came back to haunt me once again! So now, I feel so depressed and discouraged. I have to force myself to endure one hour of painful exercises in the gym every single day while not being able to enjoy a lot of my favourite food. School's been really stressful with my three upcoming exams and I'm not getting enough sleep lately. All these things just weights down to the stress that I'm experiencing right now. The more the pressure comes to me, the more I want to have a piece of chocolate or something.

*Please help me if you have suggestions to help me control my cravings! Thanks for reading.

Wed. Jan 25, 10:46pm

I have been on a zillion diets and I have failed on all the ones that make me eat stuff I don't normally eat. I have had luck this time because I plan ahead and figure out the calories before I eat it (1200). But I put those sweets into my plan. Knowing that I can have 2 dove chocolate pieces (34 calories each) makes me not crave them or binge on too many, or give up (like I have done before). When I look up what a piece of pie or ice cream will cost me in calories, it encourages me to find low calorie fat free alternatives, or only eat those when I have a big exercise workout planned, or forego it since it is not "affordable." I have been amazed at how good I feel with the portion control. I have lost 15 lbs since mid November. Best of luck!

Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 10:56 PM

I just wanted to tell you to hang in there. I have been doing PeerTrainer for months and there have been times when I've wanted to quit. I also have had to try and curb my sweets. I found I did a great job for the first 2 weeks and then it got so difficult. The only I kept doing was logging on and tracking my food. It hasn't been perfect and I haven't lost as much as everyone else -- just 5 pounds in a few months, but it's still progress *and* I haven't gained any weight. That's a huge deal. Try to keep in mind that this isn't a race. You don't win a prize for losing the most amount of weight in the shortest amount of time. You're on your own path. Drink lots of water, make smaller goals (i.e. cut out soda .. rather than cutting out everything), and talk to the members of your group when you're having a massive sugar craving. You may be craving something else that's "sweet" in your life..like love, understanding, compassion (rather than just the sugar). Don't know if any of that made sense, but I hope so.

Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 11:05 PM

Another sweet lover

Itotally hear you on the sweet cravings! I especially love chocolate, and it seems next to impossible sometimes to get away from it! once I get in a few days sweet free, or start to notice a bit of a weight loss, a new attitude comes over me..I dont even want the sweets!! Its like i can fully understand the harm they do to my weight, and its just not worth it! But right now, even I am still trying to get past that hump...I know it isnt the same...not by far..but ive been eating juicy oranges,apples
yogurt,making smoothie drinks....even the fat free instant jello pudding mix isn't bad...if you dont go crazy on it! I have to restrain myself from eating the whole batch! Lol....you can do it though, hang in there and good luck!!

Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 11:26 PM

I have several thoughts - I've had some success in the past with chromium picolinate supplements to curb the sugar cravings, you might look in to this. Also, sometimes sugar cravings mean you are thirsty - so be sure to drink plenty of water.

Some people recommend a little hard candy - like a mini tootsie roll, or there are these chocolate flavored little candies at Trader Joe's. Sometimes a couple of those do the trick, saturate your taste buds without much damange.

I struggle in a major way with the chocolate cravings at times. I buy 70% cocoa solids chocolate, which has substantially less sugar but all of the good chocolate stuff I crave, and I eat a small piece of that with a couple of almonds and a few raisins. I have lost some weight while still having these little treats, and I know a woman who lost at least 60 pounds and said this chocolate was the secret to her success.

In the "French Women Don't Get Fat" book, the author attributes the secret of French women staying thin to eating very small portions of really good quality foods, just a few bites, when she wants a treat. Their secret is to really savor these small bites, and then they don't feel deprived, and I think there is something to that. I would rather have a small bite of good quality chocolate than a cup of low quality chocolate pudding.

Sometimes a cup of hot chocolate will do the trick, make your own with nonfat milk, cocoa powder and whatever sweetener you prefer.

Thursday, January 26, 2006, 4:08 AM

chocolate & PMS

My chocolate cravings are the worst around this time, and for me too, hot chocolate did the trick. Even half a teaspoon of powder mixed into a glass of lowfat/skim milk helped me get over the worst craving. And the milk makes you feel full too.

Thursday, January 26, 2006, 8:21 AM

I buy Diet Swiss Miss hot cocoa (25 cals a packet), and make a packet with less water than they recommend, so it's extra-chocolatey. I'll have a cup of it if I'm stressing and craving sweets. At the same time, I'll munch on something like mini carrot sticks, just so I can do that repetitive motion of snacking, along with the sweets.

Additionally, I keep a box of mini charleston chews in the freezer, and I let myself eat one or two when I want candy. Each one is under 15 calories.

When I make oatmeal or pancakes, I'll throw in a couple chocolate chips - it feels like such a treat, and 5 or 6 chocolate chips never hurt anyone!

And if I've been good for awhile, I allow myself the occasional treat, like a really good cookie, etc. I've found, after all this time (on PEERtrainer since May) that I won't give in to the things that I only sort of like, I've become much more picky about what's worth it and what isn't. But, if I tell myself that I can never have any of it, then I'm just going to cave and eat everything in sight!! Allow yourself a treat every once in awhile, just don't go overboard!

Thursday, January 26, 2006, 10:17 AM

Also, so that I don't give into sweets under pressure - I try to schedule my treats (ex: Sunday I snuggle up on the couch and have a hot chocolate, made with dark cocoa, SF irish cream syrup and skim milk, in front of the fireplace). This seems to work pretty well and actualy helps me through the stressful times because I know if I can make it to Sunday I have that time set aside for myself with a nice treat to enjoy. It gives me more than a quick fix - it's something I really look forward to during the week.

However I value the time as much as I value the hot chocolate and that has made me realize that I allow too much stress to build up. I think sometimes we eat more when we are stressed simply because it takes time to eat and if you don't take time for yourself, eating becomes your outlet. Just a thought that was percolating while reading your post and the responses.

I too have become much pickier about the treats I eat and have a certain selection that I deem 'worth it'.

Thursday, January 26, 2006, 2:12 PM

What often calms my sweet craving is Sugar Free Jello Pudding (chocolate mostly). And, with it only being 60 Calories for a little cup it is unlikely that it will hurt your weight loss if you eat one a day and work it into your meal plan.

Thursday, January 26, 2006, 2:24 PM

I like the white chocolate sugar free fat free instant pudding. If you make it w/ skim milk, it's 70 cals in a half cup. A package makes four half-cup servings. I make it in a measuring cup, and pour it into 4 wine glasses (it fills them about half way), and when I go to eat one, I'll put a little bit of Redi Whip on top, and then fill the glass with frozen raspberries; then I wait 5 minutes or so for the raspberries to thaw a little, take the smallest spoon I own, and try and stretch out the time it takes to eat it for as long as I can. It feels like a ridiculously decadent treat! And it's under 100 calories! So, whenever I'm very good for the day, I get that as a treat!

Last night, my fiance had a big bowl of full-fat ice cream w/ whipped cream on top; I had my pudding w/ whipped cream and raspberries, and I didn't feel left out at all!! When I finished, I still felt like eating, so I refilled the glass w/ raspberries again, and still felt like I was getting a treat!

Thursday, January 26, 2006, 2:41 PM

The SF, white chocolate pudding is one of my faves as well!

I make it with skim milk, pour into 4 bowls and then have one with 3/4 cup mixed berries :-) TJ's has excellent quality frozen berries and it's a fairly cheap treat too. For a 'dessert' version when I have guests, I sustitute 1/2 cup whipped topping for 1/2 cup of milk and it makes a fluffy mousse - if you layer mousse and berries in a large wineglass it's gorgeous and no one realizes how non-sinful it is.

Thursday, January 26, 2006, 3:59 PM

journaling

Every time you crave something... write down what it is and why you want it and how you are feeling and what you were thinking before you started to crave whatever it was.
Start slowly changing your habits by only eating half or setting limits to what you would have done before. SO slow but sure, you will get used to eating less and less of what you crave.
You could also try those calicium things by viactive... the chocolate ones taste good... though if I don't eat anything but drink water for awhile afterword I notice a funny aftertaste. You can have only one or 2 of those a day.

Sunday, January 29, 2006, 1:06 PM

I agree with the previous poster - writing down everything I eat makes it much more difficult for me to put "extra" things in my mouth! I do eat sweets now and then, but it's harder to justify a whole bag of M&M's when I know that my PT log will reflect it.

Monday, January 30, 2006, 11:37 AM

This goes somewhat contrary to what everyone else has said, but I just wanted to share one experience I had. I have a huge sweet tooth also - I love all things sweet, and reducing sugar in my diet is one of my biggest goals.

A while back, I went cold turkey: I ate no added sugar for an entire month. This was hard to do - I didn't eat sweetened apple sauce, no maple syrup on my pancakes, no honey, no non-natural peanut butter, no chocolate, no ice cream, no sweetened soy milk, nothing with sugar, sucrose, or fructose in the ingredient list, no "sweets", no sugar-free "sweets", either, since I think they're mostly just chemicals that I don't want to put in to my body.

It was very, very difficult at times. I had huge cravings, especially at the beginning, and it took a ton of willpower and support (I did it with a good friend, we called each other constantly that first week "help! I'm staring down a piece of chocolate!"), and a ton of focusing on March 1st (the day we finished and got to celebrate with a big piece of chocolate cake), but the results were astounding: By the end of the month, my sugar cravings were gone. Completely. I could look at a piece of my mother's chocolate cake or a bowl of ice cream, and literally not want any - not even be tempted by it.

This was a huge break-through for me. First, it made me realize how much sugar I was eating all the time, and how much sweetened things are a central part of my diet. Then, it also convinced me that I was addicted to it. I displayed a lot of the symptoms of withdrawl once I stopped eating it, I also tended to eat it in secret, and my cravings decreased substantially once my body had adjusted to not eating it. (AA, no, SA - Sugarholics Anonymous , anyone?)

My motivation for this was meeting a really cool woman who never eats any added sugar (as a life-style, not just as a month-long challenge). I haven't kept it up, although I did eat way less sugar for a long time, and some sweetened things (like applesauce, coffee, and tea), I haven't gone back to.

Just a thought. I'd be willing to try it again, if anyone wants to join me. So I created the group Sugarholics Anonymous. I'm thinking a month-long challenge would be great, but it could also become a group for people who are just trying to eat less sugar, get over those sweet cravings, and things like that.

Monday, January 30, 2006, 1:14 PM

Kill Those Cravings!

I understand your pain! I've tried just about every peice of advice under the sun to kick those cravings! Everyone offered advice but I either overate on the foods they suggested (example: ate the entire bag of dark chocolate) or the cravings came back.

Try this : Squirt Fat Free Reddi wip on a spoon = 2 tbsp = 5 calories 0 g fat
This totally kills the sweet craving (sometimes takes a couple spoonfuls...15 calories) and tricks your taste buds/brain that you're eating ice cream!
Bad day and eat whole can? 200 calories...still 0 g fat.

It's seriously the only thing that has helped me lose and keep off 15 pounds. I have a ton of other snacks and tips to try at www.havecakeeat2.com on the "Buy" page.

Link

Tuesday, October 13, 2009, 4:43 PM

Try healthy chocolate! It works! Visit http://mxi.myvoffice.com/celventures/ for more info.

Link

Tuesday, February 01, 2011, 11:57 AM

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