How Do You Combat Sugar Cravings?

[Happypaphy7]

That is, if possible. lol

I love sweets and have lots of them.
I feel bad for my teeth and health, and would go without any for a few days before giving in.

Not enough will power and possibly genetically predispositioned?

 

[ehanes7612]

I had a problem with sugar until I went to Hawaii and got sick form eating too much fruit and sugar ...several times....I havent had sugar in a week and have had absolutely no craving..which has never happened with me..I hate to say it but getting sick and feeling intense colon pain changed my perception and my will power.

For the past six months my sense of smell was odd ..it was like the air had like a sweet putrid smell. That's gone now.

We are all genetically predisposed to sugar cravings, it's just that the availibility of sugar all year round is not something we have evolved to overcome.

All I can say is try to slowly lower your intake each week..going cold turkey and trying to resist the urges when they are there will probably result in failure. Also, looking at your meal intake may be a good idea. Sugar cravings are sometimes caused by a lack of something or an imbalance. Of course, you cant dismiss the psychological connection to sugar..for me, it gave me a sense of power, especially when I ate chocolate.

 

[xiphius]

I started by giving up soda. Soda used to be my primary source of sugar and I drank way too much of it. It was a bit hard at first and took conscious effort, but after a few weeks, it became a lot easier.

After that, I started to notice that things tasted inherently sweeter and that I didn't have to put as much sugar on things to taste the same level of sweetness. I actually have problems ordering things at places like Starbucks anymore because things there just taste so overly sweet to me now.

I think with the prevalence of sugar crammed into modern drinks, our taste buds kinda become numb to it. If you cut back for a while, they will "reset" and then you just have to be careful not to overload them again .

 

[abax]

Don't snack! Eat regular meals and don't eat anything
between meals.

 

[NYEric]

I cut down on sweet drinks by diluting juice with seltzer.

 

[orcoholic]

When I crave, I have some 70% cocoa dark chocolate. Low sugar and carbs, but still satisfies the jonesing. If you can stand higher cocoa levels, there is even less sugar.

It's not just sugar that causes the cravings. Carbs convert to sugar. Read up on Type 2 diabetes to see which are worst.

 

[cnycharles]

You have to be careful with some artificial sweeteners. though they have less calories per serving, some actually increase hunger and cravings so you end up gaining. There are various things that do make you crave fat or starch, sugars.

There are genes that tend to predispose people towards certain foods. One of the reports I received from that chromosome mapping company 23 and Me was whether or not I had known genes likely to induce salt or sugar cravings. Mine said I was more likely to lean towards salty than sugary (which is true). Normal sweetness is fine, but piles of most sugar make me gag. My father though would eat a five pound bag of rock candy etc if you let him


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TyroneGenade]

I second Xiphius: give up soda. Easiest thing. Then stop taking sugar with coffee, tea etc... That is 3 lb gone per cup of coffee if all you do is cut out sugar from coffee.

Simplest starch to avoid: bread.

If you have to snack: nuts or jerky. My favorite lunch: apples with peanut butter. Your co-workers will look at you like you are mad but you will lose weight as they continue to balloon out.

Best way to avoid snacking and cravings: work without breaks and make sure you have no cash in your wallet for the vending machine (this is my undoing come 3 pm).

You don't need to cut sugar out completely (you need to ingest some sugar to keep your metabolism going) and can enjoy significant health benefits by simply reducing it.

 

[ehanes7612]

sound advice, soda is the worst...I gave that up 20 years ago
as far as coffee...coffee should be enjoyed in the black..adding anything to it is sacreligious
but I drink only the best coffee ..currently a 100 % Kona blend I have special ordered from the Big Island
there are so many options out there that open up when you rid yourself of excess sugar and fat...and your taste buds can start enjoying so much more subtleties
humans were not meant to eat sugar as a meal

 

[Happypaphy7]

Well, I don't drink soda, and when I do, it is free of sugar.
My biggest problem is baked goods, like cakes, muffins, pies...
I can finish entire birthday cake or pie in one sit. ha~

I like coffee without milk or cream, but I like it a little sweet. It just tastes too bitter to me. I prefer the aroma of the coffee more than the taste, unless it has been sweetened.

 

[AdamD]

Sugar substitutes in soda have been known to trigger sweet junk food cravings like this- your taste buds tell your brain to tell your stomach to get ready to process sugar because your taste buds have tasted something super sweet. When no sugar arrives after your body has prepared for it, it craves something to satisfy all the preparations that have already been made. Therefore throughout your day you will be more drawn to sugary foods. Bottom line: stop drinking soda altogether, or any other type of artificial sweetener.

 

[NYEric]

I know he is not trying to lose weight, he's skinny like me. Sugar is a bear, very hard to wean yourself off. Just try to cut down.

 

[ehanes7612]

Well, I don't drink soda, and when I do, it is free of sugar.
My biggest problem is baked goods, like cakes, muffins, pies...
I can finish entire birthday cake or pie in one sit. ha~

I like coffee without milk or cream, but I like it a little sweet. It just tastes too bitter to me. I prefer the aroma of the coffee more than the taste, unless it has been sweetened.

There has to be alternative bakeries in NYC that sell vegan baked goods. (Many vegans consider refined sugar as evil). They use more natural sweeteners, that actually have nutritional content. In seattle we have a few of these bakeries and they produce healthier alternatives that taste just as good and can help you wean off the sugary stuff and save your taste buds. With as much baked goods you claim to eat, you are using sugar as a drug ..and that will catch up to you as you age..diverticulosis, severe problems if you develop late onset diabetes, lethargy, malnutrition issues and mental concentration issues

 

[abax]

You might try honey, say one tsp. straight, to help you
through the sweet craving.

 

[Linus_Cello]

I succumb, but generally avoid having sweets in the house to begin with.

Maybe another strategy is to make your own flavored water. Drinking will fill you up. Add lemon or lime. Cucumber. My favorite is grapefruit and rosemary.

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

The only way I've managed to deal with this in the past is to stop eating obvious sources of refined sugar from the diet. As said, sweetened drinks (including artificial ones), cakes, cookies, etc. The harder part is to limit carbos in general, and that has to be done in a harmonious way... slowly, but with impact. For me the hard part is beer.

As for coping with hunger pangs, find a healthy replacement snack like tofu (quite nice with a little soy sauce and minced ginger root), nuts or even canned sardines. Crackers (even "whole grain") should be avoided for this.

Having spent my youth as a very active person, my brain is wired to eat a lot. There were periods when my daily calorie need was very high and that lifestyle has stuck with me even up to today. So the other problem is simply eating too much, which is increasingly a problem even here in Japan. Still, ice cream cones are about 1/3 the size of ones in America :rollhappy: