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How to deny my sweet tooth

epalmer

New member
Hi,

I have a crazy sweet tooth - I always want chocolate or something sweet! I’m trying to get better about reigning in my cravings. What are some tricks that people use to “turn off” their sweet cravings?
 

michalaw

New member
Hi! I like to replace my "bad" sweets with healthy sweets. If I am craving a brownie sundae, I will eat some fruit instead. I think that it is important to listen to your body when you are craving something, because it can be telling you what you need.
 

howremarkable

New member
Hi! I like to replace my "bad" sweets with healthy sweets. If I am craving a brownie sundae, I will eat some fruit instead. I think that it is important to listen to your body when you are craving something, because it can be telling you what you need.
That's absolutely the best way. Over the course of time, that "alternative" will change your brain (and your cravings). Good call
 

JTiara23

New member
I am trying myself to replace bad treats with good treats, I am horrible at it. I love fruit and veggies, but sometimes I just need something sweet. I try to be consistent with good eating habits, but it might be something that totally just sets me all the way back when it comes to making the healthier decisions. And I know I need to eat right, I just want to feel better within my body.
 

kes29

New member
I try not to entirely eliminate anything from my diet. There's a lot of research out there that by labeling something "off limits" it just makes it all the more tempting. The whole "forbidden fruit" concept. Instead of denying yourself it, maybe exercise better portion control. Read the serving sizes on packages and stick to those. Or, see how "bad" it would be if you gave in an indulged in a whole candy bar. Sometimes I find myself wanting to reach for more chips, and then I read how much salt/calories/etc. would be in an additional serving and suddenly it isn't so tempting.
 

Rae1234

New member
The old timey remedy to deal with cravings for sweets is to use bitters which is a concoction of bitter tasting herbs. Swedish Bitters is probably the most famous product - its been around forever and you can buy it on Amazon or at the health food store. I have a sweet tooth, too, but I also like the taste of Swedish Bitters. Its not super bitter - more like bitter sweet.

Here's a little article on bitters and why it seems to work:

"This is because after tasting bitters, the body finds sugar less appealing (an evolutionary adaptation) and cravings dissipate or are more easily managed."

http://www.midlandnaturopath.ca/blog/the-bitter-sweet-solution-to-sugar-cravings
 
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natjacobsmeier

New member
One thing I have a bad habit of, & it usually helps me kick the craving of wanting a bigger sweet, is after dinner I have a square of chocolate off a bar. Or a small hard candy to help satisfy the sugar want. I never really meant for this to curb my craving for sweets, it’s just always been something I’ve done without knowing. I have realized though that it helps to kick the bigger cravings such as a bowl of ice cream!
 

chl0206

New member
Agree with all of the posters who said replacing with a good "sugar," not completely depriving yourself, and reserving a smaller portion for yourself each day or ahead of time.

I think another thing to consider is how much added sugar is in the other foods you are eating -- cereals, yogurt, sauces, etc. And it can show up in unexpected places like chips and pasta sauce, where you might not expect it. I have found that when I am conscious of the amount of sugar in my diet overall, I am less likely to crave huge pieces of chocolate cake. Although, that is something I still deal with and occasionally indulge.
 

MichelleSP

New member
Have you ever done a Whole30? It's this 30 day "reset" for your diet and your relationship with food. You focus on eating real, whole foods like vegetables, meats, and some fruit while avoiding sugar, dairy, gluten, soy, and alcohol. The foods you avoid are known to trigger negative reactions in the body. After 30 days of eating really well, your taste buds will have completely adjusted and you don't crave sweets nearly as much. It might sound crazy, but it was a really great program when I did it!
 

jacque_mich

New member
This is a problem for me as well! I have a crazy sweet tooth and always have. I have tried cutting it out completely The first time it was because I was cutting carbs for a bodybuilding method and cutting sugar was the easiest way to lower my carb intake. I am not saying carbs are bad, it's just something that was working for me at the time. Anyway, I was completely off of sugar for 3 months, and my acne almost completely cleared up! I have had horrible acne since I was a teenager, now in my late twenties, it's controlled through diet and a dermatologist. After that, it's been relatively easy for me to keep my sugar intake low because there is a direct correlation between my skin and my sugar intake. Also, what kind of sugar matters: the less processed the better. The type of sugar effects blood sugar differently and makes your body react differently. There are studies that sugar is incredibly addictive, and cutting the addiction by staying away from it completely is often the best way to curb it in the future. Like MichelleSP said, taste buds change, and the sugar is not as appealing when you aren't used to it. I can definitely say this from experience, now that I have been mostly off of it (cane sugar and corn syrup are the ones that bother me) for about 2 years, I really don't care for it anymore. I prefer more rich sweets, like little bits of dark chocolate (it is not hard to find stevia-sweetened chocolate), and homemade desserts that I can make with a lower sugar content and not such an intense sweetness.
One of the easiest ways to avoid large amounts of sugar is to make things at home. For example, plain nonfat greek yogurt in a big container is actually cheaper than the individual ones and super easy to pack up the night before work in a little tupperware. You can add bits of fruit, or just some honey (I love honey and cocoa powder in mine) and create a great flavor without all the additives and make it a little less sweet than the pre-made ones, often reducing the calories as well. Baking my own sweets using an alternative like stevia or agave nectar (or just a banana base, pinterest has a bunch of recipes like this) gives me something sweet that is often also a really nutritious snacks with whole, natural carbs (like bananas, zucchinis, dates) that are more filling and provide more energy than something overtly sugary.
Also, eating sweets after a filling meal helps me not eat too much of it. If I'm feeling like eating a snack, I'll eat something more wholesome, and then add a little something sweet at the end to help with portion control. Another reason for this is because I think it's important to eat when you're hungry, as long as it is an intentional sort of eating.
 

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