Sweets argh

[Skinnymini]

Ok, so I've been doing really well food wise (since yesterday) but I have to say it is hard. I find myself thinking about food way too much !! I have to learn to re programme my brain into thinking hunger is good! Also been drinking warm water with lemon and ginger in morning. HOWEVER, I have the world worst sweet habit which is silly because I'll buy diet soda soft drink but it a whole packet of Haribo م😲 Need to kick the habit ! Any of you have same problem x

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

I'm totally addicted to sugar, in all it's guises, Skinnymini and the only way I can deal with it, is to steer clear of it completely, including sugar substitutes, as they drive the cravings too.

jopo has a Sugar Free challenge running, which you may like to join, for support from other sweet addicts

Good luck!

[rossie1942]

I have just come on here to get some inspiration as I too am having a day of craving sweets. I made the mistake of buying allsorts. All I can say is that sweets and chocolates for me are like drink for an alcoholic.. I can do ok if I refrain completely but a single one and I cannot stop, Are you able to substitute fruit for sweets ? This works for me. Don't have any in the house make sure that you eat proper meals and most important don't be too hard on yourself everybody on this site has their off days. An earlier posting suggests freezing grapes which sounds great.

[Chuckyegg]

Hi skinnymini

Yes, I think many of us can relate to having a sugar addiction and it is very hard to do without. I tried stopping cold turkey, which worked well for a month and then suddenly I simply couldn't get sweets out of my head. I used to eat ice cream for breakfast, so it was a problem.

So now I treat myself once a week after weigh-in on Sunday night with a sweet of some sort, but strictly low calorie. If you want a few suggestions on these I will get back to you. However, it's much better if you can just do without, because having just one treat is difficult and can easily lead to more. Eventually, the natural sugars in carbos will be satisfying enough if you stick to it long enough.

If you plan your meals carefully, do it slowly and healthily, you shouldn't have to feel hungry on your diet.

Good luck 🙂

[IndigoBlue61]

Hello Skinnymini 😊

I find the sugar cravings are worst if I get too hungry 😕 Ty to eat enough, I split my calories into three almost equal meals, decent breakfast (after exercise) and same again at lunch, evening meal perhaps the lightest of all. Fruit only between meals

If you check your BMI and target calories there isn't any need to be hungry 😊

Good luck

[jopo]

Hi Skinnymini

Just try this trick.

Think of sugar as simply an addictive poison. It has zero nutrition and makes your body over produce insulin which turns the sugar into fat.

There is a huge list of sugars found in many processed foods, you'll be amazed at the different names given to sugar. Check out the Sugar Free Challenge post, you'll see the list, then check your labels - you need to turn detective !!

Diet soda has artificial sugar but your body cannot tell the difference so again it produces excess insulin to protect you.

I'm not sure hunger is good but it is good to recognise what your body needs nutrition wise. Good luck, it's not easy with so much 'diet ' advice out there. XX

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to jopo]

Perfect answer jopo

I will repeat that mantra 😊

[Ceals in reply to jopo]

Good response jopo, no wonder you are running the sugar challenge.

[jopo in reply to Ceals]

Hi Ceals

You might have guessed that I'm very anti Sugar. I think history will prove that the obesity epidemic has been caused by Sugar and highly processed food.

We already know that calories are not equal.

In America the government classed pizza as a vegetable so that it could be served up to school children (as healthy) - how appalling is that !!!

[Ceals in reply to jopo]

Wow! Classing pizza as veg sounds like a criminal act to me! I am with you on sugar being the demon of all demons. Two really interesting reads lately-The case against sugar and The obesity code. Wow is all I can say. First book is a bit of a slog and quire repetitive, second book is an absolute page turner!

[jopo in reply to Ceals]

Thanks Ceals I've got the first one on audio books (Audiable) it's very interesting. Check out The Blood Sugar diet Craig Beck. If you can get it on audio books it's a fantastic listen, which I've done several times.

[Ceals in reply to jopo]

Will do-thank you.

Big business and marketing gurus have so much to answer for-but they only seem to be accountable to their shareholders?

[Ceals in reply to jopo]

Got the Craig Beck book on audio on my kindle. Plan to start it whilst I am on a longish drive today.

[jopo in reply to Ceals]

Its an entertaining listen and pretty eye opening. Well done Ceals .

let me know what you think

jo x

[Ceals in reply to jopo]

Wow is all I can say! As you say very entertaining and really interesting personal research. Strangely enough I had been considering getting a blood sugar testing kit because the whole insulin thing really interests me. Now I can just look on his website. I knew sugar was the devil but hadn't realised wheat flour was quite so bad. I only eat two pieces of bread per week - or should I say I used to! I don't eat pasta or pizza of baked goods but I do use breadcrumbs in a few dishes. Will need to change that.

Thank you

[jopo in reply to Ceals]

I'm sure my body just turns bread into sugar and then into fat.

I avoid all wheat now and I'm a different person. 😁

[Ceals in reply to jopo]

I will be doing the same.

[Ceals]

Skinnymini I feel very fortunate that my sweet tooth has left me. I can now eat a chocolate or leave it and I can have just one. I would never have eaten hairbo though, I don't like the smell of them.

I think it is because I concentrate very hard on healthy eating and I am usually too busy planning what to cook, or indeed cooking that I don't think about anything sweet. My mantra is if it isn't good for me it doesn't go in my mouth.

I hope your sweet tooth goes off to sugar land with mine for a long, long time.

[NancyM1978]

I treat sugar and junk food like poison. I can't just eat 1 of any of these foods, as soon as I do it sets off the phenomena of craving in me. Easter was hard but I got through it hour by hour, day by day.

[Ceals in reply to NancyM1978]

Totally agree with the poison analogy NancyM1978

[Skinnygrandma]

If you have a feeling of hunger you are probably not eating enough. Eat fruit in between meals try eating every two to three hours. Brushing teeth and doing housework chores also helps taking your mind off food. (Got the toothbrush thing from here) also drink plenty that wanting to eat feeling is often a dehydration sign. Good luck

[shengorth 3lbs]

Sorry I havent had time right now to read all the above replies but I will later when I sit and relax. I find when Im hungry for food and craving sweets (which I dont have in the house too much temptation) I eat some protein as in some Pecan or Cashew nuts or Penut butter on a cripbread with a cuppa. It seems to help me and get rid of the craving or hungry feeling .I do have %80 chocolate in the fridge if I am really desperate It lasts for months as its so bitter one square is enough

[Skinnymini 5lbs]

Thanks guys for the responses, it seems like a lot of us have sweet cravings! Easter was a nightmare for me just another excuse to eat Cadbury cream egg and share the kids eggs. I think I tell my self at least the sweets don't have fat. However theyre so bad for me as I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and have to watch myself. I don't think I can go cold turkey. I drink a lot of 'diet' soda it's my one solace if I'm not having any sugar although I'm aware that water is probably the best drink due to the sweetness etc still in diet sodas. I hope to gradually wean myself off .

[RG07 Maintainer in reply to Skinnymini]

i am a savoury person- crisps and bombay mix and occassionally dried roasted peanuts! chocolate i can take or leave i have to be in the mood. crisps etc are another thing entirely! i dare not buy muti packs since once they are open thats it they are gone in a flash all 6 packets!!!

[Skinnymini 5lbs]

Also what I meant by training my brain into thinking hunger is good is that at that moment when I feel that hunger pang I just go ahead and satisfy it with whatever is available. By training my body and mind into getting used to that feeling and being a little more disciplined I can hopefully reduce the feeling gradually. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Naturally if your body gets used to being satisfied whenever that hunger pang hits then that's worse. Also to create a calorie deficit I need to reduce my food amount which will make me hungry but I have to deal with it. At moment eating loads of nuts....healthy but high calories 😬