How to cut back on sugar cravings???

[Mom in High Heels]

Since we moved back to the US last year, we have all developed a HUGE craving for sugar.  Everything here is so sweet.  EVERYTHING.  I avoid HFCS as much as possible (meaning I don't buy anything that comes into the house with HFCS in it), but still, we are all craving sugar like crazy.  Mine seems to be the worst (James Bond craves caffeine), and I need to cut back on it. I don't need to get rid of ALL sugar, just the cravings for excess candy, cakes and other junky sweets.  I do drink soda, but only one per day (Pepsi made with sugar not HFCS), which I know isn't good for me, but it's just ONE, and I might go crazy without it.  Any thoughts on how to curb the cravings?  Please don't say go cold turkey, because having something completely off limits makes me want it even more, even after the "detox" time.  

[Snow]

:lurk5: I'm with you. It's getting ridiculous.

[mommymilkies]

I am sitting here eating brownie mix.  So my will is weak and I sympathize.

 

Sometimes it helps if I eat pineapple first-it's so sweet and acidic that you can't really taste sugary sweets well after that and it makes it not worth it. Really eating anything naturally sweet first might help-smoothies, banana, apple, a date, raisins, etc. 

 

 

[zoobie]

Get rid of it at home and only eat it out as a treat. It worked for us, though we don't follow that now.

[LucyStoner]

I am sitting here eating brownie mix. So my will is weak and I sympathize.

 

Sometimes it helps if I eat pineapple first-it's so sweet and acidic that you can't really taste sugary sweets well after that and it makes it not worth it. Really eating anything naturally sweet first might help-smoothies, banana, apple, a date, raisins, etc.

This begs the question- dry or mixed? And yeah, I have so done that. Mixed. Yes, yes raw egg. I'm still kicking it.

 

I agree with the pineappple and fruit/berry thing. Right now, we are getting lots of blackberries. Sometimes when my sugar cravings are high, I will just eat a bowl of strawberries with some *barely sweetened* whipped cream. Just a little though on the cream because I am not friendly with lactose/dairy.

[gardenmom5]

you need to give up pop - even if it's made with sugar.  save it for picnics and pizza nights as an *occasional* treat - not everyday.  if you need something sweet - eat an apple.  (they have ALOT of sugar in them.)

 

honey, agave, etc. are STILL SUGAR - and should be treated as such. e.g. kept to a minimum.  do not use or eat things with 'fake' sugar.  read labels.

 

one thing that has helped me when I was having particularly bad sugar cravings is a yeast cleanse. It would kill my cravings within three days.  candida yeast lives off sugar and will crave it to support itself.  it will also push out healthy bacteria - so do things that will support the healthy gut bacteria.

 

Now I eat yogurt for breakfast.  I do not eat commercial yogurt as it is loaded with sugar.  greek yogurt is generally better with no added sugar. (not always, read labels.)  I do plain non-fat from Costco (it tends to be cheaper), ,and add my own berries. (with no sugar added - just what is in the berries)

 

 

[Catwoman]

I can't help you.

 

They will have to pry my sugar and caffeine from my cold, dead hands.

[EndOfOrdinary]

I have taken to drinking Green tea with a scoop of honey in it whenever I want excess sugar. The honey makes it sweet and curbs my initial craving. After a week, I start to make the scoop of honey smaller. Within a month, I am drinking the tea straight. By making a full pot, and just keeping it on the stove, I can heat it up and drink it through out the day. It keeps me hydrated, the green tea is good for you, and it has really stopped my empty calorie consumption.

 

However!!! You will be using the bathroom a bit more for the first ten days. Be sure to go right before you get into bed as well. It is rather annoying, but the constant pee potty breaks stop as your body hydrates.

[Mom in High Heels]

I have taken to drinking Green tea with a scoop of honey in it whenever I want excess sugar. The honey makes it sweet and curbs my initial craving. After a week, I start to make the scoop of honey smaller. Within a month, I am drinking the tea straight. By making a full pot, and just keeping it on the stove, I can heat it up and drink it through out the day. It keeps me hydrated, the green tea is good for you, and it has really stopped my empty calorie consumption.

 

However!!! You will be using the bathroom a bit more for the first ten days. Be sure to go right before you get into bed as well. It is rather annoying, but the constant pee potty breaks stop as your body hydrates.

 

Any particular kind of green tea you use?  I drink one cup of black tea in the mornings, and it shoots right through me, so I totally know what you're saying about having to go to the bathroom.  That's an interesting idea.  I might try it.

[EndOfOrdinary]

It really doesn't matter. I try to go one step higher in quality than Lipton. It helps me tell myself that hopefully it is good for me and not the "McDonalds cheeseburger," super cheapo version. I definitely do not go all out with anything too fancy. It would cost a fortune!

[Camelfeet]

Get rid of your pepsi.  I know you might go crazy without it, but it just fuels sugar highs and crashes which makes you crave sugar more.  The more sugar you eat, the more you want it, IMO.  After a week you probably won't even want it anymore, assuming you can stay strong for a few days.  I agree with the tea people.  If you have something in your hand cravings might be easier to handle.  :)

 

I just got back from a 4 week vacation in North America and OMG my sugar cravings are bad right now.  Prior to going, the only time I would crave sweet junk food was before that time of the month.  I gotta do something to reboot my own system so that I crave eggplant again lol.    

 

 

 

[Snow]

Get rid of your pepsi. I know you might go crazy without it, but it just fuels sugar highs and crashes which makes you crave sugar more. The more sugar you eat, the more you want it, IMO. After a week you probably won't even want it anymore, assuming you can stay strong for a few days.

I went low carb for awhile to see if it would help and it really did. While I was eating that way, I had very few cravings.

 

However....it does still take vigilance because even if you're not actively craving it, you might have mental cravings and/or just a habit that is really easy to fall back into. So I would agree and disagree here that it doesn't just take a week, although it gets MUCH easier after that....regardless, you can still cave in and have to keep an eye out for it slowly creeping back in :(

 

Of course, there are people who tend to be moderate by nature. They can do things in moderation without too many problems.

 

I am, unfortunately, not one of those people!

[gardenmom5]

I admit, I have a sweet tooth.  I also now have potentially serious liver problems - because of sugar.  yes, it can be problematic.

I figure in the larger vice-related picture, a little sugar and caffeine is pretty much OK.

 

The way some people talk about sugar, you'd think we were mainlining heroin!

 

Ah, that brings back memories of hiding from my mom with the icing sugar and a teaspoon...

 

[Snow]

.

[Catwoman]

I admit, I have a sweet tooth. I also now have potentially serious liver problems - because of sugar. yes, it can be problematic.

How did they determine that your liver problems were due to your sugar intake?

 

I know that eating a lot of sugar used to be considered a potential cause of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, but I thought that opinion was now considered controversial, and that they now consider a high-calorie diet to be the culprit instead. (And they still have trouble identifying all of the causes of the disease, because heredity can play a part, and there are also people with fatty liver disease for whom a cause can't be identified.)

 

I know that even liver transplant centers don't advise a low-sugar diet unless the patient is diabetic or pre-diabetic, so that's why I'm so curious about this. They recommend a low-sodium diet to help prevent ascites, and they stress the importance of maintaining a healthy weight, but they don't specifically restrict sugar.

 

If you're diabetic, that's obviously a different matter entirely.

[gardenmom5]

How did they determine that your liver problems were due to your sugar intake?

 

I know that eating a lot of sugar used to be considered a potential cause of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, but I thought that opinion was now considered controversial, and that they now consider a high-calorie diet to be the culprit instead. (And they still have trouble identifying all of the causes of the disease, because heredity can play a part, and there are also people with fatty liver disease for whom a cause can't be identified.)

 

I know that even liver transplant centers don't advise a low-sugar diet unless the patient is diabetic or pre-diabetic, so that's why I'm so curious about this. They recommend a low-sodium diet to help prevent ascites, and they stress the importance of maintaining a healthy weight, but they don't specifically restrict sugar.

 

If you're diabetic, that's obviously a different matter entirely.

 

every other cause was ruled out. (no hep c, non-drinker, absolutely no family history - even among the alcholics, etc.)  repeatedly, by several different drs.  I am not diabetic, and my blood glucose levels have always been okay. 

 with my sweet tooth, I consumed a lot of sugar.  (chocolate chip cookie dough is yummy.)  I don't avoid it completely - after all, there is sugar even in carrots. (and I had blackberry pie for dh's bd.)  but I have seriously cut down consumption and am already feeling better.  and then there is the acid test.  does cutting down the sugar make my liver happy? yes.  I have been going in every three months for liver panels.

 

eta: and conversely - before I started down this road, consuming sugar would cause problems in how I felt within 20 minutes. (sometimes as little as five minutes.)

[mathnerd]

candida yeast lives off sugar and will crave it to support itself.  it will also push out healthy bacteria - so do things that will support the healthy gut bacteria.

 

 

I have heard that sugar cravings are really the yeast (candida that is overgrown) craving fuel for their growth and sustenance - which is sugar and carbs. I take a probiotic yeast (Saccharomyces boulardii) for controlling candida.

[Catwoman]

every other cause was ruled out. (no hep c, non-drinker, absolutely no family history - even among the alcholics, etc.) repeatedly, by several different drs. I am not diabetic, and my blood glucose levels have always been okay.

with my sweet tooth, I consumed a lot of sugar. (chocolate chip cookie dough is yummy.) I don't avoid it completely - after all, there is sugar even in carrots. (and I had blackberry pie for dh's bd.) but I have seriously cut down consumption and am already feeling better. and then there is the acid test. does cutting down the sugar make my liver happy? yes. I have been going in every three months for liver panels.

 

eta: and conversely - before I started down this road, consuming sugar would cause problems in how I felt within 20 minutes. (sometimes as little as five minutes.)

I'm surprised they identified the sugar as being the cause, because there's really no way to rule out all of the other causes, when even the best doctors and researchers acknowledge that some people simply seem to develop the disease, despite having no other risk factors.

 

Whatever the case, if cutting back on sugar is helping you, I think that's great, and I hope you continue to see improvements in your bloodwork. It's very fortunate that you found out you had liver problems before it progressed to cirrhosis, because it's still possible for you to reverse some of the negative effects of liver disease.

 

I'm definitely going to have my dh ask about the sugar connection the next time we visit the Cleveland Clinic. My dh's disease isn't reversible, but we're trying to learn as much as we can about liver disease in case our ds inherits a predisposition toward it, and obviously, we are also doing everything we can to try to slow the progression of my dh's disease, as well.

 

Thanks for giving me the details of what's going on with you! :)

[Joyofsixreboot]

I work on the No S model. It's ok to have some on special days ( or days that start with S) but most of the time I do not. I agree with not keeping it at home. Most of the time you won't go out for it. I would suggest mint or some other sort of naturally sweet herb tea, lots of water and unfortunately I'd demote the pop to weekly.

[Joyofsixreboot]

I can't help you.

 

They will have to pry my sugar and caffeine from my cold, dead hands.

Sugar. I'm kind of a take it or leave it girl. But my coffee!!! If they discover it's deadly tomorrow I'm keeping it.

[Alessandra]

I find it interesting that your sugar craving developed after you moved to U.S. What kind of sugar are you eating -- high quality homemade/bakery desserts or packaged food?

 

The reason I'm asking is that some food is designed to be addictive. 'The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food' in the NY Times Magazine is pretty illuminating.

 

Sorry you are going through this. I gave up soda decades ago. It took about 6 months, but now I never want the stuff.

 

What changed about your diet when you moved? Or is the sugar craving stress related, with all the changes from your move?

 

I am also curious just for myself, to know what is different, sweeter here vs where you were before,

[marbel]

Last year I followed a weight loss program that instructed to stop all added sugar consumption for 6 weeks.   This, they said, would help end the cravings.  They also suggested the use of L-glutamine supplements to help cut the cravings. 

 

Well, I did it - just ate nothing with added sugar, and was careful to look for breads and such with the lowest sugar content (or made my own bread) for 6 weeks.  (I didn't try the supplement.)  It worked.  I lost weight and I lost the sugar cravings.  I was able to eat sugar sparingly and infrequently for a long time after that.

 

Till Christmas, as a matter of fact.  Then I started making toffee.  And all bets were off, and have been since then.  I gained back 5 pounds and right now as I type I am contemplating opening a can of sweetened condensed milk for my morning coffee.  You know what will happen once that can is opened, of course. 

 

[fairfarmhand]

Start your day with a high-protein meal. If I  eat a starch thing first thing, I'll be eating cookies all day.

 

Eat sugary stuff with high protein high fat alongside it.

 

So with a cookie, eat some nuts.

 

Also, we don't buy packaged sweets. If I want a sweet, I have to bake it from scratch.

[VaKim]

I don't drink soda at all, but still have horrid cravings for sweets, especially baked goods. I just do not bring any of it into the house, and do allow myself a treat on weekends. During the week, I try to eat mainly fruits for sweets. But the one thing I have found that helps most is dark chocolate. Good quality, 70% or more cocoa. It is actually considered a healthy food now, and you don't need nearly as much of it to be satisfied as you do something like donuts or cookies. Or perhaps it is just not addicting, like those other things are. Either way, I have me a couple squares of it each day to satisfy those cravings.

[Night Elf]

You might try starting with portion control. That will make you more mindful of what you're eating. Then maybe that will help you plan what you're going to eat. If you want a sugary snack, schedule it into your day. For example, you might have one as an afternoon snack between lunch and dinner. That's how my mind works. If I know I'll have a certain snack at a certain time, I won't crave anything until snack time.

 

I gave up my Pepsi a day habit. I am on Weight Watchers and don't like to drink calories. That was easier to give up than my pastry habit.

[shukriyya]

Up your good fats--coconut oil, ghee, olive oil, butter, cream, cheese etc--and increase your protein. Cut down on grains. Daily doses of kombucha helped me even out blood sugar for reasons I don't entirely understand but, interestingly, a pp mentioned taking a glutamine supplement to address sugar issues and kombucha is very high in glutamine.

[Truscifi]

Drop the soda. Seriously, it is hard, I know, but drinking one every day keeps you in that sugar cycle even if the rest of your diet is fairly low in sugar.

 

Also, go cold turkey for 2 weeks. Or even 1 week. No sugar at all, no bread or anything. Lots of healthy fats and protein and veggies. After that add back in fruit, and it will likely taste much sweeter than you remember it. You can add back the occasional treat too - I like Lindt 70% or 85% dark chocolate a couple times a week - but you will also likely find that most of the sweet treats you enjoyed before taste sweeter. It makes it much easier to limit yourself and really be aware of how much sugar you are eating.

[Plateau Mama]

This is the program I use to detox.

 

http://21daysugardetox.com

 

Days 3-5 are the hardest.

[kitten18]

I went low carb for awhile to see if it would help and it really did. While I was eating that way, I had very few cravings.

 

However....it does still take vigilance because even if you're not actively craving it, you might have mental cravings and/or just a habit that is really easy to fall back into. So I would agree and disagree here that it doesn't just take a week, although it gets MUCH easier after that....regardless, you can still cave in and have to keep an eye out for it slowly creeping back in :(

 

Of course, there are people who tend to be moderate by nature. They can do things in moderation without too many problems.

 

I am, unfortunately, not one of those people!

Yep, me too.  I'm very bad at moderation.

 

I have to cut all sugars, grains, and starches, that completely eliminates cravings for me.

[mommymilkies]

This begs the question- dry or mixed? And yeah, I have so done that. Mixed. Yes, yes raw egg. I'm still kicking it.

 

I agree with the pineappple and fruit/berry thing. Right now, we are getting lots of blackberries. Sometimes when my sugar cravings are high, I will just eat a bowl of strawberries with some *barely sweetened* whipped cream. Just a little though on the cream because I am not friendly with lactose/dairy.

Mixed, but for the sake of health I leave out the raw egg until I'm done gorging myself.   :lol:

[CTmom]

pull grapes from a bunch and freeze them. Its a great snack for sweet tooth

[Mom in High Heels]

I find it interesting that your sugar craving developed after you moved to U.S. What kind of sugar are you eating -- high quality homemade/bakery desserts or packaged food?

 

The reason I'm asking is that some food is designed to be addictive. 'The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food' in the NY Times Magazine is pretty illuminating.

 

Sorry you are going through this. I gave up soda decades ago. It took about 6 months, but now I never want the stuff.

 

What changed about your diet when you moved? Or is the sugar craving stress related, with all the changes from your move?

 

I am also curious just for myself, to know what is different, sweeter here vs where you were before,

 

Everything in the US is sweeter.  EVERYTHING.  When we first moved back (we were in Germany for 5 years this last time), we were constantly overwhelmed by the sweetness.  Even Indy had problems with them.  Every now and then, we would have a treat, and we almost always chose a Twix, but only the German Twix, because they weren't as sweet.  We tried one at a movie one night after we got back to the US, and Indy couldn't eat it, because it was too sweet.  Not only are candies and drinks less sweet over there, they don't use HFCS at all, so it's not that addictive, IME.  Their breads and pastries, which everyone eats ALL.THE.TIME. aren't sweet.  The pastries have a light taste, not cloyingly a sweet taste, so you can't taste the pastry.  After a while in the US though, we started to slowly get used to it, and now we're all addicted.  Sigh.  Sadly, we're not eating high quality stuff, just junk.  There is a German bakery that we visit every now and then, and the stuff there just tastes...right.  Does that make sense?

I don't think the craving is from stress, as I'm not generally a stress eater.  I'm usually a stress no eater, if that's such a thing. The more stress, the less I eat.  Maybe I need more stress.  ;)

I'm going to *try* to give up soda, except on the weekend.  Heaven help us all.

[LucyStoner]

Start your day with a high-protein meal. If I eat a starch thing first thing, I'll be eating cookies all day.

 

Eat sugary stuff with high protein high fat alongside it.

 

So with a cookie, eat some nuts.

 

Also, we don't buy packaged sweets. If I want a sweet, I have to bake it from scratch.

All good advice and the first thing is so true for me. If I don't eat a hot, protein rich diet I am making questionable food choices all day.

[Moxie]

Add me to the list of people who CAN NOT do moderation.  If I eat that first chip, I'm eating most of the bag! 

 

The main time that you have to resist the sugar temptation is in the grocery store.  If it isn't in your home, you can't eat it.  One thing that helps me is to keep a running tab in my head of all the junk food I'm not buying and I treat myself to something else with that money--makeup or a magazine for me.

 

I also think you need to give up that Pepsi a day.  Yes, it is only one but there is a massive amount of sugar in that one soda and it is keeping you wanting more sugar.

 

I also find that resisting the cravings one time helps me to resist on a regular basis.  I know that if I resisted the Oreo early in the day, I can resist whatever crap is in front of me. 

 

Sorry!!

 

[LibraryLover]

More home cooked foods will help. So maybe keep your Pepsi for a bit, but get rid of candy ( except for Halloween and Christmas . And Easter. Lol) and store bought baked goods and cereals/ waffles etc. If the kids want cookies, they can bake them. My kids learned a long time ago that cookies and such taste good even if you don't have a two cups of sugar in the house to add to the mix. They also learned that oats in the vitamix turns into flour ( since, Mom! Why don't we have more flour!). All good life lessons in adaptation. :)

 

Processed food isn't really food. ;) Europe has mostly managed to keep their food integrity so far. The farmers in the US who are maintaining or going back to good farming practices need our support. It's very hard not to make this political. :( Madison Ave & and the 'industrial complex' made us crave these artificial sweets. It's not an accident.

[Catwoman]

Last year I followed a weight loss program that instructed to stop all added sugar consumption for 6 weeks.   This, they said, would help end the cravings.  They also suggested the use of L-glutamine supplements to help cut the cravings. 

 

Well, I did it - just ate nothing with added sugar, and was careful to look for breads and such with the lowest sugar content (or made my own bread) for 6 weeks.  (I didn't try the supplement.)  It worked.  I lost weight and I lost the sugar cravings.  I was able to eat sugar sparingly and infrequently for a long time after that.

 

Till Christmas, as a matter of fact.  Then I started making toffee.  And all bets were off, and have been since then.  I gained back 5 pounds and right now as I type I am contemplating opening a can of sweetened condensed milk for my morning coffee.  You know what will happen once that can is opened, of course.

 

Well, of course I do. It means I'll be on my way over to your house for coffee. :D

 

[prairiewindmomma]

This is going to sound kind of weird, but there are some medical journal articles on this--not a large enough sample size or close enough  methodology that I can call it "research".....  I take raw apple cider vinegar (2T) at bedtime and before particularly carb heavy meals. My carb cravings are tied to my reactive hypoglycemia. If I can keep my glucose levels steady, I don't crave sugar as much. Low carb dieting is a part of this, but this is an added measure of support.

[Laurie4b]

If you don't want to kick your Pepsi habit yet, wait until you've made some changes and then try.

 

I began healthy eating by what I thought of as my "adding things" diet: I added in lots of healthy veges. I found if I pushed for 9 servings of fruits and veges a day, my cravings went away. "Cravings" as I'm defining them, are yearning for something that is not even in sight, so that's what I'm referring to. I was also eating a lot of healthy fats (nuts, avocado, olive oil.)  It is a tremendous amount of food and there is little room for anything packaged.

 

As another pp suggested, I also exert my will power at the grocery store. If it's in my house and I see it, it's much harder to resist it. Don't buy processed food. It almost certainly will contain either too much sugar and/or sodium .

 

Like some pp's, if I want something sweet, a square of a dark chocolate bar does the trick. Look for a bar with little sugar. Generally, the higher the cacao content, the lower the sugar will be. I like the Trader Joe's organic dark chocolate. They give me my dark chocolate fix, but they aren't super creamy. I learned not to buy some of the orange flavored dark chocolate bars that are out there, even though the sugar content was so low. They just tasted too good and I would keep eating beyond the portion I had intended.

 

Make sure you are well hydrated. I would suggest 2 glasses of water on wakening, and one with each meal. Try for 8 per day. I would also suggest making a deal with yourself that you can drink a Pepsi, but only after you've had 12 oz. of water and see if that helps.

 

You could also try looking for a step-down substitute: iced coffee or iced tea with less sugar (You'd have to put 10 tsp. of sugar in a glass of iced coffee to get the same sugar as in a can of Pepsi.) If you were drinking coffee or tea as your substitute, at least both those beverages have health benefits. Once you've switched, you can gradually decrease the sugar in the drink because you're adding it yourself.

 

I don't think your plan to abstain from Pepsi during the week and indulge on the weekend is going to get you anywhere with respect to sugar cravings.A Pepsi is a whopping amount of sugar at 41 grams and apparently, when you drink calories, your body doesn't even register it as calories, as it would if you ate that much sugar. (You could eat 2 large brownies or 2 1/2 servings of ice cream for each Pepsi.)

 

[Mom in High Heels]

If you don't want to kick your Pepsi habit yet, wait until you've made some changes and then try.  Yeah, I've been thinking about this.  Forbidden fruit and all.

 

I began healthy eating by what I thought of as my "adding things" diet: I added in lots of healthy veges. I found if I pushed for 9 servings of fruits and veges a day, my cravings went away. "Cravings" as I'm defining them, are yearning for something that is not even in sight, so that's what I'm referring to. I was also eating a lot of healthy fats (nuts, avocado, olive oil.)  It is a tremendous amount of food and there is little room for anything packaged.

 

As another pp suggested, I also exert my will power at the grocery store. If it's in my house and I see it, it's much harder to resist it. Don't buy processed food. It almost certainly will contain either too much sugar and/or sodium .  Generally, I don't, but when I crave something, I've been motivated to go get it.  In theory, I don't have it in the house, because it's too easy to access, but lately, I've actually left the house.  Ugh, that's embarrassing to admit.  :blushing: 

 

Like some pp's, if I want something sweet, a square of a dark chocolate bar does the trick. Look for a bar with little sugar. Generally, the higher the cacao content, the lower the sugar will be. I like the Trader Joe's organic dark chocolate. They give me my dark chocolate fix, but they aren't super creamy. I learned not to buy some of the orange flavored dark chocolate bars that are out there, even though the sugar content was so low. They just tasted too good and I would keep eating beyond the portion I had intended. I've been out of dark chocolate for a while.  I only eat dark, and usually it's enough.  Maybe I need to get some.

 

Make sure you are well hydrated. I would suggest 2 glasses of water on wakening, and one with each meal. Try for 8 per day. I would also suggest making a deal with yourself that you can drink a Pepsi, but only after you've had 12 oz. of water and see if that helps. I drink water ALL DAY, except for the one Pepsi.  Seriously, I could float a boat. 

 

You could also try looking for a step-down substitute: iced coffee or iced tea with less sugar (You'd have to put 10 tsp. of sugar in a glass of iced coffee to get the same sugar as in a can of Pepsi.) If you were drinking coffee or tea as your substitute, at least both those beverages have health benefits. Once you've switched, you can gradually decrease the sugar in the drink because you're adding it yourself. I don't drink coffee.  I do drink hot tea in the morning, and use 1 tsp of Agave.  I make a HUGE mug of tea, and don't like it too sweet.  If I'm feeling crazy, I'll add a splash of milk.

  

I don't think your plan to abstain from Pepsi during the week and indulge on the weekend is going to get you anywhere with respect to sugar cravings.A Pepsi is a whopping amount of sugar at 41 grams and apparently, when you drink calories, your body doesn't even register it as calories, as it would if you ate that much sugar. (You could eat 2 large brownies or 2 1/2 servings of ice cream for each Pepsi.) I know it has a load of sugar.  Honestly, I don't think the drink is really the problem, as I don't always have to have one.  If I do though, I only allow one, because it would be bad, bad, bd if I went or more.  It's more candy and cakey things.  I want them all the time.  ACK!  I'm going to start really cutting back tomorrow.  I have loads of fruits and veg, and green tea.  We'll see how it goes.

 

[gardenmom5]

I was reminded of this today - so I thought I'd post it.

 

sugar increases how much you eat as it reduces the messages of satiation sent to the brain.  (or maybe it relaxes the stomach muscles so it holds more. don't remember which - just that more sugar = eating more.)

 

dh and I went out to lunch today, and I ordered my favorite special (I love when they have lobster ravioli.  I love this place and we don't get there very often).  Normally, I can easily pack it away, and want dessert.  I couldn't even finish the plate. (I also ate less of the bread and garlic/olive oil than I would normally eat.)  I was eyeing that last piece and wanted dh to eat it. (he ate half.)  I didn't have a big breakfast - just my usual yogurt with berries and toast.  earlier this week - I again could only eat half my lunch. (and ate the rest the next day.)   all this since I've seriously cut down on my sugar intake.  (and that last time I had really tempting food upon my plate that I couldn't eat - I had pneumonia.)

[Lara in Colo]

Coconut oil will help with the cravings--- it will kill the yeast growing in your intestinal tract and give you healthy oils for energy thus reducing the craving in that manner as well

 

[Incognito]

When I eat more fat and fresh veggies I tend to lose the sugar craving (after a brutal week or so of powerful craving).

 

There was a recent season where I didn't crave sugar and I think a good part of it was that I didn't drink pop or juices, and we didn't make much pasta.

 

[Mom in High Heels]

Coconut oil will help with the cravings--- it will kill the yeast growing in your intestinal tract and give you healthy oils for energy thus reducing the craving in that manner as well

 

I've heard this over and over, BUT I'm allergic to coconut!  Bummer.

 

Anyone think juicing might help?  Not EXCLUSIVE juicing (I need to eat food), but maybe one or two a day.

 

[Lara in Colo]

juicing does help, but be careful about what you juice--- avoid sugary things (like smoothies with lots of fruits)  Eating yogurt is helpful (but unsweetened)

 

[Dina in Oklahoma]

LOL!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

I am sitting here eating brownie mix.  So my will is weak and I sympathize.

 

Sometimes it helps if I eat pineapple first-it's so sweet and acidic that you can't really taste sugary sweets well after that and it makes it not worth it. Really eating anything naturally sweet first might help-smoothies, banana, apple, a date, raisins, etc. 

 

[Dina in Oklahoma]

My dear friend's MIL swears by this!

This is going to sound kind of weird, but there are some medical journal articles on this--not a large enough sample size or close enough  methodology that I can call it "research".....  I take raw apple cider vinegar (2T) at bedtime and before particularly carb heavy meals. My carb cravings are tied to my reactive hypoglycemia. If I can keep my glucose levels steady, I don't crave sugar as much. Low carb dieting is a part of this, but this is an added measure of support.

 

 

[Mom in High Heels]

This is going to sound kind of weird, but there are some medical journal articles on this--not a large enough sample size or close enough  methodology that I can call it "research".....  I take raw apple cider vinegar (2T) at bedtime and before particularly carb heavy meals. My carb cravings are tied to my reactive hypoglycemia. If I can keep my glucose levels steady, I don't crave sugar as much. Low carb dieting is a part of this, but this is an added measure of support.

 

Thanks for the reminder.  For a while, I was drinking a cup of hot tea with 2T apple cider vinegar, 1t honey, 1/2t lemon and cinnamon.  It is so good, and did help curb the cravings.  Off to make a cup right now!

 

[Mom in High Heels]

juicing does help, but be careful about what you juice--- avoid sugary things (like smoothies with lots of fruits)  Eating yogurt is helpful (but unsweetened)

 

What should I avoid juicing?  I'm not planning on smoothies, just juicing.

 

[Lara in Colo]

Well-- I don't think a smoothy made with all fruit to be much of an improvement.   What is the reason you are juicing??  To lose weight? To replace desserts? to kill yeast? 

 

there would be different types of foods to use for different goals

 

[Seasider]

Sigh. The only way I've been successful was to quit sugar cold turkey. I was successful because I was pregnant and the baby's health depended on my compliance. It's much harder now that I don't have an altruistic motivation!

 

I find it helps to stick to the basics. I think the paleo folks have this figured out.