Curbing A Sweet Tooth

[Mary Helen]

Does anyone have any good ideas for curbing an absolutely out of control sweet tooth?!? My four roommates and I can take out a sheet cake in less than 24 hours. If there are sweets in the house, we just can't seem to stop eating them. We're open to hearing any suggestions. . .

[Leanne]

I am a really big sweets eater too. I try not to keep them around the house. I also try things like yogurt that are sweet, but sort of good for you. I will also have chocolate milk or hot chocolate - that just doesn't seem as bad as a candy bar or piece of cake - plus I get calcium.
My last suggestion is a product called Viactive. They're little squares of chewy chocolate or caramel that give you your daily calcium & some other vitamins/minerals. They're great & after I eat 1 or 2, I've curbed my sweet tooth.

[lorilei]

Some people find that cutting down on the carbohydrates (particularly the simple, refined carbs) really helps to put a damper on sweets cravings.

My husband had great success with this. He cut out a lot of unnecessary carbs and converted almost completely to complex carbs. After that, his cravings for chocolate and desserts improved.

It's worth a try http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[ML]

I second Leanne- it took me a while to reply because I could not think of the name Viactive- but these are GREAT! They taste really good plus you are getting vital nutrients- calcium!! Even better- you are to have two a day in order to get all your calcium- I have one mid-morning and one in the afternoon or at night!!

[ekupfer]

A friend of mine talked about a book,I think it is called "Sugar busters". I agree that dealing with the carbs does help. Perhaps eating fruit every other time you need a sweet. I go for a walk first and usually when I get back the craving is gone. Good luck.

[emilycat]

It's kind of inevitable that you'll eat something tempting if it's there, and even more likely if you're in company with others who'll eat with you. I keep one bag of candy around, but nothing I could eat by the handful; that's too dangerous http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif . Right now I have Hershey's caramels filled with chocolate; I never want more than one or two. Try buying sorbet instead of ice cream; it's fat free, and if you get a good kind, it's creamy in texture and so intensely flavored that you don't need that much to satisfy your taste buds. I love Edy's (Dreyer's on the west coast). Drinking a cup of tea helps curb your appetite, too, and green tea has been rumored to up your metabolism a bit.
Definitely, though, two of the best ways to curb a sweet tooth are staying hydrated, and like ekupker said, going for a walk.
Exercise is an awesome way to damper your appetite; if you tend to snack too much in the evenings, you might want to consider moving your workouts to the p.m. Most people don't even want to be near food after they've worked up a good sweat. Besides, it's easier psychologically to eat well when you're already treating your body well with exercise.
Sorry, I'm really into fitness and nutrition, so I could talk about it all day. Hope some of this helps! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif
Emily

[This message has been edited by emilycat (edited 10-27-2000).]

[AndreaU]

I use fruit to tame my sweet tooth. I always have apples, bananas, grapes, etc. around the house so when I feel like I need a sweet snack, I go for the fruit. Of course, that's not to say I don't have a cookie, slice of pie or cake, or Halloween candy now and then... I believe wholeheartedly in moderation. The fruit helps fill me up so I don't binge on the bad (yet oh, so good) stuff!

[Shelly]

Hi all,
I have an out-of-control sweet tooth myself lately. I used to have it pretty well under control, but somehow I've gone the other direction in the last year or two. I used to buy graham crackers to snack on when I wanted sweets, or i would eat Jello. These days my chocolate cravings are ruling my life!!!!!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif It takes a lot of self-discipline to change eating habits.... I find it motivating when I start to lose a few pounds and I see myself in the mirror at the gym (and at home). I still work out but I need to work on my sugar consumption http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif
One thing about the Viactive though. I love these things too; I am so much better about taking my calcium now (imagine that!). However, you are wasting your money if you eat more than one at a time, because the body can only absorb about 500 mg of calcium at once. I space mine out during the day so that I get the most benefit from them. I hate milk and yogurt and one can't eat enough cheese for a day's RDA (well, at least I can't!)................... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by Shelly (edited 10-27-2000).]

[Norma]

Dried pineapple slices are so sweet and good, and they're satisfying. I bought a few to take on a trip and we loved them.

[laden]

I've always had a problem with a sweet tooth. What works best for me is abstinence (or close to it). What I found was the more I gave into my sweet tooth the more I wanted sweets.

I don't keep them at the house (only fruits, dried fruits, fat-free sugar-free instant pudding, occassionally those health food cookies made with fruit juice, etc.) Then when I really have to have something sweet I'll eat a TCBY yogurt at the store.

[beacooker]

I relate, Mary Helen. I really do believe that chocolate is addictive - if I have it two days in a row, I really really want it again on the third day. So, I avoid chocolate, and don't allow myself to get into a habit of eating sweets every day. Once or twice a week is enough.

The way I stopped the sweets habit was from trying to fit 5 fruits and veggies into my diet every day. Doing this, at snack time I was more likely to grab an apple or carrot than a cookie. And it was easier than trying to give up sugar, since I was focusing on a 'do' instead of a 'don't'. I also found that after going a few weeks without much sweets, I really lose the taste for it. Now, a little bit of something sweet goes a long way.

[Margie]

The whole idea about cutting out simple carbs is the trick. Here's the reason. It has to do with blood sugar. When you eat something that has carbs and especially simple carbs, you body creates insulin to deal with the added sugar in your blood. When the sugar is taken care of, then the insulin lingers and you crave sugar to regulate the insulin. And so on and so on. The way out of the cycle is to limit the jolt to you blood sugar in the first place.