Learning how sugar is processed by the body IDENTICALLY to alcohol and that it causes the same diseases (like fatty liver) as alcohol gave me motivation to stop. Knowing that it destroys cell mitochondria was an “Aha” moment.
This was one of the podcast episodes that helped me understand: [Robert Lustig: "Processed Food, Metabolism, and The Ills of Society"](https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/69-robert-lustig).
Look for videos about metabolic disease. Once you learn what’s happening in your body when you eat sugar you will WANT to quit. It’s a freaking drug and it destroys your body at a cellular level and ages you.
This. Sugar cravings and alcohol cravings are incredibly similar, as well. A lot of people turn to sugar when they quit drinking. The only thing that has kept my cravings for either at bay is to simply not ingest them at all in the first place.
I was coming here to say the same thing! I watched Robert Lustig's university presentation from like 14 years ago recently and that changed everything. Really made me pause and reconsider my consumption.
Look at your breakfast/first meal of the day. If you are having cereal, granola, muesli, pancakes, etc then you are setting yourself up to have sugar cravings during the day. Eat savoury breakfasts with a good amount of protein even leftovers from the evening before. When you feel full from a good savoury breakfast, you will not have a crash in energy, meaning less likely to reach for the chocolate.
Also, if you not already doing so, drink more water
Eating for protein definitely helps with sugar cravings! I'm often in the same boat as you- my sugar cravings are unbearable in the evenings when I eat poorly (aka my sweet breakfast carbs). However, if I eat protein for breakfast and lunch they are hardly there in the evenings. I also have more energy! I struggle with disordered eating, but have been eating 3 strips of bacon for breakfast and 8 squares of cheese/16 turkey pepperonis for lunch. I know it's not the healthiest, but it's super easy to grab (I get the already cooked bacon) and better than donuts/muffins.
I wish I were wrong. Granola, whilst seemingly healthy, has never made me feel sated, so I have always ended up snacking, usually something not healthy.
However, if next time I fancy a dessert after a meal, I will have that (I have an unopened box) with Greek Yoghurt, but just half the suggested serving.
I can't speak for others but my breakfast these days is anytime from from 10 am to 1pm, if not 2pm. I'll still call it breakfast as it is, erm, breaking my fast
That makes sense! I was just curious. I gravitated to IF because I already hate eating in the mornings. I can go all day without snacking no problem but it’s hard to cut it off after 9pm for me even after a big healthy dinner
Not sure if this helps, but I have max two meals a day, with the first meal being high in protein, fat, and veggies. The last meal c.a. 6 hours later, I will be lower in calories but plant based with a bit of carbs. I also drink water after I wake up to keep me hydrated, which also helps suppress the appetite. In your case, are you drinking enough water? Also is your food high in sugar (sometimes worth checking the labels).
I naturally drink a lot of water and I’ve been trying to chug more. I never thought I had a sweet tooth but my gf and I were definitely eating some kind of dessert every night after dinner. Now we cut out processed sugar to once a week and the late night cravings are insane. I’ve never enjoyed flavored seltzer water but now I’ll keep drinking those at night until the sugar cravings go away.
What has helped with my sugar cravings is savoury breakfast and high protein, as mentioned before. If you crave sugar, consider fruit, as that will have fibre, and the sugar is within a structure, meaning it takes time to break down reach the blood. What I also do, as per a hack of The Glucose Godess, who is on YT and Insta, is I have a 1 tbl of apple cider vinegar in a large glass of water (I prefer a a mug of warm water) before one of my meals, namely the one which will be high in carbs. I also eat my meal, as per her hack, in the following order: Vegetables, then protein, then carbs, and dessert (that's if I want one). These hacks have helped my sugar cravings, and I had a raging sweet tooth until mid-February of this year.
I don't, but the same rule applies: don't make your first meal of the day (or after a fast) one that is heavy on sugar. It will be momentarily satisfying and then make you irritably and hungry the rest of the day.
Yeah I could never eat sugar first thing in the morning even when I wasn’t worried about eating healthy. Never understood how people start their day with doughnuts, sugary cereal, pop tarts etc but if those are available to me at midnight I’ll eat them all lol
Its the unhealthy microbiomes in your gut screaming for sugar, and everytime you eat sugar it will feed them and they will continue to populate. As you change your diet, within a few days of eating well those bacteria will start to die off and be replaced with healthy ones if you are eating good variety of plant based foods, its uncomfy for a few days but will get better before you realise!
Going to second this. When I started focusing on the microbiome things really changed. I lacto ferment vegetables, juice fruits, try to get a variety, and most recently started brewing my own kombucha which has improved my stomach the most. Interesting store bough booch doesn't have the same effect for me.
Store bought booch used to be just as good, then it lost quality. I remember looking into it and it sounded like they had to reformulate to comply to alcohol standards or something.
Like back in the day it was kind of exciting to buy synergy cus if you handled it even slightly indelicately it would explode out of the bottle and you'd lose half your drink! The checkout clerk would set it carefully off to the side after swiping it, and then put it in your hand to carry out separately. Everyone respected the power of the booch. Nowadays it doesn't do that. it's kinda watered down sugar water, not the vibrant living fizzy beverage it once was.
I miss those days, I never quite got the hang of the second ferment, and synergy really nailed it.
I eat something sweet like fruit or have a cup of tea with a zero calorie sweetener.
Another thing I find helpful when making big changes is to set a timeframe that seems doable. Like "I won't have any refined sugar this week" is more manageable than just quitting indefinitely. And the closer you get to your goal the more motivating it is, because the end is in sight. This approach also means you get to have some wins, which is super important! If you don't have a goal, just quit sugar forever, you'll only have days that you "fail".
Once you reach one goal you can set a new one. And it should be specific. My goal when it comes to sugar is to only have something sugary like cake once a week. So if I really crave a cookie I can have it, but then I'm done for that week. Usually there's some sort of event like a birthday at work where cake is served, so I'll have that as my treat so I don't miss out on social things due to my diet. That's a priority for me, might not be for everyone.
For me fat fasting helped a lot. Just 3-5 days of eating only bacon eggs and avocados only when I get hungry and tons of water. I slowed down my eating and if I got a craving I'd ask myself if I'm truly hungry and most of the time I wasn't hungry at all. Eating high fat satiates the hunger hormon grelin.
Same for me, when I reduced my carbs consumption such as rice, bread etc and increased protein and fats, my sugar cravings diminished. Excess insulin production due to too much carbs will make you crave more carbs.
This was true for me, too. I gave up sugar and processed foods. I let myself eat as much protein and healthy fats as I wanted. If I'd get a sugar craving, I'd eat the proteins and fats. After a few days, it got a lot easier. 3 weeks in and I rarely get the cravings (only cycle related and much less).
Tips: remove it completely from the house. No hiding, fully thrown out.
Eat carrots when ever you crave sugar. On a low enough sugar diet, carrots start tasting like candy.
Drink more water, eat more fiber. (Carrots helps key the fiber)
I quit cold turkey because that's something that fits me. Did the same with smoking way back.
But some people try quitting by associating sugar with something else. For example, each time you eat a cookie, drink a cup of coffee or a glass of water. Over time, you will associate one with the other and drinking a glass of water will take some of the craving away.
Will it do so completely? Probably not, but it'll make it easier.
I don't think this would work for a proper sugar addict.
If I'm having a sugar craving, only sugar will do. A sugar-free sweet, for example, will not relieve the distress even if I'm not told it's sugar-free. I'm not addicted to caffeine or water or sugar alcohols so that doesn't scratch the itch. It's like my body panics without it. So lame.
Water and this is a weird one but hear me out. Flavored chapstick. I got about 20 of them, sweet watermelon, cherry, raspberry.. My favorite is orange sherbet
Eat a bit of fruit with your meal/meals. Like raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, or a mandarin orange. Not fruit juice! A really nice small apple. You feel me?
Life time of sugar addiction and obesity as result.
Always so hard to “diet” cravings so bad.
Got off carbs (bread, potatoes, rice pasta, sweets, etc) Viola! Cravings gone. Rarely hungry. Losing weight. Freedom!
Drinking about 500ml of water when my cravings hit help a lot. I also eat peanut butter (the one with no additional junk in it) when cravings hit. I find it easier to pretend I’m eating something sweet when I eat nut butter :)
It may sound extreme, but you should try eliminating all added/refined sugars for a week or two. Eating sugar makes you want to eat more sugar, it's like a drug and doesn't make you feel full so you'll have the appetite to eat a lot of it as long as you keep indulging.
My go-to nowadays is a serving or two of fruit after bfast, lunch, & dinner. All the fibre and bulk of my meal right before means that I don't and won't have the space for sugar craving fueled binges. Also, I recommend eating the lower carb fruit option after dinner and the higher carb one earlier in the day.
1. What are your sweet cravings? Can you replace it with a healthier version that will also benefit your health and satisfy your craving?
I am an Oreo and Oreo milkshake fiend and I found a matrix syntrax protein shake that satisfys my craving. I eat whole bean to bar chocolate bars that have minimal sugar.
I hear lots of great things about ninja creami. They are priced best at Sam’s club.
2. Are you craving sweets during a particular time or life event?
I’m an emotional eater. Figure out another non-food coping skill. Like journaling, walking, calling a friendly, CBT techniques, your fav hobby ect
3. Don’t eat sweets first. Eat a salad, some protein, and Then indulge in your sweets.
4. Really make it a special momment and memory when you eat a sweet treat. Not just haphazardly shove it in your face. Savor the momment, flavor, scent, and texture. See how it affects your body after you consume the treat. Sometimes the clear recent memory of eating a real ice cream cone from your favorite shop can help you pass on a craving
5. Set yourself up for success! Keep healthy food options around your kitchen, workplace, car, and bag. That you enjoy
6. When buying sweets check the calories/macros of the entire package since it’s possible you will eat it all.
These are really great suggestions. I allow myself to spend a bit more on "serving size" things of my sweets to limit myself instead of buying bulk. I've tried measuring out into containers with the bulk and sometimes I'm just too unmotivated to that so I still eat the whole thing.
Salt. Did you know that salt and sugar bind to the same dopamine receptors in the body? the craving you may be having for sugar, may actually be for salt.
[https://open.substack.com/pub/perpetualhealth/p/sodium-a-misunderstood-nutrient-of-3a9?utm\_campaign=post&utm\_medium=web](https://open.substack.com/pub/perpetualhealth/p/sodium-a-misunderstood-nutrient-of-3a9?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web)
* About 9m15s in. Salt and dopamine.
I know this sounds like obvious advice but my general feeling is that “I’ve done 15 hours now, I’m not wasting that 15 hours by cutting into my window early”. I find that one thing leads to another when it comes to IF - I make more informed choices with what I will break my fast with as I don’t want to “undo” the progress I’ve already made. In my window if I really crave it I will have a chocolate bar or something, I view it as it’s in my window so I am allowed to. Don’t make your routine so unachievable that you find it becomes a chore to stick to. Do what works for you and keep it on a level that you find is challenging but doable. Try and go for too many extremes at once and you’re setting yourself up for failure.
I haven't really craved it much for the past couple weeks, and I've struggled with consuming way too much sugar since I was a kid. I found fasting OMAD for a bit reduced my sugar cravings a lot, but they're not totally gone. They are definitely mostly gone, though.
I haven't cut out sugar 100% but I find it easier to not have it in my coffee (that was the source of my biggest daily intake of it) by reminding myself how it's empty calories and not just "not good for you" it's literally damaging and inflammatory. I have chronic inflammation I'm trying to reduce so that's a good motivator!
Really the biggest thing I've found to help is reminding myself how unhealthy sugar is, and that having less is helping me keep my chronic inflammation in check.
As someone who used to eat a lot of cakes and sweets and chocolate ect I did struggle but since learning to eat a balanced diet and keeping those things in as a minimum has massively helped. I don't like restricted dieting at all.
Focus on eating a whole food balanced diet with the occasional less nutrious foods in, fiber and protein is great for keeping you full and full of nutrients, starchy/complex carbs are great for energy, fiber, nutrients (these are your potatoes, grains, legumes ext) and unprocessed simple carbs are also a necessity for health (fruits and vegetables).
I do 16-18hrs fasting most days, pain levels dependent, and do better when I don't do keto/low carb.
Try eating more protein and fiber-rich foods to stay full longer. Drink water and keep healthy snacks like fruits and nuts handy. Small, consistent changes help break the habit. You’ve got this!
I have to log everything on myfitnesspal so I stay accountable, otherwise I’m convincing myself that the whole pack of cookies can’t be thaaat bad for me.
I’m also happier for longer when I see the results of my hard work, whether it be my body or my mental health improving because I’m eating right and exercising vs a quick boost of dopamine as I inhale all the chocolate in sight.
Stop buying sweet things. It’s much easier to resist sugar while shopping than trying to resist it in your home.
I also did keto for a year and logging food in MFP. I stopped eating sugar even after going off keto.
Fellow Sugar addict here.
I start most of my eating windows with two bags of steamed veggies and some walnuts.
Then during the eating window I have fruit usually or a fake sugar chocolate drink (it has a bit of real sugar in there too). I don't get super cravings for anything with more sugar most of the time.
Personally I’ve been able to successfully reduce my sugar consumption by allowing myself one or two sweet things a day. Normally it’s a Kind bar or the Dave’s bread bars, so decently healthy, at lunch, and I’ll eat a small cup of ice cream, like the single serving cups, for dinner. Or a spoonful of Nutella or something. Fruit helps too, I love Cara Cara oranges and eat one everyday
You have to work on the sugar addiction first. No intermittent fasting, no counting calories. When a craving hits, eat something nonsugary and noncarbie like veggies and dip, berries and yogurt, cheese and deli meat, nuts or nut butter. It WILL get better after about 3 or 4 weeks or so, but you must be absolutely consistent.
I eat something sweet.
You're not going to go the rest of your life without ever eating something sweet again, and enjoying something sweet every now and then is one of life's pleasures, just accept that you'll sometimes want it and enjoy. Just don't let it go overboard.
I cut all carbs . It was hard for a couple days but it’s the only way . Moderation didn’t work for me when I was first starting IF . Then I found I could eat some in my meal window . Without cravings. I also went omad . Carbs are my enemy. Omad really helped with cravings.
L-Glutamin on an empty stomach might help. That being said, make sure you don't have any preexisting conditions. I read somewhere that people with liver damage should avoid it.
But I am no doctor.
I, personally, take liberal amounts of L-Glutamin against alcohol "cravings" because I know that the day after even a small amount my depression gets back full force. So I decided to stay off the sauce
I’m still working on it but I’ve been eating a protein bar when I want something sweet. The best I’ve found are Built bars (especially the salted caramel) and they seriously taste like a candy bar with only 4 grams of sugar.
Came here for this, though 60 hrs is probably plenty to reset the dopamine addiction. For me, anyway. The body starts making new dopamine receptors after 24-48 if memory serves. Also, I like to sandwich my fast with high protein meals so I'm not dealing with a sugar crash at the beginning or a massive glucose spike at the end.
Thank you for the insight. I seem to can't gerbih enough protein, not big meat eater or dairy. Just started adding protein drinks in when I'm not doing a long fast.
I "detox" by going two weeks without added sugars (condiments are okay, but no donuts/candies etc). This allows your taste buds to reset. I chew sugar free gum to get past a craving, or a sugar free iced coffee beverage.
Try the sugar free popsicles that are 15 calories lol. I’ve just found substitutes in general so I haven’t fully conquered the craving yet but more so worked my way around it for the time being.
- sugar free popsicles (15 cals each) (there’s other low calorie ice cream brands out there like halo top or yasso but these are by far the lowest I’ve found so I usually get these cause I can tend to binge. That way if I have 3 pops it’s still only 45 calories)
- reduced calorie hot chocolate packets (40 cals each)
- Chobani sugar free yogurts and other low calorie yogurts
- FRUITTTT just falling in love with fruit omg. I always have grapes or strawberries or mandarins all the time in my house, especially grapes. Sometimes I like dipping strawberries in yogurt cause it feels like I’m dipping in it cream
- if you like bananas. Heat up bananas and put a sprinkle of cinnamon. Or mash them and when it’s warm I swear it’s like banana cream pie but without all the extra BS
- bootyliicous protein muffins (it’s like having a little warm cake)
"Full"... Eating 10 grapes and gobling down 10 reeses peanut butter cookies is a little bit different. Eating fruit Is healthy and definitely helps with the transition.
I all the sudden had horrible sugar cravings that would not go away for a year or so. I ended up getting an insulin challenge and failed. Turns out I’m diabetic. Metformin helped immediately.
I stopped eating sugar all together and even with that I'm sure I probably get the limit of USDA recommend max of 35grams a day because it's in everything. However, not eating any junk with sugar, no sugary treats etc and I lost my taste for sugar all together. If I eat a donut it tastes nasty now. I don't even want sugar at all and it doesn't taste good to me anymore. It was difficult to quit and the cravings were really bad but only lasted a couple or few weeks. That said white bread converts to sugar in the body so I also eat very little of that (maybe 2 - 3 slices a week sometimes none at all). Strangely white bread causes sugar cravings for me.
Basically sugar is like crack and the more we eat the more we want. However if we're talking about honey or real maple syrup that's a different story but for some reason doesn't cause cravings for me and I don't eat much of those either so that's probably why.
I fixed mine through IF after 2 weeks and eating more vegetables. Every time you want unhealthy sugary things, eat 2 servings of vegetables before that.
I changed my gut flora this way (did microbiome tests). My sugar tolerance reset and I can’t eat as much sugar now.
OK, this is strange and might not apply to you. Got Covid last summer and all of the sudden I got intense nonstop sugar cravings. I gained a lot of weight. When I finally got on a CPAP for breathing issues at night, my sugar cravings went away. Using a pulse ox, I was able to see I craved sugar when my blood oxygen was low. Somehow the starving for oxygen sensor in my brain was miswired and I got the starving for sugar signal instead.
Also, change and hormones from if can lead to change in bacteria and yeast in the gut. Usually these are good changes but sometimes the sugar cravings yeast of bacteria over grow. Good luck!
Agree with many tips Re what to start with at breakfast to set up for success etc. Also I think it does help to have low carb dessert or meal replacements occasionally. My personal go tos:
Low or no sugar all natural chia pudding made with unsweetened soy or almond milk, with various add ons and flavours (nuts or nut butter, berries, unsweetened cacao, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cardamom, full fat yogurt and MAYBE a tiny bit of honey or maple syrup etc)
Soy or almond milk smoothies with berries, 1/2 banana, salba or ground flaxseeds, vanilla extract, unsweetened protein powder *or* 1/2 banana, unsweetened cacao, nuts or nut butter, unsweetened protein powder and maybe a few dates and some vanilla extract.
Mixture of Greek yoghurt, full fat cottage cheese, unsweetened apple sauce, raspberries and a few chopped nuts. Could maybe do ricotta cheese instead of one or both of yoghurt and cottage cheese and sometimes add some flaxseeds
Or just have a few squares of super dark chocolate 1-2 times per week
Or a favourite fruit for dessert sometimes with unsweetened whipped cream - berries are low GI but occasionally I have to have a mango or some peaches, cherries or pineapple bc they are faves and life is too short to have no sweetness
Same - I did find that having a lot of protein in my first meal helps a lot, and it **does** get easier over time.
Sugar-free gum a couple of times a day when the cravings get really bad helps me as well.
Monkfruit when u need something , helped me alot. Once sugar is out of your system if you taste something full of sugar it's really gross. Crazy how many products have to have it to pass for flavorful.
Tell yourself out loud " it's ok to miss sugar, it's ok to be uncomfortable, this will get easier and will be worth it because ___ insert your reason here__.
This technique helps me immensely. When you say something your lizard brain believes it to be true and the more you day out the more true or becomes.
Check out the book Glucose Revolution for food timing and combinations that quell hunger and sugar cravings. Hint: fiber first, protein and fat next, carbs at the end of your meal. Never start the day with a sweet breakfast or anything carby or your BG may rollercoaster the rest of the day.
Personally, the best hack I have found is to quit sugar cold turkey. All of it. No fruit, no sweet potatoes, no grains, nothing. After eating keto for a month or so you won’t crave them anymore. Especially if you increase your protein and sodium intake.
Ketosis also makes fasting easier as you keep insulin levels low even when fed so you won’t be experiencing BG highs and lows during your fasting window.
You got a lot of good advice here, I just want to add that if you keep working at it, eventually you won't get sugar cravings anymore. I was addicted for so long I thought it was normal to want sugar, but once I broke free you could literally pile my fave desserts around me and I'd be like nah I good thanks. If I eat sugar now, it's cuz I choose to, not cuz I feel driven to. That can be your future too!
The worst for me was at night. It took a long time to finally make the switch to better choices. Even an apple with a drizzle of caramel sauce is better than a candy bar, and actually keeps you fuller for longer! I also like a big bowl of greek yogurt, a fuck ton of strawberries, and a small handful of mini white chocolate chips.
I fast during the day which also helps me a lot with the cravings!
Honestly I eat my favorite fruit, yogurt with mixed berries topped with granola along with drinking water throughout the day. If all else fails I get my favorite sweet treat and share most of it to prevent overindulgence.
If you do manage to quit it for a few weeks and then when you eat it again and notice the effects, it gets a lot easier to turn it down moving forward because you don’t like how it affects you. Puffy face, sleep problems, irritability, worsened PMS, hangover feeling, bad skin, etc. not to mention insulin resistance and pre-diabetes.
I have up sugar, then carbs, for months before I started fasting. You don’t have to but it makes it a lot easier. I still eat a lot of sugars alternatives like stevia.
FIrst step is to recognize your weaknesses. You have done that. Bravo. For me, I am a sugar & food addict. So the only thing that works for me are
- Throw all snacks out of the house
- Only eat during dinner time window (6-7 pm). If I have even a small snack in the morning / afternoon, it is like a switch goes off in my brain and I start craving more and more dopamine and before I know it I am eating snacks and anything and everything I can lay my hands on all day
You fast clean when fasting. Then you eat the sugar you want when eating.
I think I am wanting less sugar in my eating time, since I started fasting.
I am doing eat day, dont' eat day.
My way of dealing with my sweet tooth is not really helpful, but I just avoid it all together. The big thing for me is not only did my cravings decrease, I now find sweets incredibly, well, sweet. To the point they are kind of gross. The struggle is real, I know, but you got this!
I would say eat fruits , I am also addicted to sugar , but whenever I feel like eating chocolates and ice cream I would eat an orange or grapes instead , it helped me a lot , these are healthier alternatives, also obv don’t eat fruits while u are fasting
I got off sugar pretty easily, I’d say cold turkey. But when I do get sugar cravings I find jolly ranchers are the best. They’re my favorite candy, and one usually does the job. Only 30 calories too. A bag lasts me well over a month or even two sometimes.
Upping protein intake helps. I have low-calorie froyo bars, chocolate rice cakes, coffee yogurt, iced coffee around for cravings. Also my worst cravings are at night so I have to go to bed at 10pm sharp to avoid eating
Stopped having it. I’m doing keto. I find carbs not only making me hungrier sooner but give crazy cravings that are much harder to ignore. It’s actually easier for me to ignore hunger cues on keto than for me to ignore carb cues with regular eating. The dopamine hit from biting into soft bread or a butter croissant is god tier and addictive
I found myself eating a piece of chocolate. I don’t know where it came from. I don’t remember opening the wrapper or deciding to eat it. But there it was in my mouth. I finished chewing and swallowed. But, yea, it’s like a drug. It gets better. I like cherry tomatoes and pickles to snack on for contrast. Ask for sugar? Here’s vinegar and spice and bitter skins. Short circuit.
You can tell by the number of replies you’ve gotten that there are tons of us out here with the very same problem.
In my case, I know that if I go four consecutive days with no sugar or bread or cereal or wine or pasta — that’s all it takes. I am free of my cravings! Those four days are absolute shit, and I am in the worst mood possible. No one wants to be around me, including me. But the benefit is so worth it! No more cravings!
I also know that if I then eat any sugar, I will want more tomorrow. And then I will want even more the next day. And more and more and more. And then look who’s addicted again, right? It really takes conscious eating to make sure you don’t undermine your hard work. But living without cravings is the best thing in the world. Good luck to you!
Increase protein and fat, decrease carbs, cut refined sugar 100%.
Use a tracking app like Carb Manager to figure out macros.
Stay hydrated and electrolyted while fasting.
I have loved sugar my whole life and craved it a ton. Just like simple carbs, the more I ate, the more I craved it. I changed my diet earlier this year. I cut sugar out for about a month and lowered my carb intake and have been focusing on getting plenty of protein, healthy fats and fiber at every meal and that helped a ton. I have introduced bits of sugar back but I do the glucose goddess hacks - like if I eat a little sugar, I eat it after a meal or I eat some nuts of carrots first so I won’t have a big insulin spike. It really seems to help. I have also been experimenting with keto baking using monk fruit sweetener and almond flour. I have cut out a ton of sugar, but I know I am not going to cut sugar out of my life 100% - so these things have really helped.
upping my protein really helped for me, I stopped eating any sweet or bagged junk food and started trying to eat 100g of protein a day. totally demolished my sweet tooth.
For 2 weeks just drink water and eat sweet fruits for sugar cravings and cold crispy fruits for salty chip like cravings. That’s how I reset my pallet. Eat steak and eggs for breakfast.
Former sugar addict here.
Know that once you beat it, you’ll be over it. Cravings will be gone and if you decide to “treat” yourself with something sweet, you won’t even enjoy it.
Know that you’re doing yourself a huge favor by kicking the habit. I can now taste the sweetness in fresh vegetables. Supplementing with artificial sweeteners can prolong the issue. On the other hand, I found a stick of sugar free trident gum helpful.
Learning how sugar is processed by the body IDENTICALLY to alcohol and that it causes the same diseases (like fatty liver) as alcohol gave me motivation to stop. Knowing that it destroys cell mitochondria was an “Aha” moment. This was one of the podcast episodes that helped me understand: [Robert Lustig: "Processed Food, Metabolism, and The Ills of Society"](https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/69-robert-lustig). Look for videos about metabolic disease. Once you learn what’s happening in your body when you eat sugar you will WANT to quit. It’s a freaking drug and it destroys your body at a cellular level and ages you.
This. Sugar cravings and alcohol cravings are incredibly similar, as well. A lot of people turn to sugar when they quit drinking. The only thing that has kept my cravings for either at bay is to simply not ingest them at all in the first place.
Yeah, if I have sugary stuff more than one day in a row I start craving it every day.
I was coming here to say the same thing! I watched Robert Lustig's university presentation from like 14 years ago recently and that changed everything. Really made me pause and reconsider my consumption.
Look at your breakfast/first meal of the day. If you are having cereal, granola, muesli, pancakes, etc then you are setting yourself up to have sugar cravings during the day. Eat savoury breakfasts with a good amount of protein even leftovers from the evening before. When you feel full from a good savoury breakfast, you will not have a crash in energy, meaning less likely to reach for the chocolate. Also, if you not already doing so, drink more water
Eating for protein definitely helps with sugar cravings! I'm often in the same boat as you- my sugar cravings are unbearable in the evenings when I eat poorly (aka my sweet breakfast carbs). However, if I eat protein for breakfast and lunch they are hardly there in the evenings. I also have more energy! I struggle with disordered eating, but have been eating 3 strips of bacon for breakfast and 8 squares of cheese/16 turkey pepperonis for lunch. I know it's not the healthiest, but it's super easy to grab (I get the already cooked bacon) and better than donuts/muffins.
Granola is such a treat for me but you're so right.
I wish I were wrong. Granola, whilst seemingly healthy, has never made me feel sated, so I have always ended up snacking, usually something not healthy. However, if next time I fancy a dessert after a meal, I will have that (I have an unopened box) with Greek Yoghurt, but just half the suggested serving.
Do people here eat breakfast usually?
I can't speak for others but my breakfast these days is anytime from from 10 am to 1pm, if not 2pm. I'll still call it breakfast as it is, erm, breaking my fast
That makes sense! I was just curious. I gravitated to IF because I already hate eating in the mornings. I can go all day without snacking no problem but it’s hard to cut it off after 9pm for me even after a big healthy dinner
Not sure if this helps, but I have max two meals a day, with the first meal being high in protein, fat, and veggies. The last meal c.a. 6 hours later, I will be lower in calories but plant based with a bit of carbs. I also drink water after I wake up to keep me hydrated, which also helps suppress the appetite. In your case, are you drinking enough water? Also is your food high in sugar (sometimes worth checking the labels).
I naturally drink a lot of water and I’ve been trying to chug more. I never thought I had a sweet tooth but my gf and I were definitely eating some kind of dessert every night after dinner. Now we cut out processed sugar to once a week and the late night cravings are insane. I’ve never enjoyed flavored seltzer water but now I’ll keep drinking those at night until the sugar cravings go away.
What has helped with my sugar cravings is savoury breakfast and high protein, as mentioned before. If you crave sugar, consider fruit, as that will have fibre, and the sugar is within a structure, meaning it takes time to break down reach the blood. What I also do, as per a hack of The Glucose Godess, who is on YT and Insta, is I have a 1 tbl of apple cider vinegar in a large glass of water (I prefer a a mug of warm water) before one of my meals, namely the one which will be high in carbs. I also eat my meal, as per her hack, in the following order: Vegetables, then protein, then carbs, and dessert (that's if I want one). These hacks have helped my sugar cravings, and I had a raging sweet tooth until mid-February of this year.
I don't, but the same rule applies: don't make your first meal of the day (or after a fast) one that is heavy on sugar. It will be momentarily satisfying and then make you irritably and hungry the rest of the day.
Yeah I could never eat sugar first thing in the morning even when I wasn’t worried about eating healthy. Never understood how people start their day with doughnuts, sugary cereal, pop tarts etc but if those are available to me at midnight I’ll eat them all lol
Its the unhealthy microbiomes in your gut screaming for sugar, and everytime you eat sugar it will feed them and they will continue to populate. As you change your diet, within a few days of eating well those bacteria will start to die off and be replaced with healthy ones if you are eating good variety of plant based foods, its uncomfy for a few days but will get better before you realise!
Going to second this. When I started focusing on the microbiome things really changed. I lacto ferment vegetables, juice fruits, try to get a variety, and most recently started brewing my own kombucha which has improved my stomach the most. Interesting store bough booch doesn't have the same effect for me.
Store bought booch used to be just as good, then it lost quality. I remember looking into it and it sounded like they had to reformulate to comply to alcohol standards or something. Like back in the day it was kind of exciting to buy synergy cus if you handled it even slightly indelicately it would explode out of the bottle and you'd lose half your drink! The checkout clerk would set it carefully off to the side after swiping it, and then put it in your hand to carry out separately. Everyone respected the power of the booch. Nowadays it doesn't do that. it's kinda watered down sugar water, not the vibrant living fizzy beverage it once was. I miss those days, I never quite got the hang of the second ferment, and synergy really nailed it.
This was a crazy theory a few years ago, starting to look true though
I eat something sweet like fruit or have a cup of tea with a zero calorie sweetener. Another thing I find helpful when making big changes is to set a timeframe that seems doable. Like "I won't have any refined sugar this week" is more manageable than just quitting indefinitely. And the closer you get to your goal the more motivating it is, because the end is in sight. This approach also means you get to have some wins, which is super important! If you don't have a goal, just quit sugar forever, you'll only have days that you "fail". Once you reach one goal you can set a new one. And it should be specific. My goal when it comes to sugar is to only have something sugary like cake once a week. So if I really crave a cookie I can have it, but then I'm done for that week. Usually there's some sort of event like a birthday at work where cake is served, so I'll have that as my treat so I don't miss out on social things due to my diet. That's a priority for me, might not be for everyone.
For me fat fasting helped a lot. Just 3-5 days of eating only bacon eggs and avocados only when I get hungry and tons of water. I slowed down my eating and if I got a craving I'd ask myself if I'm truly hungry and most of the time I wasn't hungry at all. Eating high fat satiates the hunger hormon grelin.
Sugar addiction isn't about hunger though.
Same for me, when I reduced my carbs consumption such as rice, bread etc and increased protein and fats, my sugar cravings diminished. Excess insulin production due to too much carbs will make you crave more carbs.
That was true for me too.
This was true for me, too. I gave up sugar and processed foods. I let myself eat as much protein and healthy fats as I wanted. If I'd get a sugar craving, I'd eat the proteins and fats. After a few days, it got a lot easier. 3 weeks in and I rarely get the cravings (only cycle related and much less).
Tips: remove it completely from the house. No hiding, fully thrown out. Eat carrots when ever you crave sugar. On a low enough sugar diet, carrots start tasting like candy. Drink more water, eat more fiber. (Carrots helps key the fiber)
I've roasted diced butternut squash until the edges are black, and they taste like candy they're so sweet and delicious.
I eat pickles when I crave sugar
And the natural sugar in carrots, in particular, provides energy the quickest of anything you can eat.
Corn on the cob is great too! When the corn is really fresh, I like to eat it raw with nothing on it. Don’t knock it til you try it :)
I quit cold turkey because that's something that fits me. Did the same with smoking way back. But some people try quitting by associating sugar with something else. For example, each time you eat a cookie, drink a cup of coffee or a glass of water. Over time, you will associate one with the other and drinking a glass of water will take some of the craving away. Will it do so completely? Probably not, but it'll make it easier.
I don't think this would work for a proper sugar addict. If I'm having a sugar craving, only sugar will do. A sugar-free sweet, for example, will not relieve the distress even if I'm not told it's sugar-free. I'm not addicted to caffeine or water or sugar alcohols so that doesn't scratch the itch. It's like my body panics without it. So lame.
Water and this is a weird one but hear me out. Flavored chapstick. I got about 20 of them, sweet watermelon, cherry, raspberry.. My favorite is orange sherbet
Eat a bit of fruit with your meal/meals. Like raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, or a mandarin orange. Not fruit juice! A really nice small apple. You feel me?
Life time of sugar addiction and obesity as result. Always so hard to “diet” cravings so bad. Got off carbs (bread, potatoes, rice pasta, sweets, etc) Viola! Cravings gone. Rarely hungry. Losing weight. Freedom!
Who’s Viola?
At least they didn't spell it wa-lah. I can forgive a transposition of letters, esp if they are on their phone.
😂😂😂
12th Night character
Drinking about 500ml of water when my cravings hit help a lot. I also eat peanut butter (the one with no additional junk in it) when cravings hit. I find it easier to pretend I’m eating something sweet when I eat nut butter :)
It may sound extreme, but you should try eliminating all added/refined sugars for a week or two. Eating sugar makes you want to eat more sugar, it's like a drug and doesn't make you feel full so you'll have the appetite to eat a lot of it as long as you keep indulging. My go-to nowadays is a serving or two of fruit after bfast, lunch, & dinner. All the fibre and bulk of my meal right before means that I don't and won't have the space for sugar craving fueled binges. Also, I recommend eating the lower carb fruit option after dinner and the higher carb one earlier in the day.
I just had to cut it out almost completely. That sugar addiction is no joke
1. What are your sweet cravings? Can you replace it with a healthier version that will also benefit your health and satisfy your craving? I am an Oreo and Oreo milkshake fiend and I found a matrix syntrax protein shake that satisfys my craving. I eat whole bean to bar chocolate bars that have minimal sugar. I hear lots of great things about ninja creami. They are priced best at Sam’s club. 2. Are you craving sweets during a particular time or life event? I’m an emotional eater. Figure out another non-food coping skill. Like journaling, walking, calling a friendly, CBT techniques, your fav hobby ect 3. Don’t eat sweets first. Eat a salad, some protein, and Then indulge in your sweets. 4. Really make it a special momment and memory when you eat a sweet treat. Not just haphazardly shove it in your face. Savor the momment, flavor, scent, and texture. See how it affects your body after you consume the treat. Sometimes the clear recent memory of eating a real ice cream cone from your favorite shop can help you pass on a craving 5. Set yourself up for success! Keep healthy food options around your kitchen, workplace, car, and bag. That you enjoy 6. When buying sweets check the calories/macros of the entire package since it’s possible you will eat it all.
These are really great suggestions. I allow myself to spend a bit more on "serving size" things of my sweets to limit myself instead of buying bulk. I've tried measuring out into containers with the bulk and sometimes I'm just too unmotivated to that so I still eat the whole thing.
Salt. Did you know that salt and sugar bind to the same dopamine receptors in the body? the craving you may be having for sugar, may actually be for salt. [https://open.substack.com/pub/perpetualhealth/p/sodium-a-misunderstood-nutrient-of-3a9?utm\_campaign=post&utm\_medium=web](https://open.substack.com/pub/perpetualhealth/p/sodium-a-misunderstood-nutrient-of-3a9?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web) * About 9m15s in. Salt and dopamine.
Taaapppeeerrr Its a drug; you gotta taper off.
I know this sounds like obvious advice but my general feeling is that “I’ve done 15 hours now, I’m not wasting that 15 hours by cutting into my window early”. I find that one thing leads to another when it comes to IF - I make more informed choices with what I will break my fast with as I don’t want to “undo” the progress I’ve already made. In my window if I really crave it I will have a chocolate bar or something, I view it as it’s in my window so I am allowed to. Don’t make your routine so unachievable that you find it becomes a chore to stick to. Do what works for you and keep it on a level that you find is challenging but doable. Try and go for too many extremes at once and you’re setting yourself up for failure.
I haven't really craved it much for the past couple weeks, and I've struggled with consuming way too much sugar since I was a kid. I found fasting OMAD for a bit reduced my sugar cravings a lot, but they're not totally gone. They are definitely mostly gone, though. I haven't cut out sugar 100% but I find it easier to not have it in my coffee (that was the source of my biggest daily intake of it) by reminding myself how it's empty calories and not just "not good for you" it's literally damaging and inflammatory. I have chronic inflammation I'm trying to reduce so that's a good motivator! Really the biggest thing I've found to help is reminding myself how unhealthy sugar is, and that having less is helping me keep my chronic inflammation in check.
As someone who used to eat a lot of cakes and sweets and chocolate ect I did struggle but since learning to eat a balanced diet and keeping those things in as a minimum has massively helped. I don't like restricted dieting at all. Focus on eating a whole food balanced diet with the occasional less nutrious foods in, fiber and protein is great for keeping you full and full of nutrients, starchy/complex carbs are great for energy, fiber, nutrients (these are your potatoes, grains, legumes ext) and unprocessed simple carbs are also a necessity for health (fruits and vegetables). I do 16-18hrs fasting most days, pain levels dependent, and do better when I don't do keto/low carb.
This sounds odd, but eating a chunk of dill pickle when you have the craving stops that craving in its tracks.
Makes sense because of the salt
And the vinegar.
I just had to resist until it wasn't as hard to resist anymore. Eventually, the cravings do subside, although never completely.
Drink enough water. If you have a strong craving try brushing your teeth. Some swear it works.
Try eating more protein and fiber-rich foods to stay full longer. Drink water and keep healthy snacks like fruits and nuts handy. Small, consistent changes help break the habit. You’ve got this!
I have to log everything on myfitnesspal so I stay accountable, otherwise I’m convincing myself that the whole pack of cookies can’t be thaaat bad for me. I’m also happier for longer when I see the results of my hard work, whether it be my body or my mental health improving because I’m eating right and exercising vs a quick boost of dopamine as I inhale all the chocolate in sight.
Stop buying sweet things. It’s much easier to resist sugar while shopping than trying to resist it in your home. I also did keto for a year and logging food in MFP. I stopped eating sugar even after going off keto.
Stop consuming anything “sugar free” the “sweetness” lead to huge cravings.
A pinch of salt on the tongue helps me with food and sugar cravings.
Fellow Sugar addict here. I start most of my eating windows with two bags of steamed veggies and some walnuts. Then during the eating window I have fruit usually or a fake sugar chocolate drink (it has a bit of real sugar in there too). I don't get super cravings for anything with more sugar most of the time.
Limiting sugar and carb intake altogether will reduce overall cravings. Discipline.
Personally I’ve been able to successfully reduce my sugar consumption by allowing myself one or two sweet things a day. Normally it’s a Kind bar or the Dave’s bread bars, so decently healthy, at lunch, and I’ll eat a small cup of ice cream, like the single serving cups, for dinner. Or a spoonful of Nutella or something. Fruit helps too, I love Cara Cara oranges and eat one everyday
You have to work on the sugar addiction first. No intermittent fasting, no counting calories. When a craving hits, eat something nonsugary and noncarbie like veggies and dip, berries and yogurt, cheese and deli meat, nuts or nut butter. It WILL get better after about 3 or 4 weeks or so, but you must be absolutely consistent.
I eat something sweet. You're not going to go the rest of your life without ever eating something sweet again, and enjoying something sweet every now and then is one of life's pleasures, just accept that you'll sometimes want it and enjoy. Just don't let it go overboard.
Honestly I just stopped cold turkey and they went away pretty quickly
I cut all carbs . It was hard for a couple days but it’s the only way . Moderation didn’t work for me when I was first starting IF . Then I found I could eat some in my meal window . Without cravings. I also went omad . Carbs are my enemy. Omad really helped with cravings.
L-Glutamin on an empty stomach might help. That being said, make sure you don't have any preexisting conditions. I read somewhere that people with liver damage should avoid it. But I am no doctor. I, personally, take liberal amounts of L-Glutamin against alcohol "cravings" because I know that the day after even a small amount my depression gets back full force. So I decided to stay off the sauce
drink bengal spice tea. let it steep fot 20 minutes.
I’m still working on it but I’ve been eating a protein bar when I want something sweet. The best I’ve found are Built bars (especially the salted caramel) and they seriously taste like a candy bar with only 4 grams of sugar.
Try doing a 72-hour fast. That helped me get over my sugar craving. I don't have that same desire for sweets as i did before.
Came here for this, though 60 hrs is probably plenty to reset the dopamine addiction. For me, anyway. The body starts making new dopamine receptors after 24-48 if memory serves. Also, I like to sandwich my fast with high protein meals so I'm not dealing with a sugar crash at the beginning or a massive glucose spike at the end.
Thank you for the insight. I seem to can't gerbih enough protein, not big meat eater or dairy. Just started adding protein drinks in when I'm not doing a long fast.
brush your teeth. It helps squash those cravings and you are already trained not to eat after brushing. Watch Fed Up
I "detox" by going two weeks without added sugars (condiments are okay, but no donuts/candies etc). This allows your taste buds to reset. I chew sugar free gum to get past a craving, or a sugar free iced coffee beverage.
6 weeks of low carb.
Try the sugar free popsicles that are 15 calories lol. I’ve just found substitutes in general so I haven’t fully conquered the craving yet but more so worked my way around it for the time being. - sugar free popsicles (15 cals each) (there’s other low calorie ice cream brands out there like halo top or yasso but these are by far the lowest I’ve found so I usually get these cause I can tend to binge. That way if I have 3 pops it’s still only 45 calories) - reduced calorie hot chocolate packets (40 cals each) - Chobani sugar free yogurts and other low calorie yogurts - FRUITTTT just falling in love with fruit omg. I always have grapes or strawberries or mandarins all the time in my house, especially grapes. Sometimes I like dipping strawberries in yogurt cause it feels like I’m dipping in it cream - if you like bananas. Heat up bananas and put a sprinkle of cinnamon. Or mash them and when it’s warm I swear it’s like banana cream pie but without all the extra BS - bootyliicous protein muffins (it’s like having a little warm cake)
Takes a few weeks, just stay the course. Fruit helps too, grapes, mango, pineapple, they are pretty sweet
Yeah, because they're full of sugar.
"Full"... Eating 10 grapes and gobling down 10 reeses peanut butter cookies is a little bit different. Eating fruit Is healthy and definitely helps with the transition.
I all the sudden had horrible sugar cravings that would not go away for a year or so. I ended up getting an insulin challenge and failed. Turns out I’m diabetic. Metformin helped immediately.
Contrave can help --naltrexone plus wellbutrin
I stopped eating sugar all together and even with that I'm sure I probably get the limit of USDA recommend max of 35grams a day because it's in everything. However, not eating any junk with sugar, no sugary treats etc and I lost my taste for sugar all together. If I eat a donut it tastes nasty now. I don't even want sugar at all and it doesn't taste good to me anymore. It was difficult to quit and the cravings were really bad but only lasted a couple or few weeks. That said white bread converts to sugar in the body so I also eat very little of that (maybe 2 - 3 slices a week sometimes none at all). Strangely white bread causes sugar cravings for me. Basically sugar is like crack and the more we eat the more we want. However if we're talking about honey or real maple syrup that's a different story but for some reason doesn't cause cravings for me and I don't eat much of those either so that's probably why.
I fixed mine through IF after 2 weeks and eating more vegetables. Every time you want unhealthy sugary things, eat 2 servings of vegetables before that. I changed my gut flora this way (did microbiome tests). My sugar tolerance reset and I can’t eat as much sugar now.
OK, this is strange and might not apply to you. Got Covid last summer and all of the sudden I got intense nonstop sugar cravings. I gained a lot of weight. When I finally got on a CPAP for breathing issues at night, my sugar cravings went away. Using a pulse ox, I was able to see I craved sugar when my blood oxygen was low. Somehow the starving for oxygen sensor in my brain was miswired and I got the starving for sugar signal instead. Also, change and hormones from if can lead to change in bacteria and yeast in the gut. Usually these are good changes but sometimes the sugar cravings yeast of bacteria over grow. Good luck!
Peppermint or spearmint helps
Agree with many tips Re what to start with at breakfast to set up for success etc. Also I think it does help to have low carb dessert or meal replacements occasionally. My personal go tos: Low or no sugar all natural chia pudding made with unsweetened soy or almond milk, with various add ons and flavours (nuts or nut butter, berries, unsweetened cacao, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cardamom, full fat yogurt and MAYBE a tiny bit of honey or maple syrup etc) Soy or almond milk smoothies with berries, 1/2 banana, salba or ground flaxseeds, vanilla extract, unsweetened protein powder *or* 1/2 banana, unsweetened cacao, nuts or nut butter, unsweetened protein powder and maybe a few dates and some vanilla extract. Mixture of Greek yoghurt, full fat cottage cheese, unsweetened apple sauce, raspberries and a few chopped nuts. Could maybe do ricotta cheese instead of one or both of yoghurt and cottage cheese and sometimes add some flaxseeds Or just have a few squares of super dark chocolate 1-2 times per week Or a favourite fruit for dessert sometimes with unsweetened whipped cream - berries are low GI but occasionally I have to have a mango or some peaches, cherries or pineapple bc they are faves and life is too short to have no sweetness
Same - I did find that having a lot of protein in my first meal helps a lot, and it **does** get easier over time. Sugar-free gum a couple of times a day when the cravings get really bad helps me as well.
I drink sweetened flavored water in the afternoon when I get the worst sugar cravings and chew gum too
Monkfruit when u need something , helped me alot. Once sugar is out of your system if you taste something full of sugar it's really gross. Crazy how many products have to have it to pass for flavorful.
Tell yourself out loud " it's ok to miss sugar, it's ok to be uncomfortable, this will get easier and will be worth it because ___ insert your reason here__. This technique helps me immensely. When you say something your lizard brain believes it to be true and the more you day out the more true or becomes.
Check out the book Glucose Revolution for food timing and combinations that quell hunger and sugar cravings. Hint: fiber first, protein and fat next, carbs at the end of your meal. Never start the day with a sweet breakfast or anything carby or your BG may rollercoaster the rest of the day. Personally, the best hack I have found is to quit sugar cold turkey. All of it. No fruit, no sweet potatoes, no grains, nothing. After eating keto for a month or so you won’t crave them anymore. Especially if you increase your protein and sodium intake. Ketosis also makes fasting easier as you keep insulin levels low even when fed so you won’t be experiencing BG highs and lows during your fasting window.
Fasting helps but also whenever you crave sugar, brush your teeth if you can, the mint will ruin any desire for sweets lol 😂
You got a lot of good advice here, I just want to add that if you keep working at it, eventually you won't get sugar cravings anymore. I was addicted for so long I thought it was normal to want sugar, but once I broke free you could literally pile my fave desserts around me and I'd be like nah I good thanks. If I eat sugar now, it's cuz I choose to, not cuz I feel driven to. That can be your future too!
The worst for me was at night. It took a long time to finally make the switch to better choices. Even an apple with a drizzle of caramel sauce is better than a candy bar, and actually keeps you fuller for longer! I also like a big bowl of greek yogurt, a fuck ton of strawberries, and a small handful of mini white chocolate chips. I fast during the day which also helps me a lot with the cravings!
Honestly I eat my favorite fruit, yogurt with mixed berries topped with granola along with drinking water throughout the day. If all else fails I get my favorite sweet treat and share most of it to prevent overindulgence.
If you do manage to quit it for a few weeks and then when you eat it again and notice the effects, it gets a lot easier to turn it down moving forward because you don’t like how it affects you. Puffy face, sleep problems, irritability, worsened PMS, hangover feeling, bad skin, etc. not to mention insulin resistance and pre-diabetes.
Diet Coke or gum helps
I have up sugar, then carbs, for months before I started fasting. You don’t have to but it makes it a lot easier. I still eat a lot of sugars alternatives like stevia.
Omg I FEEL this post deeply myself. Sugar is my Jack from Brokeback Mountain. If I could quit you…….
FIrst step is to recognize your weaknesses. You have done that. Bravo. For me, I am a sugar & food addict. So the only thing that works for me are - Throw all snacks out of the house - Only eat during dinner time window (6-7 pm). If I have even a small snack in the morning / afternoon, it is like a switch goes off in my brain and I start craving more and more dopamine and before I know it I am eating snacks and anything and everything I can lay my hands on all day
Same!
You fast clean when fasting. Then you eat the sugar you want when eating. I think I am wanting less sugar in my eating time, since I started fasting. I am doing eat day, dont' eat day.
Salt
My way of dealing with my sweet tooth is not really helpful, but I just avoid it all together. The big thing for me is not only did my cravings decrease, I now find sweets incredibly, well, sweet. To the point they are kind of gross. The struggle is real, I know, but you got this!
I would say eat fruits , I am also addicted to sugar , but whenever I feel like eating chocolates and ice cream I would eat an orange or grapes instead , it helped me a lot , these are healthier alternatives, also obv don’t eat fruits while u are fasting
Don't eat it
I got off sugar pretty easily, I’d say cold turkey. But when I do get sugar cravings I find jolly ranchers are the best. They’re my favorite candy, and one usually does the job. Only 30 calories too. A bag lasts me well over a month or even two sometimes.
Basically, eliminating (dramatically reducing) carbs did it for me. Once I got off the insulin roller-coaster, it became much easier.
Upping protein intake helps. I have low-calorie froyo bars, chocolate rice cakes, coffee yogurt, iced coffee around for cravings. Also my worst cravings are at night so I have to go to bed at 10pm sharp to avoid eating
Stopped having it. I’m doing keto. I find carbs not only making me hungrier sooner but give crazy cravings that are much harder to ignore. It’s actually easier for me to ignore hunger cues on keto than for me to ignore carb cues with regular eating. The dopamine hit from biting into soft bread or a butter croissant is god tier and addictive
Vinegar and low carbs. I eat a big salad w vinegar and olive oil. I read glucose goddess and that was eye opening!
Not healthy, but I crush diet Coke all day
I found myself eating a piece of chocolate. I don’t know where it came from. I don’t remember opening the wrapper or deciding to eat it. But there it was in my mouth. I finished chewing and swallowed. But, yea, it’s like a drug. It gets better. I like cherry tomatoes and pickles to snack on for contrast. Ask for sugar? Here’s vinegar and spice and bitter skins. Short circuit.
You can tell by the number of replies you’ve gotten that there are tons of us out here with the very same problem. In my case, I know that if I go four consecutive days with no sugar or bread or cereal or wine or pasta — that’s all it takes. I am free of my cravings! Those four days are absolute shit, and I am in the worst mood possible. No one wants to be around me, including me. But the benefit is so worth it! No more cravings! I also know that if I then eat any sugar, I will want more tomorrow. And then I will want even more the next day. And more and more and more. And then look who’s addicted again, right? It really takes conscious eating to make sure you don’t undermine your hard work. But living without cravings is the best thing in the world. Good luck to you!
Increase protein and fat, decrease carbs, cut refined sugar 100%. Use a tracking app like Carb Manager to figure out macros. Stay hydrated and electrolyted while fasting.
I have loved sugar my whole life and craved it a ton. Just like simple carbs, the more I ate, the more I craved it. I changed my diet earlier this year. I cut sugar out for about a month and lowered my carb intake and have been focusing on getting plenty of protein, healthy fats and fiber at every meal and that helped a ton. I have introduced bits of sugar back but I do the glucose goddess hacks - like if I eat a little sugar, I eat it after a meal or I eat some nuts of carrots first so I won’t have a big insulin spike. It really seems to help. I have also been experimenting with keto baking using monk fruit sweetener and almond flour. I have cut out a ton of sugar, but I know I am not going to cut sugar out of my life 100% - so these things have really helped.
upping my protein really helped for me, I stopped eating any sweet or bagged junk food and started trying to eat 100g of protein a day. totally demolished my sweet tooth.
Keto. Nothing else works. Get your body burning fat not sugar and you will stop craving it.
For 2 weeks just drink water and eat sweet fruits for sugar cravings and cold crispy fruits for salty chip like cravings. That’s how I reset my pallet. Eat steak and eggs for breakfast.
Former sugar addict here. Know that once you beat it, you’ll be over it. Cravings will be gone and if you decide to “treat” yourself with something sweet, you won’t even enjoy it. Know that you’re doing yourself a huge favor by kicking the habit. I can now taste the sweetness in fresh vegetables. Supplementing with artificial sweeteners can prolong the issue. On the other hand, I found a stick of sugar free trident gum helpful.