Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Sugar Bites
So, do any of you all have major issues with sugar? Like you can't stop eating it? I love to bake, to eat what I bake and to eat everything in the pastry case at Starbucks. I KNOW how bad the stuff is, I know white sugar is especially bad for you, but I just can't seem to keep myself away. I do notice that the more veggies/fruits I eat and the more water I drink, the less craving I seem to have. The problem is, when I already crave sugar, the last thing I feel like eating is a carrot. You know? Anyway, I am trying to get up the resolve to cut sugar in some form out of my life, whether it is by type or amount, or frequency I haven't decided. Any ideas?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
My cravings for sweets seem to come in cycles... I've heard that chocolate cravings come around the time of one's period, but since mine are not regular anymore, I have no empirical evidence to support or refute that theory. I have noticed that, like my craving for salty foods, once I start eating sweets I have a REALLY hard time breaking the cycle.
ReplyDeleteThis probably comes under the same heading as eating a carrot when you want something sweet (like, yuck!), but I have HEARD that eating a pickle will satisfy a sweet craving. Again, no personal experience with that one.
What I have discovered about myself is that I do not have (at this time, anyway) control over cravings. Sarah had suggested to me, when we were discussing the candy bar issue in one of these posts, that if I cut up the candy bar into smaller portions and freeze them, perhaps I could have one piece when I have a craving, and that would satisfy me without consuming the whole thing. It was a great idea in theory, but the reality of it was that I KNEW the stuff was there, and I wanted it. Now. So that just tells me that if there's something that I really shouldn't indulge in, I need to stay away from it completely and not try to have "just a taste."
Since diabetes runs rampant in my family, I think it would be a good idea for all of us to try and avoid sugar in any form, as much as possible, anyway. (This from the woman who bought 6 Lindt truffles yesterday, and only has one left!)
In related news, inasmuch as simple carbohydrates convert to sugars really really quickly, my cravings for starch come under the same heading. I need to get better (again) at restricting my carb intake to the complex variety and avoid WHITE foods like the plague that they are.
In conclusion, my only suggestion is to do the fruit/veggie/water thing as much as possible, since you know it reduces your cravings, and maybe put a piece of minty gum or a sugar-free mint in your mouth before you succumb to the sweets... you will feel less like ruining the taste of the dessert-y item with the gum. That has worked for me on occasion.
It's been a few years now since I switched almost exclusively to whole-grain varieties of food. I do use unbleached white flour still, but I almost always mix it with wheat or some other kind of flour. Pasta and bread are all whole-wheat or multigrain, except for the occasional indulgance in egg noodles or crusty french bread. And, I always use brown rice. It may take a while to get used to it, but if you can get yourself to switch over to these more complex carbs, that should help.
ReplyDeleteI also started avoiding processed foods to the extent possible. These almost always have more simple carbs, sugar, and salt in them than necessary, and many probably contain additives, all of which are designed to make you crave more. This means that I no longer go to fast food restaurants and I don't eat candy anymore except for occasional seasonal indulgences.
For a while chocolate was my biggest weakness because I really enjoy a good dark chocolate. Mom this may not work for you, but for me, I almost always have dark chocolate kicking around. Go for a good kind that's 60-80% cocoa. I find dark chocolate is rich enough that I've never wanted to eat an entire bar, but I definitely used to eat more than I should whenever I had chocolate. For several years now I have allowed myself 1 piece per day. Because it's always around it no longer has that 'forbidden' feel to it, so I find that it's quite easy to stop at one piece now. In addition, I've stopped wanting it all the time. Even though I know it's there, I probably eat no more than one piece a week these days.
Home-baked goodies are the real stickler for me, because like you Marnie, I love to bake. Baking to share is the key I think. If you have a craving for something, go ahead and make it. Save one or two servings for yourself (and Chris of course), then bring the rest to work, or a friends house. I still occasionally get greedy and make something just for myself, but I've found that I really enjoy giving food away to appreciative people.
Mom, I do have to object to your statement that we should avoid sugar in any form. Avoid using sugar when you don't need to, try and cut down sugar in recipes whenever possible, avoid ultraprocced foods that are loaded with sugar and simple carbs, yes. But sugar is found naturally in a lot of fruits and vegetables, which you shouldn't be avoiding. It's also essential for baking, and I for one have no intention of giving up baked goods entirely.
You're right, Sarah, about the sugar in fruits and vegetables... I didn't really mean to say avoid those, or even dark chocolate, as it has many health benefits. I was just trying to suggest (obviously worded badly) that because Type II diabetes runs in the family, it is something to be aware of, and regular use of sugar (the white powdery stuff, not fructose, lactose, etc) should be avoided. I know I said "in any form," but I didn't mean the naturally-occurring variety. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteThank you for clarifying that.
Your point about always having chocolate around so it doesn't feel forbidden anymore, and has therefore lost its irresistable allure, is a good one. Also about the high cocoa content. Shelagh sent me an 85% cocoa bar a while back, and it lasted me a looooong time! It was so strong and not sweet that it didn't taste like dessert to me, so it wasn't really tempting! I know now that that is the ONLY kind of chocolate I should have in the house, because it's the only kind I can dole out in small servings successfully.
Baking to share is another good idea. For instance, I made orange scones the other day to take to work. I didn't eat any until I got there and handed them out to my two co-workers, then I had a small one and left the rest alone. The next day when Rachel and I took some vases back to the studio (from a wedding), the basket of scones still had some in it, so Rachel and I each had one, but I left the rest there. Of course, later I was kicking myself because I really wanted one with me tea! :P
In other news, Sarah, what day do you leave for Ireland, again?
M, Your daughters have some great ideas, that I think will also help me. Thanks, girls! Here are some suggestions that I hope will help you, also:
ReplyDeleteWeek 4's chapter in the NutriSystem booklet that I told you about, deals with cravings. The goal that week was to break the link between thinking of eating whatever it is and the act of eating it.
1. Confront the thought or craving. Ask yourself if you are really hungry or instead "simply have to have" the food that has popped into your mind. Talk to yourself and try to stop the craving. Try statements such as: "I know I'm not hungry. Just because I'm thinking about chocolate doesn't mean I have to eat it" or "Every time I don't eat when I think about food [or chocolate], the easier it will be to stop unhealthy snacking."
2. Use thought substitution. Replace images of food [or chocolate] with images of other pleasant events. These might include a soothing sunset, your weight loss, or the compliments you received yesterday. Try to imagine the many pleasures weight loss will bring you.
3. Use behavioral substitution. Distract yourself from thoughts of food [or chocolate] by doing something you enjoy. Choose activities that keep your hands busy. (Painting?) You may also try calling a friend, taking a bath, brushing your teeth. All of these activities are usually distracting enough to stop thoughts of eating.
This week, record the thoughts and images that trigger your hunger [or craving]. Also, record what you did in response to the trigger (strategy used) and what happened as a consequense of your action (result). The goal is to identify those strategies which work best for you.
I hope you can use these suggestions. They have helped me a lot. Love you.
I just re-read what I wrote and noticed I had misspelled "consequence". Sorry.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kathie! Those are great suggestions! That is definitely what I have the most trouble with - craving junk. I think the idea of behavioral substitution would work the best for me... talking to myself doesn't seem to cut it. I just tell myself to shut up so that I can eat - whatever it is!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I will work on those ideas. Thank you for sharing them! And yes, my daughters are brilliant, thankyouverymuch. :)
Thanks guys for all the responses, I guess since I'm not the main blogger I don't get notified when someone makes a comment, sorry for not responding earlier! I also wish I would have READ the posts before starting my day today, because I had a butter croissant with cream cheese for breakfast and a petite vanilla scone (which was GROSS, not worth it, SBUX changed the recipe, ick), then I had an everything bagel with cream cheese and hummus for lunch (from Einstein's yummy!), and pretty much all I've been eating since then has been Peanut Butter cookie dough (I'm making ~ 150 cookies for the dessert reception of the wedding I'm coordinating tomorrow). Not exactly the poster child for progress today. ANYway, I really like the second suggestion of Kathie's - being motivated by the progress you'll make if you can just resist once. If it's a challenge to myself, rather than a forbidden pleasure, maybe I'll find my backbone... As for Sarah's suggestion, I am hoping to transition to the whole grain thing slowly (Chris is 'open' to it, but not thrilled. ;-), he did mention maybe trying half brown rice/half white rice, and I also have this Korean wild rice blend that is yumm-O...Anyway, I'll keep you guys posted if I have any further revelations...
ReplyDeleteMarnie - and Rachel, Sarah, and Kathie - I just put your email addresses in to receive notice when someone posts a comment. Hope that's OK with everyone. If not, let me know and I will change it back.
ReplyDeleteWell I know how you feel, Marnie, about having a day of... erm, food challenges, but one helpful thing I've learned from my children during this blog-fest is that it's about individual choices; just because your choices were not perfect today doesn't mean that you can't make better choices tomorrow.
Another thing I've discovered about myself is that I do MUCH better when I plan ahead. (I think Sarah may have been the one to bring it up a while back.) If I wait til it's time to eat to figure out what I'm going to feed myself, 9 times out of 10 I will find something that's really quick and easy, which usually translates to spaghetti or a cheese sandwich. Obviously, these can be made healthily, but when I'm in a hurry to eat something because I'm hungry, I don't waste a lot of time trying to make it nutritional. I need to shop with each mealtime in mind, and I need to know what I'm going to have for meals at least the day before.