[puneri]

Try 1 piece of dark chocolate.

[smarkey]

I'm a life-long chocolate addict, so sometimes put usweetened cocoa powder in my yogurt - not the best, but it helped - a little bit of sweetener helps - look at the SB list to see what's allowed.

Trader Joe's has tins of chocolate nibs. I nib=1 calorie. One or two nibs took the edge of the cravings in Phase I -- when the desire to eat them all became overwhelming, I handed off the tin to the kids.

If you use dark chocolate as a treat (like a bar), look for bars that have sugar as the second or third ingredient, break the bar into squares and freeze them individually. Then just nibble on one when you have a craving. Try to not eat the whole thing. I found just the taste helped the cravings go away.

The sweetened chocolate isn't kosher for Phase 1, but the very little bit I used help keep me on track. If you read through the forum, you'll find everyone has little "negotiables" to get them through.

Now that I'm Phase 1.5 - 2, I'm finding that fruit helps with the sweet cravings, so chocolate is becoming a rare treat.

I have a whole new appreciation of foods like fruit. I really look forward to meals and snacks that include apples or mandarins or frozen berries.

Skinny lattes (12 oz) a few times a week helped, too.

[frankiki]

I don't think I can have even dark chocolate on Phase 1, but I'll give it a go on P2. I've never really been able to just have one piece though!

SouthLake - my, that cheesecake sounds delicious! And actually, I managed to turn down the sweet craving today and for some reason I then craved milk. Unfortunately, my milk had just gone out of date and I couldn't go out for more, so I had nothing... and I was fine!

[RingSize8]

Originally Posted by SouthLake

I find that diary really helps with my sweet cravings. A glass of milk usually does the trick for me. Or, somethign sweet but on plan- red pepper strips work too. (Strange, I know)

Or, I have an on plan sweet treat. My new favorite is no bake cheesecake- I mix ff yogurt with light cream cheese, splenda, and firm it up with gelatin. Super creamy, the right amount of sweet, and perfectly satisfying. Can't wait to top it with strawberries!

Milk really works for me too. I find I'm drinking a lot of nonfat milk, as it tastes like sugary heaven to me now after just a few days on SBD. I think I'm actually drinking too much milk - I know you're only supposed to have 2-3 cups in Phase 1, but I can't help it. It's like I crave it now.

[frankiki]

smarkey - I'm in the UK so we don't have Trader Joe's and I've not seen anything like chocolate nibs around but will keep looking!

Thanks for the info on chocolate bars though. I was looking at them in the supermarket today (with no temptation, I may add!) and wondered what kind of ingredients list I need to look out for if/when I do decide to add a smidgen a day.

I am noticing a real change in food appreciation too. I was showing my toddler how to hold and eat a banana yesterday and took a slight scrape off with my teeth - boy, was that sweet!

I'm also noticing a growing awareness of my body - how it truly feels hunger and energy from food, but also a sensation of it's edge. It may sound strange but it's as if when I was all full and bloated with wheaty, sugary crap, I felt like an endless blob and had no awareness of my form. Maybe it's just me

RingSize8 - Not a bad thing to crave really, if it's non-fat. I actually don't think I'm getting enough dairy in if cheese is considered protein, so may add a cup.

[SouthLake]

Oooh and a new discovery- Starbucks has a sugar free hot chocolate! It's made with sf chocolate and vanilla syrups and super delicious. It literally saved my morning today

[MissusTaterHead]

I second the dairy, or even unsweetened almond milk. I don't know why, but that really works well for me. Warm milky drinks, especially, like unsweetened lattes or chai or cocoa w/ a little Splenda or just a coffee or decaf. Another thing that works for me is to make something special for a meal--not a sweet obviously but spoil yourself a little, if you just want to feel like you're having something decadent, buy some cut of meat you wouldn't ordinarily buy, maybe some awesome and unusual cheese.

I don't like artificial sweeteners at all so usually if I use Splenda it's just a pinch here and there. Splenda blends pretty well with creamy foods like cocoa, oats or that chia pudding, or fatty foods like peanut butter, I think. Still I have to go really light with it. I just hate that artificial taste, plus, it freaks me out a little.