[Marseille]

Hey everyone, I am pretty new here (I just posted my profile). I just started a new lifestyle with the help of my doctor and a dietician. My new menus pretty much eliminate refined sugars and refined carbs (white bread, white pasta, candy, etc). Its a good plan and I can follow it without too much discomfort, but I have one really big problem.
I work 10 hour days at work and I have lunch at about 1 and another break around 4pm. At this 4pm break, I have an unbelievable, all-consuming, gotta-have-it SUGAR ATTACK. I try eating my prescribed snacks of fruit or veggies or string cheese, but I just can't seem to break through this craving and at least 3 times a week I break down and either buy a Hershey's bar out of the vending machine or (the ultimate sin) order a Maple Butter Blondie from the Applebee's next door.
CAN ANYONE HELP ME??????

[junebug41]

to 3FC!

You know, everyone always rags on 100 calorie packs and I definitely see why, but when I was working an office internship this summer, I would get the same hankerings late afternoon. Once, I didn't have my applesauce or yogurt or blueberries (or whatever) and a coworker tossed me the 100 calorie Oreos. And you know what? It did the trick! Now, I'm normally a whole foods kinda girl and wouldn't buy them because of the additives, but that one time it worked for me and kept me out of the real calorie bombs.

I do have a harder time with "plain old" fruit later in the day (I think because I eat so much every other time of day!), but I have found that these work pretty well:
-yogurt w/fruit
-strawberries
-applesauce with cinnamon
-string cheese
-nuts
-fruit leather (kind of like an all natural Fruit Roll Up) or fruit snacks

[hellokitty81668]

Hi,
I think after a while this craving will go away. maybe you can suck on a lifesaver when this happens? I can tell you what happened to me at noon today, and what helped. I just ate lunch( amy's burrito), and had this intense craving to go into the kitchen and just eat and eat and eat. Instead what I did, shut off the T.V. and took a 20 minute walk around the neighborhood, now I am not hungry, so maybe can you get up and walk for 10 minutes or something?
oh yes Welcome, and good luck to you!
cheryl

[rockinrobin]

Hi and welcome to 3FC!!! Congratulations of starting a new lifestyle.

As for your dilemma, hmmm... well let's see. I think you need to make a firm commitment to yourself, that no matter what, you won't give into that vending machine or the blondie. I think that you'll find, once you do without it for a couple of weeks, as hard as they may be, that you just might no longer even want them. It was amazing to me that after that short a period of time that cravings could be all but reversed.

Keep in mind that cravings will not kill you. You will not be harmed in anyway but not giving into them. I'm not tryiing to be funny here, but that's the case. Talk yourself into it. Repeat it over and over again. Don't keep any spare money with you. Do whatever it takes to get past those first couple of weeks. And of course find a substitute snack. Baby carrots, grapes, my favorite - fat free/sugar free yogurt with 1/4 cup of Fiber One cereal. Drink a can of flavored seltzer.

Don't breakdown. Hershey's bars and blondies don't fit in with your new healthy lifestyle. You can do this. You do have the strength for it. It's down there, deep down. Find it, use it. I promise you it gets easier as you go along.

I look forward to getting to know you better, so post often. I wish you the very best of luck.

[Marseille]

What a simple, obvious answer that I never considered... don't keep any spare change with me! If I leave my change and my checkbook in my car (safely out of reach in the parking lot half a mile away) then I won't have any choice but to just get through the craving. Wow, I feel bad for the way I talked to a friend that was trying to quit smoking. I had no idea that my addiction to food was the same thing and cravings really are tough!

[Robin41]

I'm with Rockinrobin, the more times you say no to the cravings, the easier it gets. The more you give in to them, the more you are going to see giving in as an acceptable option. Did you used to always have something sweet during your afternoon break? If so, it may not be a physical craving so much as a habit.

Personally, my late afternoon snack is always 3 oz. of grilled chicken breast. The protein fills me up and it seems like a real meal so it is very satisfying. Find something that does the same for you.

[RememberHowToSmile]

I plan in an afternoon snack every day for around 3-4 o'clock. I do this because I'm in class or work every day until 6 which means dinner is probable not until 6:30 or 7. I try and vary it for what I feel like that day. A lot of the time it is either fruit and crackers, cheese and crackers, yorgut, ect. Sometimes I will have a small peice of sugar free choclate or a piece of sugar free hard candy to suck on. It helps with the sweet tooth.

I use to eat 4 or 5 miniture candies every day midafternoon (pre weight loss/ giving up sugar) and I found that it tooke me several months to not want that anymore. Now I hardly every crave stuff like that. Just stick to your goals and you'll do fine.

[xJox]

Maybe take a baggie of sliced apples in your purse to eat at that time?

[MandiK]

Try the 100 calorie packs of oreos, chips ahoy (there are lots of cookie flavors out now) They also make chocolate drizzled mini rice cakes (I think 90 cals) 100 calorie Kudos bars are great (snickers flavor... yum) or get some weight watchers desserts and throw them in the freezer (if there is one) at your work. I don't care what anyone says, I love my 100 calorie sweets! They do the trick everytime!!!

[CLCSC145]

I like to eat Kashi Go Lean Crunch for an afternoon snack. It's sweet like granola and has a good crunch. I just put a serving in one of those snack baggies and eat that when I need a sweet fix.

Good luck! We all have our weak points that are ROUGH to give up, but you can do it with a little patience and a lot of stubborness.

[Schmoodle]

Marseille,
I think it depends on if these are physical cravings or mental ones. I was the biggest sugar junkie in the world, especially after meals and in the afternoon. I do South Beach and I don't have those cravings anymore (which amazes me and is SO nice). You might want to look at what you are eating and see if you can identify anything that is triggering those cravings. If you are eating a lot of fruit or starches (even healthy, whole grain ones), you might want to cut them back a bit. Or try moving them to a different time of day. Some people can't eat fruit or starches before lunch. Also, make sure you are getting a good amount of protein with every meal and snack, and eat beans, dairy, and LOTS of veggies to fill you up.

If it is psychological, it will be more difficult. If you don't mind artificial sweeteners, what about a diet soda, or sf yogurt? Some reduced fat triscuits with no sugar added peanut butter and a drop of no sugar added fruit preserves is yummy and feels like a real treat to me.
Hope this helps some.
Good luck!