[Arctic Mama]

I do better with artificial sweeteners in moderation and sugar substitutes - anything from sucrolose to erythritol to stevia powder. A few other rich things around like dark chocolate and heavy cream for fruit and that satisfies me.

[1spunkygal]

Originally Posted by 2Chi

My new substitute is strawberries with steevia AND fat free coolwhip. I also drink chocolate protein shakes and candybar tasting protein bars.

I do the same the atkins bars 1 per day kinda satifys me. some are like having a candybar. & sugar free cool whip on sugar free pudding is ALMOST sinful.

[eva14]

Hi,

Great to read this thread cause I have the same problem. I found that sugar is like an addiction..it is worst when you are off it for the first week and then it gets better...then if you eat something sweet again the craving comes back all over again.

[ELBS717]

I can't deprive myself. I'm a calorie counter, so I just allot myself a certain number of calories a day for dessert. I have to stick with pre-portioned sweets or else I can go crazy. My favorites are home-made cheesecake (reduced fat/carb... i put them in a cupcake pan so it's portioned) and no-sugar-added ice cream sandwiches. As long as I get my daily splurge I don't feel like I'm craving all the time, and it's easy to work in.

[serendipity907]

I'm still unsure of how to best handle sugar. I definitely agree than not having much for a while reduces cravings, but I find whenever I do then have a dessert or something sugary again the cravings all return with a vengeance and I'm at square 1 again.

I'm currently trying a new method where if I'm craving sugary foods it has to be made at home and as healthy as possible. I blend frozen banana pieces and peanut butter and dark choc chips to make my own ice cream which is working out for me currently.

I was having a protein bar every day which seriously took away my sweet tooth as they were almost disgustingly rich-But have since realized I'm intolerant to soya so that's off the menu now. Too bad!

[GobabyGoGO]

chocolate covered fruit is what works for me too

[Beach Patrol]

While I am very much into my healthy foods - gimme those raw veggies and fruits & lean meats & whole grains! - YUM!!!! - I also suffer from STH (sweet tooth h***). In the past, I have successfully given up all processed sweets - the longest time I went without candy/cake/donut/etc was 8 months. I lost over 30 lb, and felt GREAT. But then one day, my BFF had a chocolate bar craving... and she offered me half... and WHAM! - right back into STH I went. One half of one itty bitty chocolate bar undid all the hard work I had done...leaving me right back at square one, starting over. AGAIN.

This time, I decided that in calorie counting, I could have "room" for my "sweet tooth". And I do. Some days (you know the ones!!!) I just HAVE to HAVE some ding-dang chocolate!!! Hershey Bar? Reese's Peanut Butter Cup? Peanut M&Ms? .... whatever, I can work it into my caloric limit. Many times I just have a nice fudge bar after dinner. Sometimes I choose to have fresh strawberries with whipped cream. Delicious! - other times, it may be a special occasion such as birthday or holiday & there's my favorite pumpkin pie (Thanksgiving!) or birthday cake with that cream-frosting icing.... or hey, somebody brought donuts to the office & I just happen upon them.... heh.

Then, there are those days when all I can think about is CHEESECAKE... OMG, I could eat cheesecake for eternity!!! And that's the danger zone. When I want something, and I decide to have it, but then I want it again, & again, & again. THIS IS MY BINGE EATING DISASTER that, from time to time, conquers me wholly. That's what I have to be very careful to avoid, and it's not easy, because there isn't really a trigger for it. I can be stressed out, or calm as a wave at low tide. I can be ravenous or have just eaten a big meal. I can be bored or extremely busy. I never know when that Binge Monster will attack me. So I have to be on guard for it all the time. Sometimes I win! Sometimes, I don't.

But I have discovered this: It is absolutely MY CHOICE as to what does or doesn't go into my mouth. ALWAYS MY CHOICE. Sometimes I give in to the craving; sometimes I fight it & don't give in. The trick, for me anyway, is to fight it & don't give in at least 75% of the time. The other 25% - it might set me back, but it doesn't break me. So I may lose a few battles, but I win the war. I WANT TO WIN THE WAR! ~cause, yeah! I'm in it for the long haul.

[LucyOlivia]

Cinnamon seems to curb my sweet cravings for some reason! Cinnamon on porridge is lovely!

[want2LoseIt]

I eat pineapple to curve my sweet tooth while on a diet because I love chocolate and pineapple is healthy and just as sweet! fresh pineapple not canned.good luck!

[going2bskinny]

I know this isn't good for all the time but if you are in a house where people bring in sweets and you can't get away from them and it is just killing you to have some... maybe try the chew and spit trick lol just for a taste of it I do that sometimes like today I took a bite of a berry oreo cuz it was in the house and I wanted to try it i just bit off some chewed it then spit it in the garbage can without swallowing lol then I didn't really care to have one no more. Hope that helps sometimes

oh yeah or some fruit helps maybe with some cool whip

or bake apples and put cinnamon on em

also I blend up an apple sometimes and just put cinnamon in it to make my own apple sauce

look for healthier recipes on youtube as well like I found a recipe for chocolate cupcakes the other day but its made with chocolate protein powder and totally not unhealthy for you things like that. try to substitute with healthier recipes for your favorite sweets and foods. thats what helps the most.

[gardenerjoy]

A simple question, but for me it ended up being a complicated answer. I changed some behaviors (no eating in the car, no eating anything purchased from a drugstore or gas station), eliminated a few foods (donuts -- I craved donuts for nearly a year after the last one and I'm not putting myself through that again), went all natural (which means a few plain chocolate bars are still on the list but most of the candy that I used to overeat is not), and made some healthy sweet treats at home (for some reason I can eat frozen desserts like a thin person without overeating so I make my own frozen yogurt, recipe here: Homemade Frozen Yogurt).

[pixiefalls]

Originally Posted by JohnP

In my opinion you need to determine if you're the kind of person who does better abstaining 100% or if you're better off alotting a small amount within your calorie limits to keep you from going binge crazy.

This is something you should definitely do! When I began losing weight again I decided to do that (I have a large sweet tooth as well). It took about two weeks for the binge urges and such to cease, but I felt sooo much better! I have been letting myself have sugar a little the last few days.. I am finding it hard not to binge. I must abstain as much as possible from junk food.

[energie]

I have a sweet tooth and I usually factor in a junior mint (140 calories) and a few lifesavers in daily. It works well for me. Find out what works for you.

[Euphy]

My current treat is kettle corn. The Popcorn Indiana brand is only 130 calories for 2 cups, and 6 grams of sugar. I just make sure to eat it very slowly, one kernel at a time.