Today, I'll be having my cheat meal after my Athletic Conditioning workout at Elorde and this question couldn't have been more timely. It's from Camz and she's asking about something that we, I believe, are all trying to control: SUGAR CRAVINGS.
Hi Martha,
I’m loving your fitness posts. I’m just hoping you could post more about how you try to have a healthy lifestyle (eating clean) and how you deal with sugar cravings. :)
My weakness is that I somehow lose control when I eat the sweet stuff, sometimes I can control and sometimes I really can’t. Plus it’s so hard for me to lose weight even if I’m doing Insanity/Brazil Butt Lift :/ I’m 5’1 and 50-51kgs :)
Thanks!
Camz
Photo Credits: foodandwine.com
Hi Camz!
Awesome query! Oh, did you know that before, I can gobble up three slices of cakes in one sitting!? Right now, I can't even finish one (depending on my mood and the occasion though, but I don't go beyond a slice anymore!) and thank God I came to that point! How did I do it? I'll let you know when you click READ MORE. :)
Photo Credit: starbucks.com
I could let go of sweet, edible stuff, but not sweet beverages-that's a fact. My sweet drink of choice is Starbucks Iced White Chocolate Mocha and I take it everyday-now that's what I do: I make sure I take one sweet stuff that I can't live without every single day and this helps me curb 99% of my sugar cravings.
There are actually a lot of sugary stuff that I can't live without such as cakes, cupcakes, macarons, crepe, milkshake, iced lemon tea, and chocolates to name a few, but something's gotta give and that's YOU. I've learned that the way to stick to a diet for life is by treating yourself: it could be a piece of chocolate, half a bar of chocolate, a glass of iced tea, half a cup of milkshake without whipped cream, or what have you just as long as you don't go overboard. However, high calorie drinks such as milkshake, milk tea and frappucino should be saved for your cheat meal-I know it's sad if you love these stuff, but if you really wanna lose some weight, you gotta do it!
Also, learn how to minimize the caloric content of your treats and learn to love it. Here's how I do it with my favorite Starbucks drink:
Starbucks Iced White Chocolate (complete ingredients, vent size):
Regular milk, 5 pumps of White Chocolate Mocha, whipped cream- about 450 calories (based on their Calorie Information pamphlet)
Starbucks Iced White Chocolate Mocha (custom- made for me):
Skim Milk, 2 pumps of White Mocha, no whipped cream- about 250 calories (based on my estimate)
SEE?!?! It's not that hard to lose 200 calories as long as you know how to minimize your caloric intake!
If you can finish a whole bar of chocolate, just finish half or 1/4 of it. If you can eat 5 pieces of truffles in one sitting, just eat one to two and opt for sugar- free versions. They may be not nearly tasty and favorable than the original serving, but trust me, customization will have a great impact on your fitness journey in the long run.
Fruit is also a good way to kill your sugar cravings-it's healthier and caloric impact is pretty low compared to desserts provided that it's taken in moderation. Also, switch to sugar substitutes such as Splenda or Stevia-the body doesn't really recognize real sugar from fake sugar and the problem only lies within your mindset, so train your brain to love substitutes!
As for your other questions, here are some related articles that I have written in the past:
Here's to hoping that you'll be able to curb your sugar cravings soon! Let me know how it goes, okay? :)
**Got a burning question about makeups, skin care products, beauty, dieting, and health tips, relationships, and whatever? Just send them to martha.stabarbara@yahoo.com or shoot 'em up at The Beauty Junkee's FB Fan Page via the MESSAGE button and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. (Please, do not send me Math- related queries. :D)
8 Comments
Customization of the food you love to eat? Sounds really great and effective!
ReplyDeletethis is my problem too :( especially when it's the "time of the month" my sweet cravings wouldn't stop and I would buy tons of chocolates and cookies and when I don't get to eat them I would become frustrated and moody. Anyway, Thank you for your recipe it's a great alternative indeed. would definitely try that in my no sleep nights!
ReplyDeleteNice post! I'd just like to share how I was able to curb my sugar cravings, and I tell you I love them and it didn't help that baking is my hobby. Anyway, I found out that cutting down on my sodium intake is a fast way for me to lose weight and maintain it so now I eat less sodium. What I noticed was that since I started having less salt, I didn't crave for sweets that much either, so that's an even added bonus for me! For example if I used to have a slice of cake, now I could only finish half or a third of it. I could also last days now without eating sweets, especially the highly processed ones. Hope this helps! :)
ReplyDeleteBetsy: Yup! It works, at least to me. :)
ReplyDeleteRia: Great tip! Sodium actually lets your body retain water, which is one of the reasons behind looking poofy and weighing heavier on the scale. :) Thanks for this, I'm sure my readers will find it handy! :)
Kim: I feel you-my resistance goes down when it's that time of the month too, but when I'm confronted with desserts on these days and I'm having a hard time controlling my mouth from drooling, and my hand from reaching for it, I just recall all my dying moments in the gym-that's enough to kill my craving haha!
Very helpful! i don't think I can't control my sugar cravings. I have a sweet tooth. and sweets such as ice cream, cakes, cupcakes is to die for. when I really really need to control it, i just don't look at them. Haha! But it is important that we minimize our sugar intake and drink lots of water. :)
ReplyDeleteSuch a good tip! :) I'm also into eating sweets but I make sure that I jog at least once a week to burn the fats. :)
ReplyDeleteGood thing I don't have sugar cravings. I actually don't like sweets. Anyhow the picture makes me hungry o_O..
ReplyDeleteWow nice tips... I will treat myself then...
I gotta put all of these in mind since I don't really watch my health.. Thank you Martha! :)
ReplyDeleteLet me know what you think of this post! :)