How To Win The Fight Against Sugar Cravings

In case you have yet to realize it, I thought I would let you know that people are different. Some of us just don’t have what it takes to give something up cold turkey while others have self-control for days.

The first step is figuring out what kind of person you are. If, like me, the thought of giving up sugar and never having another sweet treat is heart-wrenching then this is the plan for you. For those with crazy amounts of self-control, you too should keep reading if only to make yourself feel great about not having to go through this process.

“Small changes can lead to big results” that is going to be our motto for this system. If you are someone who has desserts seven days a week, cut back to three or five days. If you have a soda with every meal, limit yourself to just one a day. As you gradually start to see the benefits of these small changes, you can then continue to build on them until you have gone completely sugar-free.

The problem that most of us will run into are cravings. Some wonderful person has brought cake into the office to celebrate a birthday the day you go sugar-free… awesome. Or, guess what?

Here are three strategies to deal with these desperate circumstances.

1. Protein-Rich Meals

The first and most effective wave to curb your cravings is by giving your body what it really needs instead of just eating whatever is directly in front of you. Make the better choice to eat protein-rich meals. This will help you to feel full and stay full longer. According to Prevention.com each meal should have 20 grams of protein, which equates to about three ounces of animal protein or about one and half cups of beans or lentils.

2. Find An Alternative

Does a bowl of (no sugar added) yogurt topped with fresh berries taste great? Yes. Is it the same as a bowl of ice cream topped with all sorts of deliciousness? No. But it will help to curb those sugar cravings by allowing your body natural sugars. When you find yourself searching for something sweet try berries or apples. If you’re really desperate, try raw honey or maple syrup for some natural sweetness.

3. Implement A Cheat Day

This does not mean Eat Sugar Till You Get Sick Day! But by allowing yourself one day to rest from the stresses of rigid dietary restrictions, you give yourself something to look forward to and you give yourself some power over your cravings. You will find yourself saying, “I don’t need to have that now because I know that I can have it later.” A few words of warning: Pick a day and stick to it. By constantly changing the day that’s your cheat day, you will end up making every day a cheat day. As your body changes you will find that you cravings on your day off are not nearly as strong as they were at the beginning.

One thing to be conscious of on this no-sugar journey is that you shouldn’t simply replace sugar with artificial sweeteners. Not only are their effects on your body questionable, but the highly sweet flavors may cause you to crave sugar even more. Once your taste buds have adapted to the highly sweet substitute the natural flavors in fruit and yogurt won’t stand a chance next to candy, cookies and soda.

Remember our motto “Small changes can lead to big results”? What’s your first change going to be?