If you're in the habit of eating sugary treats and then suddenly stop, chances are you will suffer from sugar withdrawal. This symptom is very similar to cigarette withdrawal. You can approach this problem in two ways.
Approach 1 (Complete Withdrawal)
The craving will start to subside after the first week or two, just like most withdrawal symptoms. To be successful, you must not see or have access to any sugary treats for the first few weeks. Ask your family to help by keeping sugary treats out of your sight.
Once you get through the first few weeks, the craving will not be as strong. However, the first few days are not very fun. Just like war, you must be psychologically prepared for battle. No pills or herb will successfully cut your craving. Once you get past the first few days, the battle becomes easier.
The only problem with this approach is that many times people go right back to eating lots of sugary snacks within months of breaking the habit. That is why I suggest the next approach.
Approach 2 (Moderation)
The good news is you don't have to give up sugar to lose weight. Moderation is the key to dealing with sugar craving. Few people are able to completely eliminate sugar or sugary treats from their diet. In a perfect world, eliminating sugar would be best since sugar is calorie dense and void of nutrients. Unfortunately, sugar is in almost everything we eat. Completely eliminating it from our diet is almost impossible.
My favorite way of dealing with sugar is to allow myself a few light treats before or after dinner. You can eat 1/2 cup of low fat ice cream for a light snack. This treat totals 120 - 140 calories. My favorite low calorie treat is 1 large serving of sugar free Jell-O with 2 tablespoons of Light Cool Whip. This treat totals 30 calories and taste great. You satisfy your sugar craving without inhaling a load of calories. If you prefer not to use Splenda or Nutrasweet, then use regular Jell-O with light whip cream for a total of 90 calories. Light whip cream gives Jell-O a rich taste but has only 20 calories per serving.
Another good treat is a slice of seedless watermelon. A sliced piece of melon is filling, sugary tasting and totals a little more than 120 calories. You can eat 1 cup of sliced, seedless watermelon (50 calories) with sugar free Jell-O and light whip cream for a total of 80 calories. A piece of toast has more calories than this great tasting treat.
Try cutting a whole cantaloupe into small pieces and place it in a plastic container. Store content in the refrigerator and use for dessert or snacks. A cup of sliced melons is nutritious and contains only 50 calories. Allowing yourself 1 cup of sliced melons or 1/2 cup of low fat ice cream helps you control portion and therefore calories.
Dan Burley is editor and author of http://www.DietForum.com and [http://www.SuperFoodsThatBurnFat.com] and has written hundreds of weight loss and nutritional articles on the Internet.
Approach 1 (Complete Withdrawal)
The craving will start to subside after the first week or two, just like most withdrawal symptoms. To be successful, you must not see or have access to any sugary treats for the first few weeks. Ask your family to help by keeping sugary treats out of your sight.
Once you get through the first few weeks, the craving will not be as strong. However, the first few days are not very fun. Just like war, you must be psychologically prepared for battle. No pills or herb will successfully cut your craving. Once you get past the first few days, the battle becomes easier.
The only problem with this approach is that many times people go right back to eating lots of sugary snacks within months of breaking the habit. That is why I suggest the next approach.
Approach 2 (Moderation)
The good news is you don't have to give up sugar to lose weight. Moderation is the key to dealing with sugar craving. Few people are able to completely eliminate sugar or sugary treats from their diet. In a perfect world, eliminating sugar would be best since sugar is calorie dense and void of nutrients. Unfortunately, sugar is in almost everything we eat. Completely eliminating it from our diet is almost impossible.
My favorite way of dealing with sugar is to allow myself a few light treats before or after dinner. You can eat 1/2 cup of low fat ice cream for a light snack. This treat totals 120 - 140 calories. My favorite low calorie treat is 1 large serving of sugar free Jell-O with 2 tablespoons of Light Cool Whip. This treat totals 30 calories and taste great. You satisfy your sugar craving without inhaling a load of calories. If you prefer not to use Splenda or Nutrasweet, then use regular Jell-O with light whip cream for a total of 90 calories. Light whip cream gives Jell-O a rich taste but has only 20 calories per serving.
Another good treat is a slice of seedless watermelon. A sliced piece of melon is filling, sugary tasting and totals a little more than 120 calories. You can eat 1 cup of sliced, seedless watermelon (50 calories) with sugar free Jell-O and light whip cream for a total of 80 calories. A piece of toast has more calories than this great tasting treat.
Try cutting a whole cantaloupe into small pieces and place it in a plastic container. Store content in the refrigerator and use for dessert or snacks. A cup of sliced melons is nutritious and contains only 50 calories. Allowing yourself 1 cup of sliced melons or 1/2 cup of low fat ice cream helps you control portion and therefore calories.
Dan Burley is editor and author of http://www.DietForum.com and [http://www.SuperFoodsThatBurnFat.com] and has written hundreds of weight loss and nutritional articles on the Internet.
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