Do you struggle with sugar cravings, particularly late at night? Do you eat clean for the whole
day and then suddenly, when night comes, give in to everything you’re craving?
Guess what…you are not alone!
Did you know:
- The average American consumes over 66 pounds of added sugar per year
- The American Heart Association recommends that women consume no more than 6
teaspoons and men no more than 9 teaspoons of added sugars per day, BUT: - The average American’s intake of added sugars is 23 teaspoons per day (115 grams)!
- 49.7% of those added sugars come from drinks! (Soda, energy drinks, sports drinks,
fruit drinks, and tea)
So how can you conquer these cravings that suddenly overwhelm you that you seemingly have
no will power over? I, too, have struggled a great deal with this problem. I have been into health
and fitness for a number of years now, but still couldn’t seem to overcome my sweet tooth. I
would eat clean for the entire day, until a couple hours after dinner when my cravings would
start. So many late nights consisted of Walmart trips to the candy aisle to satisfy my cravings. Of
course, I would wake up the next morning feeling sick to my stomach and discouraged with
myself.
I finally decided it was time to kick this problem in the butt. I was sick of often feeling like I
ruined my whole day of healthy eating, and on top of that, my stubborn stomach fat wasn’t going
anywhere with all that sugar. It was slowing down my metabolism as well as making me feel
sluggish, so I was determined to do better.
Tips to help solve this problem:
- Plan your cheat days. For me, if I try to completely rule out sweet treats for more than
a few weeks, I end up failing. Living a healthy lifestyle does not mean that you can never
have a cheat day. Have an upcoming birthday party or wedding? Plan to let yourself have
a bit of a cheat that day, and look forward to it throughout your week. This can help you
say no during the rest of the week. - Plan your portions! Avoid sitting down with a bag of candy or a whole container of
cake. When I do this, I end up eating WAY more than I had planned on because I just
can’t seem to stop.
- Set a timer for 10 minutes and just walk away. Think about your goals; will eating this
hinder you from achieving them or help you reach them? Think, “Do I really want to put
this inside my body? Is it worth it?” Chances are after those 10 minutes are over and
you’ve thought it through, you’ll have the control to say no. - Drink more water! You’ll be amazed at how good you feel if you replace soda or other
sugary drinks with some good old refreshing water! - Think about how you will feel tomorrow if you eat or drink this vs. if you don’t. I hate
waking up in the morning knowing I chose to put terrible food into my body the night
before. I love going to bed knowing I can wake up in the morning with no regrets.
Healthy alternatives to help kick cravings to the curb: - Make a protein shake! It tastes like a milkshake to me, and I look forward to having
this many days after my workout:
• 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder (we recommend Doterra)
• 2-3 tablespoons of natural organic peanut butter
• ½ of a banana (or a whole one if you like a lot of banana taste)
• ¾ to 1 cup of original unsweetened almond milk
• ½ cup crushed ice
• Optional: spinach (you most likely won’t taste it at all!) - Eat a small piece of organic dark chocolate; the higher % of cocoa it contains, the
better. I buy the 85% cocoa. Dark chocolate contains powerful antioxidants, and it also
lowers your LDL cholesterol levels (the “bad” cholesterol) as well as raises your HDL
cholesterol levels (the “good” cholesterol). - Find some healthy dessert recipes! You’d be surprised how many desserts you can
make that taste amazing and actually have wonderful ingredients. Here is one of my
favorites: - Protein Energy Balls:
http://www.thehealthymaven.com/2015/08/no-bake-oatmeal-protein-energy-balls.html
Guess what? The more you say no the easier it will get. Your cravings will slowly start to
diminish when you stop feeding your body all that sugar. I can honestly say that since I have
made this change in my life, my sweet tooth cravings have decreased an amazing amount. It will
take time, and you will make mistakes and give in; we all do! The important thing is to make a
lifestyle change, not just a short-term one. I like to keep this quote in mind when I’m tempted to
sit down with a whole bag of candy or a plate of cookies: “Every time you eat or drink, you are
either feeding disease or fighting it.”
