How I controlled my Sugar Cravings.

I had a serious sweet tooth. I was someone who would order a dessert no matter how stuffed I was and I would lap up the entire serving no matter how huge it was. I used to crave for desserts after every meal and always preferred something sweet for my snacks as well. I used to add more than the required amount of sugar in my coffee/tea as well.

All this contributed to my being overweight, lazy and lethargic. I would get uncontrollable sugar cravings. I was addicted to sugar and I didn’t even realize it. Yes, you heard me right! Sugar and other sweet foods can be addictive.

I took the following steps to control my sugar cravings:

     1. I learnt to divert my mind from food when I got sugar cravings. Whenever I got the urge to eat something sweet I decided to engage myself in some other activity like walking, dancing, or just chatting with friends and family over phone or other communicating devices.

2. I started drinking more water so that I didn’t have any false cravings or false hunger.

3. I gradually decreased the amount of sugar in my caffeine and eventually completely eliminated sugar from my beverages. If I had stopped the sugar completely in the first step, at one, I would have felt deprived and would have craved even more for it. So I took it slow and gradual.

4. Whenever I craved for some dessert I ate a fruit and waited for some time. If I craved for dessert again, I again ate fruits, but of a different variety. It took my taste buds and me, a while to adjust to this change. Once I got used to this routine, I started enjoying fruits instead of sugar and calories loaded desserts.

5. I started eating my breakfast properly with lots of protein so that I didn’t feel hungry at odd times and consumed fewer calories throughout the day. This way I craved less for sugar since my body did not go into starvation mode and my stomach felt full.

6. I started simple workouts at home. I felt good and energized with my exercises. I was getting conscious of my weight and wanted to increase stamina. I realized that my life was changing and it was changing for the better. After workout if I feel hungry and want something sweet I always indulge in fresh smoothie at home.

7. I targeted a small weight loss goal and decided to curb my sugar intake. By doing this I was more conscious of what I ate. I lost little weight by making little changes and that motivated me to change my diet further and include more exercise in my daily routine.

With simple changes in my lifestyle and plans to stop my sugar cravings I was able to lose tons of weight. Now I skip the dessert menu altogether and I eat healthy. I still get sugar cravings but in moderation. I eat lots of fresh fruits and I drink no sweet beverages.

Health tip of the Week

“When you get sugar cravings, eat fruits!”