Trying to quit sweets, any help?

No Snacks, no sweets, no seconds. Except on Days that start with S. Too simple for you? Simple is why it works. Look here for questions, introductions, support, success stories.

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Shadowfairy
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Trying to quit sweets, any help?

Post by Shadowfairy » Fri Sep 05, 2014 2:21 pm

Okay so it's not exactly like the noS policy. But the trouble is when I have them, I can't stop eating them until I'm litterally physically sick. I've tried to learn moderation but that all goes out my ass when I taste them.

I must clarify, I'm NOT cutting out SUGAR, just SWEETS. I'll still allow myself flavoured yoghurt, fruit juices, dried fruit ect. But the rich stuff. Has anyone done this before? Any tips? Help to deal with cravings ect?
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Blithe Morning
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Post by Blithe Morning » Fri Sep 05, 2014 5:51 pm

Two things:

1. Cut back on processed foods since there is a lot sugar in those. I think those habituate us to the sweet taste. When you cut out a lot of processed food you regain your sense of what is "too sweet" so it takes a lot less to get overloaded. YMMV.

2. Don't keep sweets in the house. If you do want a sweet, buy or make only a single serving.

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Shadowfairy
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Post by Shadowfairy » Fri Sep 05, 2014 6:11 pm

Blithe Morning wrote:Two things:

1. Cut back on processed foods since there is a lot sugar in those. I think those habituate us to the sweet taste. When you cut out a lot of processed food you regain your sense of what is "too sweet" so it takes a lot less to get overloaded. YMMV.

2. Don't keep sweets in the house. If you do want a sweet, buy or make only a single serving.
Thanks. I don't really eat too much processed. Okay yes I buy deli food daily, but what they serve doesn't typically have too much sugar, or any at all even depending on what you buy. (I can make most foods they make at home, but this is cheaper believe it or not vs cooking for one) Those foods just have a lot of fats. (Butter, mayo and olive/canola oil)

I don't mind the fat though. Keeps me full and I'm anyway always low on it.
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ironchef
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Re: Trying to quit sweets, any help?

Post by ironchef » Fri Sep 05, 2014 11:12 pm

Can I ask how long you've been No Sing?

Many of us had wild weekends at first, as we tried to sort out our approach to sweets and how to be moderate. It can be strange re-introducing foods that have been "bad" and off limits for a long time on other diets. You can stop eating, you just don't.

If you've only been at it a month or two, I'd suggest a few things:
- Give it time. You don't learn moderation with sweets all at once.
- As Blithe Morning says, get small amounts of really good quality sweets.
- Listen to or read Reinhard's "S Days Gone Wild" podcast.
- On S Days, include sweets in a more traditional manner as a dessert at the end of a good meal.
- Keep sweets sociable if you can. Enjoying a slice of cake with a friend in a comfy chair is infinitely more enjoyable to me than half a cake standing alone in my kitchen.
- When you do overdo it, don't beat yourself up, but do pay attention to the feelings of physical discomfort and learn from that.

Most of all, good luck!

osoniye
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Post by osoniye » Sat Sep 06, 2014 5:48 am

Hi, Chommie! :D
Seems to me there are 2 ways to approach this. One is outlined very well above by ironchef. The other would be to take S days as a different sort of thing. Assuming sweets are out, I think routine (maybe an exception for major holidays) S days can be special by putting more time and planning into meals, taking seconds when you want to, eating popcorn or chips in the middle of the afternoon if the urge hits, etc. Many people seem to reach this point later on in their NoS experience, but it might work out well for those for whom sweets is a big trigger. Certainly if someone has a medical or dental problem which makes eating sweets particularly unhealthy for them, this would be an option.
-Sonya
No Sweets, No Snacks and No Seconds, Except (Sometimes) on days that start with "S".

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Shadowfairy
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Post by Shadowfairy » Sat Sep 06, 2014 12:44 pm

Hey everyone. Thanks for the replies. I've not been noS-ing very long but sweets has always been a problem. Just never this bad. I think what I'm going to do, rather than cut them out, I'm going to REPLACE them with other sweet things that'll satisfy my sweet tooth, but I've never binged on these like the rich stuff.

These things include: Granola bars, jello, custard, fruit juice, fruits, plain sponge cake (with some jam?), frozen yoghurt, flavoured milk and then of course, I must have chocolate, but this time, only 70% or higher.

As for this weekend....yeah I'll think I'll restart NoS from the beginning on Monday. Lol. I'm also angry at my gym as my intructor seem to have pulled her tail in a knot because i don't want to go anymore. (Because she isn't letting me do what I want to do!) So yeah I think screw them anyway. I'll do my most beloved exercise at home. (walking outside in the sunshine. 3-5miles. EVERY. DAY. Sorry that was a bit off topic. :) Just a mini rant.
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oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Sun Sep 14, 2014 3:17 pm

Sweets were always a problem for me, too. yes, it can seem like we can't stop, but the day will come when it becomes clear that the momentary pleasure is not worth the cruddy feelings later. It doesn't mean it gets easy not to eat them, just more worth the early pain of moderation .

Go ahead and try your way for a couple of months. If you don't miss the sweets at all, or feel they still aren't worth the process of making them moderate in your life, no harm no foul. You might be among the very small percentage who live happily without them forever. But you may also find that your old non-binge foods start playing a different role in your life. I'll say no more about that.

Alternately, especially after months of green No S, you may decide to experiment with sweets again. When you do, as others have said, keep to single servings. In addition, as an old binger, I would say also eat them in the most restrictive environment at first- for me, that means NOT eating them alone- and plan activities afterwards that will give you the experience of eating them but not having a chance to go out later and binge. Do that 20 or 30 times before even thinking the fight it over. Yes, it takes practice, but the alternatives- permanent abstinence or permanent addiction- haven't proved fun for the masses, either.

And try to throw yourself into the REST of your life between your meals.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
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9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
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ksbrowne
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Post by ksbrowne » Mon Sep 22, 2014 11:39 pm

Give it time and be very patient with yourself. I recommend grapes as dessert.

Your taste buds will adjust and eventually you will find that your cravings just go away. I used to have a huge sweet tooth. Now, it's much more manageable.

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Jibaholic
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Post by Jibaholic » Tue Sep 23, 2014 12:04 am

I am still a No S newbie but one thing that I do helps is to get the sweets out of the house.

I still have them. My wife and I split a Sea Salt and Caramel Talenti gelato most saturday nights. But I have to drive to the store to get it, and then when it's gone, it's gone. I'd have to drive to the store to get something else.

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Tue Sep 23, 2014 2:18 am

I agree that having at least a period of time without the most attractive foods is a good strategy. It may not always be necessary, but the data shows that when most people have easy access to highly palatable food, they eat it!
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

eschano
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Post by eschano » Tue Sep 23, 2014 8:40 am

Your taste will definitely adjust. I never quit it completely but just by not eating sweets during the week I know that I now find fruit extremely sweet while at the beginning of NoS (coming off daily 100g minimum of chocolate) I found them more savoury than sweet.
eschano - Vanilla rocks!

July 2012- January 2016
Started again January 2021

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Tue Sep 23, 2014 8:14 pm

You also can't judge how you are going to be affected by sweets in a year by your efforts now or previously. I was kidding myself in the past when I said I "tried" eating them in moderation. I gave up way too early in the past. Until a person has consistently kept to No S or something like it for several months at least, I don't really think she can be said to have given the trying adequate time. That's like going to a tennis court a few times, swinging the racquet around, and saying "I'm no good at tennis." It takes several months of practice before there is any sense of skill! A person may not even know she's getting better until looking BACK on her new habits.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

gingerpie
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Post by gingerpie » Sun Sep 28, 2014 11:34 am

Hi Shadow,

How are you doing? I hope some of the suggestions have helped but even if your attempt to moderate sweets wasn't 100% successful gentle persistence will pay huge dividends.

heatherhikes
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Post by heatherhikes » Sun Oct 05, 2014 9:16 pm

Just my 2 cents here...

what helped/helps me is
1) the decision to keep sweets out of the house on weekdays, for now
2) planning satisfying (comforting?) meals I really can look forward to, then the sweets aren't important any more
3) preparing a small but delicious fruit salad ahead of time for dessert
(my fav. is apple-orange-mango-lemon juice-dried cranberries; evtl. nuts), or a fav. piece of fruit
4) a couple of pieces of dried fruit; I like dried unsweetened apricots; dates would be too sweet for me...
5) a small piece of quality camembert or hard cheese and a few grapes or a pear and/or walnuts - as the Southern Europeans are in the habit of doing (and I forget about sweets...).

I have learnt that, in the vast majority of my tempting moments, the more personally satisfying my meals are, the less I miss sweets at mealtimes :P :)
hh
Last edited by heatherhikes on Fri Oct 10, 2014 4:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The more forgiving and compassionate you are to yourself while you learn, the better. Berating oneself has been shown to reinforce the behavior you wish to change. Ironic, no? But it's good news! We don't have to be mean to ourselves to win - oolala

vmsurbat
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Post by vmsurbat » Mon Oct 06, 2014 9:16 am

heatherhikes wrote:
I have learnt that, in the vast majority of my tempting moments, the more personally satisfying my meals are, the less I miss sweets at mealtimes :P :)
_____
I've personally found this to be true as well. The better my meals (particularly in terms of enjoyment), the less seconds, snacks, and sweets appeal to me. And, over the years, the sweets which appeal to me have changed as well. I vastly prefer fruit-based desserts (cobblers, pies, salads, compotes) or puddings or a single (not-oversized) cookie to the rich, dense desserts like cakes and cheesecakes which used to be my staples.
Vicki in MNE
7! Yrs. with Vanilla NoS, down 55+lb, happily maintaining and still loving it!

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