Attack of the sweet tooth.... how do you handle it?

Ah... those are good suggestions. How bout number 2? What kinda fruits do you recommend? I read somewhere before that coconut is good. But eating too much of it will increase cholesterol. Is it true? Do you know anything about this?

woah.... that is a wealth of information to digest! It is very informative though! I like it a lot! Best response goes to you! Thanks for the eye opening info. Will try to see if I can get more blended drinks into my diet! I too love to drink coconut drinks. But when I indulge in one too many, I get sick! So end of the day, moderation is still the key to any diet!

You only eat cholesterol in animal products. The fats in avocado and coconuts are good fats. I just drank the water from 2 young coconuts this weekend and had the jelly type flesh from one (different aged coconuts have different types of flesh, young ones are very jelly like and have a less flesh than the older coconuts with harder flesh). Some quotes from Ani's raw food kitchen... "Coconut water is living water. Mineralized water from deep within the earth is sucked up by the roots of the palm tree, filtered up its trunk, and perfectly sealed inside a coconut. It takes the palm tree nine months to filter one iter of water up its trunk..... The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations' Chief of Agricultural Industries and Post Harvest Managment Service says, "Coconut water is a natural isotonic beverage with the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood. It's the fluid of life, so to speak. With the help of an Italian food technologist, they developed a cold sterilization processing method to bottle coconut water without losing the flavour and nutritional characteristic. However, I still opt for the fresh source from the whole coconut.... ....during World War II, doctors discovered the water in your coconuts could be used as a substitute for blood plasma, because it's sterile, cool, easily absorbed by the body, and doesn't destroy red blood cells." So coconut water is amazing for us! If it is natural or extracted via the cold sterilization process. Probably a lot of tinned coconut cream and milk may be heated and processed and could have sugar in it and is probably a lot less healthier which is probably why it gets a bad name I've never seen coconut products extracted by the cold sterilization process so I try and get raw coconuts and if I can't I might just use a little bit of organic cold processed coconut oil and add it to something for the taste or organic shredded coconut (that's just been dehydrated), even if I add the shredded one to my drinks. The fruits I eat depend on how much time I have to prepare them, during the week I often eat more apples and oranges, because I can just pick them up and take them with me, eating an apple even on my way to work. I leave an apple beside my bed to eat it when I wake up after my glass of water, so i have had something healthy first thing. But this morning I had half a grapefruit as I had some at home and I just felt like it. The other morning I felt like an orange, so I had one. When I have organic pears, I love to eat them, they are beautiful and juicy (I probably just have one a day as they are expensive). When I have time to make a fruit salad I love pawpaw, kiwi fruit, passion fruit, orange banana and strawberries and coconut if I have them all- I may have this type of meal for my Saturday breakfast, or sometimes after work as my dinner meal. Sometimes when I am lucky I have black sapote, which a lady in our markets sells when she has them on her trees, it is also called the chocolate pudding fruit. It doesn't really taste like chocolate, but looks a bit like it inside. I just cut these in half and sprinkle cinnamon or nutmeg on it, they are dark and creamy and pretty filling - different to most other fruits and high in vitamin C. While I try and eat a lot of fruit, I still try and balance it a bit with salads/ veggies and seeds like flaxseeds and sunflower seeds in meals and sprouts, and lots of water. Sometimes I have got a bit of an acidic tummy, but that was probably when I had lots of fruit juice and possibly a coffee or 2 that day as well. If you have a few pieces or servings of fruit a day, as well as fresh veggies and not too much other fatty meat or cow's milk dishes should go great. Some people say to have warm water with a bit of lemon juice of vinegar in it first thing in the morning to start off your tummy or stop it being too acidic. Something else you may be interested in , if you have a good blender is a green smoothy - they blend 60% fruit with 40% veges, so you get the sweet taste of fruit, but all the goodness of raw veges - if you blend it it is better than juice because you are getting all the fibre and goodness of the fruit. There are a few people on youtube showing you how to make these and I think some people might make a big one and drink it during the day so they get a big source of fresh fruit and veges! So many good things but eating just one food all the time can possibly end up causing you a problem as you might end up getting an intolerance to it. So make sure you have a variety of good things. I got an intolerance to bananas - and I happened to be eating them all the time and always having banana smoothies, I have just started eating them again, and am going to have an allergy test tomorrow, so I hope I can eat bananas again - I like them a lot, just don't eat too much. I'd say if you generally stick to one banana a day it will be fine (except for special occasions). They are probably more heavy and will put on more weight than other fruit and I think they are fairly high in sugar, but if you had to chose between a cake or a rich chocolate biscuit and a banana, banana would have to be the best! hope this helps - and it's not too much information!

Sorry! Just noticed my typo... I meant "something far HEALTHIER". lol.

Some fruits are also very high in sugar. I know that for dieters, large quantities of banana is a big no no. Fruits like Apples, peaches, grapes are to be taken in moderation as well. What would you recommend then?

If you are eating a very healthy natural fresh diet, natural sugars in fruit shouldn't be a problem, but if you are eating lots of other bad stuff, then I suppose they would be problem. It is more of a problem if you are having juice as then fruit juice tends to be more fattening than veggie juice. But if you are eating a few pieces of fruit and drinking water, you should be fine. As long as you still eat fresh vegetables during your day.

That is some pretty neat combination you got there. Peanut butter on fruits. Interesting way to curb a craving. I may give it a try some time. Really interesting method you got there. Peanut butter on fruits. Heh heh heh... So what are the fruits you usually smear the peanut butter on?

Really? Peanut butter with apples is nice? With banana too? Hmm... I must try this combination. Never had peanut butter with fruits before. Have it with fruit jelly though. Does that count?

Sometimes the minds wants it. But the flesh is weak at the sight of the food that is craving for. Like I mentioned before, and agree fully with you, it is discipline that makes or break the diet. And it is also discipline that determines whether you will ride out the craving or succumb to it.

Yep, I do indulge every once in a while. I consider it a reward for successfully completing a phase in the diet plan. Setting targets and manageable goals to reward myself with a treat is the way to go. Something to look forward to!

I do break my own temptations at times too, but once in a while indulgence is good rather than reating it everyday or every other day.. haha

ha ha ha ha ha... You are not alone my friend! So, what are some of the things you crave for from time to time? Are they easily available? Or do you have weird cravings that cannot be satisfied easily?

Well, that is a good and a bad thing, ain't it? The good thing is, you do not have to go far to find a source to satisfy the craving. The bad things is, it is so easily available, you tend to get more craving attacks cos it is so easy to satisfy one when it hits. Kinda like a dilemma whether to satisfy the craving or not when it happens.

i usually crave for chocolates, cakes and ice creams. yes, they're very much available in every convenience store! hahaha!

Yeah.. I too believe that loosing weight is a life style change. And not just the diet. Moderation is key to losing weight. Problem with people today is, they want results fast. They want results now. That is why there are many people who managed to lose the weight. But gain it back almost as fast as they lose it when they are off the diet.

Berries do not come cheap in my hometown. So getting berries all the time is a no no. What I do is to indulge in an apple or two. Some times I just try to get immerse in mylotting to get rid of that craving pang. Most times it works. Some times it doesn't. A on going fight and struggle between satisfying my wants and fulfilling my needs. Sigh....

hmm... satisfying a sweet craving with a banana. That is a good idea too! The bulk of the banana comparing will also curb the emptiness that you feel after eating a small piece of chocolate. That would mean having to keep a bunch of them bananas handy! Problem is, bananas do not really last. But that is a great idea! Thanks for the info.

Yes, depriving the body of food will only make it crave for more. That is why is is never advisable to do that when going on a diet. The key to a successful diet is still moderation and substitution. By substituting certain foods we eat with a lower calorie alternative, we can still enjoy our sweet treats without all the guilt. Just some of it. :p

Again, that would require a lifestyle change. I guess if we are discipline enough to stick to a certain routine of eating, we would make a habit of it. Then that once in a while craving attack can be offset by eating something less later. I all boils down to how well we can control our intake.

That is also another way to keep the weight in check. But can you imagine, indulging in a can of coke or sweet drinks. And then forgoing a portion of dinner to make up for the calories taken earlier due to the drink? Hmm... not a very good way to curb cravings. Cos when hunger pangs strike, trust me, the number of cravings you are gonna get, is going to double or triple in the coming few days. Or even weeks if you are one who loves to indulge in food! I still think it is better to find some substitute, lower in calorie count to munch on to fight that craving is better than reducing food portions when it is time for proper meals. Using the substitute and trying to ride out the craving would be more effective in this case. No?

well I believe substitutes don't usually work. Looks at smokers who put on weight after quitting. The main cause is not the reduced metabolism but the snacking. The moment the cravings hit they try to substitute it with snacks. However it'll only make the craving go away for a while. It'll still come back as it was not satisfied. Same goes for food cravings, it'll come back if not satisfied. Reducing calorie intake has nothing much to do with the portion. It has got to do more with food preparation. For example a bowl of noodle soup has much less calories than a bowl of noodle dry. Similarly laksa doesn't has that much calories if the gravy is not drank. So maybe after satisfying a craving you can have a bowl of fish soup without oil and a bowl of rice for dinner. Think that is enough to offset the calorie intake earlier. Cheers ;p

Congratulations to your weight loss! 22 pounds! Wow! That is really an achievement! I have been struggling to loose some weight! What is your secret? Strictly diet? Or combination with exercise? Sugar Free chocolate pudding eh? I will go see if I can get some this week during shopping.

Yeah, I know what you mean when you say you crave for the sweetness. And the worst part of it is, even if you take other sweets, it just doesn't satisfy the craving for chocolates. Ever crave for chocolates, but only a particular brand? I too find munching on a fresh apple helps some what in curbing the craving. And it takes a heck of a lot of apples over a few days, sometimes even weeks, to ride out the craving! I end up spending more on apples than I do on the craving if I succumb to it! The other fruit I find helpful is guava.

That requires tremendous amounts of discipline. Something that many weight watchers like myself seriously lack. That is why we need constant training in that department. Deprivation is not the way to go. Moderation is a better option.

Really? How does this weightwatchers system work? How do you know how many points to assign? Is there a list we can view? This is interesting and I would like to find out more. Share?

I did try using sugar substitute to bake before. Trust me, it doesn't work! Some brands ended up bitter after you subject it to high heat! Other brands just cannot raise the cake the way natural sugar or cane sugar does. It is failure one after another when using alternate sugar derivatives. Instead, using less sugar is a better option. Hmm...dried nuts and fruits eh? I gotta try that one out. So far all the dried fruits I come across are all preserved in sugars. Which kinda defeats the purpose.

That is a good suggestion. The problem now is discipline. TO be disciplined enough to control the amount of that sweet that the craving attack is for. This is the part where people will start to falter. So, discipline is the thing one has to master.

Yeah... I know exactly what you mean! Cravings and temptations are a dieter's nightmare! That is why it is so difficult to stick to a diet! Discipline is the key to making any diet work!

That is good seasons. I too was on the atkins for a short period. But I modified it to suit my needs. Instead of only eating proteins, I added a lot of fibre to the diet to add bulk to my diet. I did lose some weight. But I gave in during the festive season and ate to my heart's content. Then I found it an uphill task to get back on that diet. Sigh...

Hmm... you mentioned sugar free candy. What would you recommend? So far, I find the Hall sugar free pretty tasty. The few others I have tried are just crap! Horrible and expensive too!

Oh yes, I tried that before. And it made me go to the toilet so often! I peed so much, I get weak in the legs! Heh heh heh... I still do try that method now and then. Problem is, when the water has passed through the system, and the actual amount of food is finally digested, I get hungry more often! So, rather than just drink lots of water to curb the hunger pangs, I eat more often, in smaller portions through out the day. Still not a good way to find a sweet tooth attack though.