Lately, i have been having overwhelming sugar cravings. I am usually very disciplined and am capable of not giving in to something like that. But now it seems as if i can’t fight it anymore, and end up going through short binges of sweets. It only started happening after i began gaining weight from being really lean. Has anyone else experienced this? or have any tips on how to stop it? any advice would be appreciated.
Are you dieting right now?
I’ve found diet soda, zero calorie drinks(like sugar free kool-aid), and gum is great.
I think Mighty Stu is a big fan of Sugar free jello.
Try Shugart’s avocado cheesecake if you have a sweet tooth.
[quote]SJ144 wrote:
Lately, i have been having overwhelming sugar cravings. I am usually very disciplined and am capable of not giving in to something like that. But now it seems as if i can’t fight it anymore, and end up going through short binges of sweets. It only started happening after i began gaining weight from being really lean. Has anyone else experienced this? or have any tips on how to stop it? any advice would be appreciated. [/quote]
How long since you’ve had a high sugar pig out? Maybe a meal of all you can eat sugary shit is what you need to get it out of your system?
[quote]Just_Matt wrote:
[quote]SJ144 wrote:
Lately, i have been having overwhelming sugar cravings. I am usually very disciplined and am capable of not giving in to something like that. But now it seems as if i can’t fight it anymore, and end up going through short binges of sweets. It only started happening after i began gaining weight from being really lean. Has anyone else experienced this? or have any tips on how to stop it? any advice would be appreciated. [/quote]
How long since you’ve had a high sugar pig out? Maybe a meal of all you can eat sugary shit is what you need to get it out of your system?[/quote]
So if you are a recovering crack head and you are having cravings, it’s best to just tweak up for a few days to “get it our of your system”? I don’t think so. That is possibly the worst advice I’ve ever heard.
Man up. Giving into these cravings is just showing your weaknesses. Either find another way to satisfy yourself (which is at least better than giving in to stuffing your body full of this crap, granted you don’t find another unhealthy source to binge on) or find the strength within.
OP: I need more info regarding your diet. Please post what a typical day involves food wise, and then Ill see what I can do to help.
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I train pretty intensely with a good amount of volume and am usually on the lower end of carb intake. I would say that i have these cravings at least once or twice a week, where i almost, and in some cases, can’t fight it. It feels like it is beyond my control and that i need to have a big cup of sugary cereal or something.
Giving in to it and satisfying the craving stops it for a few days, but as soon as i train for a few days again on a normal diet, i get the cravings again. Is it just that i am not getting enough carbs in my normal diet maybe?
[quote]SJ144 wrote:
Lately, i have been having overwhelming sugar cravings. I am usually very disciplined and am capable of not giving in to something like that. But now it seems as if i can’t fight it anymore, and end up going through short binges of sweets. It only started happening after i began gaining weight from being really lean. Has anyone else experienced this? or have any tips on how to stop it? any advice would be appreciated. [/quote]
tell u what - have some 0 cal diet soda or 2 to get over the cravings if u need a quick fix and then get some Stevia powder and mix it with whatever food you like (I usually mix it into my oatmeal and my scrambled eggs).
It has 0 cal, doesnt have the hunger amplification effect that aspartame supposedly has (the sweetener in diet coke/pepsi, tho it has never affected me…) and you need much much less Stevia powder than sugar to get to the same degree of sweetness…
Stevia is the only sweet stuff Ive eaten in weeks apart from some aspartame in a diet coke here and there and some natural sugars in romaine lettuce and PWO banana
Also, if uve been cutting for a while, allow yourself 1 cheat day per week (not suggesting a day-long super pig-out here - just 1 cheat meal as in maybe a nice steak&cheese footlong with a diet soda and one of those great Subway desert yoghurts that come in at 160cals - dont go overboard with snickers and shit like that and then complain that u havent lost weight)
If youre not cutting and training hard, you can give urself a break every now and then. At maintenance, I’d have 1-2 mini snickers every second day or so (on the days I also do cardio)
Just my 2 cents - has worked great for me
@Howie424: You are probably right, that it is just me not having the will power to deal with it and that i need to suck it up. I am honestly overwhelmed by the cravings at times though…Worse than it has even been when i was losing weight, i just don’t get why it would be happening now of all times, when i have the golden opertunity to gain my weight back as muscle instead of a bunch of fat that the sugary carbs will most likely turn into. But we are humans, with the capacity to choose rather or not to give in, so i need to just buckle down and not let it spiral out of control.
@N85, i appreciate the advice. I could be being too hard on myself for having some desert every once in a while, and maybe because i am lean, it isn’t a bad thing that i eat a decent amount of it when i do. But trying to redirect it might help, i will try your suggestion next time i feel like i can’t fight it.
@Bird: Typically diet:
Breakfast:
3 eggs, 1/2 cup oatmeal with some raisins or blueberries thrown in.
Lunch/ PWO:
Protien: usually between 4-6 oz of meat, a serving of grains and a salad
Snack/ thrid meal:
Protien, serving of grain or startch, veggies
Dinner:
A lot of protein and veggies, but more recently have been having some carbs with it.
Snacking throught the day:
Nuts, avacado, cheese or yogurt, or meat.
Bascially, i try not to have more than 50g or so of carbs per meal.
[quote]SJ144 wrote:
@N85, i appreciate the advice. I could be being too hard on myself for having some desert every once in a while, and maybe because i am lean, it isn’t a bad thing that i eat a decent amount of it when i do. But trying to redirect it might help, i will try your suggestion next time i feel like i can’t fight it. [/quote]
Anytime + I’m in the same boat as you - currently at about 9% BF and on a clean bulk but I’ve maintained this level for the past 9+ months. In the early months, I felt super conscious about what I was eating and very guilty every time a gave myself even a small break (as in 1 mini snickes) fearing that I’d gain fat and loose my new-found leanness.
Over time however, I learned how many “breaks” my body can handle (in terms of maintaining 9% BF) and it turned out to be much more than I had originally thought 
Slowly experiment with some infrequent cheats + get Stevia into your diet to satisfy the daily cravings for sweet stuff (totally kills my cravings for sugar - just works like a charm)
[quote]N85 wrote:
Anytime + I’m in the same boat as you - currently at about 9% BF and on a clean bulk but I’ve maintained this level for the past 9+ months. In the early months, I felt super conscious about what I was eating and very guilty every time a gave myself even a small break (as in 1 mini snickes) fearing that I’d gain fat and loose my new-found leanness.
Over time however, I learned how many “breaks” my body can handle (in terms of maintaining 9% BF) and it turned out to be much more than I had originally thought
Slowly experiment with some infrequent cheats + get Stevia into your diet to satisfy the daily cravings for sweet stuff (totally kills my cravings for sugar - just works like a charm)
[/quote]
Step one is learning how to ‘kill the craving’, and I agree that most people are able to insert a ‘cheat’ more often than they think. Step two is determining what is missing from your routine that manifests as a craving.
What types of ‘grains’ are you having?
[quote]howie424 wrote:
What types of ‘grains’ are you having?[/quote]
Grains or carbs i guess would be more appropriate. I mean oatmeal, rice, potatoes, beans, etc. I typically avoid breads and pastas.