Healthy Snacks

[XJ75]

I have a very sweet tooth, I'm hooked on chocolate bars, cookies, cakes etc. I have at least one a day, sometimes two.

I'm now trying to lose weight and would like to remove this from my diet, but I can't find an alternative to satisfy my cravings. Fruit just doesn't cut it.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

TIA.

[GregK2]

If it has to be chocolate / sweet based, I find dark chocolate (85%) good, you don't tend to need to eat as much of it and it's better for you in general.

[anonymous-user]

XJ75 said:

I have a very sweet tooth, I'm hooked on chocolate bars, cookies, cakes etc. I have at least one a day, sometimes two.

I'm now trying to lose weight and would like to remove this from my diet, but I can't find an alternative to satisfy my cravings. Fruit just doesn't cut it.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

TIA.

Just stop eating it and go cold turkey. You’re not going to lose weight without some sacrifice so try abstaining for a month - what’s the worst case, you really fancy some chocolate? You’ll get over it I’m sure!

[Gaz3376]

Cutting it out all together can be a bad idea for a lot of people, it just increases the likelihood of binge behaviour.

Why dont you make allowances for a small amount of chocolate daily?

Sugar free sweet drinks and chewing gum can also be good for beating that sweet tooth.

[Riley Blue]

Badda said:

XJ75 said:

I have a very sweet tooth, I'm hooked on chocolate bars, cookies, cakes etc. I have at least one a day, sometimes two.

I'm now trying to lose weight and would like to remove this from my diet, but I can't find an alternative to satisfy my cravings. Fruit just doesn't cut it.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

TIA.

Just stop eating it and go cold turkey. You’re not going to lose weight without some sacrifice so try abstaining for a month - what’s the worst case, you really fancy some chocolate? You’ll get over it I’m sure!

Last week I was told I'm at high risk of getting type 2 diabetes so I immediately decided no more chocolate, cakes or biscuits at all, ever. I managed to stop smoking that way decades ago so I know I can do it, others may not be able to.

[ReallyReallyGood]

Why don't you start by reducing the portion size. Instead of eating that four-finger Kit-Kat reduce it to two-finger. Instead of eating a couple of hobnobs, just the one. Don't eat the whole cake, have half now, half later, etc.

[6th Gear]

GregK2 said:

If it has to be chocolate / sweet based, I find dark chocolate (85%) good, you don't tend to need to eat as much of it and it's better for you in general.

This.

https://www.eatthis.com/healthy-snacks-we-love-lin...

[number2]

Eat vegetables when the desire to snack appears - carrots, tomatoes, celery for example - it should satisfy the desire to put (less healthy) things in your mouth.

Try not to eat anything until as late in the day as possible - perhaps 2pm - when one has started eating it's harder not to stop, and provides a shorter window for calorie intake.

Do count your calories, do not kid yourself that because you don't acknowledge there's almost 500 Kcals in Snickers your body won't recognise it.

Do treat yourself occasionally, but include this within your aggregate rolling weekly calorie allowance i.e. make up for it before/after.

Do incorporate some form of exercise as progress in this may act as motivation to keep to your diet.

When you have reached your body goal, test the waters slowly with increased calorie intake and see how your body reacts, and then try to maintain some balance to your diet to maintain your weight. No need to be 'good' all the time, but being 'bad' all the time is a slippery slope, and back to square one...

[Robertj21a]

A few nuts - almonds/walnuts are good for you and meet a need for craving 'something'. Are you actually sure that you need sweet food, or just any food ?
If you really can't give up sweet food then I agree with the earlier poster that it's best to just go cold turkey - don't buy anything at all that you *think* you need. You're not going to die without it (but you might if you keep going, unchecked).

[grumbledoak]

XJ75 said:

Does anyone have any suggestions?

There are few healthy snacks, and none of them are sweet.

Eat bigger meals. More protein and fat to keep you feeling full. Don't snack.

Sugar is addictive. You have already admitted that you struggle to cut down. Now admit that you are addicted to it. Then do what you have to do, and go cold turkey for a month. It's not nice - the withdrawal is worse than fags or booze. But, once you are off it and eating proper meals, you won't miss it. And losing weight will be a lot easier.

Best of luck.

[ambuletz]

You have at least one chocolate bar a day? not a big deal. that's probably 100-300 calories. that's as much as 1-3 slices of bread (depending on size). In the grand scheme of things 1 chocolate bar a day isn't going to ruin any efforts at losing fat. Look at how you're eating as a whole and see how you can still fit that chocolate bar into your daily calorie intake.

1-. count your calories.

Are you eating a deficit? if yes, carry on. if no. eat less of something until you are.

[Drive Blind]

Robertj21a said:

A few nuts -

i was also going to suggest nuts

this is now my 'healthy' snack of choice when having a few beers.

previously it was crisps or kebab.

[ambuletz]

Drive Blind said:

Robertj21a said:

A few nuts -

i was also going to suggest nuts

this is now my 'healthy' snack of choice when having a few beers.

previously it was crisps or kebab.

it's 'healthy' but more calorie dense than other stuff. i mean it's 50% fat after all. There's no point in OP swapping chocolate for nuts if he's eating more calories from nuts (assuming the rest of his diet is unchanged).

There os absolutely no point in swapping foods for 'healthy' snacks on the assumption that it's going to make you lose fat. If you don't know how many calories you're consuming and whether you're on a deficit there's absolutely no point.


OP. start counting your calories. only then will you find out if right now you're eating too much, too little or maintanance.

Edited by ambuletz on Monday 10th September 20:34

[hyphen]

ReallyReallyGood said:

Why don't you start by reducing the portion size. Instead of eating that four-finger Kit-Kat reduce it to two-finger. Instead of eating a couple of hobnobs, just the one. Don't eat the whole cake, have half now, half later, etc.

I do that, as I scoff the packet otherwise. Literally buy, open, and chuck x amount in bin as I don't stop otherwise and packs of hob nobs are not good

GregK2 said:

If it has to be chocolate / sweet based, I find dark chocolate (85%) good, you don't tend to need to eat as much of it and it's better for you in general.

I always have a pack of 99% Lindt (waitrose sell it) in work bag and at home. My kids have grown up on 100% and 99% too.

OP, some of my staples are:

- Gem Lettuce/carrots with Humous
- handful of nuts
- bit of cheese
- boiled eggs (loads of sandwich places such as Pret now sell pots of boiled eggs with spinach or avocado for £1.50 ish).
- spoon of thick double cream with fruit/berries and seeds
- cottage cheese.

And make your own cake/buy from a premium cake shop so its not full of crap, and has more than just sugar in it! Have some porridge in morning to fill you up.

Have a large salad for lunch.


By doing all that, and some excercise, I can binge/eat unhealthy meals at othertimes and stay in shape.

Edited by hyphen on Monday 10th September 20:41