LPT request: How do I cease craving sugar, particularly cereal, at evening?
I’m a grown ass grownup who ought to simply be capable of say “I received’t have that,” after which not have it. Nevertheless it doesn’t appear to be working that manner. I do nice all day lengthy maintaining a healthy diet, however when bedtime comes I’ve this nearly unquellable have to shove like 2-3 entire bowls of cereal down my mouth. I can’t eradicate the supply, since I’ve a 7 yr previous and cereal is a must have in the home for hectic college mornings. It doesn’t matter what sort of cereal we’ve got, if it’s bedtime, I’m downing like 1 / 4 of the field. I’m making an attempt exhausting to get more healthy and wholesome in all different methods and am having success, however I completely can’t appear to cease this particular behavior. Solutions? I’ve already tried permitting myself a small serving of one thing candy, like a enjoyable dimension Twix or perhaps a teaspoon of honey straight off the spoon to attempt to fulfill the craving, however it solely makes it worse. I’ve tried ingesting a shit ton of water so I don’t have room for the cereal, and in order that I do know it’s not that I’m simply thirsty for the chilly milk, however that additionally hasn’t labored. I don’t crave cereal some other time, it’s actually solely proper earlier than mattress, and I don’t know why the monkey impulse a part of my mind received’t let me overcome this. I’m actually occupied with devouring the following bowl earlier than I’ve even completed the bowl I’m on. It’s nuts.
EDIT TO ADD: I really forgot to say this in my unique put up! I’ve had a little bit of an alcohol downside previously, and I not too long ago reeled it in. I’m sort of questioning if the processed sugar craving is my physique really wanting the sugar from the alcohol I used to drink.
Comments ( 35 )
I dont have an answer but i just wanted to say damn I am doing exactly this right now. Same thing, late at night, always after I’ve brushed teeth, and I’m already thinking about filling the bowl back up again before it’s even empty.
It makes no benefit and I know it but I don’t eat all day and when I’m finally hungry I just wanna go with it. But all you can make here is cereal because my house has this ghost that keeps the kitchen destroyed 24/7.
Frank Suarez suggests cheese or meat. He has a video about this in his subbed yt channel.
Drink a glass of water first
Maybe try a piece of fruit or similar to replace the sweet taste
Focus on saying yes to a single bowl and sticking to it
Make sure your last meal of the day has enough calories and nutrition including protein that physical hunger isn’t the reason. Maybe you’re afraid you won’t be able to sleep from hunger?
Get your magnesium levels checked asap. Supplements are cheap and easily accessible.
Edit: I just saw where you mentioned previous alcoholism, that can also contribute to low magnesium levels as well, which can lead to sugary cravings.
Sugar is addictive. So the only true option is to completely cut it from your diet. You can keep natural sugars in there from fruits and such but all the artificial stuff needs to go. You’ll have withdrawals and cravings but they’ll go away if you can stay strong and keep clear of artificial sugars
Smaller bowl, smaller spoon, start forcing yourself to walk around the kitchen table between bites or some other tactic to slow yourself down, at least. Also opt for ~~raisin bran or wheaties or cheerios over the pure-sugar stuff like lucky charms~~ edit: something with actually less sugar.
And when you have a chance, talk to a doctor about checking for a nutrient deficiency. Your body might be needing something that the cereal or milk is providing.
I believe that when you’re eating things like that, the more your body craves. It is a gut enzyme thing. You basically have to cut down then out the amount that you’re eating. After a while, your gut bacteria will “adjust” and the cravings for those high carb meals will dissipate.
This is all off of vague memories I have, but believe it to be correct.
Maybe replace the sugary cereals with granola or oatmeal porridge with a teaspoon of honey. Our breakfast is typically whole wheat bread with cheese or peanutbutter (I am Dutch). My kids only get cereals during schoolholidays because they are basically cookies with milk.
Maybe you are swapping addictions? If alcohol was a big problem, then that is probably the case. Just relax and have your cereal till you can figure out a realistic chance to slowly wean yourself off. Maybe by the cereal/breakfast you hate the most, but your kid doesn’t mind?
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Start eating fruit. Like 3 clementines right before bed. Really, it will just come down to you saying no. There aren’t any real life-hacks for this.
I wonder if you need more fat in your diet? I found that when I went on my keto adventure I never craved sugar and I have the sweetest tooth in America.
I’m not eating strictly keto anymore but I do pull out my butter/almond butter/protein powder fat bomb at night if I’m feeling peckish. It sure beats loading in carbs before bed!
When I quit booze I ended up with such a fucking sweet tooth that I was downing pints of ice cream every night, boxes of cereal, candy bars, sodas, alllll that shit.
It definitely has to do with the quitting of the booze.
I wound up gaining a lot of weight and realized I needed another thing to fix.
Wound up switching to fruits mostly and seltzer waters. That helped a whooooooole lot. Lost the weight and now just munch on fruits when I get a craving.
Also, those flavored vapes help but don’t add a nicotine addiction if you don’t already have one.
Go to bed earlier. That’s what I do to avoid nighttime binge eating.
I have the same cravings, it could be that sugar is a replacement for alcohol as well. I keep fresh salad in the fridge 24-7 and before the cravings take over in the evening I eat salad. (I was eating a ridiculous amount but have since reined that in most days. ) I put my sneakers by the door, eat my salad force drink water I don’t really want, while I put on my sneaks then walk away from home till I’m tired, turn around and speed up a little going home. I don’t always pull it off, but it is working some and I’m determined to keep on this way as it has been my best method so far. At least the walking weather is improving.
My healthy bedtime snack is a parfait with unsweetened yoghurt, blueberries and almond butter. It’s high protein, low sugar and still sweet enough to satisfy a sweet craving.
Find a healthy alternative. Personally, I eat regular cheerios with a vanilla protein shake as milk. Does the same thing and is great for you!
I’ve had some success by going to bed earlier, or at least getting in bed earlier i.e. to read or play games on my phone lol. Once I’m cozy in bed, I’m less likely to want to go to the hassle to go back downstairs for a snack. As an added benefit, going to bed earlier results in getting more sleep, and sleep is good for you!
Quit alcohol almost completely about 8 months. Used to down most of a 6-pack 4 or 5 nights a week and go through a bottle of booze in about a week. Loved me some boilermakers…
The sugar cravings at night were, and still are pretty bad. I’ve had some success substituting fruit and yogurt for cereal and PB&Js. I think the fiber from the fruit helps make me feel fuller than processed carbs from cereal do. Hard to jam more down there when you’re already full. Doing the good diet and exercise thing as well. Eating enough throughout the day helps.
Good luck.
Avoid hyper palatable cereal – cereal that has greater than 10 g of sugar per serving and fewer than 3 g of fiber per serving. Instead choose regular Total, regular Cheerios, unfrosted shredded wheat, Wheat Chex, Bran Flakes, Wheaties, All Bran. Eat a bowl of this cereal and and a handful of candy cereal until you can wean off of the sugary cereal. This addiction is just psychological, odds are. Sweet cereals are engineered to have the highest bliss point as possible. This means it activates the pleasure center of your brain as much as possible. But it’s not just cereal, it’s all other engineered foods like chips, pizza, fast food, and so on.
If you drank at the same time you’re getting the craving, I bet it’s psychological–but also chemical. Your brain would be used to getting dopamine at that time from having a few drinks.
Plus your body absolutely craves the sugar. I’ve seen friends start drinking pop like crazy after they got off the booze.
This was me for the last few years until I started intermittent fasting last August. For me, knowing that my time was up made me not go for the cereal. When the craving got really bad I’d chug a can of sparkling water which would curb it.
Some things to try: fruit or nuts, hot drink or cocoa, gentle walk, research sleep hygiene, meditation, hug or chat with friend or reading. Let us know how you get on.
Magnesium supplements helped curb my sugar cravings at night. Obviously not medical advice
Have you tried gymnema tea? It’s a tea that blocks sugar receptors in your taste buds temporarily. Essentially drink tea eat as much sugar as you want, sugar no longer tastes good so you stop craving it because your body stops associating sugar with good feelings etc.
Also it doesn’t make it taste bad it just blocks the taste of sugar
Try dried fruit instead, it’ll give you the hit of sugar/carbs your body seems to need at night without being overly processed, with the added benefit of extra fiber. Dried mango and raisins are my go tos personally.
My dietitian told me that binging at night often comes from not eating enough during the day. Once I started eating more, my urge to binge subsided.
Eat a pickle. Sometimes that will cause you to stop craving something sweet.
I try and just eat protein when I’m feeling this way via yogurt or a protein bar. Then lots of water. If the feeling still doesn’t subside I eat the cereal and try not to feel guilt..instead really taste it and enjoy it so it’s more satisfying. I was able to stop this habit but it did take time. Now I will occasionally have cereal at night as a treat-it’s not something I eat for breakfast.
I quit drinking last July and instantly developed a sweet tooth. I’d crush a butterfinger, a box of junior mints and a box of reeses pieces every night.
Now 9 months later I’m down to just cereal at night. I mix a cup of “all bran buds” in with whatever sugary crap I have on hand and it does the trick. Doc says the fiber will keep me from havin the intestinal issues my father has, and it also fills me up, a lot. So I only ever have the one bowl.
You gotta look at quitting drinking as a process, and there are steps along the way. If you’re hard on yourself like I am, it can be more difficult to cut yourself some slack, but it helps if you congratulate yourself on your progress and tell yourself that while your diet is far from perfect, you’re making good strides to be better, and almost anything you put into your system is better than alcohol. Then crush that Cap’n Crunch, homie.
First off, that’s awesome that you took care of the alcohol problem!!! For the cereal, what works best for me is to have a really negative experience eating something I’m craving, and I’m less likely to crave it. Like find something to mix it with that’ll make it taste really bad or something. I also am having a sugar craving problem and I need to get myself off it haha
At the risk of sounding like a grumpy Great Gen – try a mindful eating approach. Make one bowl of cereal. Do not talk to people while you have it. Do not use your phone. Do not watch tv. Focus on every sound, feeling, scent and taste as you eat. Chew 20-30 times/mouthful. Really go all-in on your experience of the bowl. Don’t rush it and don’tget distracted. It might take a few nights, but you are likely to see your desire for it diminishing, second bowls getting smaller until they are eliminated, and then the first bowl will get smaller. Focus on pure enjoyment will help to satiate you physically and emotionally. Might also do you good to add a fat or protein with the cereal, for satiety.
100% your body is craving the sugar from the alcohol. I’m 545 days sober and I pretty much traded alcohol for soda.
It’s work in progress, but I’d much rather down a few sodas and call it quits instead of not being able to stop downing alcohol until I black out.
Edit: spelling
Do a keto diet for a few months. It’s like rehab for sugar addiction.