GreekGuy

So I relapsed a few weeks ago, I didn't hit myself over the head about it since I know this happens often to people. I have now been sober again for 2 weeks and feel great. But I did something very different this time when it comes to my sweet tooth. I never have one when I drink but when I stop I go crazy for sweets. Last time I stopped I would eat so much ice cream every night. This time I said I wouldn't do that. I've stuck with Fruit. I eat fruit every night when the sweet tooth kicks in. I know still a lot of sugar but it has no fat and at least the sugar is healthy. Anther trick I do is I will take a 100% Cranberry, 100% Pink Grapefruit or 100% Pomegranit juice with no sugar added. I'll poor myself some Sodium free Club Soda till the glass is about 75% full and fill the next 25% with the fruit juice. This way I'm not drinking so much sugar (even though it is natural) and i'm still getting a sugar kick. It also tastes great! Sometimes I'll just squeeze a whole lemon or lime into my Club soda and it is really good. The great thing about this is I'm also getting really hydrated (something the ice cream never did for me) and this time my skin looks so much better because of the liquids and all the fruit. The last time I quit my skin looked terrible going 2 weeks out. Yes, I still crave some chocolate, but I will go to the health food store and get 80% dark chocolate in a very small bar size. But since the fruit I've only actually craved the chocolate twice.

I do have one question... How long does having a sweet tooth usually last?

Dee74

Hi Greek Guy

mine lasted a long time, but I never saw it as a problem really......I'm still a greater sweet eater than I was before I quit drinking, but I limit it now.

Using natural sugars sounds like a good idea

D

Lightning Bug

II started my recovery program in April and a thousand popsicles later I am wondering the same thing.

ACH32

I quit 34 days ago and gained at least 10 lbs (that I didn't need to) because my body is craving ice cream/sweets. I have never been an ice cream eater but realizing now that this is normal. I also would like to know if this going to be the "new norm" and I'll have to figure out a better way to cope instead of the big bowl of ice cream I'm about to eat right now.

Hoping my body will un-swell and start to get back to normal sometime soon or I'll have to buy a new wardrobe I guess I can afford it now that I save around $500-$700 a month not drinking!

One day at a time

sugarbear1

We serve candy at my meeting......even those with over 30 years indulge.....

GreekGuy

Thanks everyone. I took out my bicycle yesterday and am going to start riding it, doing m ore cardio I think will make me feel better plus the weather in NY is getting better now. I love the cold much more than I love the heat. I bring my dog for longer walks and just try and keep busy, this should also help with not gaining weight. The booze made me tubby enough! I have saved money because I don't get trashed and order out. In the past 2 weeks I've only ordered out once and that was from the Health Food place.

If the ice cream is a problem try fruit and maybe a teaspoon of Almond Butter (salt free 100% Almonds) or Peanut Butter (again salt free 100% Peanuts)... One tablespoon will not kill your diet and will fill you up, and the fruit will help to hydrate you. I wasn't much of an ice cream person either, but the last time I quit I must of ate a pint a night.

I always thought people lose weight when they quit drinking?

George3334

I am definitely going to try this. Thanks for posting.

I've been eating lots of sweets, too, especially chocolate. Recently read an article in "thefix" that it's a scientific fact that "when we consume sweet and high-fat foods, serotonin is released." It's not too surprising, then, to turn to sweets to replace the desired sugar that was in the booze.

pinkdog

Hi Guy, that sounds great. The fruit drinks are a really good idea. I had the worst of my sweet tooth for about a month. Very best to you.

longbeachone

My sweet tooth is terrible, and I'm going on five years sober! I was also hooked on ice cream every night, and had the extra padding to show it. I've been making fruit popsicles...got some really cool popsicle molds, and I use my little nutribullet blender, though any blender would do. My absolute favorite is 2 mangos and 1 banana, with a tablespoon of cream of coconut (from Trader Joe's). This will make 6-8 popsicles. You don't even have to add honey...these are really sweet! I'm a bit embarrassed to say that I'll eat 5 or 6 a night, but it's really not that much when you look at the recipe. Happy to say I've lost about 15 pounds!

GreekGuy

LongBeach good for you, 15lbs is a lot of weight. The ice things are a good idea. I'd just rather eat the fruit, I'm too lazy to have to clean the blender afterwards...! HA HA HA...
I am just trying to stay away from processed sugar, I don't even put it in my coffee any longer. 7 years ago I quit smoking, 1 1/2 years ago I stopped all diet sodas, I stopped eating anything with fake sugar in it... The only things I drink now are Sodium free Club sodas, 100% fruit juice no sugar added usually diluted, Maybe a cup of coffee 2 or 3 times a week, Green and Cammomil tea and of course a lot of water... now giving up the booze... much harder for me than the smoking... UGH... :-)

Mountainmanbob

longbeachone

I'm trying to get rid of weight I gained while on the prescription drug Lyrica. A more poisonous drug I'VE never come across. I wish I'd never heard the name. If this is ever mentioned by a doctor, run in the other direction.

instant

It lasts a long time. I still have it to a degree but no where near where it was (im over two years). I think part of the issue is the way alcohol subverts normal systems and when we stop the sugar cravings are to compensate. I do not know if it is true, but I also have heard that sugar sets up it's own cravings (supposedly why we are getting fatter in our societies).

In any event I am healthier and fitter- I weight less- and I eat chocolate.

I remember my various "rehydration" routines in the morning or in the middle of the night!!! I no longer drink Coke on the way to work LOL, and I no longer drink cordial (I used to go through a bottle a week).

Mentium

My wife knows a bit about nutrition and she has a theory that dealing with cravings by consuming sugary foods such as chocolate, which I have certainly done in the past, is counter productive. Her view is that the craving is for carbohydrate, which both alcohol and sweets contain in large quantities. It is possible that not eating sweets and actually cutting way back on carbs generally would reduce the 'carb roller coaster' as she called it.

Well I tried it upon quitting two weeks ago and ate a lot of fruit and no sweets to speak of at all (once at the cinema - well you can't go see a blockbuster and not have chocolate on the menu can you!?).

I don't know if it is the main reason, but I can certainly report that my cravings have been very minimal compared to previous attempts to quit. Certainly worth a try I think.

Oh - a bonus is my stomach - a little rounder than it should be - is reducing in size and I am losing a bit of weight!

james872

If you crave sweets, chocolate, etc., essentially what you're craving is one ingredient: sugar.

Solution: fruit. Fruit contains natural sugar, which should satisfy the craving. And it's healthy too!

If you don't like fruit or still gravitate towards sweets, there's a really cool thing about your taste buds. They can be re-trained to like other things. So if you don't like fruit, start eating it anyway and pretty soon you will like it.