Oh, those pesky sugar cravings.

They make it so incredibly hard to stick with a weight loss plan when they’re around!

So, how can you manage them? Or, how can you totally eradicate them?

Here are my 12 best tips to cut your sugar cravings so that you can finally get through the week without caving at 3 pm or after dinner for the foods you, oh so want to, resist!

1. Don’t confuse hunger with a craving!

It’s important to realise that a craving is not the same as hunger.

A craving is NOT your body calling for energy, it’s the reward system in your brain calling for something that releases a lot of dopamine. 

When you get a craving when you’re hungry, the feeling is difficult to resist!

In fact, a craving, when combined with hunger, is a significant drive that most people will have a tough time resisting!

If you get a craving while hungry, one of the best tricks is to eat a healthy meal immediately and always have healthy food on hand. Be sure to have your kitchen stocked with healthy foods and snacks and perhaps some pre-made meals.

Eating real, whole foods may not feel very appealing when that sugar craving hits as opposed to sugary junk food. But, if you truly desire weight loss, the resilience is worth it in the long run!!

2. Go cold turkey

Sorry! But it’s true. Sugar cravings are actually a REAL addiction. Trying to fight them daily isn’t easy, because your brain is addicted to it.

Did you know that It stimulates the same area as cocaine?

So..

Just like the advice for drug addicts, you have to cg cold turkey to get rid of the intense cravings.

The good news?

It can happen fairly fast! 5-14 days is usually enough to rid your body of the cravings. Make it easier on yourself by swapping your usual sweets for fruit or dark chocolate with over 85% cacao.

3. Try a chromium supplement!

Although limited evidence is available, some reports indicate that 600 to 1,000 μg/day of chromium picolinate may help reduce hunger, cravings and binge eating in some people.

This one by Jessica Sepel is a great supplement to try, I’ve heard great things!

4. Analyse the quality of your sleep and look at your stress levels!

If you’re sleep deprived and you’re not getting at least 7 hrs of sleep consistently each night, you can wake up tired and that is a recipe for sugar cravings!

Your body is tired, your body craves really quick sources of energy and that is what sugar is.

So,

If you’re someone who isn’t a good sleeper, doing whatever you can to improve that is in turn going to help with your sugar cravings.

It’s the same with stress!

The more stressed you are, the more likely you are going to crave sugar because your body is looking for quick sources of energy to help you with your stress.

So, it’s really important to look at ways of improving your sleep and lowering your stress!

5. Watch your alcohol consumption!

We all know alcohol lowers our inhibitions and make us crave all the wrong foods.

And here, I don’t mean that one glass of wine, because, thats ok. Its when your’re having MORE than one drink.

The first thing alcohol does is disrupt your sleep. This prevents you from getting into your REM sleep (deep sleep) which is our restorative sleep. So its’s crucial that we allow ourselves to fall into this deep sleep.

Poor quality sleep can then lead to our bodies craving more sugar (see tip 4)

Next time you go out, or feel like having a drink. Think about your relationship with alcohol, the habbits you have created and how you can make positive changes to your diet.

6. Make sure your hydrated!

Really simple! Quite often when you are craving something sweet, you are actually thirsty!

So, reach for a glass of water first and see how you feel!

7. Go for a brisk walk outside or go for a run!

Two Reasons!

Firstly, this will physically distance you from your craving.

Secondly, exercise will release feel-good endorphins in your brain which can turn ‘off’ that sugar craving.

When your brain is craving sugar, its craving a dopamine hit (your feel-good hormones). Exercise releases the exact same hormones and can negate your craving for sugar.

Happy Brain! Happy Body!

8. Have a hot shower!

This one is backed by science!

Having a hot shower or hot bath can really help. The temperature needs to be hot enough (but not too hot) and you need to stand under the hot water for at least 5 minutes for it to really take effect.

By the time you step out of the shower, you are likely to find that sugar craving has passed!

9. Avoid certain triggers

Another great tip! Things like, not shopping when you’re hungry.

It’s so much harder to avoid the chocolate isle when you’re hungry!

Wait to shop once you have had a nourishing meal! Or even better, try online shopping.

Another trigger that is so common is having the wrong foods at home! Temptation is so much stronger when the food is in your pantry!

Simple way to combat this is, don’t buy it!

Out of sight, out of mind!

10. Read your list!

I always recommend to people to write a list of reasons WHY they want to make changes. Write down WHY you want to give up sugar or lose weight.

When you have this list written down and you can refer back to it, you are more likely to stick to your goals and resist those cravings!

11. Talk to a friend

Someone who REALLY understands. They can really support you and give you those words of encouragement, snap you out of that craving state and remind you of your goals!

Support is key!

12. Make sure you’re eating enough protein and healthy fats!

Protein and healthy fats really help with satiety. They help to keep you full and in turn, prevent cravings later in the day!

Include these in every meal to keep your body happy and your cravings at bay!