I love vanilla ice cream. Yeah, I know…I’m a gym owner and just admitted to loving ice cream. Not just loving ice cream but sometimes craving ice cream.
And I love having ice cream, especially after a meal.
Whether it’s the sweet tooth or the fat kid inside of me, it’s one thing I really enjoy. But I’m not an idiot about it. I don’t eat ice cream under certain conditions. For instance, if I woke up the morning too heavy or if I’m not going to work out that day then I don’t eat ice cream.
Those are the guidelines I have for myself and it works for me. But what I want to discuss with you today is how to overcome the sweet-tooth urges that hit you right upside the face and how to deal with them from day-to-day.
Now I know everyone is different and your ice cream may not be ice cream at all but a whole bag of Oreo cookies. Whatever that craving is for you, I’m going to give you 9 ways to overcome that sweet-tooth temptation.
1) Smaller Portions
When starting out something new like a diet, I tell our members to prevent themselves from failing that they should take smaller steps if they’ve tried multiple times before and failed.
For instance, I’ve already mentioned that I love ice cream. Instead of stopping ice cream altogether cold turkey I should rather still eat ice cream but eat 2 scoops rather than 3. (I’m ratting myself out.)
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] It’s like putting one foot in a cold pool versus diving right into the cold water.[/perfectpullquote]
2) Vision Board or Image
I want you to go find an old photo that goes back to a time when you look your very best. When you felt your weight was just right and were proud of your appearance.
Now keep that picture close. You want to use that as your motivation. If you can’t find a good picture of you, take a transformation photo of you right now. If you’re unhappy with the way you look and feel then use that as your motivation.
For instance, like everyone else, I wanted abs for the longest time. However, I never had abs so I had nothing to go by picture-wise not knowing what they would look like on me.
I mean, I knew I had abs. I could feel them rock-hard laying under some fat. So that inspired me to drop the fat. That inspired me to take a transformation photo and do something about the fact I was tired of having belly fat.
Now, if you are craving those Oreo cookies, take a quick look at your photo and you’ll see if those cookies are really worth it to you or not.
3) Chew Gum
Chewing gum is a great distractor. Sometimes you’re only craving sweets because you can’t get it off your mind.
By chewing gum, you give your brain something else to think about besides a big spoon and some ice cream.
Also, chewing gum may even cure the itch you need to scratch. You may realize that the gum was plenty to ease that sweet craving. Trust me, I know this hack works. It’s been used on many an occasion!
4) Push-ups / Pull-ups
Get your body moving. If you haven’t attempted this then you should. If you don’t have a pull-up bar at home, then push-ups will work just fine.
When that sweet tooth hits, hit the pull-up bar and crank out some pull-ups until that craving goes away. By the time you get done, you might be feeling so jacked that you don’t need that sweet treat anymore.
5) Count Your Calories
If you’re counting calories, the last thing you want to do is feel guilty when putting bad food in your calculator.
The guilt alone should keep you from putting that in for your daily calories. Mainly because if you’re counting calories then you are trying hard to maintain a healthy diet. Counting your calories keeps you in check which is exactly why you should be counting your calories if you aren’t already.
Also, if you’re relying on a coach like me to help guide you with your nutrition then let me give you a head start. The first thing I ask my members for is their food journal whether online or on paper.
I need to see what you’re taking in on a day-to-day basis so I can help you make the necessary adjustments. If you don’t know what you’re eating, we’re shooting blindly. My guidance is a shot in the dark at best!
6) Protein Shake, or if Necessary, a Protein Bar
Protein shakes can be your best friend when it comes to building muscle, losing weight and curing that awful sweet tooth.
Protein is made up of amino acids which are the building blocks of your muscles and body. Without amino acids, it would be impossible to build, repair or even maintain muscle tissue.
When it comes to losing weight, muscle is awesome! With more muscle, you carry less fat, your metabolism increases in support of the muscle and you look and feel spectacular.
When it comes to curing sweet tooths, protein shakes are great. Especially the 6 different flavors we sell from Driven Nutrition.
I have trusted Driven Nutrition protein shakes on many an occasion to help cure the sweet craving I was having.
The other good thing about Driven Nutrition protein shakes is that they are low calorie and great for a midnight snack if absolutely necessary. For instance, the other night I was laying in bed and couldn’t sleep because I felt like I was starving.
At 130 calories and 5 carbs per scoop, I didn’t feel guilty about getting up and having a shake to help me get to sleep that evening.
Protein bars make for a quick sweet tooth fix as well but you have to be careful. Usually, they’re loaded with 20+ carbs and some even carry over 200+ calories. Take it easy my friend. Take it easy!
7) “Healthy” Desserts
In my book, “Six Weeks to Lean” there are numerous healthy recipes including dessert foods to help cure the sweet-tooth itch. Don’t be stupid, though. Food, whether “healthy” or “unhealthy”, all have calories.
Don’t overeat on these healthy desserts just because it’s a better alternative. There is no such thing as being fat and healthy. You’re either fat or not fat, healthy or unhealthy. Your waistline doesn’t lie and could care regardless whether you’re fat because of healthy food or fat because of McDonald’s.
8) Plan
One reason why we fail when it comes to losing weight is that we fail to plan ahead. To have success, you need to know what you’re going to eat and when you’re going to eat it.
This is so hard to do for so many, but it is what will make the difference. It’s the difference between finding success and not achieving your goals.
For instance, it’s now 7:59 in the morning and I’m hungry. What is keeping me from getting something to eat right now is that I know I am going to eat again at 9 am. I don’t need to eat now because I know 9 am is just an hour away.
Have you thought that far ahead? Do you know when you’re going to eat again and what exactly it is you’re going to eat?
It’s time to change the way you think about food. If you need help, contact me today and let’s get you on the right path.
9) Know Your Trigger
When is it that you’re craving sweets? Is it after a meal? I know that’s my biggest trigger.
It’s when I finish lunch that I just want to continue eating and to me, nothing sounds better than a cup of coffee and a half gallon, I mean bowl, of vanilla ice cream.
So, how do I get around this? I immediately fire up the Keurig and get the heck out of the kitchen. I remove the temptation, let my lunch settle, and get to back to handling business.
Do you see what I’m getting at here? Even when you’re fit and healthy you will battle food cravings. Just because someone is in shape doesn’t mean they don’t have their own food demons.
It’s simply that you’re able to control them. But to control the demons, you must first know how. Hope these tips help you and leave a comment below and let me know about some of your sweet tooth obsessions.
Until next time…Stay Jacked, Stay Strong!