5 Steps to Curve Your Sugar Cravings

A personal training client yesterday called and asked for tips on how to curb her sugar cravings.  She is getting enough lean protein in her diet and eating lots of fresh vegetables but can’t seems to control her cravings for sugar.

Sugar is addictive and often eating a small sweet treat just makes your brain want more sugar.

Here are 5 steps to help you reduce your sugar cravings:

STEP ONE: What impact is your sugar intake having on your life?

The first thing to think about is why you want to control your sugar cravings- is the negative impact of sugar in your life worth taking a sugar break? Some common impacts are weight gain, dramatic energy highs and lows throughout the day, trouble sleeping or not feeling well rested and issues with maintaining blood sugar levels.

STEP TWO: Which category do you fit into: moderator or abstainer?

Moderators are able to have a small sweet treat or one glass of wine and stop themselves from having more.  Abstainers find it easier to cut out all sweet treats for a time which intensifies their cravings in the short term but they decline the longer they are off sugar.

 STEP THREE: What is triggering your sugar cravings

• Are you not getting proper sleep and using sugar to give you a boost during the day when you could have a powernap?
• Are you eating sugar to avoid a difficult situation or conversation?
• Is too much sugar part of a overall poor diet? New research is showing that our gut microbes can impact food cravings! A diet full of lean protein, and fresh fruits and vegetables will change your gut health and impact your food cravings.

STEP FOUR: Take action!

• If you decided that your sugar cravings are having a big enough impact on your life that you want to change take action today
• Take a 2 week break from sugar by clearing out sweet treats from your house
• Think about your barriers and why you have failed at giving up sweets in the past

STEP FIVE: Get support

• Any big changes in behaviour are hard to do on your own.  Think about who you can be accountable to for the next 2 weeks:  a personal trainer, friend or partner?
• Your brain does not like it when habits change which is why it is so hard to stick with lifestyle changes.  Know the first week with no sugar will be really hard and you need to surround yourself with support and people that you are accountable to.  Keep reminding yourself of the negative impact that sugar has on your life and that you are fed up.

Reach out to Vintage Fitness if you would like an seniors health expert help you reduce your sugar cravings.

Book a free consultation call

Erin

Vintage Fitness

Vintage Fitness is a personal training company in Toronto, Canada. We specialize in energizing the lives of people over 50 with exercise.