Day 3 into the Whole30, and aside from a complete inability to sleep last night, things are going well. Of course, the after-dinner “quick, I need something sweet!” cravings hit about 3.5 seconds after finishing my meal. I kept going back to the fridge to see if something appropriate magically appeared. Why do we do that? Every time I looked in there, the carrots and apples still sat patiently in the produce drawer, the bacon still waited for someone to crisp it up gently…and nothing miraculous appeared.
I know it’s common to have the “after meal” sugar cravings. But I hate being a slave to my taste buds. Obviously I get some type of reward from eating sweet stuff after a meal as I feel completely content as soon as I indulge. So why not just eat a piece of fruit? Or chew a piece of gum? Or just suck on one little-bitty piece of hard candy? Because, my friends, all that does is perpetuate the addiction. And I hate being addicted. I hate feeling an out-of-control need to put something sweet on my tongue.
So, after dinner I ate some celery and almond butter (unsweetened, of course), and watched as my sugar cravings subsided. And I felt victorious.
Do you struggle with Dessert Demons? Check out this article on the Whole9 site. It’ll inspire you!
Kim says
I used to get MAJOR post-dinner cravings for something sweet. I’d cave in with handfuls of dried fruit, scoops of ice cream, or sometimes just spoonfuls of honey! Now that I’ve gone “kinda paleo” (no sugar/starches/grains, but still eating whole-fat dairy) I’ve noticed that the cravings are much weaker. When they do pop up, I usually try to satisfy them with walnuts or almond butter, or sometimes a small glass of whole milk or almond milk. That usually does the trick!
Andrea says
I hear ya…I was always a sweet after a meal girl too! After my first Whole 30 and cutting out any and all concentrated sweeteners, including stevia, that sugar demon is gone. I didn’t add any sugar or dairy back in after that Whole 30 and the sugar cravings haven’t come back. I even prepared and enjoyed dessert on Christmas and New Years (paleo-friendly, of course) and easily went right back to my sugar-free life…I think it just takes time…