Having trouble slaying my sugar dragon

[Healthysc]

I am having a really hard time getting rid of my sugar dragons or sweet tooth. I will do great for a week or so then have a few bad nights of sleep, I have a four month old, and will eat dried fruits and or nuts and too many ( always when I'm. Super exhausted). And then the cycle starts over, craving sugar again. Anyone else have this happen? Any recommendations? I try not to have but butters in the house, because those are foods without limits too, but my 3 year old and husband like to eat fruits and nuts and they are an easy thing to pack for a snack for them. So any tips for self control?

[AmyS]

You have a three year old and a four month old - if everyone gets to the end of the day alive, it's a good day.

That said, if you're looking for an alternative to snacks when you are exhausted and unlikely to sleep within the next millenium (oh how I remember that feeling!!!!) you could aim for a mini-meal that fits the template. Hard boiled eggs are easy to cook up and keep on hand. You could also keep cooked ground beef, some avocadoes, and some veggies of your choice and make a bowl of that combo (protein-fat-veggies). In other words, go ahead and really eat.

And you will sleep before the next millenium, I promise. Even if you don't sleep tonight. Hugs, mama!

[Bethany Lannon]

I second everything AmyS said... I have a 2.5month old and a 3yo. I'm on day 21 and still have my sugar dragon battles (more than I'd like to admit). Nut butters are my biggest threat!

Hugs to you!!

[Beets]

I struggle with this as well. And nothing makes you snacky like lack of sleep! I am fine with small amounts of nuts but dried fruit kills me and creates all kinds of snacking issues.

I don't think it's so much an issue of self-control as preparation. Once you wake that sugar dragon the only thing that kills it is fat and protein. Like Bethany said, a mini meal will do you way more favors than a couple of dates. (I know this all too well! Speaking from someone who opened the Pandora's box to dried fruit in the last week of my W30 three weeks ago and has been trying to jam it closed since.)

Having a dish of pate in the fridge and some cut up radishes, or some tuna made up I can eat with a piece of lettuce is really the only thing that saves me. Also: olives! And pickles. My kids both like olives and pickles (the little cornichons) so that's a snack we can all eat. Cut up fresh fruit--for me--doesn't seem to wake the sugar dragon like dried. My kids love eating frozen fruit and it doesn't seem to be an issues for me. We go through tons of frozen banana slices and pre-bagged frozen raspberries. Like I said this doesn't cause sugar issues like the dried fruit for me, but YMMV.

Last, a lot of times when you are tired (especially with a little one, and triple especially if you are nursing) you are also dehydrated, but your brain is reading this as needing food. A glass or three of cold water can work wonders. I walk around with a thermos of herbal or green tea at all times these days. It really helps when the snacks get busted out on the playground.

Hang in there mama!