Late Night Sugar cravings

[scullyjg]

Hi,

I completed the whole food 30 twice-once this past March 2014 and July/Ag 2014. I have found Post Whole Food 30 that I feel a great deal better without grains, but minor dairy is fine (ie adding a little cheese to something is no problem). I still leave sugar out of everything I prepare, that creates increased arthirtis inflammation. I still pattern most of my meals around the whole food 30 and that has been no problem. 

 

My issue is that I get late night sugar cravings. I'm not legitimately hungry. When I was on the whole food 30, it was far easier to eat fruit or just eat nothing because of my commitment to the plan. But now that I am not doing it, I find it's far easier to get pulled into snacking. Do people have ideas on what I could eat or drink at night when this happens to skip out on the strong sugar cravings (specifically crave chocolate). I do like tea, and will try that too....Any other ideas?

 

Thank You

 

Jennifer

[frantastic]

I suggested this to someone else with post-dinner sugar cravings...go brush your teeth! I am a salt/sweet person (so I have a sugar dragon AND a salty dog - yay me) and in the past I liked to have something sweet (even if it was fruit) after my meal. I have been managing this by brushing my teeth when I'm done (I keep a tooth brush and toothpaste at the office too). It is strangely helpful!!

[MeadowLily]

Melissa @ Whole9 says

 

 

April 6, 2011 at 2:09 pm

 

It may take a week or two… it may take a month or two. Depends on how bad your sugar demons are, and how you treat them during your Whole30. Dallas likes to say you can’t kill the sugar dragon with willpower, you have to STARVE it. So don’t give in to those cravings during your Whole30 by using fruit as a crutch… stick it out and it will get better.

Best of luck to you!

Melissa

[MeadowLily]

 Here’s what we typically see. People coming off a traditional “American” diet for the first time tend to rely heavily on fruit, nuts and nut butters in their first attempt at the Whole30. While they are much better food choices than you old sweet treats, obviously we’d encourage you to work your way towards better food choices, the further along you are in the program. So as you notice that you’re hitting the nut butters too hard, for example, perhaps pull back and try to add fat in the form of other good sources (coconut milk, avocado, olive oil, etc.). You’ll naturally become more aware of your food choices, the further along you go, and naturally develop a healthier, happier relationship with ALL foods.

Just know it’ll take longer than 30 days for that to happen! It’s really a life-long pursuit – breaking those old emotional ties to food and developing a new, healthier relationship. Just stick with it and continue to be honest with yourself about your food choices, cravings and habits, and the time WILL come when you can enjoy that chocolate bar and then jump right back on the Good Food Train.

Thanks to all for contributing!

Best,

Melissa

[ShannonM816]

Wanting to snack at night when you're definitely not hungry could be boredom - if so, rather than eating something, distract yourself with some activity. Read a book. Draw a picture. Knit. Crochet. Organize your junk drawer. Something that keeps your hands and mind occupied.

It might also be that this is the time of day when things are getting quiet and you actually are able to really think about your day, and maybe it's a time when emotions you've managed to ignore all day by just being busy start to come up, and that is uncomfortable and you turn to food for comfort. (Or maybe this is just me, I don't know.) But if that's the case, you really have to just acknowledge those feelings and let yourself feel them. Maybe journal about them, cry or yell or whatever it is you feel like doing. Then have a nice cup of tea or a relaxing bath and call it a day. (Again, maybe this isn't it at all, but for me, it sometimes is, so I thought I'd throw it out there just in case.)

[LisaLulu]

I used to eat healthy all day and then eat junk while I watched tv with my husband every night. Now I just have a cup of herbal tea and it does the trick. The treats were just my way of relaxing so I found something else. 

[AmyS]

Late night?  Maybe examine whether or not you're tired.  Sometimes those sugar cravings are signals that it's time to go to bed.

[Kaypentz]

Are deficient in magnesium? You will crave chocolate if you are. My other thought is that it may just be out of habit I'm the same way just do what you did while doing whole 30 eat a fruit.