Glycemic Index Help

How can I curb my appetite for sugar? I've tried the lower glycemic index foods. I am diabetic.?

I love chocolate! I've lost 130 pounds (10 of which I gained back because I have trouble controlling my eating habits).

Public Comments

1. Use fruit to satisfy your craving for something sweet.......
2. You're probably very sugar-sensitive. There's a program you can follow to break you addiction. http://www.radiantrecovery.com/index.html
3. It takes 28 days to break a habit. First, get rid of all of the chocolate in your house. Throw it away. Identify times and places that you normally eat a lot of chocolate or other sweets and either avoid those places or find something else to eat during those times (fruit, carrot sticks...anything healthy that sounds appealing). I allow myself a little bit of sweet by buying a bag of M&M's and mixing it with a lot of other things (raisins, dried fruit, nuts, granola, for example) to make trail mix, and then dividing the mix into small portions. One bag will only have about 20 M&M's, but I get the feeling like I'm getting a treat. Dried fruit in general is a good substitute for candy.
4. First off - Congratulations on your weight loss. That is a major achievement, and I hope you feel very proud of this and don't let your recent struggle with sugar lessen that feeling of pride when you consider what you've accomplished. I too have had problems with sugar, and I believe it is a very common thing. Sugar is addictive and it messes with our body chemistry and hormones. That's why we can sometimes feel like we can't control ourselves around it. Knowing what it does to me somehow never has lessened my love of it. I'm just more careful around it. I don't know how you went about losing the weight, but if it was through good nutrition and exercise - then you know all about eating well, and what is good to put into your body. You probably have had it up to here with reading the nutrition info on the side of everything you buy.. but, I really think it's a good idea to monitor how much sugar is in the things you eat. 4 grams or less of sugar is a good marker. The thing with sugar is, the more you eat the more you want to eat. It's a feel-good ingredient, but after that initial high it's all downhill. Ingredients such as High Fructose Corn Syrup can actually fool your body into thinking its still hungry, even when its full! Eat many smaller meals a day and be sure to include lots of fibre through whole grains and vegetable and fruits. This ensures you're not running on empty when you grab for that cookie or chocolate bar. I eat two bowls of oatmeal every day. Desperate hunger can make it difficult to make good food choices, especially when the worst foods tend to be the easiest to grab. Also, make sure you have healthy snack foods that are pre-made and ready to grab. If you like sweet stuff, make sure you have some fruit nearby, or if you like crunchy have some veggies or Ryvita crackers or something. My biggest tip is to not keep sugary things around! Don't buy them or keep them in your house! This can be difficult, but it is important to keep temptation from driving you bonkers. If you really, really want a treat though- I say "HAVE IT!". Just go out to get it, make it into an outing. If you want ice-cream - try getting some healthier frozen yoghurt, or if it's chocolate you want, why not get one of those 70% cocoa bars. Also remember, that if you're anything like me, you'll be looking for something sweet for the next few days after, as your body is looking for another "hit". I find the awareness of that is really helpful. I hope this helps!