Can you lose a sweet tooth?
I love chocolate and it loves me right back. But since cutting calories my love for sweet things has almost disappeared.
A Cadbury’s Freddo proudly announces how many calories it has on the wrapper - 95. The perfect number for someone trying to cut down but not cut out chocolate. I buy these in packs as I feel a bit silly as a grown-up (allegedly) buying just one or two. I hope that buying them in packs gives the impression I’m getting them for children rather than me. It’s always been a huge test of my willpower to have them in the house and not gorge the lot.
Well I’ve passed that test very well. So well I entirely forgot I had them lingering in the tin where I keep my sweet treats. Ah! Haven’t had one of these for ages I thought as I carefully tore off the lovely shiny mauve wrapper and bit into the much-loved confectionery. It tasted far sweeter than I remembered. Almost too sweet. Not quite. I did still eat it. But I was shocked at how different it tasted. I don’t think Freddos have changed. But I have.
I still love a Freddo. They’re the perfect treat for someone who wants to lose weight without giving up chocolate. But I no longer have to worry about eating an entire packet. I have become what I wanted to be for so long - a moderate lover of chocolate. I haven’t lost my sweet tooth but it’s much more easily satisfied than it once was.
When I began my current regime I decided I would allow myself sweet things and other calorie-dense foods. But I would train myself to be satisfied with much less. Forbidden foods call to us. We crave them, think about them, even dream of them. It’s human nature to want what we’re not allowed. That’s why cutting down rather than cutting out is the best way to stay on track.
It isn’t just chocolate that calls to me. I also adore cheese. It’s full of protein, very filling and satisfying. It’s also calorie dense. I can’t cut cheese and don’t want to. Instead I ration it. I buy smaller quantities than I used to and have only one or two pieces a day, if that. One thing I won’t do is buy reduced-fat cheese. I don’t have reduced fat anything. It’s much better and healthier to eat the real thing, just less of it. Some cheeses are naturally lower in calories, Edam for example and other waxy cheeses. Also soft cheeses have fewer calories than hard cheeses as does goat’s cheese.
Some people tell me they can’t keep favoured foods in the house because they know they’ll binge on them. If that’s you, it’s probably best to avoid having temptation too close, though I appreciate this isn’t easy if you have a family to feed. If you can’t resist don’t beat yourself up. It’s entirely normal. We are programmed to want and enjoy calorie-dense foods such as cheese and chocolate. No one gets a craving for broccoli.
Rationing calorie-dense sweets and having only fruit for dessert will definitely help the weight come off. But more to the point it’s a lovely feeling when you gain control over a craving you once thought controlled you.
Well done Laura, you’re inspiring. I know that feeling of things we used to love seeming massively sweet after cutting down on sugar. Last year I’d stopped drinking alcohol and done a low sugar diet for three months. When I finally tried some red wine (my favourite), it tasted like syrup - yuk! Unfortunately that sensation didn’t last - well, it did last for a year but then I discovered I could tolerate it again. Still barely drinking though.