What can you eat during induction when only something sweet will do?

When you're craving sweets it is good to have protein. A true craving for something sweet can be a sign from your body that glucose is needed somewhere. Your body can take excess protein and convert it into glucose w/o causing a rise in insulin levels thereby satisfying that craving and keeping you burning fat.

Using artificial sweeteners (AS) in place of sugar is often replacing one addiction for another - besides which it often doesnt work. If your body perceives something as sweet it may decide it is sweet and react accordingly. AS are one of the biggest stallers for LCers.

As one of the primary goals of chaning your way of eating (WOE) and way of life (WOL) is to break the cycle of sugar addiction and consequently the storage of fat shying away from LC "fake" foods (which often contain AS and sugar alcohols) and AS in general during Induction is highly recommended.

By the rules aspartame (nutra sweet) is not allowed and splenda is permitted but restricted.

Try the protein - try to have all meals contain protein and keep meals close together - eating more frequent smaller meals will keep insulin stablized and cravings to a minimum.

HTH
Nat

Wow, thanks for the quitck reply, Nat!
I was thinking that the DietRite cola I had today may have triggered the craving - one sweet leading to another.

Might have been the cola, it might also have been the 'low carb' bars - often cravings don't happen right away (carbs are sneaky that way). I saw from your other post that you've made a few changes after posting a link to your fitday journal - you might notice some carb w/drawal symptoms cutting out the bars. You should also notice more results cutting them out along with the alcohol.

Nat

It turned out to be that "time of the month" chocolate craving thing!

Hello! I will tell ya. And this is from MY results and I'm not saying it's ok for everyone or even for me. But aspartame/splenda doesn't seem to slow down my weight loss. When my TOM hits I'll make a LC dessert or have SF Jello with whipped cream (which is allowed on induction). LC desserts I've made are LC Cheesecake, LC Chocolate cheesecake, LC chocolate mousse, and Italian sodas. All of which I found by doing a search here or on the web for "low carb desserts". I wouldn't recommend having them very often but I think once a month wouldn't hurt. If you try it and find it slows or stops weight loss stop. All there is to it. =) Doesn't hurt to try in my eyes. Just be careful because those sweets can cause cravings and get some people on a downward spiral. Nat is completely correct but we are not all perfect but LC sweets when you're really craving them in this WOL seem pretty darn close to it. =)

Take care.
Kirsten

Thanks Christine! It helped to hear that, very encouraging

You've done so well! I see you have lost a lot of weight. I am glad to hear about the diet coke. I love it but I know drinking a lot of it can be bloating.

I saw you said chocolate - I thought it was not allowed on induction

I finally threw one teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa in the blender with splenda and ice and a little cream -- it was heavenly.

Right now I am trying to be more careful about the amount I eat. I am sure I was eating way too much; now that my appetite is down I am keeping the calories to 10 - 12 times my weight. I was going way over that before.

This is my first time counting calories or even dieting so all is new. But I figured if I can quit smoking (It will be one year on July 12) then I can lose weight !!!!

Hi,

I'm a newbie too, but I had a thought to share. I'm seeing a Naturopathic Physician and she has me on Betafood - it is basically concentrated beets. It does count as 2 carbs a tablet (and I take it twice, so 4 carbs,) but it significantly reduces sugar cravings!

I had to cut out all cane sugars and limited my carb intake, due to the fact that I am hypoglycemic and I have an intolerance to cane sugars. The betafood really helped. You might talk to someone at your local health food store to see if it is available in your area.

I wish you all the best with your plan.

i take a product from Radiant Health, called Essential Oils, and they help. they are fats, and i really think fats for me, really help kill the cravings.

i work at an assisted living facility, right ? and after dinner, there is always dinners and deserts left over. cakes, cookies, pasta, whatever there is, it's always left over. i used to always crave em, and give in , and eat em. after i started eating more fats, and taking these pills (all essential oils, like omega's and all that madness) i don't even get tempted now, but when i am not eating accordingly, then i start slippin, and come sneakin some.

that's my 2 cents, what works 4 me.

one love,
one poems =)

sorry, this was supposed to be a reply ! to Sandylee's post on sweet cravings.

make m'self feel all stupid n stuff lol

peace

one.

Hi One Poems
Thanks for the tip about the Essential Oils. I am taking the Atkins essential oils, and I wonder, maybe that's why I could sit through all my relatives eating M & M's brownie and ice cream bars last night without even wanting one!!!! A few weeks ago I would have eaten the whole box.

I feel really good, lots of energy - the sweet cravings I had were due to PMS. I always crave chocolate then!!!

Sandy