kill cravings

it's always after dinner i get the strongest cravings for something very carb-like with sugary like chocolate, bread, and anything that's sweet.  i eat enough during the day believe me.  what can i do to distract or keep my mind from thinking about wanting to eat it?

I have the same problem and I keep diet pop on hand for just this sort of thing.  Hard candy won't cut it - I just want to chew it and eat another.  After dinner is the only time I drink pop and it really does the trick.

pop? interesting.  we call it soda, anyway, that's something i actually don't like so i don't even touch it.  thanks for your help though.

try a big class of tea :) OR sugar-free gum!

those tend to do the trick for me!

What's wrong with something sweet after a dinner?  If you're going to eat a sugary food, that's the best time to do it.   I got a box of the most lovely Belgian chocolates at Christmas... I think they're about 50-70 cals each... and I've been enjoying one after supper most nights.   Good quality dark chocolate with its intense flavour can knock a sugar craving out a lot quicker than a stack of poor quality candy.

Do you eat carbohydrates with your supper?

I cut refined sugar out of my diet.  Now if I need a sweet, I reach for a piece of fruit.  That put a lot of binging in control for me.  Also eating a third to half of my daily calories at breakfast helps set up the day where I don't over eat at the rest of my meals.

I hope that helps.  Good luck!

I'd go for the fruit too.  Preferably something that takes time to eat, like an orange. 

organik, thanks, but no thanks to the cancer stick.  it would be okay if i do smoke though, but i just can't, it's the smell.

fruit is good, but by then i'm usually full, so i don't want fruits. 

the gum sounds good, i'll probably stock up on gum.

i do eat carbs for supper, but mainly complex carbs.

thanks everyone for your responses.

I have the same problem after dinner.

Good Earth Sweet & Spicy Caffine Free Herbal Tea

It kills my "sweet" cravings everytime!

Good luck

I am glad that I'm not the only one with this problem. I find it always happens to me around 8pm. I just want something to snack on and like you I know that I have had enough food during the day. I think that the best way to keep your mind occupied is to do something that you enjoy. I find hanging out with friends or going for a long walk can help me. I also find that sometime just having something to drink will satisfy me enough, but will be less calories consumed.

We don't have desert every night, but we do once sometimes twice a week.  I usually make sure its something fabulous if I do have it and you'll never hear, "just a sliver for me please." I have one full serving.  On many non desert nights I treat myself to a small square or two of dark chocolate.  I also enjoy a rich cup of coffee after dinner, its very much like a desert.   My weight loss was slow, but successful and I didn't feel deprived.  I didn't think of it as a diet, these are healthier choices I am making to improve the quality of my life.  Eliminating Mum's lemon pie forever from my life would definitely not improve the quality of my life.

It's a good idea to treat yourself, in moderation.  It helps calm the cravings,  helps you to develop a healthy relationship with food, removes the guilt and  reduces the chances of overdoing it when you do give in to a craving.

 officervanity, i agree i need to look for something else to keep me busy for the night instead of eating.  i used to be really discipline and wouldn't give food a second though after dinner which was at 5:30pm, so imagine not having food after 6pm and i never got hungry.  it was amazing, but now it's really hard. 

I have sugar free /fat free vanilla icecream (turkey hill) Love it!!!!

go on here! i come on here and answer and look up questions or anything thats on my mind nutrition wise when i am bored and could be eating anything in the kitchen. i get my mind off of food, learn a few things, and feel more suported and motivated to stay on track after reading and writing posts on here

I just chew a piece of sugar-free gum. Surprising, but it really does kill ANY sweet craving, especially when I go for a fruity or minty kind of gum.

Have you tried eating 6 meals a day instead of 3? That way you have a planned meal around 8:00pm and you don't go over calories. It's key to ensure that each meal has some protien in it too.

I have a carmel corn rice cake topped with a couple spoons of fat free cool whip - crunchy, sweet and delicious with not to many calories - fabulous!!!