Tash, I’m addicted to sweets.
Tash, I have the biggest sweet tooth.
Tash, I LOVE chocolate- I can’t just have 1 piece!
Tash, I always crave something sweet in the evenings.
My face lights up, I smile and chuckle a little laugh when I hear comments like these from clients. I react in this way because naturally, clients view me as the guide, the role model, almost a superhuman who could never ever relate to these comments or even dream of ever having felt the same way as they do. Truth be told, any client that eventually gets to know me (really know me) knows: I have the biggest sweet tooth, I’m addicted to cake, I have shit genetics and can put on weight in a matter of 2 off meals, struggled with overeating, binge eating, know that food is the biggest revolver in my family given my culture and that if I didn’t train in the way that I do, have the mindset that took years to change, I would probably: have diabetes like many in my family do, be on high blood pressure tablets, be sedentary AND as big as a house.
Many people have a sweet tooth (just like myself). However, I feel sugar is undeniably damned and chastised far too much in today’s society. There is SO much emphasis on ‘sugar will cause diabetes, high blood pressure, cause heart attacks’. Yes, yes, we all know that too much of anything can cause these things. By God, you can overeat on healthy foods and get to the stage in your life where you’ve put on so much weight that you’ve become obese and without a doubt at a higher risk of everything listed above. The fact is, the sugar itself is NOT your problem, YOU ARE. Your lifestyle, your habits and your mindset. If you were genuinely addicted to sugar, you would be raiding your baking cupboard and spooning sugar straight from the Tate Lyle packet. But you don’t do you? There you go.
Often, it is the associations we have with sugar that make us believe we are addicted. For example, a stressful day at work, your kids driving you nuts, feeling exhausted and therefore more hungry and all you can envision is sitting in front of the sofa with a Galaxy and a shit film on Netflix to help you de-stress and unwind. I can tell you now, the majority of people I have spoken to about this topic, will always say this habit happens mostly in the evening, mostly after a stressful day, mostly because you felt particularly emotional and you get that sudden reprieve and deep satisfaction as you feel the warm coat of chocolate gradually melt in your mouth and completely pacify you.
I just want to remind you all that no, sugar is not the problem. It is the fact that sugary foods taste absolutely delicious but unfortunately have such low nutritional value, have not even a gram of protein in them to make you feel full but yet they always keep you wondering and questioning why you can’t stop at just one. It is not an addiction a lot of the time. In my opinion, a real addiction would be having to have it every moment of the day, thinking about it consistently, binging on it and being deceitful about it (and to be honest this sounds like more of a food addiction problem).
Put it this way, I have had clients in fat loss phases that have been successful in dropping body-fat having still kept chocolate in their diet. It is about portion control, mindset, determination and lifestyle. Many find that not eliminating it can sustain adherence. Putting it simply, it is about accounting for every calorie. By doing this, it IS still possible to stay on track and drop weight.
If you are like me and have a BIG sweet tooth but want to stay accountable and not worry about high calorific ‘junk’ food then here is my own list that really hits my sweet spot:
Hartley’s 10cal Jelly pots (only 4calories a pot-I sometimes have 2 at a time)
Sugar free fizzy drinks-Coke Zero, Fanta Zero etc etc 5 Guys have the best variety!
Robinson’s sugar free squash (I love every flavour!)
My home-made Protein Pancakes (see my Instagram for full recipe)
My home-made Protein French Toast (see my Instagram for full recipe)
My Dairy Milk Protein Cake for 1 (and only 384cals-see my Instagram for full recipe)
Baked Oats (See my Instagram for variety of flavours-all 500cals or less)
Dark chocolate squares-added to 0% fat Greek yoghurt or melted in oats and whey
JELL-0-from Protein Piknmix.com-loads of different flavours, tastes exactly like Angel Delight and only 35cals!
Grenade Protein Bars (roughly 200cals or so but hits that sweet spot every time)
Zero calorie syrups to put over anything eg oats, shakes and coffees
Sweet Freedom Chocolate sauces in loads of flavours (I have added to shakes, oats, mixed with almond milk for a smooth hot chocolate
Marshmallow Fluff (in a jar) high carb and sugars but literally no fat so the macros aren’t bad at all!
Adding 0cal sweetener to basically everything e.g. herbal teas, coffees, milk, shakes, oats etc.
Lastly, the point I’m trying to make is, you can still embrace your sweet tooth, as long as you’re not turning it into a binge session and feeling like crap afterwards. Everything in moderation. If you are in a fat loss phase your weight can still drop, as long as you stay accountable and limit the treats to 1 a day. If you are someone who isn’t at that stage yet to control it, my advice would be to take it out completely (especially if you are in a fat loss phase and need to account for everything).
Me? I still have 20 weeks until my show and everyday I will ensure to have something sweet like the ideas listed above, as it helps me stay on track.
Lastly, please remember, you aren’t addicted to sugar, your craving for it is a side effect to the poor quality diet you currently have or even just a habit you’ve programmed in your brain. Trial changing up your diet with high protein meals, lots of veg and a good balance of fats and carbs and I can guarantee you, you will feel more satiated throughout the day and less likely to want to overindulge in the sweet stuff.
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