I appreciate the no-BS, but that's not the case. I've made a decision to try and do this, so that's all that needs to be said on the matter. No zero days! I'm just being honest with my weakness so I can address it now.
The first few weeks are going to be the hardest as it's habit breaking, so which is why I'm looking for direct alternatives.
I had pineapple and fat-free yoghurt last night to try and ward off the sweet-tooth. It helped. I'm basically after similar suggestions.
Do, or do not... there is no try.
There isn't really a viable alternative to sweet crud, I'm afraid. Having a 'fat-free' yoghurt indicates - to me - that you don't understand the premise of using your food to manage your body, as such. In line with my apparent 'no-BS' approach', you can either do this or you can't.
Having weaned myself off carbs for a period of 10 days, once upon a time, it only takes around 4 days until you start realising how much you don't need them constantly.
The point of cutting out/adjusting your intake of sweet stuff is actually to help the body manage its response to food and very readily available energy sources... such as carbs.
I'm not saying cut them out entirely, because that's dumb on a number of levels. However, grazing on them throughout the day will slowly, over time (we're talking months/years) reduce your body's ability to deal with them, potentially leading to type 2 diabetes. This is why I make the point that you should try and EARN your carbs and sweet treats, with exercise, or abstinence during the day. It helps the body deal with that easy fuel more readily.
Now, this approach works for me - it's not for everybody.
So to try and manage your cravings, the first port of call are the zero-calorie sweeteners, most of which taste horrific.
Secondly, find an alternative to sweet stuff: nuts, seeds and other fat-based goodies are great for this.
Thirdly, if you HAVE to eat sweet stuff, make sure you don't over-indulge. But this is a lot harder to do.
