Hi FeatPeeps!
In response to a recent post (Get Hungry), Cindy suggested in the comment section that a good topic to discuss here at FitFeat would be craving sweets after meals. Excellent subject idea, Cindy. Thank you! Because this is definitely a hot button when it comes to people aiming to lose a little body fat.
I have since spent a bunch of time writing and editing my thoughts on this topic, then decided to pare it back down and keep it simple (and keep it from being the longest post on record!). There are plenty of reasons one might experience cravings for sweets (dissatisfied with meal flavor, lack of carbs or fiber, neuropeptide Y, low blood sugar, etc.) But really when you get right down to it, for the majority of us, more often than not it’s a matter of CONDITIONING.
Meaning, it’s something you do that gives you pleasure so you want to do it again and again.
As a child, did you regularly have dessert after dinners? Did you (or do you still) have ‘treats’ to mark special occasions or as a reward for good behavior? Were you told that you had to ‘clean your plate first’ before you were allowed to have dessert?
All of these things can cause a conditioned response. Hey, we’re human – we like pleasure rather than pain, and we like to be rewarded.
So What Can You Do About It?
Should you fight it? Give in? Well, that depends.
If you are in weight loss mode and trying to burn off body fat, you’ll have to pick your battles. If a 100-200 calorie treat a few days a week will end up cutting too much into your caloric deficit, then you might want to abstain (and the only time I really see this being an issue is when someone in a cutting phase for a fitness/figure/bodybuilding show).
If you are someone who is triggered to overdo the sweets after just taking a bite, then you might want to make an alternate choice. Being able to stop when the enjoyment of the food wears off (or before) is key. I like to keep small squares of high quality dark chocolate in the house for this reason. Sometimes after lunch or dinner, I just ‘need’ something to change the taste after the meal. Some of my coaching clients have told me that to them, the sweet bite after a meal is their ‘signal’ that the meal is complete. A 50 calorie bite of strong chocolate is not going to hurt the ‘bottom line’ so to speak, so it’s not a big deal.
If I’m having an especially rough day (PMS ladies?) and I know that one chocolate might lead to my eating the rest of the bag, I’ll pass on even the first bite. In these cases, I find a cup of decaf coffee after dinner does the trick.
It becomes an issue when you are already full from dinner, and then eat a full-on dessert. A few wonderful bites of enjoyment are fine, but sometimes foods taste SO good that it’s hard to stop. This is where you need to revisit the Get Hungry post. Because the hard truth is if you are eating when you aren’t TRULY hungry, getting (or keeping) the fit body you work so hard for will be much more difficult.
In my fit coaching work, I prefer that people NOT restrict all that much. The things you tell yourself you “can’t” have are always the things that you’ll likely crave the most, and if you are too restrictive you could be setting yourself up to fall completely off the wagon and hopping onto the crazy train toward eating a whole sleeve of Oreos.
Having a “healthified” version of a dessert is a smart choice over something packaged you bring home from a store. In Michael Pollan’s Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual, one of the rules discusses eating dessert IF it’s one you made yourself. I love this idea because then you are in control of the quality of the ingredients your dessert is made with.
Moral of the Story
The point is this: don’t beat yourself up for wanting a little dessert. If you are still hungry, have a little and really savor it. Remind yourself that life is a balance of choices and decide what it’s worth to you.
For me, every Oreo is the caloric equivalent of one more mile to run. It’s a choice – sometimes I say yes to 2 or 3 miles worth, and sometimes not. 
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Coming Up:
Speaking of making your own desserts, be sure to join me for the next blog post topic where I’ll review and compare two different recipes for Black Bean Brownies!
An Article Worth Your Time to Read:
For some additional ‘dessert’ reading that may have you stepping away from your favorite ice cream (or at least reconsidering which brand to buy), check out this article about which big ice cream makers still use milk with rBGH (bovine growth hormone) and some brands that do not.
See you next time, blog buds!
– Shari B. =)
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Shari Becht is a Fit Living Coach and an ACE Certified Personal Trainer offering coaching services to people across the U.S. She is extremely passionate about teaching her clients how to start making small changes every day to their own lives, built around steps customized to fit their needs.
If you or someone you know could benefit from Shari’s coaching, please feel free to email her at shari [at] fitfeat [dot] com. For more information, click here.
Baby steps. I have some “Sprouting Intimidation” going on after the last attempt at 
