At the beginning of any diet, one of the greatest challenges is to resist cravings for things that you can no longer indulge in. For most of us, that is anything with high added sugar. Added sugar has no nutritional value and is literally like a drug. It triggers dopamine in your brain and can lead to constant cravings, impulsive behavior, and withdrawals. Like any addiction, it is very difficult to tame. HOWEVER, it doesn't take that long to train your body to move on! It has been my experience that strictly adhering to limited sugar (try for ZERO) consumption for 10-14 days, those cravings become manageable, if not gone altogether.

Some things I do that help resist cravings or provide a substitute for sugar:
1. Chew gum. Sugar-free of course! I have found that always having a piece (or 2 or 3 😊) in my mouth helps me resist eating anything.
2. Eat sugar-free jello when you have cravings. It's amazing how jello seems to be fulfilling with very little calories.
3. Have a can of sugar-free or low sugar Reddi-whip in the fridge. You can add some to your jello or like me, just take a "shot" when you have a craving.
4. Replace soda with water. I know, that may be a bit too much for some. But seriously...very few people can achieve their goal by drinking sugary drinks every day. At the very least, change to diet soda or any zero-sugar drink. I really like Pepsi No Sugar.
5. Russell Stover makes incredible sugar-free candies. They taste every bit as good as regular chocolates. Also consider Atkins candies and bars.

If you can remove added sugar from your diet for at least 2 weeks, your body WILL accept it being gone and you will have taken a huge step toward achieving your goals!