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kesha.

Here's the link: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1149

Off of this website, I'd highly recommend you visit myfitnesspal.com
You will find a wealth of dietary, exercise and general weight loss information (and support) there. It is also a site where you can log both fitness and daily food intakes to track calorie and nutrient intake--and they have very powerful recipe analytic software as well. If you end up tracking steps to increase your activity and purchase a step tracker (like fitbit), you can sync your data to this site and back and forth. Very very valuable to losing weight. They have an app as well. All are free unless you opt for a new premium service (which most probably don't need).

As to sugar cravings, the best advice--and that which I personally follow is to go moderately lower carb... I think many post-menopausal women are extremely carb sensitive (i.e, PRE-diabetic) and even reducing NET carbs to 70-80 grams (Net carbs = total carbs MINUS fiber)can do a LOT to stop the cravings. That is in no way Atkins territory, which severely restricts carbs but merely a moderation so that you will eat complex carbs that are higher in fiber and thus don't raise your blood glucose so much.

Good luck

I'm a cancer patient and tumors love sugar. Just one little known fact about it.

Cut out all sodas and substitute sparkling water + fruit juice.

If you bake, cut all sugar in recipe in half.

Chew gum when you need a sugar fix.

Start adding lemon to your drinks. After awhile, you'll crave the lemon taste and it's good for you.

Substitute natural sugars like honey, coconut sugar and maple syrup.

A few tips.

about cancer tumors loving sugar...fyi

http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/cancerupdate.asp

that come packaged with micronutrients, fiber, etc. However, I'd say that's true for people who have never had cancer as well.

"The typical American diet is high in many processed and refined foods, including sugar and white flour. Replacing these foods with healthy forms of carbohydrates, such as fruits and whole grains, is advised for people who have had cancer. However, being fearful of or restricting intake of certain foods that contain natural sugars is not necessary or healthful...

...Insulin resistance can cause an increase in blood levels of insulin and related compounds that may act as growth factors. The connection between body weight, insulin levels and cancer survivorship is currently being researched. In the meantime, becoming more physically active, striving to maintain a healthy weight and eating a plant-based diet including substituting refined sugars and white flour with whole grains and other unprocessed carbohydrates can all help to keep insulin levels in check and promote cancer survivorship."
http://www.dana-farber.org/Health-Library/Sugar-and-Cancer-Cells.aspx

I start out with tea with lemon and plenty of honey (or sugar if I need to pinch grocery dollars).

I slowly cut back the sugar or honey til it is gone.

Then I make weaker tea.

Finally I'm just drinking water with lemon juice. And liking it.

as I find most such miracle cures to be bunk. The only real "cure" for cravings is some kind of program that helps you deal with them in a healthy way.

But I believe there is evidence that cinnamon helps metabolize the sugars in your body.

I suggest you get a blood sugar meter. They sell them at your corner pharmacy, or online if you wish for around $35 or so. At that age, type 2 (adult onset) diabetes is a real danger, especially if yo have a weight problem, and can have dangerous effects on your body. If your daily readings, say in the morning, fasting, are over 120 or so, you're staring diabetes in the face. Don't ever change anything based on a single reading, but if they are that high for weeks at a time, problem. And yes, talk to your doctor.

I have type 2 diabetes. I know.

The thing that ends up being expensive are the test strips. They can cost from 50 cents to $2 each! If you're paying out of pocket, rather than insurance, it can get really expensive.

Get familiar with the glycemic index. Focus pn foods that have a low GI. These are foods that don't cause your blood sugar to spike and then plummet, causing the cravings. You can make some pretty easy swaps. For example, a russet potato can have a GI over over 100, while a new or sweet potato has half that.

Give up ALL soda, even diet. Make water or unsweetened tea your drink of choice.

sound advice.

There's a book about this called Metabolism Miracle. It really is a miracle, once you understand and follow the advice in this book. The potato/sweet potato is a good example, and later on you find out that the lower glycemic level foods are better tasting anyway.


Cher

Gosh, I sympathize, because the cravings can be so intense. Sorry to hear that being being post-menopausal didn't help! I'm not there yet but I always hoped some of these issues would ease up once I was on the other side of that fun-fest (you know how you get incredible cravings for sweets during certain parts of your cycle? ugh.. big struggle for me)

I do have some advice though. At times where you might reach for sweets, trying having some nuts instead. Even though they are high calorie, they are incredibly satisfying (if you can force yourself to wait at least 20 minutes or so). They can really put the brakes on the cravings, and since you've eaten something highly nutritious, your body is less likely to go into craving-mode and you may find you eat less all day. In fact, in general, eating nutrient-dense food throughout the day is the best way I know to staunch cravings.

At mid-life you'll be fighting muscle loss, so anything you can do to keep that muscle on your body is going to work tremendously in your favor because as you probably know, more muscle makes your body a calorie-chewing furnace.

I work hard at this - I won't BS you, it's not an easy thing. If it were, everybody would look like a fitness model. But it's totally worth it. Every single minute of every day is better when you are in shape. And when you first start to see those little changes in your body, it's really thrilling and you'll want to continue. It's getting started and establishing the good habits that are the first big hurdles but trust me, once you see changes, you'll be giving speeches like the one I just gave

Good luck! And keep reaching out for support from people with similar goals - it helps!

I love ice cream and buy sugar-free ice cream at Kroger. I try not to eat any sugary sweets and I always use Splenda on anything that requires sugar. I am 76 years old and Type 2 diabetes runs in my family, so I am trying to avoid getting it.

above diet was exercise. Drinking lots of water is also helpful.

I also say myfitnesspal.com is a great site.

Good luck on your journey!

we can get endorphins from sugar or from exercise. And carbs are turned into sugar by our bodies.

I, too, suggest reading up on sugar addiction. You'll get lots of tips.

All that stuff they sell over the counter to help you lose weight, curb cravings, blah blah blah - just a way for companies to make money off of desperate people. Maybe someone's brother's next door neighbor's best friend's sister used something and it worked. Maybe Kim Kardashian swears she used them and it worked (she was paid to say that). But none of them work.

Read labels and read them like a hawk.

Do NOT eat anything with High Fructose Corn Syrup in it. Worst form of sugar out there and it could be making you cravings worse. And you'd be surprised at what has HFCS in it. Yes the normal stuff like Junk Food, Candy, Soda and Processed Foods - we'd expect that. But how about Ketchup? Most everyday ketchup is made with HFCS. Or Slimfast canned shakes - what a trip, diet food made with some of the worst stuff out there. Or Pepperidge Farm Lo-Cal Whole Wheat Bread - yep, made with High Fructose Corn Syrup. Even Nyquil and many OTC cough syrups use HFCS as a sweetener in them. Read labels and if it is in there do NOT buy it. I have not knowingly used HFCS since last September 2014. (I'm sure I have had it but since I avoid most processed junk food, probably not much).

Do NOT use any artificial sweeteners including Splenda. More studies show this could actually make it worse for people trying to lose weight and with the cravings and could actually be causing you to gain weight.

Please, feel free to google about these products and the information that is out there. You can have an amazing healthy diet and not have any need for what is essentially processed chemicals added to your foods. If you avoid foods with these products mentioned you'll find that over time your diet will move towards a much healthier diet and your cravings will lesson. But I will warn you like any junk food junkie (and i was one), you'll suffer the first week - just work through it.

Btw since September 75lbs.

The first week can be kind of tough but after that I really crave sugary treats less, unless I give in and splurge ... then it's back to step one.

I also agree having blood sugars checked (in fact a full lab package, including thyroid tests ordered by your MD would not hurt)

One of the great things about WW is that you start looking at and thinking about food differently. The structure of the program is such that in order to keep your points balanced, you choose whole, natural food which makes you feel better. As an example: 100 calorie snack pack vs an apple. The 100 calorie pack will have lots of processed carbohydrates, salt, and artificial food additives, virtually no nutritional value and add 3 WW points to your daily total. The apple is approximately 100 calories, loaded with vitamins, unrefined carbohydrates, fiber, is crunchy and takes a while to eat so you don't get insulin rebound from too much sugar. The WW point value of an apple is 0. Apples are my favorite snack.

WW is not a food plan where you have to swear off certain foods, but you do learn how to have them in your diet in a way that does not destroy your eating plan. Also, while WW has food available under their own brand, you are not required to just eat their branded food.

If going to a meeting is not your thing, or you do not want to use the online program, think about this as a sort of plan:

Choose natural food over processed.
Monitor your portion sizes weigh and measure your portions to get the appropriate size.
Drink unsweetened tea or water; avoid diet sodas and artifical sweetener
Fat-free items have extra sugar in them to enhance taste; sugar free things have extra fat to enhance taste. And those artifical ingredients are not good for us .

Grill or broil meat instead of frying. Eat lots of green and brightly colored vegetables; use the vegetables and salad to make you feel good and full.

Good luck on your weight loss journey.

as, since the age of 30 your metabolism has dropped by about 5% each year and you have to adjust your meals and calories accordingly.

Vitamins b1 and b2 are really helpful as well.

Chocolate is OK! Just find one without all the extra added crap, something as pure as possible. Yogurt instead of ice cream, and just don't buy sweets so they're not in the house. Don't buy sugary drinks, switch to loads of water or plain tea.

Massive amounts of fruits and veg as you need the fiber more than ever. Green beans rock, lol.

Protein is your friend, lean meats are fine. Lots of fish too. Rice instead of potatoes. Yeah, it's boring but to beat the battle of the bulge at this age, we gotta do what we gotta do.

so if you're craving sweets, try eating a pickle

I'm loosely following Dr. Joel Furman's food pyramid and eating style. I've lost a few inches around my waist and chest that way, pretty effortlessly.

sometimes I've forced myself to eat salad with a sour dressing and that worked too.

This worked really well for me for sugar cravings:

http://whole30.com/

Once you stop eating refined sugar you don't really miss it and you don't enjoy it much either after not eating it for awhile. Well, in most things that is. If Whole30 is too restrictive, then do Paleo (very similar to Whole30)-- lots of websites on that and lots of great recipes. Whole30 just came out with an updated book so if you buy it, get the latest version. This is a great way of eating as it helps with an inflammation issues too. Also, it is not so hard to cook sugar or mostly sugar free, just have to convert recipes (use stevia or other substitutes and apple sauce to get the same sweetness). Also a great low-sugar dessert is strawberries with whipped cream. Whipped cream is pretty low in sugar. There are also sugar-free puddings, but since I've done Whole30, I don't like those puddings any more.

This is great for maintenance, longevity and many other benefits (intermittent fasting):

Fast-5: http://www.bertherring.com/fast-5/ I lost ten pounds pretty quickly doing this last summer and I do it most days now for maintenance although I still would like to lose more weight. There is a Tedx Talk re same: http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/The-Mystery-of-Fast-5-and-DIET

As far as any weight loss supplements, the only thing I would bother with is green tea. From what research I've done, most don't work. If you want more info, or a diet buddy (my daughter and I are starting again this week - me today, her on Thursday), PM me. Good luck!

Once you cut back, you will find that things you used to eat suddenly taste TOO sweet - in other words, the less sugar you eat - the less the cravings and the less you want.

Here is my little trick - when I see foods high in sugar, I picture that skull and crossbones Poison symbol. I began to associate high sugar foods as poison. Same with any white flours or refined grains - they appear as poison to me now. And it helps to remember that the more sugar you eat, the more insulin is released and insulin is the appetite hormone, which makes you want to eat more of everything by stimulating your appetite.

Haven't given up sugar entirely (hey - I'm not a dietary saint!) but I do eat a whole lot less than I used to. And I'm not walking around feeling hungry all the time.

Just work your way through some initial cravings by cutting back and you will soon see a difference in how much you want. Good Luck - it will be worth it.

And other high fiber whole foods, to keep blood sugar level even. If you can find it, kombucha may help (a fizzy, fermented, often fruit flavored tea).

If you have to eat candy, I suggest buying individually wrapped hard candies and just letting one or two dissolve slowly in your mouth.

Another thing to look into is xylitol as a sweetener. It is natural, has no unpleasant aftertaste, and does not noticeably affect blood sugar levels. The trade-off is that it has some calories and some people (not all) experience unpleasant digestive side effects with large quantities of it.