I'm craving frosty, sugary treats...help!!

As noted in an earlier posting to my MassLive.com blog, I have been working with the DJ Joan Dylan at Lite 100.5 WRCH in Hartford on the Art of Living Well Eating Smart. Each week, Joan blogs about her successes and challenges. This week, she posed a common question I thought you may appreciate hearing the answer to-

"I want something frosty and or sweet at night. Is there a reason that each night I have a sweet craving? And what are some great low cal choices that will hit the spot but not the thighs?"

Here's my reply:

If you find yourself having cravings for sugary treats like something frosty and/or sweet each night, this is a red flag you may not be eating enough earlier in the day. Specifically from food groups that provide carbohydrates (ie: Milk & Milk Products, Fruit, Vegetables and Grains). This is when a food journal serves as your unsung hero. You can take a look and see "Ah ha, I only had half my grain servings today" or "I'm short on both my dairy and fruit goals so far today." The best way to prevent this from happening is to not only keep a food journal, but plan/pack your meals and snacks ahead of time for when you're out-and-about from home. This way, "life" won't keep you from grabbing a bite to eat leading to overeating later in the day.

So, my recommendation for when your craving bug kicks in is to first, figure out which food groups you're still lacking for the day and eat from those. For example, you may find you're lacking in grains, veggies and dairy. Eating crackers and veggies with a slice of cheddar cheese would be a great snack. Once you've eaten this snack, wait and see if you're still craving your frosty, sweet treat. If so, then enjoy a small, reduced calorie or sugar-free ice cream novelty like Skinny Cow or Klondike Slim-A-Bear (Which just so happens to be on sale until June 24th as part of the current Living Well Eating Smart theme!). Nine times out of ten, eating a snack from the food groups you're lacking will fill the craving you're having. This is because the craving is being sparked by low blood sugar from not eating enough from your food groups earlier in the day. Once you eat a carbohydrate-containing food like crackers, the low blood sugar will subside and your craving will more than likely dissipate.

There is one thing you should do at this point in your progress- recalculate your MyPyramid goals. Since you've increased your activity level AND lost weight, it's time to see if your food group goals need to be adjusted to meet your new daily energy needs. Right now, you're following an 1,800 calorie meal plan. Visit MyPyramid.gov and see what they have to say your goals are now with your weight loss and your activity level. I know this may sound a little different from what you're used to, but if you begin undershooting your daily calorie needs, you're going to end up sabotaging your ability to maintain weight loss in the long term. Once you visit MyPyramid, let me know what you find out. Good luck!

To read more about the Art of Living Well Eating Smart, visit our program's webpage on the WRCH website.