Boy, this one drew a big response! Nature designed sweetness to be a powerful, even primal, attractor for us humans - as ever, this wasn't a problem when we had to work hard to get every calorie, but now that we can scarf down super-size portions of whatever we desire whenever the fancy takes us, the "bug" in the design reveals itself with a vengeance. I'm a dessert addict. Has anyone had success doing fast 5, eating desserts AND losing weight?
I had a sweet tooth from boyhood (we Scots are the official world champions of confectionery consumption) but I began to experiment with "dialling it down", decades ago (to save my teeth) by reducing, then eliminating, sugar in the copious quantities of tea that Brits swill down every day. I was curious to know what the unsugared version would taste like. Actually, at first, without the strong sugary flavour I'd grown used to, it seemed to taste of precisely nothing. After some time however - several weeks, I think - I started to notice another taste gradually emerging - the tea! I had never tasted it before, as it had been totally swamped by the sweetness. Encouraged by this unexpected gain, I started reducing sugar in other foods - cereals, fruit desserts (no sprinkling!)
I've had a similar experience with salt; in fact recently, I tried leaving it out of the oatmeal porridge which, like any true Scot, I had eaten since boyhood with only salt as flavouring. Again, at first, the unsalted porridge seemed to taste very bland, but quite quickly I noticed other flavours emerging - particularly - ironically - the natural sweetness of the oats. Now I actually prefer it like this, so again, it hasn't turned out to be a deprivation, but rather a delightful discovery.
Having said all this, I'm I still fond of a truly sweet experience from time to time, though this is now very much less compulsive, as other satisfying flavours are so much more apparent than before. I tend to eat cookies or baked goods relatively infrequently - at holiday times, or if we're in some English village teashop, often after a weekend hike in the countryside. I also look to substitute quality for quantity in my treats, as with Belgian chocolate, quality Scottish shortbread, speciality jams, preserved fruits, or fine honey, which is as sweet as it comes, but also replete with subtle flavours and aromas.
I suppose to sum up, I would caution anyone against thinking of themselves as "a chocoholic" or "a dessert addict" or indeed anything fixed in that sort of way. We're all works in progress, - "experiments of one" - and once we realise this there's no end to the interesting discoveries we may make about ourselves and our potential for change.
David
If so, how do you discipline yourself, how do you moderate, what works for you?
Sincerely,
Wallie
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