Stop eating candy to lose weight? – how to create a sustainable balance

Sugar is rarely the only culprit

When we talk about weight gain, it is easy to point out sugar as the big villain. But the truth is more nuanced than that. It is not an individual nutrient that makes us gain weight, but the total energy intake over time. Many of the foods we traditionally call "sweets" are actually a combination of sugar, fat, and sometimes salt. These foods are often called highly rewarding food (hyperpalatable food) and can, for example, be candy, ice cream, cookies, and chocolate.

When we eat this type of food, neurotransmitters like dopamine are released in the brain, providing a temporary feeling of well-being and pleasure. When the reward is strong, the desire to continue eating can increase, even if the body does not actually need more energy. At the same time, these foods often provide poor satiety, which makes it easy to eat more than planned.

In the media, the term "sugar addiction" is sometimes used. Even though it can feel like losing control, it is not a medically recognized diagnosis. Research suggests that it is more often about how the brain reacts to energy-dense and tasty food (hyperpalatable food), along with habits and availability, rather than a physiological dependence on the sugar itself.

Why it is still wise to limit candy and sweets

Even though sugar is not a poison, it can be wise to limit candy and sweets if you want to lose weight. For weight to decrease, you need over time to consume less energy than you expend. Since candy, cookies, and other sweets are energy-dense but simultaneously nutrient-poor, they take up a large part of your daily "calorie budget" without giving the body the nutrition it needs.

Furthermore, candy and sweets provide poor satiety, which means you can consume a lot of energy without feeling particularly full. Especially sweet drinks like sugar-sweetened soda are clearly linked in studies to weight gain and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Liquid calories generally provide weaker satiety signals than solid food. This can make it easier to consume more energy than planned and make it difficult to maintain a healthy weight. At the same time, it is important to remember that occasional instances of candy and sweets do not determine your weight or health. It is the whole over time that matters.

Strict prohibitions often increase cravings

Many have tried to stop completely with candy. For some, it works for a period, but for many, a strict prohibition leads to sweets taking up a larger place in one's thoughts. When something becomes "forbidden," it can feel more tempting, and if you eventually eat it, it can arouse guilt or a feeling of having failed. Then it is easy for it to be more than you intended, especially if you end up in an all-or-nothing mindset.

Research also shows that a strict, black-and-white view of food, where you divide food into "allowed" and "forbidden," often correlates with more cravings for exactly what you are trying to avoid. In studies, such strict control is linked to increased food cravings and poorer perceived success with diet attempts. A more helpful approach is often to think more flexibly: that nothing needs to be completely forbidden, but that the amount and how often you eat sweets can be adapted.

Build the foundation first

If you want to reduce candy, it is wise to start with the foundation of your diet. Ask yourself:

• Do I eat regularly, for example, breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
• Do my meals contain protein, vegetables, and slow, fiber-rich carbohydrates?
• Do I become sufficiently full?

Irregular meals and too little food earlier in the day are a common cause of strong sugar cravings in the evening. The body then tries to quickly compensate for the lack of energy. By eating evenly distributed meals with good satiety, cravings often decrease by themselves. Three main meals per day and possibly some snacks are a good foundation.

More strategies that can help

Losing weight is rarely about "stopping eating candy" as an isolated measure. It is about creating a whole where the majority of the food provides nutrition and satiety, while there is room for what is tasty. Here are some tips and advice that many find effective:

Reduce availability

Research shows that we eat more of food that is visible and easily accessible, and less when it requires an active choice. By making small changes in what is easily accessible, you can help yourself in the right direction without having to rely on willpower in every situation. In behavioral science, this is called nudging: adjusting the environment so that it becomes a little easier to choose things that are in line with your goals. For example, putting out a bowl of fruit, preparing nutritious snacks and having them visible in the fridge, not buying candy to bring home, buying smaller packages, or storing sweets in a cupboard.

Change the situation or routine

If candy is linked to a certain place or routine – like always eating something sweet in front of the TV – it can help to change the situation itself. Perhaps have a cup of tea, brush your teeth after dinner, or do something else with your hands.

Smarter alternatives

Instead of just removing candy, think about what you can add. If you are craving something sweet, you can choose a smaller amount and combine it with something that provides more volume and nutrition, for example, a few pieces of dark chocolate and fruit. It can also help to sometimes replace candy with other alternatives when the craving comes. You can, among other things, try quark or greek yogurt mixed with frozen berries for an ice-cream-like dessert, protein pudding, frozen grapes, or fried apple with cinnamon.

Sleep and stress less

With too little sleep, hormones that control hunger and satiety are affected. Ghrelin (which increases hunger) can rise and leptin (which signals satiety) can decrease, which makes you more easily hungry and makes it harder to feel satisfied. At the same time, both fatigue and stress can impair impulse control, as the brain's ability to make thoughtful decisions is affected. This makes it easier to choose quick, energy-dense food. Recovery in the form of sleep and pauses is therefore an important part when you want to reduce cravings and create more sustainable eating habits.

Surf the craving

A sugar craving is often like a wave – it builds up, reaches a peak, and then subsides. Instead of acting on the craving directly, try to wait it out for 15 minutes. Distract yourself with other things, and you will often notice that the impulse disappears. A short walk or other physical activity can also help manage the sugar craving by releasing endorphins and improving mood.

Make room for your "Silver Lining"

Sustainable eating also accommodates enjoyment. Deciding in advance when and how much candy you want to eat can reduce spontaneous snacking and make it easier to feel satisfied. When candy and sweets are allowed to exist in reasonable amounts, without guilt and shame, the risk often decreases that they become something you think much about or that you eat more than you actually intended.

When willpower is not enough – medical treatment

Many feel that they know what they "should" do, but still get stuck in recurring sugar cravings. It is important to understand that appetite, reward, and hunger are not just controlled by willpower. Hormones, stress, sleep, and the brain's reward system play a major role in how strong the craving feels.

For some, it is enough to build a stable foundation with regular meals, food that satisfies well, and a more flexible approach to candy. But if the craving is constant, if thoughts about food take up a lot of mental energy, or if you experience that you often lose control despite effort, there may be biological factors that make weight loss harder.

In such cases, medical treatment for obesity can be a complement to lifestyle changes. Modern drugs for obesity, so-called GLP-1 analogues, act by affecting the brain's reward system, increasing the feeling of fullness, and reducing cravings for sweet and fatty foods. The goal is not to ban foods – but to reduce the struggle and increase the possibility of succeeding long-term. At Yazen, we combine medical treatment with support from a dietitian and doctor to help you reach a healthy weight.