Breaking a cookie habit can be difficult, as it is addictive. There can also be an underlying desire to be nurtured or enjoy life better, and people make an effort to do that through the use of stimulating foods – whether they realize it or not. However, after this temporary high, then comes the low, hence the cycle.

Breaking an addiction is difficult, but not impossible. Do not run away from ‘difficult.’ Just like you have to use your muscles for them to be strong, so it is with will power. I think that addictive habits carried out frequently overtime, along with their subsequent weakening effects on the body, can weaken will power and self-confidence. The ‘low’ feelings in one area of life can get carried over to other areas that you wouldn’t assume would occur.

If this is going on with you, I’d highly suggest looking into what else makes you happy and excited, and focus on those things. If you don’t have any, it’s time to start trying new activities. That may mean getting out of your house :-O or it could mean starting to read. Also, take time to figure out how to nurture yourself in other ways. Perhaps this means a 20 minute bath once per week, or every night if it makes you smile. Perhaps this means standing up for yourself in every day life. A psychologist or counselor can really help on the emotional and mental aspects of breaking cookie habits. For some people, breaking a habit like this is easy, for others not so much, and it may take going deeper into your own psychology to figure out why. Mental instability is not a prerequisite for seeking psychological help. If more ‘mentally healthy’ individuals went to psychologists and counselors, we’d all be better off.

For some of you, creating your own cookies with low glycemic sweeteners AND making them less sweet than the varieties in the store can create a major shift. If you do this for a while and then go back to the store brands, you may notice more negative effects from it than you did before, and actually feel its addictive effects setting in again. Thus, not going back would be the better choice here! 🙂 One word of caution: If you start making your own, make them in very small batches. Most recipes usually create about 10-20 cookies. Depending on how addicted you are, having 10-20 cookies in front of you is not a good idea, even if they are less sweet. For some of you, this strategy is not best because you will constantly create and binge on your own cookies. But this is why I say to make them less sweet. You will probably still notice a shift, but be careful here.

And here’s another idea. Kroger sells their own brand of Gluten free cookies now under the brand name ‘Simple Truth.’ They come about 5 large cookies in a pack. They were closer to the bakery section of the store I went to versus near the gluten free section. I like this because it helps you to focus on eating less cookies. One thing I’d like you to always do if you go this route: only buy 1 pack at a time.

This concept is why I’d also suggest for other sweet foods that you buy them from an actual baker versus buying them in a pack at the store. For instance, cupcakes usually come about 4 in a pack, whereas with a baker, you can just get one if you like, which helps reduce binges. Plus, bakers may be baking from scratch (or at least a little closer to it) and the product you buy was likely made that morning. Thus, it is more fresh, and it’s likely that there are less chemicals in the final product. You will pay more, but you can also use that to your mental advantage if you think about it.

The sweet(s) you are addicted to may in fact be something that is considered ‘healthy’ by other people and establishments. It doesn’t matter if it is considered healthy. If you are addicted, then it’s not for you. Let it go. Acknowledge what your body is telling you at this time of your life. It is trying to help you. ‘But I wasn’t addicted to it like this before, why has it changed?’ There are different reasons for that, but having that question unanswered shouldn’t promote continued eating of a food that now causes more destruction for you than benefit.

If you’ve made some progress, there is a sweet around you, and you think you can eat it without becoming addicted again – in other words you can ‘take it’ – it may be wiser to not listen to that voice, and just keep avoiding. I mean, what are you really gaining by eating it anyway? Nutrition is the priority of eating when it comes to what the body gains from it. And if it is something ‘healthy’ that is high in certain nutrients, those nutrients can usually be obtained from other foods. Long term stabilization of emotions can be achieved and maintained by consistently eating a healthy non-addictive diet.

Yes, try again. And always try with the possibility in mind that YOU can overcome cravings.