The truth about sugar addiction from a former sugar addict

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  • 03julie
    03julie Posts: 38 Member
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    I agree sugar is no good but i find it hard to live without so i keep it to evenings only
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
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    I was never drawn to just sugar. I didn't add sugar to my coffee or to anything else. I have never been keen on the crunching-between-your-teeth feeling of sugar.

    I wanted sugar with flour. Cakes and pies and that sort of thing. Or sugar with a whole lot of fat; puddings and full-fat ice cream and...

    Now I'm hungry.

  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    mamapeach910 wrote: »
    kelly30mad wrote: »
    I also am like u.. I use to snak on sugar snacks all day!!! I wld rather snack than eat a meal.. I've currently gone cold turkey and stopped them all together.. I've had really bad headaches and the shakes... Jus shows tha it is addictive and the more u eat the more u need more

    I think you missed her point. It's not addictive. It's all about behavior and choice. You can get control.

    Sometimes, it is helpful to give it all up for a time and get some distance to be able to see that.

    It's more a compulsion which is about BEHAVIOR, than about addiction, which is about the SUBSTANCE.

    This. I am so glad I changed my behavior around sugar, as well as other foods, because now I eat all foods in moderation.

  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    03julie wrote: »
    I agree sugar is no good but i find it hard to live without so i keep it to evenings only

    Do you mean sweet things, such as cake, cookies, deserts? It would be hard to keep any sugar to just evenings because just about everything has sugar in it.

    Sugar is not good or bad.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    edited January 2015
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    poohpoohpeapod wrote: »
    sugar is a dead end anyway, my cardiologist told me to cut off most sugar as it even damages arteries and now they think it plays a role in heart disease. It ages the skin makes us look older. There is no benefit in refined sugars other than it tastes good., and feeds our emotional needs. Sugar has no nutritional value at all. No vitamins, no minerals nothing.

    No it doesn't make you age, and I doubt it plays into heart disease. I've eaten loads of sugar in my lifetime and I don't look aged. I'm 53 and people always think I'm way younger. My heart is fine too.

    Sugar helps you fulfill your carbohydrate needs.
  • 03julie
    03julie Posts: 38 Member
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    I meant sweet things. I know other foods have sugars but arn't they lower sugar than sweet tasting foods?
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    edited January 2015
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    poohpoohpeapod wrote: »
    sugar is a dead end anyway, my cardiologist told me to cut off most sugar as it even damages arteries and now they think it plays a role in heart disease. It ages the skin makes us look older. There is no benefit in refined sugars other than it tastes good., and feeds our emotional needs. Sugar has no nutritional value at all. No vitamins, no minerals nothing.

    Sugar damages arteries and plays a role in heart disease? Do you have a source for this? All sugar? Really?

    Source for the skin aging?

    Sugar is a source of energy and helps fulfill your carbohydrate needs. Emotional needs are important and not be dismissed or understated either. Context is important. While sugar shouldn't comprise a large part of anyone's diet, there is no evidence anywhere that moderate intake of sugar is in any way detrimental to health.

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited January 2015
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    poohpoohpeapod wrote: »
    mamapeach910 wrote: »
    kelly30mad wrote: »
    I also am like u.. I use to snak on sugar snacks all day!!! I wld rather snack than eat a meal.. I've currently gone cold turkey and stopped them all together.. I've had really bad headaches and the shakes... Jus shows tha it is addictive and the more u eat the more u need more

    I think you missed her point. It's not addictive. It's all about behavior and choice. You can get control.

    Sometimes, it is helpful to give it all up for a time and get some distance to be able to see that.

    It's more a compulsion which is about BEHAVIOR, than about addiction, which is about the SUBSTANCE.
    Sugar has proven to light up the same areas of the brain that cocaine does. Studies were done with PET scans of the brain.

    So does petting a kitten or sex. It's about pleasure. Eating is pleasurable because it was evolutionarily useful for us to want to eat. Addictive drugs play on pleasure pathways, but do other things too, and generally speaking addiction is not really about just enjoying the drug a whole lot.

    (Also, it's so weird cocaine is always the example, because as I understand it cocaine isn't usually considered an especially addictive drug. Not that I'm promoting it!)
  • Calm_Lotus_06
    Calm_Lotus_06 Posts: 104 Member
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    I am so proud of you! I am fighting the same battle now and it is hard. It was actually my husband who led me to it when he referred to me as an addict when it came to sweets and soda while talking to someone.. that hurt.. but I needed to hear it. Keep it up if you never need to vent I am here!!!
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Congratulations and good for you!

    I cut the white brads and pastas and replaced with whole-grain alternatives and my cravings went away. I can now have a small bowl of pasta and not need more. I just love that! :)
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,135 Member
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    Glad you found what works for you, OP.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
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    emmab852012 wrote: »
    sounds very similar to me except I haven't figured it out yet. I think cutting out all sugar is a bit extreme but its really hard to find that middle balance....
    same for me currently ...looking forward to that changing soon though
  • LeenaGee
    LeenaGee Posts: 749 Member
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    Keep up the good work OP, you should be really proud of yourself. :)
  • anaisbutterfly7
    anaisbutterfly7 Posts: 71 Member
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    mamapeach910 wrote: »
    poohpoohpeapod wrote: »
    mamapeach910 wrote: »
    kelly30mad wrote: »
    I also am like u.. I use to snak on sugar snacks all day!!! I wld rather snack than eat a meal.. I've currently gone cold turkey and stopped them all together.. I've had really bad headaches and the shakes... Jus shows tha it is addictive and the more u eat the more u need more

    I think you missed her point. It's not addictive. It's all about behavior and choice. You can get control.

    Sometimes, it is helpful to give it all up for a time and get some distance to be able to see that.

    It's more a compulsion which is about BEHAVIOR, than about addiction, which is about the SUBSTANCE.
    Sugar has proven to light up the same areas of the brain that cocaine does. Studies were done with PET scans of the brain.

    Pain triggers dopamine release too. Is pain addictive?


    Actually it can be. I have known people in the S&M subculture that I would say are addicted to pain.

    I think your idea that someone can only be addicted to certain substances is pretty invalidating. I kindly disagree with your opinions.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Well done.

    tumblr_lx5azw8LcG1qf9mevo1_500_zps8ee4e99d.gif

  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
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    happyhenglers wrote: »
    Suggested read: Salt, Sugar, Fat. Great book to highlight the fact that sugar has been proven to be as addictive as drugs. Some people can do moderation, and some people need stiffer boundaries. The key is to find what works for you.

    Well we all need to find the right path for us, but part of the reason I posted this thread was that if you asked me even a year ago I would have been convinced moderation could not work for me. Now I've come to believe that while I am vulnerable to sugar/starch cravings if my diet is unbalanced, these can be managed through moderation. Previously, my beliefs that I could not control sugar made it even more difficult to manage.

  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    girlviernes wrote: »
    happyhenglers wrote: »
    Suggested read: Salt, Sugar, Fat. Great book to highlight the fact that sugar has been proven to be as addictive as drugs. Some people can do moderation, and some people need stiffer boundaries. The key is to find what works for you.

    Well we all need to find the right path for us, but part of the reason I posted this thread was that if you asked me even a year ago I would have been convinced moderation could not work for me. Now I've come to believe that while I am vulnerable to sugar/starch cravings if my diet is unbalanced, these can be managed through moderation. Previously, my beliefs that I could not control sugar made it even more difficult to manage.

    I was in the same place a few years go. Tonight, I took the box of See's candies from the cabinet, measured my portion out in grams, put the box away, and ate my goodies.

    You have such a great attitude. :)
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    girlviernes wrote: »
    Well we all need to find the right path for us, but part of the reason I posted this thread was that if you asked me even a year ago I would have been convinced moderation could not work for me. Now I've come to believe that while I am vulnerable to sugar/starch cravings if my diet is unbalanced, these can be managed through moderation. Previously, my beliefs that I could not control sugar made it even more difficult to manage.

    Same here. Even six months ago, if you'd suggested to me that I could take a box of chocolate truffles out of the pantry, eat one, and put the rest away, I would've told you it was impossible.

    It's not impossible.
  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
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    SLLRunner - that's so great! I hope you enjoy the heck out of your chocolate every night :) I am proud that I have a bunch of goodie bags to give to people full of my favorite candies from Hawaii, and I haven't broken into any of them over the past two weeks.

    Segacs - exactly!

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