How do you cut your craving for sugar??
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I wouldn't say cut it out completely. Sugar is needed for your body to operate, just like fats, carbs, proteins, etc. I usually sate my sugar craving with a dark chocolate bar 1-2x a month or I eat a tsp of peanut butter if it's a really bad craving. All about moderation
Hope this helps! toodles0 -
lgramberg15 wrote: »Okay obviously there is a big difference between addiction to drugs, and the physiological craving for sugar. I never meant to compare the two. From my own experience once I eat something sugary (like a mini piece of candy for example) I tend to crave more of it. You can call it addiction, you can call it overindulgence, whatever you like; the fact of the matter is that the craving is there. I do not intend to cut sugar from my diet. I am working on eating less things with added sugar. I already don't eat very many processed foods as it is, but I would like to cut those things from my diet. To bring this full circle, the whole reason I posted this thread was because I've hit a plateau with weight loss, and I thought it might be due to the amount of sugar I eat. Clearly I am doing something wrong, but fighting over whether or addiction to sugar is a real thing isn't going to change anything.
Sorry for contributing to the useless addiction talk. It doesn't really help you.
How about cutting extra treats out for a few weeks, then slowly reintroducing them when you feel comfortable?
It also looks like you're eating back all of your exercise calories. My suggestion is to limit yourself to eating half of those back for a few weeks, see if that helps.0 -
TheVirgoddess wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »TheVirgoddess wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
I still don't understand how "addict" means no accountability. How are addicts not accountable for their own behavior?
Well you see I don't believe food is addictive. I believe it is more like disordered eating and if that's the case, get professional help...
Well, okay. But that still doesn't clear up why calling it an addiction would eliminate accountability.
Because once you call it an addiction, you remove the accountability...
Why? What makes addicts not accountable? Do they not choose to smoke/drink/snort/shoot up/inject/...? Who is accountable, if not the addict themselves?
Because addiction means: a chronic brain disease that causes compulsive substance use despite harmful consequences.
And compulsive means: irresistible urge, especially one that is against one's conscious wishes.
Based on those definitions, it certainly implies - beyond the first or second use (which, obviously, is a choice) - it's not a choice, doesn't it?
No. There may be some addicts that need force to quit, such as forced rehab (though until they are ready to take some self-control even that is unlikely to work). But for most, it's a matter of will power and self-control. They may need the help of AA or NA, or a nicotine patch or drug prescription. But ultimately, it's up to the addict. It's their choice whether to partake or not.
But some overeaters are unable to quit without help - WW meetings, MFP friends, drugs, surgery - as well. There are many parallels.
I absolutely agree you have to make the choice to quit - I was just trying to illustrate that how we define addiction sort of lends itself to people thinking it's beyond their control, so there's no reason to try to quit - does that make sense?
I also agree that overeating can absolutely have roots in psychological issues that need to be addressed.
It's the casual use of the word addiction that bothers me - which is why I should just stay out of these conversations in the first place
I understand. I'm just saying it's not the black and white subject some make it out to be. It's is a real struggle for some people.0 -
This is still hard for me!
But I do what I got to do, So i have fruit instead!0 -
I would second the recommendation to cut back on eating all your exercise calories, particularly since you're eating on campus a lot and aren't in as much control of the calorie content of your food as you would be were you preparing it yourself.0
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Thanks!A sweet tooth can come from any number of things, but there are some measures you can take to lessen it.
1. Make sure you get plenty of water. Try having a glass of water and waiting a few minutes--your body may actually be mistaking dehydration for the need for sugar.
2. Try to focus on sources of sugar with a lower glycemic load. For example, milk chocolate causes a steeper spike in blood sugar than bananas. Apples have an even lower glycemic load than bananas, and blueberries/strawberries are lower than both. By reducing spikes in blood sugar, your body may stop urging you to find ways to replenish it.
3. Are you getting enough protein and fat? Those can stay with you longer than carbs (especially simple carbs), so you may feel more satiated after dinner and not have to turn to dessert.
All that said, I agree with arditarose to a large extent: if you can fit some sweets into your macros, go for it! You're more likely to stick to a healthy diet if you can enjoy your favorite foods.
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Some studies liken sugar addiction to cocaine addiction because of the effects it has on the brain. In short, your body loves that sugar is easy to digest and gives you a little high feeling. However, I wish to be clear that the sugar in fruit isn't as much of a problem as actual sugar or any of "ose" (almost any word ending ose is a "sweetener") cousins of sugar. I personally found that I had to kick all the fake sugars from diet products out of my diet as they seemed to be making matters much worse. As strange as it sounds I found that I had much better control over my need for sweets when it was regular sugar I was consuming in moderation. I hope this helps!0
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I used to have a hard time controlling myself with sweet stuff, too. I got it under control by eating in moderation. From time to time, I crave a little chocolate, so I just get a small 50-Calorie piece that I keep in a specific location. As long as it fits into my diet and is consumed in moderation, then it should be fine.
I also use Splenda as a sugar substitute to sweeten my plain Greek yogurt that I eat as a snack every day, and I find that eating peanut butter also has a slightly sweet taste that is nice to have. Fruit is also amazing.0 -
Intermittent fasting has helped me to stop eating at night and stopped my craving for sugar. That and mindset, be determined 0
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Some studies liken sugar addiction to cocaine addiction because of the effects it has on the brain. In short, your body loves that sugar is easy to digest and gives you a little high feeling. However, I wish to be clear that the sugar in fruit isn't as much of a problem as actual sugar or any of "ose" (almost any word ending ose is a "sweetener") cousins of sugar. I personally found that I had to kick all the fake sugars from diet products out of my diet as they seemed to be making matters much worse. As strange as it sounds I found that I had much better control over my need for sweets when it was regular sugar I was consuming in moderation. I hope this helps!
Wow, such ignorance
These studies, were they done in humans and what was the feeding protocol
Good thing fruit in sugar doesn't end in ose, oh wait
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Have a look at this doco and then consider using dextrose to make the occasional sweet treat
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/ondemand/nigel-latta/nigel-latta-is-sugar-the-new-fat-/02-09-2014
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »I cut it out completely for a couple of weeks. Then I limited refined carbs. Then the cravings went away. Problem solved. Good luck!
This is basically what I did. My diet varies in how much sugar/refined carbs I eat--I cut them all out in Jan, and I just recently completed a hard bike trip where I ate tons, but I feel generally controlled and would cut them for a while if I did not.0 -
Ortho Molecular Products: core restore 7 day detox. It has worked wonders for me.-4
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Ortho Molecular Products: core restore 7 day detox. It has worked wonders for me.-4
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FoCoAlphaNerd wrote: »Ugh, I'm so sick of people trying to defend this addiction nonsense with "sugar causes dopamine release." You know what else causes dopamine release? Scary movies, that thing where you almost stumble then don't, nipple clamps, being around large animals, getting a birdie when playing disk golf, rock climbing, shopping for rock climbing gear, looking at porn, reading a political op-ed, and scrolling through forums where people constantly claim to be addicted to things that aren't addictive substances.
Yup. And for the record, I have an "addictive personality" under the usual definition and yet cookie butter sounds disgusting to me and I don't blame addiction for my penchant for eating real butter or high calorie meats, or the fact I've spent a week doing a cheesecake tasting, yum. I blame the fact they taste good.0 -
eatingforspawn wrote: »Alright this is like arguing with flat Earthers. Let's just ignore the people trying to convince us that food cannot be addictive and focus on the advice. OP have sugar cravings. They are real. How does she prevent them? that is the only thing we need to talk about here.
As I said before, my advice is to abstain for a short time, and then when you no longer feel strong physical or mental urges for it, if you feel like you can handle it, reintroduce your favourite things in moderation.
This is decent advice. So is not worrying about preventing them at the moment and just ignoring them.
None of this has a thing to do with the silly claim that sugar is addictive.0 -
lgramberg15 wrote: »sungoddess337 wrote: »Sugar addiction may not be scientifically proven but personally, I can not eat a lot of carbs. I have proven this to myself and doubting family and friends. When I cut out beans, potatoes, and bread I can loose 2-3 lbs a week no problem. Add those carbs and I can gain it all back plus some. I lost 93 lbs in a year. Got cocky and allowed myself to have each forbidden item once a week. I changed nothing else. In 6 months I regained 35 lbs. Very disheartening but it is what I must do. We are all different so you have to explore what works best for you.
This journey is hard and sometimes you will get a response you don't like, but take a little time to think about the info you get. Many people on here have made it thru these same trials and have wonderful points no matter the delivery ---listen, try it, if it works for you, continue; if not, try something else.
Be real honest with yourself, log, drink water, and find what works then go for it. I know I tend to go on, but that is me. The water is important, drink before you eat; I think you will be surprised, I was. A couple of tips: mash a banana, divide into small portions (small cookie size works for me), I put it on a small paper plate and cover, freeze, eat, tastes real creamy esp if banana is real ripe. You can also add a little milk , stir or blend, drink. Grapes are great frozen, too. You get refreshed, only eat a few because they are so cold, and get a natural sweet treat.
Bottom line, get to know your body, take honest looks at your steps back, and always CELEBRATE your successes. Not with food but something else you love...Good luck
Banana idea is great! Is that normally what you have for dessert?
If fruit would work for you do the banana. You can make it into pudding with tapioca and coconut milk, which doesn't actually have less calories than ice cream, but is also good. I'm currently in Hawaii and if I could have dragon fruit every day I wouldn't care about ice cream. Also, waffles with coconut syrup are amazing. All of these count as sugar, though, if one is being honest.0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
I still don't understand how "addict" means no accountability. How are addicts not accountable for their own behavior?
Well you see I don't believe food is addictive. I believe it is more like disordered eating and if that's the case, get professional help...
Well, okay. But that still doesn't clear up why calling it an addiction would eliminate accountability.
It shouldn't. By the time someone admits they are a drug or alcohol addict (instead of claiming they can handle it) they generally admit they are accountable. But my impression from MFP (and one of the reasons the addiction claims irritate me) is that people think that claiming "addiction" means they cannot help it, they are powerless over sugar (or whatever), and so have an excuse for over indulging.
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mamapeach910 wrote: »I would second the recommendation to cut back on eating all your exercise calories, particularly since you're eating on campus a lot and aren't in as much control of the calorie content of your food as you would be were you preparing it yourself.
Yeah, this!
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I love the microwave kettle corn while I am snacking, it isn't calorie dense and satisfies my sweet cravings and not ruin my whole day of great eating. I really don't like microwave popcorn, except this kettle type because I don't know how to make it at home otherwise. but it is yummy and does what I need it to do. Good luck.0
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