How do you cut your craving for sugar??
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I think you pretty much hit the nail on the headI think it's ok to say that food has "addictive qualities," but that's not nearly the same thing as saying it's "addictive." Eating, sleeping, sexing, pursuing healthy/fun hobbies -- your body and mind want you to repeat these things, thus they activate your reward systems. And that's a good thing. An addiction to life is a wonderful mechanism.
I think the danger in going "all in" with the Food Is Addictive(R) gambit is that you give yourself permission to fail.
There was an episode of South Park where Stan's dad gets a DUI and is forced to go to meetings, where he "learns" that he has no control over his drinking. So, he takes that as a perfect reason to drink all day.
I have, at times, heard myself making the exact same rationalization. "I am going to eat six of these donuts because I cannot stop myself nom nom nom." Take a step back, and that just sounds absurd.
But I think it's entirely possibly to get so entrenched in the habit of permitting yourself to overindulge, over and over and over, that it sort of becomes moot whether there's an addiction going on. The "treatment" at that stage would probably need to, on some level, resemble a treatment for addiction, regardless of whether the addiction is "real" and demonstrated though peer review. Break the habit, then build the willpower to eat "normal."
+1 for South Park, too
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GoPerfectHealth wrote: »lgramberg15 wrote: »
maybe if you stop restricting it and realize that you can have some ice cream or whatever, then you would not have the consistent urge to eat it….
in all honesty, you original post said you were addicted to sugar, then you walked that back to craving it, and I guess now we are version to 3.0 where you have a "consistent urge" to eat it…so I am curious to see where you go next.
Love this logic:
Problem: Eating added sugar foods make you crave more added sugar foods, which then leads you to overeat and gain weight.
Solution: Eat more added sugar foods!
I see that you are back after your previous sojourns to take my posts out of context...
My suggestion to the OP is that if she incorporates a serving or two of ice cream (or some other kind of treat) into her daily allowance then maybe she would not feel the urge to eat consume sugar all the time.
If you read the entire thread you will see that OP has gone from "sugar addict" to "craving sugar" to a "consistent urge to eat sugar" ...so for some reason she keeps moving the goal posts...
The reason I've changed what I've said is because you seem to be displeased with every way that I try to explain my situation to you.
I think you are confusing me with someone else...
Honestly, I do not care what you do ...but I am going to counter all this "sugar is addictive" or "sugar is poison" nonsense that keeps going around...
if you want to eliminate sugar 100% then good for you and go for it. Enjoy the self torture that, that causes...
It's fine if you don't believe the research, and aren't interested in the investigation of sugar/food addiction, but you don't have a corner on the truth. It's definitely not nonsense.
yea, I posted a study that countered what you posted...so you don't have a corner on the truth either..
In general, people cherry pick research to support their point of view. I definitely did this to make the point that Harvard University believes food addiction is important enough to write about, and that there is some very interesting research out there.
I definitely do not have a corner on the truth. There is much more to learn. Perhaps in 20-30 years there will be a sufficient amount of research to assess the validity of the food addiction model. Until then, making claims that there is no such thing seems to fly in the face of the lived experiences of many, many people, and even current research.
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herrspoons wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
I still don't understand how "addict" means no accountability. How are addicts not accountable for their own behavior?
You really don't understand what addiction is, do you?
I have several addicts in my family. Forced rehab, jail, etc. Some recovered, some not. All of them are accountable for their own behavior. They make their own choices. They admit that.0 -
zachbonner wrote: »*unbookmarks*
Same0 -
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...
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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.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.
Because once you call it an addiction, you remove the accountability...
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GoPerfectHealth wrote: »GoPerfectHealth wrote: »lgramberg15 wrote: »
maybe if you stop restricting it and realize that you can have some ice cream or whatever, then you would not have the consistent urge to eat it….
in all honesty, you original post said you were addicted to sugar, then you walked that back to craving it, and I guess now we are version to 3.0 where you have a "consistent urge" to eat it…so I am curious to see where you go next.
Love this logic:
Problem: Eating added sugar foods make you crave more added sugar foods, which then leads you to overeat and gain weight.
Solution: Eat more added sugar foods!
I see that you are back after your previous sojourns to take my posts out of context...
My suggestion to the OP is that if she incorporates a serving or two of ice cream (or some other kind of treat) into her daily allowance then maybe she would not feel the urge to eat consume sugar all the time.
If you read the entire thread you will see that OP has gone from "sugar addict" to "craving sugar" to a "consistent urge to eat sugar" ...so for some reason she keeps moving the goal posts...
The reason I've changed what I've said is because you seem to be displeased with every way that I try to explain my situation to you.
I think you are confusing me with someone else...
Honestly, I do not care what you do ...but I am going to counter all this "sugar is addictive" or "sugar is poison" nonsense that keeps going around...
if you want to eliminate sugar 100% then good for you and go for it. Enjoy the self torture that, that causes...
It's fine if you don't believe the research, and aren't interested in the investigation of sugar/food addiction, but you don't have a corner on the truth. It's definitely not nonsense.
yea, I posted a study that countered what you posted...so you don't have a corner on the truth either..
In general, people cherry pick research to support their point of view. I definitely did this to make the point that Harvard University believes food addiction is important enough to write about, and that there is some very interesting research out there.
I definitely do not have a corner on the truth. There is much more to learn. Perhaps in 20-30 years there will be a sufficient amount of research to assess the validity of the food addiction model. Until then, making claims that there is no such thing seems to fly in the face of the lived experiences of many, many people, and even current research.
wait, so you tried to say that sugar is addictive and then you admit to cherry picking data to support your claim...???
I will give you credit for honesty ...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.
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?0 -
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?
When an addict indulges in their addiction, they blame the addiction and take no accountability. The only time an addict takes accountability is when they seek professional help...0 -
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?
When an addict indulges in their addiction, they blame the addiction and take no accountability. The only time an addict takes accountability is when they seek professional help...
Okay I get where you are coming from now. It's not that they aren't accountable, just that they don't admit it. Like a lot of overeaters.0 -
Hicama is one of my favorite snacks and it taste sweet I add some lime juice on it yummy0
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Need2Exerc1se 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?
When an addict indulges in their addiction, they blame the addiction and take no accountability. The only time an addict takes accountability is when they seek professional help...
Okay I get where you are coming from now. It's not that they aren't accountable, just that they don't admit it. Like a lot of overeaters.
Exactly. If you really feel you are addicted to food, take accountability and seek professional help for disordered eating...
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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?
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Need2Exerc1se 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?
When an addict indulges in their addiction, they blame the addiction and take no accountability. The only time an addict takes accountability is when they seek professional help...
Okay I get where you are coming from now. It's not that they aren't accountable, just that they don't admit it. Like a lot of overeaters.
Exactly. If you really feel you are addicted to food, take accountability and seek professional help for disordered eating...
Agree.0 -
I wish I could unbookmark myself from my thread tooarditarose wrote: »zachbonner wrote: »*unbookmarks*
Same
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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.0 -
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.0
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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
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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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This discussion has been closed.
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