Overcoming Sugar Addiction
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PeachyCarol wrote: »I had a problem with over consuming sugar and stopped eating sugary and starchy foods. You know what happened?
I grossly overate things like cheese, chicken legs, nuts, nut butters, and egg salad.
I was using food to cope with stress, depression, and to celebrate. Even after realizing that, I still had a habit of simply reaching for it at certain times just from boredom or because I thought it was time to eat. I really had no concept of hunger.
Becoming mindful of the idea that want and need are two different concepts helped me a lot. I used to repeat to myself that a certain amount of food was all that my body needed and that I would be content with it. I slowed down when I was eating, taking smaller bites and chewing my food thoroughly so that my body could learn to feel full on less and that I could learn true hunger signals.
I had already done a lot of work on the personal issues that had led to me using food to cope in the first place, so using mindfulness to establish new habits was an easier process for me. For someone who hasn't acknowledged underlying causes, I realize a two-step process might be in order. (Caveat: Sometimes, it's not necessary to dig for reasons, sometimes it's okay to simply leave baggage behind and move forward. Unraveling the past, or acknowledging that it's causing problems in the present might only be a necessary step if it's holding you back.)
I eat sugary and starchy foods now. In moderation. I've learned that my issues with food (and trust me, I went through the pounding headaches and "withdrawals" back in the day) were always about my behavior with it, and not about the food itself. It was a long process, but truly dealing with it has been one of the most rewarding things I've ever done.
this is the most informative post in this thread - beware of the dangers of blaming all of your 'addiction' on sugar. this is why I said it's so important to understand the difference between knowing yourself - that you are not addicted to one type of food, but that you have a behavior problem.
If you don't understand yourself, and that you are not addicted to sugar, but that you have a behavioral problem, you'll simply transfer your bad habit to something else, as Carol has outlined above. I'm sure you could find someone who could describe having transferred overeating to gambling, or sex. Understand the nature of the behavior.
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I'm not nvmomketo, but I'd suggest asking your doctor if some Metamucil or Benefiber would be okay. Also,make those berries raspberries, since they're loaded with fiber.SamandaIndia wrote: »Nvmomketo can you please advise how you manage to have enough fibre in your diet to be regular AND eat less than 10 grams of sugar. Me, for medical reasons I have to minimise sugar but struggle to eat enough fibre,. Doctor has me not eating grains nor beans nor any fruit except max 1 handful of berries. Leafy greens are great, even with hundred of grams of greens consumed. 0.2 g sugar vs 2.2g fibre in spinach but after 250g grams I really struggle and need to get to 30 grams of fibre. Thoughts?
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I'm not nvmomketo, but I'd suggest asking your doctor if some Metamucil or Benefiber would be okay. Also,make those berries raspberries, since they're loaded with fiber.SamandaIndia wrote: »Nvmomketo can you please advise how you manage to have enough fibre in your diet to be regular AND eat less than 10 grams of sugar. Me, for medical reasons I have to minimise sugar but struggle to eat enough fibre,. Doctor has me not eating grains nor beans nor any fruit except max 1 handful of berries. Leafy greens are great, even with hundred of grams of greens consumed. 0.2 g sugar vs 2.2g fibre in spinach but after 250g grams I really struggle and need to get to 30 grams of fibre. Thoughts?
*eyes suspiciously* Are you sure?
j/k0 -
I'd like to point out that I like nvmomketo very much and was not attempting to make fun of or insult her in any way.0
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Also not nvmomketo (no, seriously, I'm not), but I believe she consumes much less fiber than typically recommended to many Americans and relies on higher fats to keep regular. (At least, I believe that's what she's said before.)0
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I'm not nvmomketo, but I'd suggest asking your doctor if some Metamucil or Benefiber would be okay. Also,make those berries raspberries, since they're loaded with fiber.SamandaIndia wrote: »Nvmomketo can you please advise how you manage to have enough fibre in your diet to be regular AND eat less than 10 grams of sugar. Me, for medical reasons I have to minimise sugar but struggle to eat enough fibre,. Doctor has me not eating grains nor beans nor any fruit except max 1 handful of berries. Leafy greens are great, even with hundred of grams of greens consumed. 0.2 g sugar vs 2.2g fibre in spinach but after 250g grams I really struggle and need to get to 30 grams of fibre. Thoughts?
Thanks! Love blackberries and raspberries for their high fibre to sugar ratio. I have put the query through to Doctor on benefibre, as it has no sugar plus metamucil.
I find it astonishing folk can go as low on sugars as a few grams and, I assume, stay regular. Appreciate your tips. Thanks!!0 -
I asserted that accountability is one of the biggest factors here, so for those interested in talking accountability: Here's my daily dose.
Yesterday was pretty good until the 9th hour. I had my brother bring a Coke over when he stopped by in the evening so our dogs could run amuck in my yard sending the squirrels into a frenzy. I don't keep pop in the house when I'm having a hard time controlling myself; I asked him to bring it because I usually wake around 4-5am and it was clear I was going to have to work late (can't imagine why...;)) so I broke down and called in the caffeine reinforcement. I have not yet mastered the genius of black coffee or straight tea, I'd rather turn in a late report. My sugar intake yesterday was pretty high as a result...and I thought I'd be cool to sail through today in spite of last night's transgression. Nope. THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS I'VE REALIZED WITH MINDFULNESS AND STRESS EATING: I acquiesce with the idea that whatever stress I'm experiencing is momentary and passing and that coping in the moment is okay, because tomorrow won't be stressful. That's crazytalk. Dogs can live in the moment, but we humans need some foresight.
That was my lesson over the last 24 hours, because this morning--after only a few hours of sleep, I woke up to a kid with diarrhea and watched the idea of getting my coding all done before 6pm take a grandiose leap right out the window. Damn. I promptly sat down and ate a cookie (an organic cookie is still a cookie!) and realized that stress never goes away. Ever. Mindfulness. So, I did two things: I made a statement and I made a promise.
That amazing little tip about saying "YES" from @KalikeI worked like a charm in that moment: with every piece I said {to myself so my kid didn't think I was nuts} "I am choosing to eat this bite because I want it. I am choosing to eat this." [There are other private factors that made my morning a little scarier than normal too, because normally this doesn't happen until the end of the day.]
Then, I made a promise. I find making promises to myself never really pan out because I'm a mom. But I promised my puppy a walk. I'll keep that. She needs it, I need it and during my walk I tried to think about the things I'm thankful for, and how to keep the momentum going IN A REALISTIC way.
Normally, after a one-two punch like that I'm down, defeated and feeling like I ALREADY ruined the day. Not today, friends.
One strategy at a time. Mindfulness, recognition and developing intention. That's my deal today.
What's yours?0 -
WinoGelato wrote: »I think this thread would be a useful (albeit long) read for many posting in this thread.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10226257/food-addiction-a-different-perspective/p1
Yes, please do read this - anyone who is claiming to be addicted to sugar, candy, or food of any kind. You will learn a lot, and it's worth the time to read.
Yes, all very valid no doubt, until you find yourself insulin sensitive, together with an ever increasing segment of the population.0 -
Oh by the way, turns out that substances we all suppose _are_ addictive, like heroin, are not that addictive either. Here too, addiction is driven by psychological and social factors.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/the-real-cause-of-addicti_b_6506936.html0 -
WinoGelato wrote: »I think this thread would be a useful (albeit long) read for many posting in this thread.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10226257/food-addiction-a-different-perspective/p1
Yes, please do read this - anyone who is claiming to be addicted to sugar, candy, or food of any kind. You will learn a lot, and it's worth the time to read.
Yes, all very valid no doubt, until you find yourself insulin sensitive, together with an ever increasing segment of the population.
And yet that has nothing to do with being "addicted" to sugar.0 -
WinoGelato wrote: »I think this thread would be a useful (albeit long) read for many posting in this thread.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10226257/food-addiction-a-different-perspective/p1
Yes, please do read this - anyone who is claiming to be addicted to sugar, candy, or food of any kind. You will learn a lot, and it's worth the time to read.
that thread is a gigantic straw man in its own right.0 -
THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS I'VE REALIZED WITH MINDFULNESS AND STRESS EATING: I acquiesce with the idea that whatever stress I'm experiencing is momentary and passing and that coping in the moment is okay, because tomorrow won't be stressful. That's crazytalk. Dogs can live in the moment, but we humans need some foresight.
I think this is insightful. Early on when I was losing weight last year I ran into my first super stressful period. It helped me to allow myself to miss workouts (I was still at the stage when realizing you could keep going despite being less than perfect was important, and I had a history of getting overwhelmed and quitting as soon as things got hard), but I also got more focused on sticking to my eating plan as one thing I could control (it did not take extra time), despite being extremely business and stressed. A few things got screwed up -- I realized if I was going to be at work well past the time I'd normally be home and eating it was important to have something to eat with me or I'd seek out the cookies or microwave popcorn and even up eating lots and lots -- but on the whole not giving in helped me feel more in control in general and I lots extra weight that week (likely because it was a week off exercise and I stuck to my calories).
I have that mindset often too of "just today because it's a hard day," and have to remind myself that's never a good idea. Overeating or eating more indulgently on occasion is fine, IMO, but I try never to do it because of stress, but to make it more like Kalikel was talking about -- I'm eating this because I want to and choose to.
That said, IF one can get enough sleep, hard as I know it can be, it makes everything so much easier, IMO.
My big strategy when losing and what I'd like to get back to is just doing a bit of journaling every day, and noting what worked, what was hard, what I learned, stuff like that. Not just about eating, but including that. It really helped me with both motivation and mindfulness.0 -
WinoGelato wrote: »I think this thread would be a useful (albeit long) read for many posting in this thread.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10226257/food-addiction-a-different-perspective/p1
Yes, please do read this - anyone who is claiming to be addicted to sugar, candy, or food of any kind. You will learn a lot, and it's worth the time to read.
that thread is a gigantic straw man in its own right.
Only in the intellectually barren sense that all arguments a person disagrees with are strawmen - because if they were addressing your flawless argument, surely they'd be agreeing with it, right?
Honestly, how does a prima fascia explanation strawmam anything? Strawman requires a person misrepesents someone's argument.0 -
Oh by the way, turns out that substances we all suppose _are_ addictive, like heroin, are not that addictive either. Here too, addiction is driven by psychological and social factors.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/the-real-cause-of-addicti_b_6506936.html
all sorts of no
people have plenty of "connections" and still use until isolation is the the only way they can manage.
a businessman can be an addict as much as a bum.
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WinoGelato wrote: »I think this thread would be a useful (albeit long) read for many posting in this thread.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10226257/food-addiction-a-different-perspective/p1
Yes, please do read this - anyone who is claiming to be addicted to sugar, candy, or food of any kind. You will learn a lot, and it's worth the time to read.
that thread is a gigantic straw man in its own right.
I question whether you understand the mean of the straw man logical fallacy. There is nothing in Carol's post that distorts or exaggerates any of the facts she is talking about.
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WinoGelato wrote: »I think this thread would be a useful (albeit long) read for many posting in this thread.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10226257/food-addiction-a-different-perspective/p1
Yes, please do read this - anyone who is claiming to be addicted to sugar, candy, or food of any kind. You will learn a lot, and it's worth the time to read.
Yes, all very valid no doubt, until you find yourself insulin sensitive, together with an ever increasing segment of the population.
I think you mean insulin resistant, but given your other posts maybe you do mean insulin sensitive.
Because insulin sensitivity is generally a pretty good thing, but plenty of low carbers seem talk about insulin the way 1600s philosophers used to talk about phlogiston.0 -
WinoGelato wrote: »I think this thread would be a useful (albeit long) read for many posting in this thread.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10226257/food-addiction-a-different-perspective/p1
Yes, please do read this - anyone who is claiming to be addicted to sugar, candy, or food of any kind. You will learn a lot, and it's worth the time to read.
that thread is a gigantic straw man in its own right.
Only in the intellectually barren sense that all arguments a person disagrees with are strawmen - because if they were addressing your flawless argument, surely they'd be agreeing with it, right?
Honestly, how does a prima fascia explanation strawmam anything? Strawman requires a person misrepesents someone's argument.
@lodro I believe what you're looking for is " making legs for pants." And careful about assuming PFs senecarr, you could land in a reductio
I'll make reference to the constraints of the U defined by the original post. PF to reductio there, but the outcome is excluded by the constraints of the universe. 0 -
RadiantChange wrote: »One of the best things I ever did for myself was do a yeast and parasite cleanse for 95 days...I know, I know it sounds so extreme however it made such an amazing difference in any kind of cravings. I no longer have ANY cravings for sugar, the weight slipped off of me with no problems and I am now maintaining just fine. I now believe that because of eating processed and raw foods as well as living with pets for a huge part of my life it created a terrible imbalance in my system. I can't say enough about what a HUGE difference I feel. I saw a Naturopathic Dr. who helped me. All the best to you!
Please don't post things like this. Cleanses don't work and aren't necessary. The liver and kidneys perform the function of cleansing the blood and keeping the body healthy.
The cleanse you are promoting is a colon cleanse. The intestines are a major part of the body's immune system, and 'cleanses' that affect the gut flora can seriously damage this immune system. There are many benign bacteria in the gut and using this cleanse removes them from the body, leaving you vulnerable to many dangerous infections and viruses.
I'm not sure you understand what she wrote... yeast cleanse is not a colon cleanse. Check it out, go back and actually read what she wrote and then Google it. Perhaps you can Google yeast and that might help you understand that it has nothing to with the colon.0 -
Hearts_2015 wrote: »RadiantChange wrote: »One of the best things I ever did for myself was do a yeast and parasite cleanse for 95 days...I know, I know it sounds so extreme however it made such an amazing difference in any kind of cravings. I no longer have ANY cravings for sugar, the weight slipped off of me with no problems and I am now maintaining just fine. I now believe that because of eating processed and raw foods as well as living with pets for a huge part of my life it created a terrible imbalance in my system. I can't say enough about what a HUGE difference I feel. I saw a Naturopathic Dr. who helped me. All the best to you!
Please don't post things like this. Cleanses don't work and aren't necessary. The liver and kidneys perform the function of cleansing the blood and keeping the body healthy.
The cleanse you are promoting is a colon cleanse. The intestines are a major part of the body's immune system, and 'cleanses' that affect the gut flora can seriously damage this immune system. There are many benign bacteria in the gut and using this cleanse removes them from the body, leaving you vulnerable to many dangerous infections and viruses.
I'm not sure you understand what she wrote... yeast cleanse is not a colon cleanse. Check it out, go back and actually read what she wrote and then Google it. Perhaps you can Google yeast and that might help you understand that it has nothing to with the colon.
But a parasite cleanse often is. And the ones available from non-medical sources for undiagnosed parasitic infections are at the best entirely useless without effect and at the worst, outright dangerous.0
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