White addiction

blogasese

senecarr wrote: »

I was hoping this topic was going to be about something more up the chit chat section's alley.
Instead it is about this
https://youtu.be/YbseBW-AWn4
?

good point! but different than you I find this topic extremely helpful however, your link rocks!!

cebreisch

Yes - anyone with insulin resistance can relate!!! Yes - eat more meat, and yes, eat more fiber.

A friend of mine who lost about 80 pounds once said that during his "journey" - his taste buds changed. He was eating more healthy, and once tried things he hadn't in a while, and they didn't taste as good as he remembered. I've found that to be pretty true.

I remember watching an interview with Matthew McCough.....(I can't spell his name!) - he lost a LOT of weight for one of his movies, and when he was done, he want and had a burger.....and the body said, "Oh yes, I remember this", and then he was sick for 3 days......I think it went something like that. I remember thinking that was really funny. I also remember thinking I had loved burger king whoppers with only ketchup/cheese. I went and had one recently, and thinking, "What was it I liked so much about these?"

Stuck with it - the taste's will change - and you're body will start wanting better foods.

MorganMoreaux

blogasese wrote: »

MorganMoreaux wrote: »

I had a problem with over eating sweets and thinking about them ALL the time. I finally increased my protein and fat intake and it has made a significant difference. I still let myself indulge, but the desire to indulge is not constant anymore and the consumption is no longer insatiable.

Hey, Morgan what exact protein products you use?

I eating more nuts and have increased my dairy (cheese and kefir). I sometimes make protein shakes using Garden of Life Organic Plant Protein in either vanilla or chocolate, or make my own protein powder (feel free to pm me and I can send you the recipe). If time is an issue I enjoy Orgain Vegan shakes. I personally think the vanilla is better than the chocolate - it's sweet enough that it's kind of like dessert. I think they're kind of high in sugar compared to other shakes which is probably why I like them lol.

I also make protein bars that consist of protein powder, ground up oatmeal, peanut butter (and extra peanut butter), maple syrup, raw cacao powder, and will add in nuts, fruit, and a few chocolate chips. They're really good and satisfy the sweet craving without the uncontrollable urge to eat all of them. I also think the cacoa powder stops the chocolate cravings, and is pretty low calorie in and of itself.

I also enjoy quinoa with green peas and balsamic vinegar, paired with a vegetarian pattie. If I hve a lot of calories remaining later in the day and am lower in protein I will have bacon.

This is what I've been doing lately that has been helping. I do try to have a salad a day before dinner, and snack on fresh fruit, I also juice (been sticking with a mix of kale, carrots, and beeth in the mornings, though anything sweet like juice or fruit I pair with fat, either kefir or cheese so I don't get a sugar spike.

It's been working well for me. I've been able to reduce a nasty doughnut habit (3 - 6 a day) down to a slice of cheesecake a day, down to an occasional chocolate mint pattie. More importantly, I no longer get cravings or think about food all the time, which is really nice for a change lol. This has also allowed me to be much more consistent with my macros (50% c, 30% f, 20% p). Sorry the post is so long - got carried away typing. Hope it's useful to you.

SLLRunner

shell1005 wrote: »

Merrysix wrote: »

So interesting that people hold themselves out to be experts on addiction when they have no training or background in it. I suggest going to the NIH website and reading about addiction -- you might learn something, particularly the research on the neurophysiology of addiction. But the bottom line for me is I don't care what people call it -- I do better eating within my macros if I don't eat foods w/ added sugars and high sugar fruits, etc. Easier to stay on my macro plan and I feel better. I think a good way to approach it is what is suggested in alcoholics anonymous for alcohol -- try to control your alcohol intake for 30 days. If you can, great. If you can't maybe you should consider giving up alcohol.....letting go of it. Now just substitute "added sugars" (or whatever). Some people on this thread do fine and can control the volume of added sugar foods that they eat. Great -- so go for it. I have huge amounts of willpower -- I lift weights and run, work, have a difficult job, etc. but it is simply easier for me and I feel better if I don't eat foods w/ added sugars.

I do wonder what your background and training might be in relation to addiction.

I worked in addictions for 8 years and did alcohol and substance abuse evaluations on a daily basis. I know the criteria for substance abuse and dependence like the back of my hand. Food does not meet that criteria.

Are there dysfunctional behaviors that are related to food? Absolutely. They should be dealt with. If it is severe, it should be done in a clinical setting, probably centering on CBT. However it is not the food that is addictive, but the thoughts or behaviors that are associated with the food that are the issue.

This. When I was in OA several years ago, you were encouraged to not talk about specific food but the feelings, thought, and behaviors leading to the compulsive behavior.

There is a difference between compulsion and addictive.

RodaRose

blogasese wrote: »

RodaRose wrote: »

blogasese wrote: »

nordlead2005 wrote: »

What are your goals and why do you want to eliminate sugar? If your goal is to lose weight, then focus on calories first. Once you get that under control if you want to switch your diet to more nutritious things or more well balanced, then maybe focus on macros. Once you have a good macro balance, then maybe work on eliminating extra sugars.

Sugar isn't evil, its just an easy target to blame.

Im surely dont mind to lose some kilograms but its more about my health, I am eating so much sweet that I am scared of diabetes and other effects like tooth damage. But to be honest I never admitted to my self that I eat to much sugars till some time ago, so I think its my first step to start eating smart food

Instead of focusing on what you want to stop /reduce eating, pay attention to what foods you want to increase. Maybe eat more fats and oils, more protein, or for example, more veggies like broccoli, yellow squash, winter squash, leafy vegetables.
Also, sometimes looking up and creating new recipes for those foods helps you eat in a way that nourishes and supports your goals.

You are so right! and the fact that makes it even easier is that I love veggies! broccoli, carrots, squash. wow I am already making recipes for tomorrow lunch. somehow cheesecake and chocolate muse doesnt make me so excited when it comes to boiled broccoli with garlic and feta just its easier to go to tesco and grab snickers. But I am not an easy type so I am sure that yours and others advises gave me good kick to my booty

Consider moving stuff off your kitchen counter to make room for some kitchen appliances and other tools like a Foreman Grill, a crock pot you can keep out, a blender or nurtibullet, kitchen scale.
I loved grilled green beans and garlic or yellow squash with a little bit of salt.

robs_ready

juggernaut1974 wrote: »

roblloyd89 wrote: »

blogasese wrote: »

Hey, I am constantly loosing my fight against sugar. Choclote, dried fruits, sweets, cookies. Endless list that can't stop thinking about. How you fight sugar addiction? Is this anything to do with that that I don't eat much meat?

Everything you mentioned there is carbs, maybe you're addicted to carbs perhaps.

You can technically be addicted to anything.

No...technically you can't.

"Addicted" is a word with a specific meaning.

What do you mean you can't lol?

You can be addicted mentally addicted to Bananas, the same discomfort can be found on those withdrawing from bananas as it can gambling.

I'm not talking about drugs necessarily, but it affects the same part of the brain as sugar.

successgal1

Yes. To the op's original question. When my body is not being fed a healthy diet including a good balance of foods that provide actual nutrition I will crave empty calories, sweets. After awhile on a healthy diet, the craving goes away, and sweets become too sweet. I start to notice the sweetness of fruits in my morning smoothie become more sweet, and carrots in a veggie smoothie likewise make it taste almost as if I had added sugar.

Psychgrrl

ryry62685 wrote: »

I don't know if I believe that 100%. One of the tenets of most 12 step programs is admitting you are powerless over the substance you are controlled by. You may not agree with that but its proven effective for substances that ARE chemically addictive so I fail to see how it would be ineffective for controlling non addictive substances.

Number 1 can either be a defeatist attitude justifying their lack of change or a eureka moment of self realization leading to great change.

Number 2 can either be just the mindset change they needed or the thought pattern that keeps them stuck where they are. (I just need to try harder and that will change everything!)

Addiction is a state characterized by compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli, despite adverse consequences.[7] It can be thought of as a disease or biological process leading to such behaviors.[1][8] The two properties that characterize all addictive stimuli are that they are reinforcing (i.e., they increase the likelihood that a person will seek repeated exposure to them) and intrinsically rewarding (i.e., something perceived as being positive or desirable).

While I am not familiar with all 12 step programs, the ones that aren't based on chemical additions (such as alcohol, drugs, nicotine) are based on diagnosable psychiatric disorders (compulsive behavior) such as Binge Eating Disorder (new in the DSM V)/Overeaters Anonymous and Shopaholics Anonymous. Not everyone who chooses to attend these groups has an official diagnosis (or meets the level of a full-blown mental health issue), but there is a psychiatric/psychological basis for the behaviors which needs intervention to change. The theories involved in group therapy programs like this can be helpful to everyone who is dealing, in some way, with an issue, including the need to eat sweets. One of the reasons these groups are so helpful to so many people with a range of severity of symptoms and issues and behavioral causes.

It's very important for me to provide some distinction regarding what "addiction" means. Saying you have an addiction doesn't mean you have one. It can mean you are feeling a lack of control over something in your life and new/different strategies are needed to deal with the issue, but it doesn't mean you are actually addicted to something. (The difference was well-stated earlier in the thread.)

We toss some words around so casually that their true meaning has become societally distorted and people to whom the terms actually apply can find their own issues minimized. I've heard this directly from people in NA and AA. And having watched people detox from crack, heroin, prescription drugs and alcohol as well as recover from eating disorders. I have not seen sugar to be as devastatingly painful or permanently impactful. This issues that cause the craving, yes--but that actual food, no.