Any tips on overcoming sugar addiction? I'm going crazy

Escloflowne

The first step in overcoming sugar addiction is admitting there is no such thing as sugar addiction....

Raynne413

I find that I crave less when I keep fat at a higher level. I also let myself have sweets regularly, and I have less of an issue with going nuts. Also, make sure you are getting enough sleep. Nothing makes me crave crazy carbs and sugar more than being tired.

Iguessicandothis

I'm the opposite of you in that I crave salt, not sugar.
Typically I used to eat a lot of very fatty salty foods (fries, potato chips, salami etc). My worst habit was a large bag of chips every evening before bed. Because the chips had become such a habit, I don't buy them anymore.
Now I still eat lots of salty foods but I'll do things like add a couple of chopped olives to my scrambled eggs or tuna. Or have some popcorn for a snack. After a couple of weeks without my bedtime chips, I stopped craving them.
I think if you incorporate sweets into your diet, but in lower calorie ways (2 squares of dark chocolate or even try some sugar-free treats like chocolate pudding) and completely avoid the trigger foods that become bad habits, you will do just fine.

sunnyazgirl

I have also hd a sugar addiction, complete with the shakes, etc. I am a lot older than you. But I have lost 119 pounds and controlled my sugar addiction on MFP over the last 16 months. I suggest you continue to track everything you consume. That for me works as a mental leash to keep me reined in. Also, I have not eliminated sugar and other "fast carbs", but I do try to substitute the "slow carbs". Such as sweet potatoes instead of white, whole grains instead of white flour, etc. When I eat carbs I always try to combine them with protein and/or healthy fats to slow dow how fast they are converted to sugar in your body. That is a trick I learned from a dietician. Most days I have a treat after dinner. I look forward to that and save my calories for it. My favorite treats are Skinny Cow Truffel ice cream bars when at home and a Fiber One 90 calorie bar and/or frozen yogurt at work (I work night, so I eat dinner there). As others have said, getting the high carb/sugary snacks out of your environment is best, but not always possible when you are not the one in control of the environment.

For me, this is a bigger mental game than anything. As soon as I say that I "can't" eat something I will crave it. So, nothing is off limits for me. If I want it that badly I will have it. If it is high carb I will also eat some protein or healthy fats, count it all and move on. No guilt if counted. However, I do stop and ask myselfif it is really worth the calories, and most of the time, it is not. Occasionally, it is. This is all about a lifestyle change for me and sometimes life throws potato chips your way!

titianknitter

Sugar addiction is a thing.

Back in 2002, after a family member was diagnosed as hypoglycemic, I realized that sugar was really making me sick, too. I would crave a sweet, eat it, and crash. When I was a teenager my doctor thought that I had some sort of immune deficiency because I would get complications from diseases/problems that normal people shake easily. That cleared up the instant I laid off the sugar.

Getting off sugar took about a month. It was hard, hard, hard. I quit cold turkey and had horrible cravings. I started reading labels and learned to really cook. I learned to balance protein, fat and carbs. A happy result was that I got away from all of the nasty processed stuff that was popular in the 80s, like margarine, and started cooking with butter, fresh herbs, good spices, etc. I made friends with the cute old guy at the butcher shop and he helped me find nice, lean cuts of meat that fit into my student budget, so I could have nice dinners that felt special even without dessert.

After all these years, I STILL have a hard time with sugar. I want it every hour of every day. You've heard the stereotype about alcoholics: Once they start drinking, they can't stop? That's me with sweets. Once I start, I won't stop unless I want to puke, or it is gone. I do better since I got married and have someone in the house with me for reality checks. If my husband and I decide that we want ice cream, we go out for it, or buy a pint to split. We buy single cookies at the grocery store, so I can't eat a whole bag. It is more expensive per serving, but this way I get an occasional, reasonable treat. I'm up to the point where I can have something marginally sweet, like granola, for breakfast, but only because it also has fat, protein and fiber, I weigh it first, and my husband is eating the same, reasonable portion. It's all about having that portion control built right in.

Good luck!

Blueseraphchaos

angelalp19 wrote: »

Thank you all. I need logical reminders to cut through my bad habits and perfectionism sometimes. You're right - having sweets isn't bad and at this point cutting them out isn't realistic at all. I think I might try planning a healthy (or even not-so-healthy) dessert for the end of the day so I have something to look forward to. Lfred12 - I love love love that idea. I think I'll have that tonight if it fits into my calories.

As for crack and heroin, that's a solid back-up plan. Don't knock it til you try it, right? What's the worst that could happen?

Candied heroin?

Honestly, i make room every night for something. I have been making almond milk with ghirardelli baking chocolate powder and a tablespoon of sugar in it for homemade lactose-free hot chocolate...around 100 calories, takes awhile to drink, tames the sweet tooth. Outshine frozen fruit bars are around 50-60 calories and sooo good too.

My downfall is totally brownies, though. So those fiber one brownies are generally perfect for me lol

kgirlhart

You don't have to totally cut sweets. You just have to make room for it. I find that if I tell myself I can't have something I think about it all the time and that is all I want. I will not give up my sweet coffee in the mornings, and I try to have something else sweet everyday. Some of my favorites are the Fiber One brownies. The chocolate brownies are good and the lemon bar and coffee cake flavors are something I always keep in my house and at my office. I also love the Chobani Flips. Key lime is my favorite. There are a few things I can not have in my house. Ice cream is one. I can go out for ice cream, but I cannot buy it to store in the freezer. The same with cookies. I can have an occasional cookie, but I can't keep a bag of cookies or a dozen homemade cookies in the pantry. I just started on mfp the last week of September and so far I am 1/3 of the way to my goal of loosing 60 pounds even with eating the occasional sweet. I find that as I loose weight it gets easier to resist some things because I don't want to waste calories on things that don't fill me up (like soda), but I don't deny myself anything that I really want. There are certain times of the month that I am going to eat chocolate and that is ok.

kyle_the_file

I was in a similar situation years ago, and what ended up working for me was to completely ignore the advice of "It's not how much you eat, it's what you eat". I count calories, but I don't pay attention much to what I eat. I eat whatever type of food I want, and that's going to include a brownie later today. I am presently overweight, but I have used this method to lose 60 lbs and 40 lbs on separate occasions. My new challenge is going to be keeping the weight off. Sugar is bad for you, but so is everything in life. You will also find that a lot of sugar is not very filling. You can't drink pop because you'll end up eating a 1/4 of your calories without even satisfying your hunger. Right now I have a bag of gummy bears that I have taken one or two from at the end of the day. I know it's okay because I'm normally 400-500 calories under my goal. So it kind of flips the perspective a little bit.

psuLemon

titianknitter wrote: »

Sugar addiction is a thing.

Back in 2002, after a family member was diagnosed as hypoglycemic, I realized that sugar was really making me sick, too. I would crave a sweet, eat it, and crash. When I was a teenager my doctor thought that I had some sort of immune deficiency because I would get complications from diseases/problems that normal people shake easily. That cleared up the instant I laid off the sugar.

Getting off sugar took about a month. It was hard, hard, hard. I quit cold turkey and had horrible cravings. I started reading labels and learned to really cook. I learned to balance protein, fat and carbs. A happy result was that I got away from all of the nasty processed stuff that was popular in the 80s, like margarine, and started cooking with butter, fresh herbs, good spices, etc. I made friends with the cute old guy at the butcher shop and he helped me find nice, lean cuts of meat that fit into my student budget, so I could have nice dinners that felt special even without dessert.

After all these years, I STILL have a hard time with sugar. I want it every hour of every day. You've heard the stereotype about alcoholics: Once they start drinking, they can't stop? That's me with sweets. Once I start, I won't stop unless I want to puke, or it is gone. I do better since I got married and have someone in the house with me for reality checks. If my husband and I decide that we want ice cream, we go out for it, or buy a pint to split. We buy single cookies at the grocery store, so I can't eat a whole bag. It is more expensive per serving, but this way I get an occasional, reasonable treat. I'm up to the point where I can have something marginally sweet, like granola, for breakfast, but only because it also has fat, protein and fiber, I weigh it first, and my husband is eating the same, reasonable portion. It's all about having that portion control built right in.

Good luck!

The plausability of sugar addiction is still highly debated but we do have a good discussion on the topic in this thread

Regardless of the scientific outcome, we all have to find a solution to address the problem. Some people prefer elimination (low carb/keto diets) or reduction and some prefer moderation (IIFYM). Personally, i crave salty and meats more than I do sugar. That could be because I incorporate treats into my diet quite regularly. But ultimately before I eat my treats I ensure I address my nutritional needs. Meaning, I tend to eat a higher protein diet (my goal is ~.8g per lb of body weight), 30-50g of fiber, and get most of my calories from nutrient dense sources (fruits, veggies, whole grain, nuts, unsaturated fats (oils/fish), and proteins). This, in combination with exercise, is helping me work towards my goal.

If you do find that including a treat is beneficial, I would personally recommend keeping calories to around 10% of the total to leave enough room for other nutrients.

edit: because English is hard.

YeaYeaPueblo

I've gone through cycles of this. What helps me is replacing those junk sugars with better sugars. Instead of cookies, I eat vegan cookie dough bites, delicious and MUCH healthier!, instead of ice cream, I run frozen bananas in the food processor to make banana swirl ice cream.

There are also loads of smoothie recipes that make for great dessert substitutions. Once you've kicked the bad sugar habit, you can gradually reduce your good sugar habit to just a once a day treat/ every other day treat.

Restricting 100% is just not living life, and setting yourself up for relapses.

Hope you strike a balance soon!

AnnPT77

Another thing you could try: My cravings for excessive amounts of ultra-sweet snacks dropped significantly after I consciously started trying to eat at least 3 whole fruit servings every day.

I *am* a believer in fitting any food one likes into one's calorie goal, but because mainstream sweets (candy, cake, cookies, etc.) aren't very nutrient dense, it is helpful to one's overall nutrition to eat less of them. That's where the whole fruit comes in: Good fiber, good nutrition, and some satisfying sweet flavor.

I put berries on my oatmeal in the morning, and often have an apple with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter for a light lunch or heavy snack. Grapefruit is tasty & filling, too, for me. Tangerines are good. There are lots of options!

oceansideangoras

I have known for years I can eat a piece of chocolate on it's own, ,and I'll be fine, I eat a slice of cake and I can easily eat the entire cake.

I am currently doing the Whole30 plan which focuses on finding allergens in your diet. A friend did it last year and it helped her immensely. Anyway, for the first time I feel like I am in control and appreciating whole foods for whole food. I am still eating sugar in the forms of whole fruits, but I am not craving sugar. Yes, I still wanted the donuts in the grocery store, but out of habit, not need. The reason FOR ME is the fact I have eliminated all grains. I won't be doing this forever, but now that I have the facts, I can work with my own body.

I'd continue tracking your foods, and see if you can find a trigger that sets you off.

alp_19

Sorry to not respond to all of this sooner. Yesterday was a busy (but good) day. I just want to say again how grateful I am for every single post here. As an update, I stuck to my plan yesterday and didn't lose control. I baked an apple with cinnamon for my snack last night and it was filling and delicious. It fit perfectly into my nutrients and calorie count as well. And today I'm off to a good start as well. My goal for today is to focus on getting enough protein and healthy fats. I'm also going to eat my exercise calories as recommended.

Later on tonight I'm going to spend some time making a list of all of the advice from this discussion then I'll be able to use it later on when things get tough. I'll also post it as a summary for anyone who also might want it.

Thank you again to everybody who helped me yesterday when I was feeling lost. It means so so much to have a community like this behind me. I hope I can support others in the same way.

psuLemon

One treat that I love, is fruit topped with coolwhip. Something you might enjoy too.

lemurcat12

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Another thing you could try: My cravings for excessive amounts of ultra-sweet snacks dropped significantly after I consciously started trying to eat at least 3 whole fruit servings every day.

I *am* a believer in fitting any food one likes into one's calorie goal, but because mainstream sweets (candy, cake, cookies, etc.) aren't very nutrient dense, it is helpful to one's overall nutrition to eat less of them. That's where the whole fruit comes in: Good fiber, good nutrition, and some satisfying sweet flavor.

I put berries on my oatmeal in the morning, and often have an apple with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter for a light lunch or heavy snack. Grapefruit is tasty & filling, too, for me. Tangerines are good. There are lots of options!

I like this idea. For me it was similar just focusing on filling my diet with what I needed (protein, vegetables, some fruit). I tend to eat fruit more seasonally, although at least one serving a day even in winter, but focusing on positive steps (not simply not doing something) and creating satisfying meals made me less likely to want to eat other things in a non-moderate way.

My sister takes fruit out and sets it on the counter or brings it to work with her (berries, usually, or clementines currently). I used to think this was just because she loved fruit, but she told me that it's because if she felt like eating something she'd eat it instead of something else. (She's never been overweight, not for this specific reason, but she tends to have lots of sensible habits.)

titianknitter

Random tip: Avoid artificial sweeteners. If you lay off the white sugar/HFCS/processed crap, your palate will (eventually) reset and things like fruits, vegetables, and even milk will be plenty sweet.

CassidyScaglione

I have three squares of milk chocolate every day, throughout the day when i am feeling that craving.... rather than just munching them down in an instant, i like to nibble at them and let them melt, and really focus on enjoying what i've got rather than binging on larger amounts of it.

If you take 5 min to eat a whole chocolate bar and i take 5 min to eat one square, who tasted the chocolate for longer?

I'd also look at increasing carb intake if your current intake is very low, since some of what you're actually craving is energy rather than sugar, and look at replacing simple carbs like those provided by refined flours etc, with more complex carbs, that will take time to digest and keep you full for longer. Barley is one of my favorites.

lemurcat12

I never get why people claim that fruit, veg, and the like stop tasting sweet. That never happened to me, even when I drank lots of diet coke. I also continued to prefer coffee black like God intended. (Just joking about the God part.)

WinoGelato

psulemon wrote: »

One treat that I love, is fruit topped with coolwhip. Something you might enjoy too.

psuLemon

lemurcat12 wrote: »

I never get why people claim that fruit, veg, and the like stop tasting sweet. That never happened to me, even when I drank lots of diet coke. I also continued to prefer coffee black like God intended. (Just joking about the God part.)

Maybe they are eating the wrong fruit. I love me some fruit: kiwi, pomegranate, bananas, apples, pineapple, watermelon and so much more. I drink two diet dews daily and fruit still is awesome. Most days i do it together.