Trying to loose weight and control my sugar addiction...
Replies
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There is a book out there called "I quit sugar". I found it at a thrift store. The cravings are very real. You are not alone.0
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thorsmom01 wrote: »1. You are not addicted to sugar. You like sugar a lot.
2. You can eat whatever you like within your caloric goals and lose weights.
3. Retraining habits takes time and conscious effort but it's very achievable.
4. Calling liking sweets "addiction" demonstrates a severe lack of understanding what physiological addiction is.
I like you @tomteboda
If sugar were a true addiction people would scoop spoonfuls of sugar (mary poppins aside) out of a bowl to feed it.0 -
Now that song from "Mary Poppins" is running through my head!0
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JanetYellen wrote: »There is a book out there called "I quit sugar". I found it at a thrift store. The cravings are very real. You are not alone.
I found that book too:
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Alatariel75 wrote: »JanetYellen wrote: »There is a book out there called "I quit sugar". I found it at a thrift store. The cravings are very real. You are not alone.
I found that book too:
I love you!!0 -
I dare you to walk up to a methadone clinic at 6 am in the morning and tell the people standing in line that you are addicted to sugar . see what stories they can tell you about addiction. They have a physical dependence on an opioid. Without it, they will become very ill. They will experience symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, shakes, cramping and so on. That is a physical dependence. They are addicted to an opioid. The withdraw they go through is much different then wanting to eat sugary snacks.
With that being said, I do remember feeling just like you op. There was a time where I could not get a handle on my over eating. I craved treats and would over eat every day. I remember feeling powerless . the good news is that I was able to see the light. I learned that if I wanted to change then I had to work for it. I got to the bottom of the issues that lead me to overeat . I truly wanted to change so I made it happen. You can to !
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thorsmom01 wrote: »I dare you to walk up to a methadone clinic at 6 am in the morning and tell the people standing in line that you are addicted to sugar . see what stories they can tell you about addiction. They have a physical dependence on an opioid. Without it, they will become very ill. They will experience symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, shakes, cramping and so on. That is a physical dependence. They are addicted to an opioid. The withdraw they go through is much different then wanting to eat sugary snacks.
With that being said, I do remember feeling just like you op. There was a time where I could not get a handle on my over eating. I craved treats and would over eat every day. I remember feeling powerless . the good news is that I was able to see the light. I learned that if I wanted to change then I had to work for it. I got to the bottom of the issues that lead me to overeat . I truly wanted to change so I made it happen. You can to !
I like you0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »1. You are not addicted to sugar. You like sugar a lot.
2. You can eat whatever you like within your caloric goals and lose weights.
3. Retraining habits takes time and conscious effort but it's very achievable.
4. Calling liking sweets "addiction" demonstrates a severe lack of understanding what physiological addiction is.
Completely excluding the category of Behavioral Addiction demonstrates a severe lack of understanding of addiction.
I'm with you on # 3, however. Cognitive behavioral techniques is how I got my drinking and eating under control.
Except your response demonstrates a failure to understand what behavioral addiction is. You can't be behaviorally addicted to food. Food isn't a behavior. Last I looked, no one sugared or broccolied too much. People do eat too much, so the eating, yes, that could be a behavioral addiction. The fact that people get addicted to sweets and don't go to straight mainlining glucose tablets is part of the demonstration that it isn't physiological.
@writerchick83
No, sugar addiction, if that is what you want to call your issue, doesn't have a withdrawal period where you remove it from your system. Removing all sugar from your system is called being dead - the whole reason your body has all that interesting insulin stuff going on that people use to sell books to people is because your body is very interested in keeping just the right amount of sugar (much more than none) constantly flowing in your veins. I strongly recommend you don't try to remove all sugar from your system.
There are a lot of strategies. Personally, I think the healthiest relationship is to learn to eat the things you like in appropriate amounts. Some people feel they can never do this and feel they have to eliminate the foods from their house and avoid them in public - for them the temptation of having item X or Y in their house might be something they feel they can never be comfortable having around - for them, I think it is okay to say to pick your battles if having it available is a temptation. Some people start by eliminating them until they feel they have balance, and then find that the food doesn't have the same issues for them after they've got their momentum with weightloss.
Hope that helps.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »1. You are not addicted to sugar. You like sugar a lot.
2. You can eat whatever you like within your caloric goals and lose weights.
3. Retraining habits takes time and conscious effort but it's very achievable.
4. Calling liking sweets "addiction" demonstrates a severe lack of understanding what physiological addiction is.
Completely excluding the category of Behavioral Addiction demonstrates a severe lack of understanding of addiction.
I'm with you on # 3, however. Cognitive behavioral techniques is how I got my drinking and eating under control.
Except your response demonstrates a failure to understand what behavioral addiction is. You can't be behaviorally addicted to food. Food isn't a behavior. Last I looked, no one sugared or broccolied too much. People do eat too much, so the eating, yes, that could be a behavioral addiction. The fact that people get addicted to sweets and don't go to straight mainlining glucose tablets is part of the demonstration that it isn't physiological.
@writerchick83
No, sugar addiction, if that is what you want to call your issue, doesn't have a withdrawal period where you remove it from your system. Removing all sugar from your system is called being dead - the whole reason your body has all that interesting insulin stuff going on that people use to sell books to people is because your body is very interested in keeping just the right amount of sugar (much more than none) constantly flowing in your veins. I strongly recommend you don't try to remove all sugar from your system.
There are a lot of strategies. Personally, I think the healthiest relationship is to learn to eat the things you like in appropriate amounts. Some people feel they can never do this and feel they have to eliminate the foods from their house and avoid them in public - for them the temptation of having item X or Y in their house might be something they feel they can never be comfortable having around - for them, I think it is okay to say to pick your battles if having it available is a temptation. Some people start by eliminating them until they feel they have balance, and then find that the food doesn't have the same issues for them after they've got their momentum with weightloss.
Hope that helps.
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Sugar and carbs are wonderful. Don't give them up, just switch to things that don't trash your body.
And remember to eat enough carbs so that you don't crave such highly concentrated sweet things all the time. Fruit is your best friend, but it's best eaten in the morning on an empty stomach.
And don't do diet soda. Ever. Stay away from aspartame. That *kitten* will wreck you.
If you still really desire desserts at the end of your meal, learn how to make snack bites from dates or brownies from black beans.0 -
Sugar and carbs are wonderful. Don't give them up, just switch to things that don't trash your body.
And remember to eat enough carbs so that you don't crave such highly concentrated sweet things all the time. Fruit is your best friend, but it's best eaten in the morning on an empty stomach.
And don't do diet soda. Ever. Stay away from aspartame. That *kitten* will wreck you.
If you still really desire desserts at the end of your meal, learn how to make snack bites from dates or brownies from black beans.
Can you link me credible studies about aspartame?0 -
Sugar and carbs are wonderful. Don't give them up, just switch to things that don't trash your body.
And remember to eat enough carbs so that you don't crave such highly concentrated sweet things all the time. Fruit is your best friend, but it's best eaten in the morning on an empty stomach.
And don't do diet soda. Ever. Stay away from aspartame. That *kitten* will wreck you.
If you still really desire desserts at the end of your meal, learn how to make snack bites from dates or brownies from black beans.
A simple peptide will wreck someone? Someone should inform the military. Anthrax is weak sauce, time to use aspartame.
Seriously, you need this thread:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308408/why-aspartame-isnt-scary/p10 -
Wetcoaster wrote: »Sugar and carbs are wonderful. Don't give them up, just switch to things that don't trash your body.
And remember to eat enough carbs so that you don't crave such highly concentrated sweet things all the time. Fruit is your best friend, but it's best eaten in the morning on an empty stomach.
And don't do diet soda. Ever. Stay away from aspartame. That *kitten* will wreck you.
If you still really desire desserts at the end of your meal, learn how to make snack bites from dates or brownies from black beans.
Can you link me credible studies about aspartame?
Or the fruit in the morning on an empty stomach nonsense?0 -
No such thing as sugar addiction so you can't be addicted to it.
You can eat sugar and lose weight and get adequate nutrition.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »1. You are not addicted to sugar. You like sugar a lot.
2. You can eat whatever you like within your caloric goals and lose weights.
3. Retraining habits takes time and conscious effort but it's very achievable.
4. Calling liking sweets "addiction" demonstrates a severe lack of understanding what physiological addiction is.
Completely excluding the category of Behavioral Addiction demonstrates a severe lack of understanding of addiction.
I'm with you on # 3, however. Cognitive behavioral techniques is how I got my drinking and eating under control.
Behavioral addiction does not equal sugar addiction and this thread is not about behavioral addiction0 -
Sugar and carbs are wonderful. Don't give them up, just switch to things that don't trash your body.
And remember to eat enough carbs so that you don't crave such highly concentrated sweet things all the time. Fruit is your best friend, but it's best eaten in the morning on an empty stomach.
And don't do diet soda. Ever. Stay away from aspartame. That *kitten* will wreck you.
If you still really desire desserts at the end of your meal, learn how to make snack bites from dates or brownies from black beans.
I am sorry but this post is 100% inaccurate.0 -
Sugar and carbs are wonderful. Don't give them up, just switch to things that don't trash your body.
And remember to eat enough carbs so that you don't crave such highly concentrated sweet things all the time. Fruit is your best friend, but it's best eaten in the morning on an empty stomach.
And don't do diet soda. Ever. Stay away from aspartame. That *kitten* will wreck you.
If you still really desire desserts at the end of your meal, learn how to make snack bites from dates or brownies from black beans.
I am sorry but this post is 100% inaccurate.
I think you're being a bit harsh with the 100%. She DID say that sugar and carbs are wonderful, and that's 100% correct.0 -
Alatariel75 wrote: »Sugar and carbs are wonderful. Don't give them up, just switch to things that don't trash your body.
And remember to eat enough carbs so that you don't crave such highly concentrated sweet things all the time. Fruit is your best friend, but it's best eaten in the morning on an empty stomach.
And don't do diet soda. Ever. Stay away from aspartame. That *kitten* will wreck you.
If you still really desire desserts at the end of your meal, learn how to make snack bites from dates or brownies from black beans.
I am sorry but this post is 100% inaccurate.
I think you're being a bit harsh with the 100%. She DID say that sugar and carbs are wonderful, and that's 100% correct.
I stand corrected 99% incorrect0 -
meredithgir199 wrote: »Try a week without it. I LOVE sugar and am totally addicted; however, I prefer days without it because once I have something with sugar I continue to crave it and often over indulge on it. If I don't have it, I don't think about it
Wait...wha...???
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writerchick83 wrote: »I am motivated to eat healthier and have less calories. I am even walking my dog after work. My biggest problem is I'm addicted to sugar. I always drink a soda with my meals and as a child I always ate dinner to get dessert. I do that now. I wish there was an easy way to curb my sugar cravings. Is there spill out there, like they have for smokers?
Sugar addiction can be tough to beat. Even harder when some refuse to acknowledge the truth about sugar's effects on the brain. Rejecting sugar addiction is old hat; luckily there's been exciting research done that indicates that mammalian brains do become sugar-addicted. Thanks to technology advances that allow for techniques like brain imaging, we can now observe and analyze how sugar really affects the brain (similar to other illicit drugs). And as with any reward center in the brain, acclimation and resulting abnormal behaviors do occur w/r/t sugar. A reward process being natural does not prevent it from moving into the realm of addiction, as we are just now learning. Highly processed, sugar-laden foods do in fact change the brain and produce behaviors much in the same way as seen with traditional drugs. I just saw a presentation given at UoC about refined sugar affecting the fetal brain to such an extent that the person deals with the consequences for life. Refined, highly potent sugar does affect the brain's "addiction center" just as any other "drug". There's loads of research available, much more will be published over the next several years. Here's just a little bit of information from real experts:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/
http://news.mit.edu/2015/decoding-sugar-addiction-0129
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3139704/#S9title
http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2015/01/07/sugar-health-research
http://abc13.com/health/study-sugar-is-as-addictive-as-cocaine/533979/
http://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/experts-is-sugar-addictive-drug
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11733709
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3109725/
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727102024.htm
https://www.princeton.edu/pr/news/02/q2/0620-hoebel.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1313591?dopt=Abstract?access_num=1313591
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2714381/#__sec1title
I've yet to see a good argument against sugar addiction (that wasn't made by industry). So yes, OP, you are very likely addicted to sugar in some way, no matter what anyone here tells you. And it's hard, because hidden sugars under a variety of ingredient names are in just about everything. And overconsumption is killing us and destroying our bodies. What some folks don't understand is that there is a HUGE difference between the sugar that is found in nature and part of our natural diet (i.e. fruit sugar bound to fiber and nutrients) and the "steroid sugar" we've purified and made potent and coupled with other junk (e.g. donuts). Our brains can handle the sugar in an apple, they cannot handle the beefed up stuff in a donut.
By the way, drinking diet soda can make your cravings worse, so be careful with the synthetic sweeteners. They do NOT fully activate neural reward pathways the same way that sugar does, so your brain will still seek its " fix".0 -
Rejecting sugar addiction is old hat; luckily there's been exciting research done that indicates that mammalian brains do become sugar-addicted. And as with any reward center in the brain, acclimation and resulting abnormal behaviors do occur w/r/t sugar. A reward process being natural does not prevent it from moving into the realm of addiction, as we are just now learning. Highly processed, sugar-laden foods do in fact change the brain and produce behaviors much in the same way as seen with traditional drugs. I just saw a presentation given at UoC about refined sugar affecting the fetal brain to such an extent that the person deals with the consequences for life. Refined, highly potent sugar does affect the brain's "addiction center" just as any other "drug". There's loads of research available, much more will be published over the next several years. Here's just a little bit of information from real experts:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/
http://news.mit.edu/2015/decoding-sugar-addiction-0129
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3139704/#S9title
http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2015/01/07/sugar-health-research
http://abc13.com/health/study-sugar-is-as-addictive-as-cocaine/533979/
http://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/experts-is-sugar-addictive-drug
I've yet to see a good argument against sugar addiction (that wasn't made by industry). So yes, OP, you are very likely addicted to sugar in some way, no matter what anyone here tells you. And it's hard, because hidden sugars under a variety of ingredient names are in just about everything. And overconsumption is killing us and destroying our bodies.
By the way, drinking diet soda can make your cravings worse, so be careful with the synthetic sweeteners. They do NOT fully activate neural reward pathways the same way that sugar does, so your brain will still seek its " fix".
I disagree0 -
Wetcoaster wrote: »Rejecting sugar addiction is old hat; luckily there's been exciting research done that indicates that mammalian brains do become sugar-addicted. And as with any reward center in the brain, acclimation and resulting abnormal behaviors do occur w/r/t sugar. A reward process being natural does not prevent it from moving into the realm of addiction, as we are just now learning. Highly processed, sugar-laden foods do in fact change the brain and produce behaviors much in the same way as seen with traditional drugs. I just saw a presentation given at UoC about refined sugar affecting the fetal brain to such an extent that the person deals with the consequences for life. Refined, highly potent sugar does affect the brain's "addiction center" just as any other "drug". There's loads of research available, much more will be published over the next several years. Here's just a little bit of information from real experts:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/
http://news.mit.edu/2015/decoding-sugar-addiction-0129
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3139704/#S9title
http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2015/01/07/sugar-health-research
http://abc13.com/health/study-sugar-is-as-addictive-as-cocaine/533979/
http://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/experts-is-sugar-addictive-drug
I've yet to see a good argument against sugar addiction (that wasn't made by industry). So yes, OP, you are very likely addicted to sugar in some way, no matter what anyone here tells you. And it's hard, because hidden sugars under a variety of ingredient names are in just about everything. And overconsumption is killing us and destroying our bodies.
By the way, drinking diet soda can make your cravings worse, so be careful with the synthetic sweeteners. They do NOT fully activate neural reward pathways the same way that sugar does, so your brain will still seek its " fix".
I disagree
It's okay to be misinformed. Traditional viewpoints take a while to die, even when the research is solid.0 -
Sugar isn't your issue. Habitual behavior is. Changing your behavior will help with controlling HOW you eat. Create a new behavior in place of the other.writerchick83 wrote: »I am motivated to eat healthier and have less calories. I am even walking my dog after work. My biggest problem is I'm addicted to sugar. I always drink a soda with my meals and as a child I always ate dinner to get dessert. I do that now. I wish there was an easy way to curb my sugar cravings. Is there spill out there, like they have for smokers?
Personally, I don't believe sugar is a big issue IF you account for the calories and don't over consume.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Wetcoaster wrote: »Rejecting sugar addiction is old hat; luckily there's been exciting research done that indicates that mammalian brains do become sugar-addicted. And as with any reward center in the brain, acclimation and resulting abnormal behaviors do occur w/r/t sugar. A reward process being natural does not prevent it from moving into the realm of addiction, as we are just now learning. Highly processed, sugar-laden foods do in fact change the brain and produce behaviors much in the same way as seen with traditional drugs. I just saw a presentation given at UoC about refined sugar affecting the fetal brain to such an extent that the person deals with the consequences for life. Refined, highly potent sugar does affect the brain's "addiction center" just as any other "drug". There's loads of research available, much more will be published over the next several years. Here's just a little bit of information from real experts:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/
http://news.mit.edu/2015/decoding-sugar-addiction-0129
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3139704/#S9title
http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2015/01/07/sugar-health-research
http://abc13.com/health/study-sugar-is-as-addictive-as-cocaine/533979/
http://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/experts-is-sugar-addictive-drug
I've yet to see a good argument against sugar addiction (that wasn't made by industry). So yes, OP, you are very likely addicted to sugar in some way, no matter what anyone here tells you. And it's hard, because hidden sugars under a variety of ingredient names are in just about everything. And overconsumption is killing us and destroying our bodies.
By the way, drinking diet soda can make your cravings worse, so be careful with the synthetic sweeteners. They do NOT fully activate neural reward pathways the same way that sugar does, so your brain will still seek its " fix".
I disagree
It's okay to be misinformed. Traditional viewpoints take a while to die, even when the research is solid.
yes it is0 -
Wetcoaster wrote: »Rejecting sugar addiction is old hat; luckily there's been exciting research done that indicates that mammalian brains do become sugar-addicted. And as with any reward center in the brain, acclimation and resulting abnormal behaviors do occur w/r/t sugar. A reward process being natural does not prevent it from moving into the realm of addiction, as we are just now learning. Highly processed, sugar-laden foods do in fact change the brain and produce behaviors much in the same way as seen with traditional drugs. I just saw a presentation given at UoC about refined sugar affecting the fetal brain to such an extent that the person deals with the consequences for life. Refined, highly potent sugar does affect the brain's "addiction center" just as any other "drug". There's loads of research available, much more will be published over the next several years. Here's just a little bit of information from real experts:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/
http://news.mit.edu/2015/decoding-sugar-addiction-0129
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3139704/#S9title
http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2015/01/07/sugar-health-research
http://abc13.com/health/study-sugar-is-as-addictive-as-cocaine/533979/
http://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/experts-is-sugar-addictive-drug
I've yet to see a good argument against sugar addiction (that wasn't made by industry). So yes, OP, you are very likely addicted to sugar in some way, no matter what anyone here tells you. And it's hard, because hidden sugars under a variety of ingredient names are in just about everything. And overconsumption is killing us and destroying our bodies.
By the way, drinking diet soda can make your cravings worse, so be careful with the synthetic sweeteners. They do NOT fully activate neural reward pathways the same way that sugar does, so your brain will still seek its " fix".
I disagree
It's okay to be misinformed. Traditional viewpoints take a while to die, even when the research is solid.
so do uniformed opinions0 -
Wetcoaster wrote: »Wetcoaster wrote: »Rejecting sugar addiction is old hat; luckily there's been exciting research done that indicates that mammalian brains do become sugar-addicted. And as with any reward center in the brain, acclimation and resulting abnormal behaviors do occur w/r/t sugar. A reward process being natural does not prevent it from moving into the realm of addiction, as we are just now learning. Highly processed, sugar-laden foods do in fact change the brain and produce behaviors much in the same way as seen with traditional drugs. I just saw a presentation given at UoC about refined sugar affecting the fetal brain to such an extent that the person deals with the consequences for life. Refined, highly potent sugar does affect the brain's "addiction center" just as any other "drug". There's loads of research available, much more will be published over the next several years. Here's just a little bit of information from real experts:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/
http://news.mit.edu/2015/decoding-sugar-addiction-0129
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3139704/#S9title
http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2015/01/07/sugar-health-research
http://abc13.com/health/study-sugar-is-as-addictive-as-cocaine/533979/
http://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/experts-is-sugar-addictive-drug
I've yet to see a good argument against sugar addiction (that wasn't made by industry). So yes, OP, you are very likely addicted to sugar in some way, no matter what anyone here tells you. And it's hard, because hidden sugars under a variety of ingredient names are in just about everything. And overconsumption is killing us and destroying our bodies.
By the way, drinking diet soda can make your cravings worse, so be careful with the synthetic sweeteners. They do NOT fully activate neural reward pathways the same way that sugar does, so your brain will still seek its " fix".
I disagree
It's okay to be misinformed. Traditional viewpoints take a while to die, even when the research is solid.
so do uniformed opinions
When you have a solid, credible corpus to offer, rather than a few empty words, let me know. Otherwise, my very well informed post speaks for itself. Thank you.0 -
thorsmom01 wrote: »I dare you to walk up to a methadone clinic at 6 am in the morning and tell the people standing in line that you are addicted to sugar . see what stories they can tell you about addiction. They have a physical dependence on an opioid. Without it, they will become very ill. They will experience symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, shakes, cramping and so on. That is a physical dependence. They are addicted to an opioid. The withdraw they go through is much different then wanting to eat sugary snacks.
Quite a few studies suggest that people under methadone treatments often have a high incidence of much greater than normal sugar consumption. A number of programs that I'm aware of involve dietitians early in the drug treatment process since the tendency is to go to sugar and sweets over healthy food, which is a greater concern when many addicts are underweight when they start treatments.
I've met people that recovered from drug addictions on their own, yet can't stop smoking or get themselves to eat correctly. Just food for thought, as I know people that would laugh at the suggestion that heroin can't be beat without professional intervention, but they still struggle in other habits.writerchick83 wrote: »I am motivated to eat healthier and have less calories. I am even walking my dog after work. My biggest problem is I'm addicted to sugar. I always drink a soda with my meals and as a child I always ate dinner to get dessert. I do that now. I wish there was an easy way to curb my sugar cravings. Is there spill out there, like they have for smokers?
Sugar addiction can be tough to beat. Even harder when some refuse to acknowledge the truth about sugar's effects on the brain. Rejecting sugar addiction is old hat; luckily there's been exciting research done that indicates that mammalian brains do become sugar-addicted. Thanks to technology advances that allow for techniques like brain imaging, we can now observe and analyze how sugar really affects the brain (similar to other illicit drugs). And as with any reward center in the brain, acclimation and resulting abnormal behaviors do occur w/r/t sugar. A reward process being natural does not prevent it from moving into the realm of addiction, as we are just now learning. Highly processed, sugar-laden foods do in fact change the brain and produce behaviors much in the same way as seen with traditional drugs. I just saw a presentation given at UoC about refined sugar affecting the fetal brain to such an extent that the person deals with the consequences for life. Refined, highly potent sugar does affect the brain's "addiction center" just as any other "drug". There's loads of research available, much more will be published over the next several years. Here's just a little bit of information from real experts:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/
http://news.mit.edu/2015/decoding-sugar-addiction-0129
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3139704/#S9title
http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2015/01/07/sugar-health-research
http://abc13.com/health/study-sugar-is-as-addictive-as-cocaine/533979/
http://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/experts-is-sugar-addictive-drug
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11733709
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3109725/
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727102024.htm
https://www.princeton.edu/pr/news/02/q2/0620-hoebel.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1313591?dopt=Abstract?access_num=1313591
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2714381/#__sec1title
I've yet to see a good argument against sugar addiction (that wasn't made by industry). So yes, OP, you are very likely addicted to sugar in some way, no matter what anyone here tells you. And it's hard, because hidden sugars under a variety of ingredient names are in just about everything. And overconsumption is killing us and destroying our bodies. What some folks don't understand is that there is a HUGE difference between the sugar that is found in nature and part of our natural diet (i.e. fruit sugar bound to fiber and nutrients) and the "steroid sugar" we've purified and made potent and coupled with other junk (e.g. donuts). Our brains can handle the sugar in an apple, they cannot handle the beefed up stuff in a donut.
By the way, drinking diet soda can make your cravings worse, so be careful with the synthetic sweeteners. They do NOT fully activate neural reward pathways the same way that sugar does, so your brain will still seek its " fix".
Bookmarked for later reading. There does seem to be more and more evidence connecting dots and removing the gray area. Regardless of whether the medical community eventually considers sugar (or anything else food related) addictive in a physiological sense, it's already been accepted that food addiction is real in some people. And often those people struggle with specific foods.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLkp_Dx6VdI
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