Sugar addicts?

arsgomez

Hey everyone! I'm new to the app, I installed to track my food intake and exercise. I realise that my biggest problem is sugar cravings and sugary food consumption. Does anyone has the same problem? How do you deal with it?

mommy81

I have that problem. Whenever I try to cut out sugar, I get depressed

Balsamic12

It was just suggeseted to me to try upping protein...fish, nuts, turkey, pumpkin seeds, egg whites (see protein ideas-as in morning shakes). See if corelation / days not eating not enough protein, next day I find I am also craving more sugar...I'm smack dab in this now and seeing if upping protein helps. Very curious to know...because once I crash I am wanting that sugar!! It is awful to admit because I know this is not good for me! My friend also said it's a brain chemical link/ "feel good" seratonin protein hormone, (and I may be spelling it wrong), tryptophan? Anyone/? Do add comments...

Karmc2k

Arsgomez, I realize I have a problem with sugar as well, my husband even pointed it out, I can't just have one small sugary item....once I start I have to eat them all. The only way I deal with it is to try not to take that first bite. The longer I can stay away from the sugar the easier it gets to not give in to my cravings, I like Balsamic12's suggestion though, maybe more protein would help....keep me full longer so I don't give in to those quick overwhelming cravings. I hope you get more suggestions, I'd really like to not be such a slave to sugar.

senecarr

Balsamic12 wrote: »

It was just suggeseted to me to try upping protein...fish, nuts, turkey, pumpkin seeds, egg whites (see protein ideas-as in morning shakes). See if corelation / days not eating not enough protein, next day I find I am also craving more sugar...I'm smack dab in this now and seeing if upping protein helps. Very curious to know...because once I crash I am wanting that sugar!! It is awful to admit because I know this is not good for me! My friend also said it's a brain chemical link/ "feel good" seratonin protein hormone, (and I may be spelling it wrong), tryptophan? Anyone/? Do add comments...

Serotonin isn't a hormone, well technically when it is used in your intestines it is, but when it is involved in appetite, it is in your brain and therefore a neurotransmitter. Serotonin's precursor is the amino acid (not protein, amino acids are what make proteins) tryptophan. Carbohydrates do have seem to have a tendency to increase the availability of tryptophan, so there is some hypothesizing that the depressed may increase carbohydrates for this reason.

Of course, the biggest reason protein is going to reduce carbohydrates is the general satiety it has period, regardless of it is high in tryptophan.

OP, I find that one thing that helps with craving snacks / desserts / hyperpalabtle foods is knowing that my diet has no specific food restrictions, just calorie limits. I probably, even at my most active, can't eat cheesecake, pizza, cookies, chocolate, and chips, but I can probably fit a reasonable amount of anyone of them into my diet today, and the possibility for the other is there tomorrow, and the next day. I maybe restricting my calories, and I will never get to eat all the things at once, but that's fine - none of those foods are going to stop being made anytime soon, and I can always have one another day. And it will probably taste better that way as it is earned and savored rather than something that's wolfed down in a moment of massive consumption that comes from excessively restrictive cycles followed by times of the "the dam's broke, fill up on all the things."

lsmathteacher

I have 16months recovery from sugar addiction. In October 2014 my trainer realized I was addicted to sugar. 20-30% of my calories came from sugar even though most was from fruit it was still way to much. I had been eating healthier since Nov. 2013 though not perfect. Trainer put me through detox. The first couple weeks was hell as I went through withdrawal. For 30 days no bananas, milk, and only 1/2 c berries in my smoothie. He also gave me a 30 g of sugar natural and added. After detox I could have 1/2 a banana. They tasted much sweeter. He allowed dessert for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Then after no desserts. As he said he was not going to let me fail and my body still remembered liking sugar and I would relapse. He allowed me to increase daily sugar to increase to 40 g knowing what would happen. The scale stopped moving and I was ok keeping daily sugar low. My daily sugar is 25 g. When I detox from sugar I was finally able to get bellow 200 lbs. inflammation went down in my body. Cramps from PMS were less also I had energy to function the first day or two of my period. My trainer finally allowed me to have dessert may 2015 for my birthday. It had been 5 months of not having desserts. It was hard going that long. Working through feeling deprived at times. But still glad I trusted him and waited. told me my body might react so eat slowly and only do a few bites at first. I started at lunch I had a couple bites and then let it sit on my coffee table. I was able to leave the rest till after dinner. In the past that would not have been the case. And while I enjoyed the treat it did not give me the high/pleasure it used it. I could have taken of left the dessert. I can now have dessert all around me and have people eating it and it is not difficult to choose not to have any. My cravings are not as bad in general. And most of the time I crave protein more than carbs and sugar. I love the freedom I now have. Food does not have the power over me anymore. It was the hardest thing I have ever done but the best thing I have ever done.

Through my trainer we hav figured out the correct ratios of protein, fats and cabs. We found that my body needs lots of protein. We tried 40% carbs a couple times and my body reacted. My cravings increased and I was on an emotional roller coaster. So now I am 40% protein, and 30% carbs and fats.

Morglez

I have a HUGE sweet tooth. I have found what works for me, is eating "healthy sweets". Every day I make a smoothie. In fact, I just had one with spinach, fruit (frozen no sugar added), coconut greek yogurt, vanilla protein powder, and unsweetened cashew milk. In reality, it probably still had too much sugar than most people would eat (38g), but for me it does the job. If I don't consume healthier sweets, then I end up reaching for cake or candy bars. And since I have been having one of these smoothies a day, I am not even craving any of the bad sweets anymore.

I hope you find something that works for you!

crystalrose_tina

I have the same problem!! The only thing that works for me is not having any sweets in the house; But if you do..make sure its only a little amount so if you are unable to stop yourself, you end up not messing up too badly anyway. I will do just fine if I avoid the sweets altogether but once I have a bite..its over, and I can't stop until I've inhaled every last sweet in my vicinity.

srujana_kanneganti

I found consuming too many artificial sweeteners made my cravings a lot worse.

I just let myself have a bite or 2 of something sweet if I really, really want it.

hlc302

An occasional square of dark chocolate (organic 70 % or over cocoa content as some studies proved to be helpful ) helps me when I crave that sweet hit ! You will learn to like the slightly different taste it has : )

brianpperkins

Yet another thread of "sugar addiction" claims where people are only "addicted" to the tastiest, most convenient forms of sugar. Glucose is glucose, no matter the source. The same holds true for sucrose, lactose, fructose ... pick a sugar. Yes ... cookies, candies, and cakes are tasty and usually calorie dense making it easy to exceed one's caloric goals. No ... the sugar in them is not addictive.

Angelszophia

add me, addict here

laurenjennifer1987mfp

My sugar intake has improved since I started logging, mostly because I'm not ploughing huge bars of milk chocolate, but it's still higher than it probably should be. I've had some days where I still want to eat far too much chocolate, but I've been making do with a smaller portion, or some sweets instead.

The smaller portion of chocolate is actually satisfying, but only if I slow down enough to give the sugar rush time to kick in. I have recently discovered Aldi's Dark Chocolate Wafers though, which I quite like. They have that slightly bitter taste, but still plenty sweet enough to satisfy.

I'm not 100% sure why I dislike dark chocolate so much, probably because I've tried to use it to replace milk chocolate in the past and learned to resent it a little. I really enjoy a lot of bitter-tasting foods and vegetables!

vingogly

You might try Chocorite chocolate bars; I like them. For me, ice cream is a problem; I won't keep it in the freezer. If I want ice cream I'll go to an ice cream parlor and have a dish of quality product. And if I have a dish, I'll cut down somewhere else to make up for the calories.

snickerscharlie

lsmathteacher wrote: »

I have 16months recovery from sugar addiction. In October 2014 my trainer realized I was addicted to sugar. 20-30% of my calories came from sugar even though most was from fruit it was still way to much. I had been eating healthier since Nov. 2013 though not perfect. Trainer put me through detox. The first couple weeks was hell as I went through withdrawal. For 30 days no bananas, milk, and only 1/2 c berries in my smoothie. He also gave me a 30 g of sugar natural and added. After detox I could have 1/2 a banana. They tasted much sweeter. He allowed dessert for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Then after no desserts. As he said he was not going to let me fail and my body still remembered liking sugar and I would relapse. He allowed me to increase daily sugar to increase to 40 g knowing what would happen. The scale stopped moving and I was ok keeping daily sugar low. My daily sugar is 25 g. When I detox from sugar I was finally able to get bellow 200 lbs. inflammation went down in my body. Cramps from PMS were less also I had energy to function the first day or two of my period. My trainer finally allowed me to have dessert may 2015 for my birthday. It had been 5 months of not having desserts. It was hard going that long. Working through feeling deprived at times. But still glad I trusted him and waited. told me my body might react so eat slowly and only do a few bites at first. I started at lunch I had a couple bites and then let it sit on my coffee table. I was able to leave the rest till after dinner. In the past that would not have been the case. And while I enjoyed the treat it did not give me the high/pleasure it used it. I could have taken of left the dessert. I can now have dessert all around me and have people eating it and it is not difficult to choose not to have any. My cravings are not as bad in general. And most of the time I crave protein more than carbs and sugar. I love the freedom I now have. Food does not have the power over me anymore. It was the hardest thing I have ever done but the best thing I have ever done.

Through my trainer we hav figured out the correct ratios of protein, fats and cabs. We found that my body needs lots of protein. We tried 40% carbs a couple times and my body reacted. My cravings increased and I was on an emotional roller coaster. So now I am 40% protein, and 30% carbs and fats.

Sugar is not a toxin, therefore you had nothing to detox from.

lsmathteacher

I was addicted and I went through withdrawal thus did need to detox just like a drug addict. My body craved sugar. When I got off sugar my health improved. I had more energy and inflammation went down in my body and started losing body fat. Added Sugar is not good for your body. When I got off sugar is
So did not have to battle food. Food was not in control anymore I was. Do I still struggle and emotionally eat yes but not like before. Too much sugar cause so much problems in our bodies. They are learning it is not the fats that were body but sugar.

queenliz99

lsmathteacher wrote: »

I was addicted and I went through withdrawal thus did need to detox just like a drug addict. My body craved sugar. When I got off sugar my health improved. I had more energy and inflammation went down in my body and started losing body fat. Added Sugar is not good for your body. When I got off sugar is
So did not have to battle food. Food was not in control anymore I was. Do I still struggle and emotionally eat yes but not like before. Too much sugar cause so much problems in our bodies. They are learning it is not the fats that were body but sugar.

Inconceivable

senecarr

lsmathteacher wrote: »

I was addicted and I went through withdrawal thus did need to detox just like a drug addict. My body craved sugar. When I got off sugar my health improved. I had more energy and inflammation went down in my body and started losing body fat. Added Sugar is not good for your body. When I got off sugar is
So did not have to battle food. Food was not in control anymore I was. Do I still struggle and emotionally eat yes but not like before. Too much sugar cause so much problems in our bodies. They are learning it is not the fats that were body but sugar.

You can't withdraw from sugar as you can't remove all sugar from your body and live.

WinoGelato

lsmathteacher wrote: »

I was addicted and I went through withdrawal thus did need to detox just like a drug addict. My body craved sugar. When I got off sugar my health improved. I had more energy and inflammation went down in my body and started losing body fat. Added Sugar is not good for your body. When I got off sugar is
So did not have to battle food. Food was not in control anymore I was. Do I still struggle and emotionally eat yes but not like before. Too much sugar cause so much problems in our bodies. They are learning it is not the fats that were body but sugar.

Many people experience a similarly enlightening situation when they realize that there are no physically addictive properties in sugar itself, but that they have emotional connections to eating certain foods which can feel like an addiction but are really more behavioral than physiological. Understanding that the food itself is not addictive, means that the food doesn't have control, that the individual is. This is empowering for many people to learn that there is nothing inherently bad about sugar and that with some practice, they can learn to moderate the foods they enjoy.

Wheelhouse15

lsmathteacher wrote: »

I was addicted and I went through withdrawal thus did need to detox just like a drug addict. My body craved sugar. When I got off sugar my health improved. I had more energy and inflammation went down in my body and started losing body fat. Added Sugar is not good for your body. When I got off sugar is
So did not have to battle food. Food was not in control anymore I was. Do I still struggle and emotionally eat yes but not like before. Too much sugar cause so much problems in our bodies. They are learning it is not the fats that were body but sugar.

Is your trainer a real RD or even have a real science background? Sounds like they just read a bunch of biased books and internet sites. You probably lost weight due to lowering your calories and depleting your glycogen. Inflammation? That's another one of those modern day bugbears that have taken over from demonic possession for exorcists, in the form of trainers etc, to remove from your body. If you really have generalized inflammation, whatever that is, you should be seeing a doctor because that's likely to be a symptom of an underlying medical issue and not something that a simple trainer can deal with.

lsmathteacher

Yes my trainer has a nutrition background and I know I was addicted and I know the difference it has made in my life. I had been working with him for awhile and with other trainers before and weight was not dropping like after I detoxed and started watching my sugar intake. Also I was not craving food and sweets. Science is now showing how bad added sugar is for our bodies. For me getting watching my daily intake of sugar is better for me. Not saying you have to do what I did. Just saying this is what I did and how it helped me.

lsmathteacher

I decreased the amount of sugar in my body. 20-30% of calories were from sugar. I get my sugar mostly from veggies and a little fruit. Still have some added sugar in my bread. I don't count the sugar from veggies but otherwise keep it to 25-30 g of sugar. Plus I still have complex carbs which the body converts to sugar.

Wheelhouse15

lsmathteacher wrote: »

I decreased the amount of sugar in my body. 20-30% of calories were from sugar. I get my sugar mostly from veggies and a little fruit. Still have some added sugar in my bread. I don't count the sugar from veggies but otherwise keep it to 25-30 g of sugar. Plus I still have complex carbs which the body converts to sugar.

Yes, most of us have a decent understand what carbs are but now you say you just don't count sugar coming from a particular source, but the fact is that your body doesn't care one bit where the sugar is coming from. I'm hardly impressed by the "nutrition" background because that's way to generic and can be a simple few hours to get a cert or years to get a degree. Also, if you trainer isn't an RD he or she might be breaking your state law by prescribing a diet.

You can do what you like but you probably aren't addicted to anything. However, I wish you good luck going forward on your persuit of health and congratulate you on your current success. You seem to be doing many things right, just don't get mired down in the baseless, quasi-religious dogma of blaming one macro or the other because ALL macros have been considered bad and good at one time or another.

brianpperkins

lsmathteacher wrote: »

Yes my trainer has a nutrition background and I know I was addicted and I know the difference it has made in my life. I had been working with him for awhile and with other trainers before and weight was not dropping like after I detoxed and started watching my sugar intake. Also I was not craving food and sweets. Science is now showing how bad added sugar is for our bodies. For me getting watching my daily intake of sugar is better for me. Not saying you have to do what I did. Just saying this is what I did and how it helped me.

Science is not doing what you claim. If you are/were truly addicted to sugar, why isn't it sugar from all sources?

MaryB781

Some people are more sensitive to sugar. If this applies to you, the work of Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. might be helpful.

brianpperkins

MaryB781 wrote: »

Some people are more sensitive to sugar. If this applies to you, the work of Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. might be helpful.

A person selling books to cure addiction to a non-addictive substance ... interesting.

God_heals

Yall are all ganging up on her. That's not being supportive... our bodies process natural sugars and processed sugars differently. Yes sugar is sugar but they do not do the exact same thing in our bodies. Cocaine comes from a flower the flower itself is not addictive or harmful what makes it so is the man processing done to it. We do the same thing with sugar. We take raw sugar from a plant and process it and process it. It changes it and it can be addictive. Not everyone reacts the same way. Some may actually be physically addicted some just emotionally and some never become addicted. It's just like cigarettes. Most people are emotionally addicted and just go through mood swings and maybe put on some weight. The there are a small number that get physically ill when they try to stop smoking. If our bodies were all the exact same and did the exact same thing then we wouldn't have diseases that are different for everyone like most autoimmune diseases are.

Wheelhouse15

MaryB781 wrote: »

Some people are more sensitive to sugar. If this applies to you, the work of Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. might be helpful.

It seems that she got her PhD from here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Institute_&_University makes you wonder...

dubird

God_heals wrote: »

Yall are all ganging up on her. That's not being supportive... our bodies process natural sugars and processed sugars differently. Yes sugar is sugar but they do not do the exact same thing in our bodies. Cocaine comes from a flower the flower itself is not addictive or harmful what makes it so is the man processing done to it. We do the same thing with sugar. We take raw sugar from a plant and process it and process it. It changes it and it can be addictive. Not everyone reacts the same way. Some may actually be physically addicted some just emotionally and some never become addicted. It's just like cigarettes. Most people are emotionally addicted and just go through mood swings and maybe put on some weight. The there are a small number that get physically ill when they try to stop smoking. If our bodies were all the exact same and did the exact same thing then we wouldn't have diseases that are different for everyone like most autoimmune diseases are.

This topic has been hashed over many times on these forums. Sugar is not a physically addictive substance. Saying it is always feels like dismissal of people trying to quit smoking or drinking or doing drugs.

However, I also notice that OP didn't say they were addicted to sugar, just that they have trouble overcoming sweet cravings.

@arsgomez If you're having trouble eating some things in moderation, you may be better off cutting them out. Find your trigger foods and don't allow them in the house. Period. Yes, you'll crave them, but one method that worked for me is to find a hobby of some kind that requires my hands and brain. I habit snack. If I'm hyperfocused on something and start munching, I will finish a full bag before I even realize it! So for me, I don't keep food in my office. I also find something to do to distract myself. It's usually arts of some kind, but it can be anything that engages your brain and hands. Next time you crave something sweet that you know you'll want to just keep eating, do that hobby. Give it an hour. If you're still hungry after that, then go down to the gas station and grab a small/single serving bag of whatever it is, and log it into your day. That way, you still get the treat, but since you only have a set amount, that's all you'll eat. Does that make sense?

God_heals

I didn't say it always feels trying to quit smoking or doing drugs. I eat way too much sugar but I know I'm not addicted and I know my cravings are really craving for nutrition. But I'm now going to tell someone that it's completely inconceivable that they were addicted to sugar. Like I said everyone's body is different and instead of everyone beating her down everyone could be telling her how great she's doing.

sdbernier

I have huge craving for sweets as well. I gave it up for Lent to help a friend out who is trying to give up candy and it was so hard at first. Now, I just realized I haven't had any candy, cookies or overly sweet stuff for about 5 days and didn't even realize it! If I'm craving something sweet, I'll make a hot cup of peppermint tea and I find by the time I'm finished, my cravings are gone.