Sugar addicts?

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13

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  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
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    OMG I love sugar!!! This has been the hardest thing ever. I didn't even realize it until I started tracking my calories. So what are you guys eating in place of these amazingly delicious foods?

    Mostly, what I've done is take the time to measure out a portion when I want to eat something. However, if you're just starting out, it might be more helpful to banish all trigger foods from your house for now. Period. No one else is allowed to have them in the house either. Understand if you can't control all the food, like if you're rooming with someone, but if you can, do so. Then, if you desperately want said food, use cookies as an example, they're not readily available. Do something to distract your mind for a bit, and if you still want the cookie after an hour, go to the gas station and get A SINGLE cookie (or single serve package) and take it home to eat. You still get the cookie, but you're not going to have a big bag sitting there waiting to be eaten. Try that see if it helps. ^_^
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
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    OMG I love sugar!!! Says my brain who loves SUGAR no matter where he gets it from! I personally enjoy the taste of Oreos. I also believe that most of you are describing sugar incorrectly. I also realize that when I see an Oreo Dopamine is released in my brain and my brain wants that form of sugar right then and there however I am in control of my body and my emotions and can have the will power and self discipline not to have that Oreo or if I do have one I will only have ONE not an entire row. lol Also these so called trainers that some of you are seeing is a scam did you know you can become a certified trainer and nutritionist in a little over a week and that's because it takes a few days to mail your certs to you. Also remember if your personal trainer got his or her cert online that you can Google the answers............. scary stuff when you think about it. Most people trust their trainer and trust that he or she wont hurt or steer them in the wrong direction when most of them cant even do a proper deadlift or even tell you the entire mechanics of a deadlift. Next time you see your trainer ask him or her what a calorie is then ask what is energy and how does my body produce energy. I bet he wont know.

    Savoury foods are amazing as well. It's just about balance.
  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
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    Honestly, reading everyone here who has trouble with sugar, I don't believe its only an emotional thing. It seems real enough that so many people's experience is that they craved sugary foods and if they cold turkey stopped eating processed sugar they were able to keep to their food limits much easier. Some people even felt better too!

    So nay sayers nay, but people, if it works for you don't fix it just because science ( and some MFP ers ) say other wise! Stick with your plan! The results are proof enough.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    cloudi2 wrote: »
    Honestly, reading everyone here who has trouble with sugar, I don't believe its only an emotional thing. It seems real enough that so many people's experience is that they craved sugary foods and if they cold turkey stopped eating processed sugar they were able to keep to their food limits much easier. Some people even felt better too!

    So nay sayers nay, but people, if it works for you don't fix it just because science ( and some MFP ers ) say other wise! Stick with your plan! The results are proof enough.

    the-good-thing-about-science-is-that-its-true-whether-or-not-you-beleive-in-it-neil-degrasse-tyson.jpg
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    cloudi2 wrote: »
    Honestly, reading everyone here who has trouble with sugar, I don't believe its only an emotional thing. It seems real enough that so many people's experience is that they craved sugary foods and if they cold turkey stopped eating processed sugar they were able to keep to their food limits much easier. Some people even felt better too!

    So nay sayers nay, but people, if it works for you don't fix it just because science ( and some MFP ers ) say other wise! Stick with your plan! The results are proof enough.

    Don't fix something because science says otherwise? Don't let pesky things like fact get in the way. Wow.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Sarahb29 wrote: »
    arsgomez wrote: »
    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?

    I re-watched supersize me over the weekend and he talked about having massive cravings after eating all the Mc Donalds, so yeah sugar/carb cravings are real and a big deal for any naysayers out there.

    There's not much sugar in the usual McD's order and tons of fat. Maybe he was craving fat? Oh, right, it's 2016 so everything has to be about sugar/carbs.

    Truth is that people crave things they find tasty and are in the habit of eating. People "craving" a cookie don't want just any cookie and they certainly don't think a spoonful of sugar would be an adequate substitute (and most sweet things people crave have tons of fat too).
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    I have an issue with sugar and have cut out processed foods and sweets. This helps. I also have increased my fat intake which makes me feel more satisfied. Best of luck to you as you try to get this issue in check.

    How do you define processed foods. Most people who claim to have cut out all processed foods have not.

    Also, care to tell me why processed foods like smoked salmon and cottage cheese are bad for me and should be cut out?
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    OMG I love sugar!!! Says my brain who loves SUGAR no matter where he gets it from! I personally enjoy the taste of Oreos. I also believe that most of you are describing sugar incorrectly. I also realize that when I see an Oreo Dopamine is released in my brain and my brain wants that form of sugar right then and there however I am in control of my body and my emotions and can have the will power and self discipline not to have that Oreo or if I do have one I will only have ONE not an entire row. lol Also these so called trainers that some of you are seeing is a scam did you know you can become a certified trainer and nutritionist in a little over a week and that's because it takes a few days to mail your certs to you. Also remember if your personal trainer got his or her cert online that you can Google the answers............. scary stuff when you think about it. Most people trust their trainer and trust that he or she wont hurt or steer them in the wrong direction when most of them cant even do a proper deadlift or even tell you the entire mechanics of a deadlift. Next time you see your trainer ask him or her what a calorie is then ask what is energy and how does my body produce energy. I bet he wont know.

    Savoury foods are amazing as well. It's just about balance.

    Agree -- I find the idea that sugary foods are somehow harder to resist to be odd, personally.

    Anyway, to the OP, what worked for me was not snacking. If I eat only at mealtimes I tend to want a balanced meal, not sweet stuff. If I want a little something sweet after a balanced meal I am not going to overdo it, and I measure out a proper amount.

    I do find that having a diet that is satisfying in general helps, and for me that means enough protein, lots of vegetables, healthy fats, stuff like that.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
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    I have an issue with sugar and have cut out processed foods and sweets. This helps. I also have increased my fat intake which makes me feel more satisfied. Best of luck to you as you try to get this issue in check.

    Technically, if I pick a strawberry in my garden, stem it, and throw it in the freezer, I have processed it. So to avoid semantic debates on MPF, instead of saying "processed foods" I say "ultra processed foods" and link to the Brazilian definition.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    edited February 2016
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    arsgomez wrote: »
    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?

    @arsgomez I had the same problem but it went away in about a month after I got off of most all sugars and all grains Oct 2014 at the age of 63. I am still off both but the 3-4 times I have eaten things like deserts the craving came back fast and HARD. As long as I keep daily carbs <50 grams, protein <70 grams and get 80% of my calories from fats I do fine craving and weight wise. Blood markers are now awesome and 40 years of IBS is still gone. Mental clarity/energy level is better too.

    Best of success.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
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    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    OMG I love sugar!!! Says my brain who loves SUGAR no matter where he gets it from! I personally enjoy the taste of Oreos. I also believe that most of you are describing sugar incorrectly. I also realize that when I see an Oreo Dopamine is released in my brain and my brain wants that form of sugar right then and there however I am in control of my body and my emotions and can have the will power and self discipline not to have that Oreo or if I do have one I will only have ONE not an entire row. lol Also these so called trainers that some of you are seeing is a scam did you know you can become a certified trainer and nutritionist in a little over a week and that's because it takes a few days to mail your certs to you. Also remember if your personal trainer got his or her cert online that you can Google the answers............. scary stuff when you think about it. Most people trust their trainer and trust that he or she wont hurt or steer them in the wrong direction when most of them cant even do a proper deadlift or even tell you the entire mechanics of a deadlift. Next time you see your trainer ask him or her what a calorie is then ask what is energy and how does my body produce energy. I bet he wont know.

    Savoury foods are amazing as well. It's just about balance.

    Agree -- I find the idea that sugary foods are somehow harder to resist to be odd, personally.

    Anyway, to the OP, what worked for me was not snacking. If I eat only at mealtimes I tend to want a balanced meal, not sweet stuff. If I want a little something sweet after a balanced meal I am not going to overdo it, and I measure out a proper amount.

    I do find that having a diet that is satisfying in general helps, and for me that means enough protein, lots of vegetables, healthy fats, stuff like that.

    Agree as well. I don't crave sweets. A couple years working in the bakery department of a restaurant got rid of ANY sweet cravings I had! Not that I craved that much to begin with. My craving is for salt. While there are sweet things I love and don't buy frequently because I will eat too much of them (Easter is the worst, damn Cadbury Eggs!), when I'm having a 'craving', it's for something salty, like chips.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
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    arsgomez wrote: »
    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?

    When I do the following, I don't have cravings or problems with overconsumption of sweets:

    1. Get sufficient sleep
    2. Exercise regularly - when I get the happy hormones from exercise, I'm not prone to seeking them from food.
    3. Get sufficient protein in relationship to carbs. I'm not low carb, but reducing carbs and upping protein worked for cravings for me.
    4. Eat moderate amounts of fruit
    5. Take a magnesium supplement. This can be especially helpful for women premenstrually.
    6. Save foods like chocolate for after dinner, in small amounts
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
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    dubird wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    OMG I love sugar!!! Says my brain who loves SUGAR no matter where he gets it from! I personally enjoy the taste of Oreos. I also believe that most of you are describing sugar incorrectly. I also realize that when I see an Oreo Dopamine is released in my brain and my brain wants that form of sugar right then and there however I am in control of my body and my emotions and can have the will power and self discipline not to have that Oreo or if I do have one I will only have ONE not an entire row. lol Also these so called trainers that some of you are seeing is a scam did you know you can become a certified trainer and nutritionist in a little over a week and that's because it takes a few days to mail your certs to you. Also remember if your personal trainer got his or her cert online that you can Google the answers............. scary stuff when you think about it. Most people trust their trainer and trust that he or she wont hurt or steer them in the wrong direction when most of them cant even do a proper deadlift or even tell you the entire mechanics of a deadlift. Next time you see your trainer ask him or her what a calorie is then ask what is energy and how does my body produce energy. I bet he wont know.

    Savoury foods are amazing as well. It's just about balance.

    Agree -- I find the idea that sugary foods are somehow harder to resist to be odd, personally.

    Anyway, to the OP, what worked for me was not snacking. If I eat only at mealtimes I tend to want a balanced meal, not sweet stuff. If I want a little something sweet after a balanced meal I am not going to overdo it, and I measure out a proper amount.

    I do find that having a diet that is satisfying in general helps, and for me that means enough protein, lots of vegetables, healthy fats, stuff like that.

    Agree as well. I don't crave sweets. A couple years working in the bakery department of a restaurant got rid of ANY sweet cravings I had! Not that I craved that much to begin with. My craving is for salt. While there are sweet things I love and don't buy frequently because I will eat too much of them (Easter is the worst, damn Cadbury Eggs!), when I'm having a 'craving', it's for something salty, like chips.

    Probably the best way to get rid of a food craving is to work with that food. Anyone here that ever worked for McDonald's and still want a Big Mac?
  • Floridaman789
    Floridaman789 Posts: 109 Member
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    Mcdonalds puts sugar in everything the fries the buns the meat do your research. Sugar can be addictive do the research
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    Mcdonalds puts sugar in everything the fries the buns the meat do your research. Sugar can be addictive do the research

    If you've done the research you'd know that sugar is not addictive.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited February 2016
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    Mcdonalds puts sugar in everything the fries the buns the meat do your research. Sugar can be addictive do the research

    No they don't. There's a little sugar in the buns like most commercial bread in the US. There's sugar in ketchup. The fries have 0 grams of sugar.

    Bigger point -- no one eats McD's burgers and fries because of sugar. What people find tasty about them is the salt and fat (and overall package, but I would bet those play the biggest role). I don't care for McD's, but I do love a good burger and fries, and those are not sweet foods. I don't like ketchup anyway, but the idea that anyone overeats those foods because of the sugar in the ketchup or the bun or, I dunno, the pickles having a little sugar, or all that sugar in the onion is bizarre.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    edited February 2016
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    Sugar/carbs is not an issue for everyone or even most people. To get my HDL levels really high and my triglycerides much lower I had to really cut my carbs down. 30 days after I went off of sugars and grains my joint and muscle pain dropped from a subjective level of 7-8 for the prior 40 years down to 2-3 and have stayed there since Nov 2014. It took about six months for my 40 years of life defining IBS to totally clear up. A huge motivating factor for me was I did not have to start on Enbrel injections for pain management since my health was failing fast.

    For those who can eat sugar just fine then cases like mine to not apply to you. I still like ice cream, etc but just a little can let me know it is still wrong for my health. It is not so much the pain shoots up but signs of IBS start to reappear. While I have lost 50 pounds and can now get in and out of cars unaided I think the fear of IBS coming back is the main reason to stick with my new Way Of Eating that for 1.5 years has worked so well for my recovering health.
  • cgvet37
    cgvet37 Posts: 1,189 Member
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    I used to drink Mountain Dew. Not a lot, but at least a can a day. I started making fruit smoothies. It's a simple recipe. 3/4 cup of orange or apple juice, 1 cup frozen fruit, and 6 tablespoons of regular yogart. It has sugar, but it's natural. You might give it a try.
  • JustSomeEm
    JustSomeEm Posts: 20,222 MFP Moderator
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    arsgomez wrote: »
    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?

    OP did not ask for a debate on the merits of sugar addiction, nor was this discussion posted in the Nutrition Debate section. OP has requested assistance and guidance in dealing with sugar cravings. Lets not get hung up on vernacular.

    A link to our community guidelines, in case anyone needs it: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/welcome/guidelines

    Please, stay on topic here.

    Happy Leap Year Monday,
    JustSomeEm