Going 'cold turkey' to beat sugar addiction.
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jumanajane
Posts: 438 Member
I have a friend who is 3 weeks into going cold turkey from 30 years of sugar addiction. She tried cutting back and using sweeteners before going cold turkey but had crazy cravings and binge eating.
Sadly she wants to quit now as she feel so miserable. Has been very irritable, moody, tired and not too nice to be around. Is also not sleeping very well. She used to exercise a lot but had stopped and has just started going to spinning classes this week again. This has resulted in 3lb gain. I did warn her it may result in some fluid retention. She only has 3kg she wants to lose but has struggled and struggled to do it. She had been 2 down before this week.
Those of you who have been in this position.......do you have any advice, encouragement, solutions, hacks etc that I can send her to persuade her she is winning?? In my thinking if she can just stick with it another week or so she should start feeling much better! She doesnt have a lot of support from the people around her and has done really well to get this far but today is a very black day for her(TOM due too) and she wants to quit.
I'm lucky enough not to have been a sugar addict so while I can support and encourage I cant give personal experience advice.
Also she says her tongue is really sore since she has got into ketosis. Anyone else have this or got any explanation/solution??
Thanks so much!
Sadly she wants to quit now as she feel so miserable. Has been very irritable, moody, tired and not too nice to be around. Is also not sleeping very well. She used to exercise a lot but had stopped and has just started going to spinning classes this week again. This has resulted in 3lb gain. I did warn her it may result in some fluid retention. She only has 3kg she wants to lose but has struggled and struggled to do it. She had been 2 down before this week.
Those of you who have been in this position.......do you have any advice, encouragement, solutions, hacks etc that I can send her to persuade her she is winning?? In my thinking if she can just stick with it another week or so she should start feeling much better! She doesnt have a lot of support from the people around her and has done really well to get this far but today is a very black day for her(TOM due too) and she wants to quit.
I'm lucky enough not to have been a sugar addict so while I can support and encourage I cant give personal experience advice.
Also she says her tongue is really sore since she has got into ketosis. Anyone else have this or got any explanation/solution??
Thanks so much!
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Replies
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Eat fat. Fat and salt. It will help to squash, rather than satisfy, that nasty sugar craving.
My intense cravings for sugar lasted about a week after cutting out ALL artificial sweeteners (they affect my blood sugar and make me want to eat the house). I've since added in some very limited quantities of artificial sweeteners, and feel much better. My "limited quantities" are an occasional sugar free candy or a bit of sugar free sweetener in my starbucks as a treat.
It's horrible, and she just needs to stick with it. I recommend things like kale chips (super easy to make), extra salty, super crispy bacon, and good cheese. She'll get through this soon.2 -
Also - if she's on MFP, please push her my direction if she needs an extra friend. I've been right where she's at a few times and it's really awful. I'm happy to be supportive if possible.1
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Lots of people don't feel well in the beginning because of low electrolytes. She probably needs salt and magnesium supplementation. A little extra potassium is a good idea too.
Then ask her what her advice would be to a struggling alcoholic or drug addict or a smoker... Would she encourage them to see it through and treat their withdrawal symptoms as best they could or tell them it's too hard to quit so it's ok if they don't? That way of thinking may be enough of a boost to help push through a little more. But, if the electrolytes don't get fixed, she isn't going to ever feel well and is likely to lead to failure.1 -
I forget what it is, but there is a supplement, maybe glutamine?, that is supposed to help taper the withdrawals from alcohol and/or sugar withdrawals... Maybe time for some research?2
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I think cold turkey is extreme but that was the only thing that worked for me to totally stop using sugar or any form of grains. The 1st two weeks back in Oct 2014 was hellish but the cravings still have not returned so I have been able to stay in nutritional ketosis and maintain at 200 on about 2500 calories daily today. Some of us do not give up carbs without a fight.
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Going cold turkey is definitely the roughest way, but it is also the fastest way to break the habit.
Unfortunately, the mind is a sick-twisted addict. And, it gets desperate right before it finally gives up. It is a sign that she's close to breaking it. Once you get past this hump, it should get a lot easier.3 -
Panda_Poptarts wrote: »Eat fat. Fat and salt. It will help to squash, rather than satisfy, that nasty sugar craving.
My intense cravings for sugar lasted about a week after cutting out ALL artificial sweeteners (they affect my blood sugar and make me want to eat the house). I've since added in some very limited quantities of artificial sweeteners, and feel much better. My "limited quantities" are an occasional sugar free candy or a bit of sugar free sweetener in my starbucks as a treat.
It's horrible, and she just needs to stick with it. I recommend things like kale chips (super easy to make), extra salty, super crispy bacon, and good cheese. She'll get through this soon.
lasted about a week for me to after cutting out all artificial sweeteners , but eating fat did the trick .... occasionally i have an urge to eat something sweet / carby only when some one really brings it close to my nose.../face just to annoy me....0
