How to battle sugar addiction
crystalham30
Posts: 1 Member
Curious if anyone has any suggestions on battling sugar addiction? I have tried several times i can do it for a few days but then I fall off the wagon and have a full out binge.
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Replies
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There is no battle because it's not an addiction.
And there's no reason to completely cut it out (unless you have a health issue like diabetes). How about eating LESS of it to start. I mean you're not eating teaspoons of sugar from a bin are you? It's likely foods that have it laced with added sugar. So eat less of them. If it's gummy bears, instead of a full serving, eat half and stop.
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Out of Sight out of Mind. For starters if it's in the house get rid of it.25
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This is what i did instead of using sugar in my tea i am using natural wild honey.
and instead of candy i am eating dates, prunes or other fruits and my sweet craving would stop9 -
It's still sugar. More nutrients involved with the fruits, but still it's laden with sugar. And honey is a concentrated form of sugar.tweety0429 wrote: »This is what i did instead of using sugar in my tea i am using natural wild honey.
and instead of candy i am eating dates, prunes or other fruits and my sweet craving would stop
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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tweety0429 wrote: »This is what i did instead of using sugar in my tea i am using natural wild honey.
and instead of candy i am eating dates, prunes or other fruits and my sweet craving would stop
Sugar = glucose + fructose for sweetness
Honey = glucose + fructose for sweetness. (yes, minimal amounts of other things... But still sugar)
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i have to be the biggest sugar junkie going and i knew i was going to find breaking the habit really hard , because it is a habit not an addiction. I think it came to the point when i was only going to lose the weight when i wanted weight loss more than the piece of cake in my hand. Cake won a few times basically through sheer laziness..i wanted the weight loss but didnt want to have to do anything about it. This time weight loss won. I've found it easier to quit the sugary junk because i actually WANT to be fit and healthy more than i want that cake.21
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Pandakins1969 wrote: »i have to be the biggest sugar junkie going and i knew i was going to find breaking the habit really hard , because it is a habit not an addiction. I think it came to the point when i was only going to lose the weight when i wanted weight loss more than the piece of cake in my hand. Cake won a few times basically through sheer laziness..i wanted the weight loss but didnt want to have to do anything about it. This time weight loss won. I've found it easier to quit the sugary junk because i actually WANT to be fit and healthy more than i want that cake.
The thing is, cake is more than sugar. It's got plenty of fat, and some protein. Other sources of carbs. Most things people eat when they say they're "addicted to sugar" are a mix of a variety of things...4 -
I can totally relate. Following to get some tips.5
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The thing is, cake is more than sugar. It's got plenty of fat, and some protein. Other sources of carbs. Most things people eat when they say they're "addicted to sugar" are a mix of a variety of things... [/quote]
oh trust me mine was more than cake i used that as an example. I would stuff myself on cake, sweets, biscuits, chocolate, loads of jam on toast...anything that tasted sweet. I'd go to the supermarket each evening when all of the bakery goods were reduced and buy pack after pack and eat most myself with a bag of sweets to help it along. Lunch was always some kind of pasty or pie from a Bakery but i wasnt happy until i'd had some sticky sweet iced donut or two after...even if i was full and mostly i was but i ate for the taste not for an empty belly.
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Pandakins1969 wrote: »The thing is, cake is more than sugar. It's got plenty of fat, and some protein. Other sources of carbs. Most things people eat when they say they're "addicted to sugar" are a mix of a variety of things...
oh trust me mine was more than cake i used that as an example. I would stuff myself on cake, sweets, biscuits, chocolate, loads of jam on toast...anything that tasted sweet. I'd go to the supermarket each evening when all of the bakery goods were reduced and buy pack after pack and eat most myself with a bag of sweets to help it along. Lunch was always some kind of pasty or pie from a Bakery but i wasnt happy until i'd had some sticky sweet iced donut or two after...even if i was full and mostly i was but i ate for the taste not for an empty belly.
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Everything you've described, with the exception of the bags of sweets, and jam on toast (if it was butterless) , has a lot of fat too...5 -
I think some people can do the portion control with sweets, but for me, I think I have to pretty much cut it out, unless it's a special occasion.6
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If you have a "bad" or "good" food mentality your problem is psychological and not physiological. You are not addicted to sugar, but you *may* have an eating disorder. Have you considered seeing a therapist to work through the psychological aspects etc?5
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One thing that made a HUGE difference in my sugar cravings is taking probiotics. For years, I thought about and craved sweets all day every day. Now, I rarely think about them. And when I do choose to eat something sweet (like cookies, ice cream, pie, etc.), I'm able to eat one serving and be completely satisfied.2
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There is no battle because it's not an addiction.
And there's no reason to completely cut it out (unless you have a health issue like diabetes). How about eating LESS of it to start. I mean you're not eating teaspoons of sugar from a bin are you? It's likely foods that have it laced with added sugar. So eat less of them. If it's gummy bears, instead of a full serving, eat half and stop.
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
Wrong. Anything can be an addiction if we are consuming it too often. Sugar is still part of our body's chemical energy process. If you are used to the high of having sugar everyday, you'll still feel like a big turd by restricting it the next day.
My best advice is to slow down how much of it you eat. Regardless where it's coming from. Dont go cold turkey. Just cut back. Maybe use a cup or bowl for portion control? Or predetermined amounts in bags is great.14 -
This topic comes up...........every..............single...........day. Some days multiple times.
If you can not moderate sweets, and include in your daily calorie budget, do what you have to so you are not tempted by it. The same with any food you can not control yourself from overeating. Sugar is not evil, no food is. Moderation, portion control and not eating over calorie allotment. To lose weight, eat less than your body burns. To maintain, eat @ what your body burns. Simple, but not easy.
It is really important for each of us to find what will work for us as individuals long term. Losing is a part of this, but knowing what it will take to maintain our weight loss long term is key to keeping the weight off. The failure rate for keeping the weight off for over 5 years is over 80%, so a very high percentage of us, need to find the answer that will help us keep the weight off, hopefully forever.7 -
As mentioned before, don't cut it out just eat less. I always look for things that no added sugar. I don't drink sugary drinks. I like to have sugar free popsicles, 30 calories. I also like to have greek yogurt with yummy flavors which are a nice treat but my less sugar. You could also try sugar free pudding or jello. I have learned it is much easier to stick to a diet if you have alternative treats then just cutting them out. I really enjoy the dannon light and fit peanut butter delight greek yogurt. it has a tiny bit of peanut butter crunchy things and dark chocolate pieces in it, so it feels like having a candy bar but better for you and less calories and a lot less sugar.2
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I think there are those that when it comes to 'sugar' it's all or nothing. Moderation just doesn't work. Several years ago I completely cut it out (as in added sugar).
I remember having a piece of banana several weeks into my new plan, it tasted like candy to me. Perhaps you'll get your sweet fix eventually from sweet potatoes, fruit, etc., as it did for me.
The craving for it was gone after several days.
Everyone is different - moderation or not. You'll have to discover what works best for you.
Good luck:)6 -
Sweets are my downfall also. I just love the taste of anything sweet. My daughter on the other hand hardly eats sweets at all. She doesn't like ther flavor. I think all people have different taste buds, and some of us like the sweet way to much lol. Anyway, I am giving up one thing at a time. I tried going cold turkey and I failed every time. So, first I gave up soda, and decided after one month of no soda I would add another item to get rid of. It's going to be candy bars next, along with the soda, and so on. I have found that since I gave up soda my sugar cravings have not been as bad. I also try my best to stay under 1500 calories a day. I just log everything and try to incorporate healthier choices. Good luck to you!3
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crystalham30 wrote: »Curious if anyone has any suggestions on battling sugar addiction? I have tried several times i can do it for a few days but then I fall off the wagon and have a full out binge.
First, avoid the discussion about whether it's an addiction, it doesn't matter and is a hot button on MFP. ;-)
Second, I think specifics matter -- presumably you feel out of control with sugar (sugary treats? sweets? particular sweets? -- it's worth being specific about this too). When do you tend to overeat them? Is it in a particular place, tempting situation, when stuff is happening (emotional eating), a habit? (bored at work go grab some candy?), a usual time of eating (while watching TV), what?
Related to this, do you have a structure in place for your eating in general or are you just eating as it strikes you but trying to eat less? (For most of us, that kind of thing just doesn't work, you need a plan or structure, such as that provided by MFP.)
Other things also help (related to the structure): eating a balanced diet with enough protein, maybe controlling eating times (what worked for me was not snacking except one after dinner dessert), getting enough sleep, having stress control options in place (like exercise), learning to separate hunger and a desire to eat for other reasons.
But the first thing to do is really to break it down and think about when you tend to overeat sugary things and what's going on.
I cut out added sugar for a while, but have found that for the most part I do better and have no issues if I let myself have a dessert in my day which is sometimes sugar related (I often have a serving of ice cream or some good chocolate after dinner), sometimes not (I also like good cheese), and sometimes a sugary thing I've never had an issue with (like fruit). Knowing I can have more tomorrow if I want tends to help me not overeat when I do eat something, because it's not my last chance to have something off limits.10 -
Those saying that its not an addiction are wrong. Its been shown in studies that sugar lights up our pleasure receptors in our brain the same way cocaine and other illicit drugs do. It causes a rush of serotonin and dopamine that makes us feel good. I can absolutely be an addiction.14
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Great comment about weight loss being simple but not easy. I'm not sure why it is so difficult to consistently eat less than your body burns. I want to get fit, be healthy and lose some weight. I've been at a set weight for the last many years and have not yet been successful in getting off even 10 pounds! While I am able to do well for periods of time, I then fall off the wagon especially in social situations or around holidays...and I mean any holiday:)0
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I have noticed that when I cut way back on sugar (candy, cakes, Ice Cream) after a week or so I dont really miss them. When I go through periods where I eat a lot of those things- I find I want more. So if that is not an addiction then I dont know what is. But what do I know?? You are going to get the "sugar is not bad" 100s of times in this thread. Some people can eat it in moderation others cannot. My advice to break your your non-existant "Addiction" is to not have it around the house. There really is no other way. If you know you over-eat something and cannot moderate - then you only choice it to not go near it. This is true of booze or cigarettes or gambling or drugs -- things that become addictions. So while people can argue positives and evils of sugar (and they will) - I would tell you to avoid. Its not like you are going to hurt yourself in any way by giving up foods with large amounts of sugar.12
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The key to stopping addiction is abstaining from it. NO ONE is going to completely abstain from sugar. Vegetables and fruits have sugar in them. Also, I have yet to see any clinic treating sugar "addiction". Unlike drugs or alcohol, you'll more than likely just see a dietician who helps one program a better EATING lifestyle with a "controlled" and "reduced" amount of sugar intake.robthephotog wrote: »There is no battle because it's not an addiction.
And there's no reason to completely cut it out (unless you have a health issue like diabetes). How about eating LESS of it to start. I mean you're not eating teaspoons of sugar from a bin are you? It's likely foods that have it laced with added sugar. So eat less of them. If it's gummy bears, instead of a full serving, eat half and stop.
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
Wrong. Anything can be an addiction if we are consuming it too often. Sugar is still part of our body's chemical energy process. If you are used to the high of having sugar everyday, you'll still feel like a big turd by restricting it the next day.
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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Lol, I like holding babies. And petting puppies. When I can't, I really would like too. It DOESN'T mean that it's an "addiction". It just means it's something you enjoy.I have noticed that when I cut way back on sugar (candy, cakes, Ice Cream) after a week or so I dont really miss them. When I go through periods where I eat a lot of those things- I find I want more. So if that is not an addiction then I dont know what is. But what do I know?? You are going to get the "sugar is not bad" 100s of times in this thread. Some people can eat it in moderation others cannot. My advice to break your your non-existant "Addiction" is to not have it around the house. There really is no other way. If you know you over-eat something and cannot moderate - then you only choice it to not go near it. This is true of booze or cigarettes or gambling or drugs -- things that become addictions. So while people can argue positives and evils of sugar (and they will) - I would tell you to avoid. Its not like you are going to hurt yourself in any way by giving up foods with large amounts of sugar.
Sugar tastes good. When one switches to an eating pattern where you don't get to eat anything sweet, you'll crave it just like you've crave anything else you haven't had for a long time. That doesn't equate to an addiction.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition 13 -
Personally, I need to go with the gradual approach. I used to voraciously crave and eat 2 candy bars on my second break at work. Then I started bringing a sugary yogurt for my second break instead. Now I have added more protein to my lunch so most days I am not even hungry during my second break. I don't think this would have worked without the mid-way point. I still struggle and I almost never reach my calorie goal for the day but it is a lot better than it was and I am ever-so-slowly losing weight. Good luck on your journey!
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I think some people can do the portion control with sweets, but for me, I think I have to pretty much cut it out, unless it's a special occasion.
And the likelihood of you failing actually increases when you severely restrict something. This whole thing is about learning how to moderate. Few people are good at it to begin with. When I read stories of successful people, meaning lost weight and maintained over a long period of time, one of the most common themes is that they learned how to moderate. Most had ups and downs, but kept on and learned. I also find that their diets are very very good, but it takes time. Good luck and I don't mean to single you and pick on you, just making a point.3 -
I think some people can do the portion control with sweets, but for me, I think I have to pretty much cut it out, unless it's a special occasion.
Yes, I'm the same. If I have one cookie or muffin, I'll have the whole batch. So much easier to just never start. Though, I have found ways to trick myself. A big dollop of Cool Whip on an iced coffee made with chocolate protein powder or a scoop of Halo Top are my go-to treats that are truly one and done.2 -
I have noticed that when I cut way back on sugar (candy, cakes, Ice Cream) after a week or so I dont really miss them. When I go through periods where I eat a lot of those things- I find I want more. So if that is not an addiction then I dont know what is. But what do I know?? You are going to get the "sugar is not bad" 100s of times in this thread. Some people can eat it in moderation others cannot. My advice to break your your non-existant "Addiction" is to not have it around the house. There really is no other way. If you know you over-eat something and cannot moderate - then you only choice it to not go near it. This is true of booze or cigarettes or gambling or drugs -- things that become addictions. So while people can argue positives and evils of sugar (and they will) - I would tell you to avoid. Its not like you are going to hurt yourself in any way by giving up foods with large amounts of sugar.
The bolded is nonsense. And further, comparing something that you absolutely have to have to exist (sugar) to alcohol, cigarettes and gambling is disingenuous at best.
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Eat more protein. I was eating way to much sugar until I upped my protein to 30% - now I find that I can still eat sugar but I can stop and/or pass it up a lot easier. I also discovered that I don't go rooting through the cupboards for sweets anymore which was a common practice for me before. It was an eye opener for me that I could stop the cravings without totally cutting or going low carb.
I also switched to a sugar/stevia blend for my morning coffee (all the taste, less sugar!) and cut out soda all together.4 -
If you either can't fit it into your calories or are unable to successfully moderate your intake, then just don't buy it. Then you only need self-control for half an hour at the supermarket - and most people should be able to manage at least that.3
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