Breaking the Sugar Addiction
Replies
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@cwolfman13, respect, h.3
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fitness_krista wrote: »And I made it a whole 2 days so far without sugar. I have a headache which I believe is a sign of withdrawal since I never get headaches normally. Yesterday I avoided homemade cookies. Today I avoided chips and more cookies. That’s probably 1500 calories that I would have normally eaten of non nutritional food.
Very much doubt you actually went two days without sugar, but a private diary means only you know if you are tracking sugar and if it actually registered as zero.
Well done on tackling your overeating though.6 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »fitness_krista wrote: »I’m looking at real food vs junk food. If it’s not considered good for you then why eat it? And sugar is a true addiction. Sure I made it thru day one but it is hard resisting temptation.
I'm going to try to frame this in a way that doesn't get me a warning...but this is something that always irks me...and I usually try to just keep my mouth shut, but sometimes I can't. I have no issue at all with someone wanting to challenge themselves to consume less sugar, particularly in the form of what is typically defined as "junk" food...hey, have at it...I've taken on a variety of challenges over these past 7 years in my quest for health and wellness. I do however take issue with sugar being a legitimate addiction.
Keep in mind that I'm coming at this as an alcoholic in recovery, and my recovery is very much still in it's infancy having only started in July of this year. I've had more bad days than good, but the more I buy into the program and engage in the program, the more things are turning around and the more good days and weeks I have and I hope for better days ahead. Also keep in mind that I'm not what people stereo-typically think of as an alcoholic...I own a home...I have a good home life...I have a beautiful wife and two beautiful boys...I have a great job and great career...I drive a really nice car...I eat a very nutritious diet and exercise regularly...never missed work because of my drinking...but I've also been known to down close to a fifth of vodka in an evening and a 1/2 gallon over a Friday and Saturday. Before I started on my path to recovery, I couldn't tell you when my last dry day was...years ago I'm sure.
Nightly blackouts were regular occurrences and most mornings I would try to piece together the fragments of what I did remember the night before...what did we eat for dinner...what did we watch on t.v.? My wife knew I was a heavy drinker and often spoke to me about it...but even though she knew, I still hid pints of vodka in the bushes near the patio outside...in my bedside table...in my closet, etc.
As an alcoholic, I have my preferences...but in reality, in the absence of my preferences, anything will do. My wife likes a gin and tonic from time to time...I personally can't stand the stuff taste wise...but there have been numerous occasions over the years when I've been out of anything I preferred and turned to the gin...and not with tonic and lime...straight out of the shot glass. Nasty stuff, but I got my fix and my high. Similarly, I would think that if sugar is a true addiction, any form would do...a handful of grapes...or hell, a whole bag of grapes would alleviate cravings I would think.
I have known deep down for a very long time that I had a drinking problem, but I always felt it was more of just a habit or wasn't really that bad...I wasn't living under a bridge after all...I was eating well, exercising, getting to work, etc. Late July was my "awakening" if you will. We had another couple over to cookout and swim...I did a bit of pre-partying, which wasn't unusual, but it was apparently more than usual. I only have a vague recollection or our friends arriving that night and nothing else. I don't remember burning the burgers and my wife having to order pizza...I don't remember anything from that night, not even my friends leaving. The only thing I really remember from that night is not remembering anything.
Last night I left work and attended my eldest boy's archery meet...afterwards we all went home and for whatever reason I started having bad cravings for alcohol. It was rather late...around 8 PM and I talked to my wife and she wondered if it was late enough that I could just push it aside and go to bed...I told her I needed to get to a meeting ASAP and went. That is how the day to day is for an addict, at least for right now. I have a pamphlet I keep in my satchel with every meeting for everyday anywhere around the metro area.
I have no doubts about things like BED and comforting eating and things like that...and there are avenues for help for those things. I just really don't buy into sugar as a lone substance being addictive.
This was such an eye-opener. Thanks for sharing what must be very painful to help others. People use the word "addiction" where it doesn't apply. I wish you success and tranquillity, and the strength to keep going. Very best.14 -
kshama2001 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »maureenkhilde wrote: »Well the hole (intended) issue with the donut theory is a bit off. I am betting the majority of people who visit Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Kreme do not get just one donut. Yes I agree one is 190 calories, but many go for the chocolate covered so that shoots to 240 per donut. But I digress people say they are addicted to sugar, when what they really seem to eat lots of cookies, cake, donuts, candy bars, beverages and so on. Most of what I just listed yes have sugar, but also are loaded with fat, little protein.
If someone decides to do a challenge I say great go for it. But then what? The 30 days are up, do you go back to your old ways? Stay with new way? Or maybe learn to moderate the intake of less healthy food items, but so tasty.
Really?
I know I am only one person - but Ive never eaten more than one donut (admittedly my one is usually the custard and chocolate filled one at 300ish per donut.)
but I didnt think that was the minority way of doing it.
Not hard to fit into a moderate calorie allowance as a treat once a week or so.
Boston Cream? Ya, that's what I go for on the rare occasion (maybe once per quarter) when I have a donut.
They are just called Choc Iced Custard here (Australia) - could be same thing re-badged for a different country.
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Self control. Most of us use it every day. If you can avoid certain foods for the rest of your life, that’s great. But, practicing self control, and moderation of all foods, can go a long way towards achieving, and maintaining our goals.4
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fitness_krista wrote: »And I made it a whole 2 days so far without sugar. I have a headache which I believe is a sign of withdrawal since I never get headaches normally. Yesterday I avoided homemade cookies. Today I avoided chips and more cookies. That’s probably 1500 calories that I would have normally eaten of non nutritional food.
If you are eating intrinsic sugar (in fruits and veg and dairy, among other foods) and starches (in whole grains, potatoes, as well as other such foods), your body is getting sugar. Withdrawal wouldn't be the right term anyway, as your body runs on sugar (sometimes people who go very low carb get symptoms related to adjusting to that, but it's not withdrawal), but in the presence of sugar it's not withdrawal and cutting added sugar in the context of a normal healthy diet does not remove sugar.
The headache is likely unrelated or a psychological thing.
If you cut 1500 cals, how many cals did you have left -- are you eating too little? That could cause a headache. So could many, many things, including lack of sleep, weather, cutting caffeine, as Ann mentioned, and many unidentified things.13 -
fitness_krista wrote: »And I made it a whole 2 days so far without sugar. I have a headache which I believe is a sign of withdrawal since I never get headaches normally. Yesterday I avoided homemade cookies. Today I avoided chips and more cookies. That’s probably 1500 calories that I would have normally eaten of non nutritional food.
If you are eating intrinsic sugar (in fruits and veg and dairy, among other foods) and starches (in whole grains, potatoes, as well as other such foods), your body is getting sugar. Withdrawal wouldn't be the right term anyway, as your body runs on sugar (sometimes people who go very low carb get symptoms related to adjusting to that, but it's not withdrawal), but in the presence of sugar it's not withdrawal and cutting added sugar in the context of a normal healthy diet does not remove sugar.
The headache is likely unrelated or a psychological thing.
If you cut 1500 cals, how many cals did you have left -- are you eating too little? That could cause a headache. So could many, many things, including lack of sleep, weather, cutting caffeine, as Ann mentioned, and many unidentified things.
Adding to this, it's possible OP is now eating low enough carb to be needing some extra sodium. Some chicken broth or something else salty should help, If that's the case.
I would try 3 things with the headache: salty broth of some sort, cup of tea/coffee, and an extra glass of water.3 -
It seems the 3 things most debated topics are Religion, Politics and Diet. I’m sorry to hear of your struggles with alcohol addiction. I’m not going to argue about our opinions on what defines an addiction when clearly your’s is difficult on so many levels. Maybe I will call my sugar struggle “a disorder” so as not to offend anyone. However, on social media there is always somebody offended. Best wishes to you.
Not offended...I just think "addiction" is thrown around pretty willy nilly a lot of the time. I believe compulsive over-eating is an addiction...and there is over-eaters anonymous to provide support for that as there are usually underlying issues that need to be dealt with similar to alcoholism. But sugar in and of itself is not an addictive substance.
Best of luck at any rate.16 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »It seems the 3 things most debated topics are Religion, Politics and Diet. I’m sorry to hear of your struggles with alcohol addiction. I’m not going to argue about our opinions on what defines an addiction when clearly your’s is difficult on so many levels. Maybe I will call my sugar struggle “a disorder” so as not to offend anyone. However, on social media there is always somebody offended. Best wishes to you.
Not offended...I just think "addiction" is thrown around pretty willy nilly a lot of the time. I believe compulsive over-eating is an addiction...and there is over-eaters anonymous to provide support for that as there are usually underlying issues that need to be dealt with similar to alcoholism. But sugar in and of itself is not an addictive substance.
Best of luck at any rate.
Agreed, there's a specific biological response with physical addiction. Sugar doesn't really apply because we are required to consume calories, and sugar falls under the "calories" umbrella. Physical addiction in simple terms is when the "drug" (caffeine, opiates, etc.) cause the body to stop producing a chemical it produced on its own prior. Withdrawal occurs because the brain has to relearn how to make the chemical, which is why sudden detox can be deadly if the chemical is not restored to appropriate levels in time.
In my opinion, sugar addiction is a behavioral addiction, a compulsive behavior more akin to gambling or video game addiction. The addiction isn't the sugar itself, but the ACT OF EATING the sugar and the experience of the sugary taste. The "high" comes from the eating of it, not what it does to the body. Nobody likes how they feel AFTER they eat, in fact, many will feel ill, but the eating part is what keeps people coming back.8 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »It seems the 3 things most debated topics are Religion, Politics and Diet. I’m sorry to hear of your struggles with alcohol addiction. I’m not going to argue about our opinions on what defines an addiction when clearly your’s is difficult on so many levels. Maybe I will call my sugar struggle “a disorder” so as not to offend anyone. However, on social media there is always somebody offended. Best wishes to you.
Not offended...I just think "addiction" is thrown around pretty willy nilly a lot of the time. I believe compulsive over-eating is an addiction...and there is over-eaters anonymous to provide support for that as there are usually underlying issues that need to be dealt with similar to alcoholism. But sugar in and of itself is not an addictive substance.
Best of luck at any rate.
Respect bro...🤙2 -
Not offended...I just think "addiction" is thrown around pretty willy nilly a lot of the time. I believe compulsive over-eating is an addiction...and there is over-eaters anonymous to provide support for that as there are usually underlying issues that need to be dealt with similar to alcoholism. But sugar in and of itself is not an addictive substance.
Hmmm... I agree. Calling it an addiction may not be right. I guess I simply have a lack of control. And I do eat a lot of good food. Plenty of fruits and vegetables and water vs soda or juices. Having desert every day is not something I want to do whether it’s ok or not. People say it’s ok because I’m not fat but I think it’s harmful on the inside. I’m challenging my self control. It’s easier when I don’t allow myself to get too hungry. At work that can be hard if not able to get to lunch. I’ve been packing healthy snacks.
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fitness_krista wrote: »
Not offended...I just think "addiction" is thrown around pretty willy nilly a lot of the time. I believe compulsive over-eating is an addiction...and there is over-eaters anonymous to provide support for that as there are usually underlying issues that need to be dealt with similar to alcoholism. But sugar in and of itself is not an addictive substance.
Hmmm... I agree. Calling it an addiction may not be right. I guess I simply have a lack of control. And I do eat a lot of good food. Plenty of fruits and vegetables and water vs soda or juices. Having desert every day is not something I want to do whether it’s ok or not. People say it’s ok because I’m not fat but I think it’s harmful on the inside. I’m challenging my self control. It’s easier when I don’t allow myself to get too hungry. At work that can be hard if not able to get to lunch. I’ve been packing healthy snacks.
It's okay for you to find it hard even if it's not an addiction. Habits are very hard to break, especially for those of us who have grown up turning to highly palatable foods for comfort. I don't think anybody is saying the journey isn't hard - a lot of us know - but conflating addiction with a deeply ingrained habit can lead to efforts that might just cause you to spin your wheels, because you're treating a problem that doesn't actually exist.8 -
RelCanonical wrote: »fitness_krista wrote: »
Not offended...I just think "addiction" is thrown around pretty willy nilly a lot of the time. I believe compulsive over-eating is an addiction...and there is over-eaters anonymous to provide support for that as there are usually underlying issues that need to be dealt with similar to alcoholism. But sugar in and of itself is not an addictive substance.
Hmmm... I agree. Calling it an addiction may not be right. I guess I simply have a lack of control. And I do eat a lot of good food. Plenty of fruits and vegetables and water vs soda or juices. Having desert every day is not something I want to do whether it’s ok or not. People say it’s ok because I’m not fat but I think it’s harmful on the inside. I’m challenging my self control. It’s easier when I don’t allow myself to get too hungry. At work that can be hard if not able to get to lunch. I’ve been packing healthy snacks.
It's okay for you to find it hard even if it's not an addiction. Habits are very hard to break, especially for those of us who have grown up turning to highly palatable foods for comfort. I don't think anybody is saying the journey isn't hard - a lot of us know - but conflating addiction with a deeply ingrained habit can lead to efforts that might just cause you to spin your wheels, because you're treating a problem that doesn't actually exist.
Agreed. It took me years to bust up my ice cream habit. It took intentional focus and determination to do it. Nothing easy about it. But well worth it.6 -
fitness_krista wrote: »As a challenge, would you be able to not have any bad foods? I think I would see significant changes — like all that hard work at the gym would show more. I’m doing this as a challenge even though I eat very well — minus the chips, cookies, bagels, ice cream and chocolate that I have at least one of daily.
No one single food is "bad" unless it's spoiled. Your overall diet can be pretty bad if you eat too much of one thing, or too little of something else.
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Ha. Just saw this post I put up 4yrs ago. I still crave sweets but currently have it under control. I’m not binging at night anymore. 👍 yay me8
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fitness_krista wrote: »Ha. Just saw this post I put up 4yrs ago. I still crave sweets but currently have it under control. I’m not binging at night anymore. 👍 yay me
That's really excellent - thanks for the update!
Do you know how you were able to get it under control? That might help other people.2 -
I found it helpful NOT having sweets in the house so I don’t binge. (But my husband doesn’t always help haha) So…. Eating 5 small meals during the day so I don’t get starving and lose control is how I’ve been managing. I know…. Simple right? I actually have to plan ahead or I will forget to eat those in between meals. I’m not into meal prep for the week. Day by day works better for me.5
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Thanks for coming back with that tip. Different people find different routines suit them well, so the more people who talk about what worked for them, the more likely that new folks will see the tip(s) that will unlock success for them. Good stuff! :flowerforyou:3
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fitness_krista wrote: »Ha. Just saw this post I put up 4yrs ago. I still crave sweets but currently have it under control. I’m not binging at night anymore. 👍 yay me
Congrats!1 -
Congratulations! The tips you use to control your sweets cravings are also what I did to stop drinking. Plan ahead, replace with something different but non alcoholic in a nice glass and do it day by day … so maybe not so different after all.0
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Sinisterbarbie1 wrote: »Congratulations! The tips you use to control your sweets cravings are also what I did to stop drinking. Plan ahead, replace with something different but non alcoholic in a nice glass and do it day by day … so maybe not so different after all.
I also quit drinking! Best thing I ever did! It’s been about 16months since I had any alcohol 👍
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