Breaking the Sugar Addiction

fitness_krista

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.

RelCanonical

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.

nutmegoreo

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.

extra_medium

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.

fitness_krista

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

AnnPT77

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.

fitness_krista

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.

AnnPT77

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:

lynn_glenmont

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!

Sinisterbarbie1

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.

fitness_krista

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 👍