Question for self professed "sugar addicts"

maillemaker

A lot of people on here think all calories are equal ("Calories in, calories out" for weight loss) but they aren't. That's why refined sugars and processed foods are hard to quit, because they have been scientifically altered to keep people eating them. Teams of scientists work on this daily. The average sugary snack today is about 5 to 10 times sweeter than the 1950s. If you don't believe me, eat a store-bought cookie. Then make Nestle Toll House cookies and you can barely taste the sugar in them because we've been trained to have more sugar.

Fruit is a great thing. Has lots of fiber and you can eat as much as you want. It's sweet, but its sugar is more easily digestible. Same goes for honey -- because bees digest it first!

I used to think this, too, but I'm not so sure now. It's been shown that people on low-glycemic-index foods don't lose more weight than people who don't.

So I think it's generally true that calories in = calories out.

The problem isn't the chemistry of the food and how we metabolize it, it's the chemistry of the food and how pleasurable it is to eat combined with its calorie density.

When you make a food that is irresistible to eat and contains 100 calories a mouthful, over-consumption is virtually guaranteed.

ritchiedrama

Addiction has a set of protocols, but essentially if you're hiding your eating from others because of shame or guilt, it's probably addiction.

A lot of people on here think all calories are equal ("Calories in, calories out" for weight loss) but they aren't. That's why refined sugars and processed foods are hard to quit, because they have been scientifically altered to keep people eating them. Teams of scientists work on this daily. The average sugary snack today is about 5 to 10 times sweeter than the 1950s. If you don't believe me, eat a store-bought cookie. Then make Nestle Toll House cookies and you can barely taste the sugar in them because we've been trained to have more sugar.

Fruit is a great thing. Has lots of fiber and you can eat as much as you want. It's sweet, but its sugar is more easily digestible. Same goes for honey -- because bees digest it first!

sabified

bump for later

maillemaker

I disagree PERSONALLY, about it being harder to do, and more will power? I eat plenty of fiber, and protein - I'm never hungry after 10-15 minutes of eating, I have a huge appetite and I feel hunger and can eat literally 10,000 calories in one go, but once the 10 minutes after eating has passed, any hunger I had goes away and that is with any foods I eat, even if its non sugary foods.

And like you already said, you aren't addicted.

Please understand, when I sat down and eat half a box of Oreos or half a pound of M&Ms, I didn't eat them because I was hungry. I'm ate them because it was pleasurable.

Now hunger can definitely contribute to a break in willpower, which is why they tell people to eat before they go grocery shopping, as it makes it easier to control what you buy when you are thinking rationally rather than thinking about being hungry.

ritchiedrama

I disagree PERSONALLY, about it being harder to do, and more will power? I eat plenty of fiber, and protein - I'm never hungry after 10-15 minutes of eating, I have a huge appetite and I feel hunger and can eat literally 10,000 calories in one go, but once the 10 minutes after eating has passed, any hunger I had goes away and that is with any foods I eat, even if its non sugary foods.

And like you already said, you aren't addicted.

Please understand, when I sat down and eat half a box of Oreos or half a pound of M&Ms, I didn't eat them because I was hungry. I'm ate them because it was pleasurable.

Now hunger can definitely contribute to a break in willpower, which is why they tell people to eat before they go grocery shopping, as it makes it easier to control what you buy when you are thinking rationally rather than thinking about being hungry.

I guess we have a difference in the meaning of addiction..

I don't understand your way of thinking, you ate the box of oreos because it was pleasurable, that doesn't mean addicted at all..

I think the 'addiction' to food thing is taken way too far out of context, lets be perfectly honest about this. I was fat, I loved eating, was I addicted? well, no? But regardless I got fat, too fat.

So under most peoples logic if you're getting fat, you're addicted to food - I disagree, I was bored, I liked the taste (still, does not mean addicted) and I didn't care at the time. Once I realised I was getting fat, and realised this isn't how you're supposed to live, I simply reversed it.. just like that. Anyone has the power to do the same.. I just think 'addiction' is an excuse.

Lindaspencer

Once upon a time I drank between 3 and 6 Mt Dew per day. In an effort to lose weight, I cut those out for awhile. I did not get the shakes or sweats...I did not have headaches or even mild hallucinations...I did not have any symptoms that I would, from experience, attribute to detoxing.

I find many of these claims of addiction to foods to be a bit disturbing...and more of an excuse than anything else.

jwdieter

So under most peoples logic if you're getting fat, you're addicted to food - I disagree, I was bored, I liked the taste (still, does not mean addicted) and I didn't care at the time. Once I realised I was getting fat, and realised this isn't how you're supposed to live, I simply reversed it.. just like that. Anyone has the power to do the same.. I just think 'addiction' is an excuse.

You're over-simplifying human brain processes. "I can do it, therefore anyone can do it" is ridiculous. We don't all think, feel, or react to stimuli in the same ways.

zyxst

Fruit is a great thing. Has lots of fiber and you can eat as much as you want. It's sweet, but its sugar is more easily digestible. Same goes for honey -- because bees digest it first!

So it's okay to eat sugars provided they have been eaten and regurgitated by other creatures?

I have a different definition of addiction than what most people mean when they say they are addicted to something.

Calliope610

I have to agree. I also think people use the word addiction when they really mean lack of self control. I have a lot of friends who are recovering addicts and recovering alcoholics. It's no *walk in the park*.

Uh, isn't the very definition of addiction a behavior that you cannot control?

I consider myself addicted to food in general. Tasty food, anyway, and sweets in particular.

Now I don't think you can eat fruit to somehow "cancel out sugar".

But you can eat fruit, which contains sugar, in moderation simply because you can't go ape-**** eating apples or bananas like you can, say, a box of Oreo cookies.

I could, and have, sit down and eat half a box of Oreo cookies. Easily. And when presented with the box of Oreo cookies, especially once my willpower has broken to where I've allowed myself to eat "one", I will probably break down and eat as many as I can eat.

There are about 53 calories in an Oreo. I'm guessing I'd eat about 20 of them in a sitting. That's over 1000 calories - nearly 60% of my daily caloric allotment.

Now apples also contain sugar. But they aren't nearly as appealing as the refined goodness of Oreos! An apple contains about 95 calories. In order to get the equivalent of 20 Oreos, I'd have to eat 11 apples.

I don't think I've ever felt compelled to eat that many apples at a sitting.

This is why eating natural foods is good for weight loss. Even if a calorie is a calorie is a calorie, there just aren't that many compelling natural foods that are as calorie dense and easy to over-consume as processed foods. There are some - shrimp, lobster, steak, etc. - but you'll have to lay out some serious coin to eat your fill of those things.

Honestly unless you've ever been addicted to narcotics or alcohol you really won't understand why it makes no sense for some people when they hear others say they are addicted to sugar. Yes maybe you can sit and est 1000 calories in Oreos or cheesecake or whatever but have ever not paid your rent, you car or insurance, paid your utilities or fed your kids because you needed to buy Oreos? Have you ever only had 25 dollars to your name and convinced yourself you could go spend 20 of it on Oreos and live off the remaining 5 dollars for the week?

Addiction and having a love for certain foods while not having self control are 2 totally different things.

Agreed.

I will buy the concept of sugar addiction as valid when you admit that you have exchanged sexual favors with a complete stranger you met in the grocery store because he bought you 5 packages of Oreos.

candylilacs

I disagree PERSONALLY, about it being harder to do, and more will power? I eat plenty of fiber, and protein - I'm never hungry after 10-15 minutes of eating, I have a huge appetite and I feel hunger and can eat literally 10,000 calories in one go, but once the 10 minutes after eating has passed, any hunger I had goes away and that is with any foods I eat, even if its non sugary foods.

Wait, just because it doesn't affect you it doesn't exist? So menstrual cramps don't exist, too? So angina doesn't exist? Type 2 diabetes doesn't exist?

It's great you don't have sugar addiction or sensitivity. Other people do. I don't really crave sugar now but when I was depressed, I would eat a bag of chocolates and couldn't get enough. If you knew me you would know that I don't have much of a sweet tooth, so this was a little out of character for me.

My psychiatrist said that it wasn't unusual because depressed people usually eat more sugar because it changes brain chemistry (so do anti-depressants.) Once I was medicated, my sweet cravings went away and now the idea of eating bags of chocolates kind of makes me feel sick.

This has science behind it, so you can just shout, "WRONG!" to everyone and pretend it doesn't exist or just realize that some people have a problem that you don't.

maillemaker

I guess we have a difference in the meaning of addiction..

I don't understand your way of thinking, you ate the box of oreos because it was pleasurable, that doesn't mean addicted at all..

A key in addiction is knowing the behavior is bad but being unable to exercise self-control to stop the behavior.

I knew I was fat. I knew it was bad to eat a bag of M&Ms or half a box of oreo cookies in addition to my normal meals. But I could not exercise the self-control to not do it.

That's addiction.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addiction

Addiction is the continued use of a psychoactive drug, or the repetition of a behavior despite adverse consequences,[1] or a neurological impairment leading to such behaviors.[2]

Addictions can include, but are not limited to, drug abuse, exercise addiction, food addiction, sexual addiction, computer addiction and gambling. Classic hallmarks of addiction include impaired control over substances or behavior, preoccupation with substance or behavior, continued use despite consequences, and denial.[3] Habits and patterns associated with addiction are typically characterized by immediate gratification (short-term reward), coupled with delayed deleterious effects (long-term costs).[4]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/28/health/time-food-addiction

Ludwig took MRI scans of the brains of 12 obese men after they consumed two milk shakes. Both had the same amount of calories, protein, fat and carbohydrates and tasted equally sweet. However, one milk shake had a much higher glycemic index from the carbohydrates compared to the other.

After the men consumed the milk shake with the higher glycemic index, their blood sugar levels surged as expected, then crashed a few hours later, leaving them feeling hungry.

But with the brain scans, Ludwig was able to show that these shakes activated the nucleus accumbens, which is also triggered by addictive drugs and behaviors like gambling.

Gee_24

I wouldn't call myself an addict but I wake up in the middle of most nights and my body is just screaming out for it most times. Thats actually what got me where I was 2 months ago, 3 stone over weight! As my daily diet was fine, its what I was wolfing down in secret at 3am that was the problem! lol

Now I have it in very small amounts and it helps just to know I'm having some, if any. I just brought home a beautiful big Banoffee cake loaf. I realised that 1/6th of a cake is about 350 calories!! So I just had a wafer thin slice. Like no-one would even know I've had some. Because if I didn't at least do that, it would be on my mind until someone else ate it. lol

Acg67

I disagree PERSONALLY, about it being harder to do, and more will power? I eat plenty of fiber, and protein - I'm never hungry after 10-15 minutes of eating, I have a huge appetite and I feel hunger and can eat literally 10,000 calories in one go, but once the 10 minutes after eating has passed, any hunger I had goes away and that is with any foods I eat, even if its non sugary foods.

Wait, just because it doesn't affect you it doesn't exist? So menstrual cramps don't exist, too? So angina doesn't exist? Type 2 diabetes doesn't exist?

It's great you don't have sugar addiction or sensitivity. Other people do. I don't really crave sugar now but when I was depressed, I would eat a bag of chocolates and couldn't get enough. If you knew me you would know that I don't have much of a sweet tooth, so this was a little out of character for me.

My psychiatrist said that it wasn't unusual because depressed people usually eat more sugar because it changes brain chemistry (so do anti-depressants.) Once I was medicated, my sweet cravings went away and now the idea of eating bags of chocolates kind of makes me feel sick.

This has science behind it, so you can just shout, "WRONG!" to everyone and pretend it doesn't exist or just realize that some people have a problem that you don't.

What is a saccharide?

ritchiedrama

I disagree PERSONALLY, about it being harder to do, and more will power? I eat plenty of fiber, and protein - I'm never hungry after 10-15 minutes of eating, I have a huge appetite and I feel hunger and can eat literally 10,000 calories in one go, but once the 10 minutes after eating has passed, any hunger I had goes away and that is with any foods I eat, even if its non sugary foods.

Wait, just because it doesn't affect you it doesn't exist? So menstrual cramps don't exist, too? So angina doesn't exist? Type 2 diabetes doesn't exist?

It's great you don't have sugar addiction or sensitivity. Other people do. I don't really crave sugar now but when I was depressed, I would eat a bag of chocolates and couldn't get enough. If you knew me you would know that I don't have much of a sweet tooth, so this was a little out of character for me.

My psychiatrist said that it wasn't unusual because depressed people usually eat more sugar because it changes brain chemistry (so do anti-depressants.) Once I was medicated, my sweet cravings went away and now the idea of eating bags of chocolates kind of makes me feel sick.

This has science behind it, so you can just shout, "WRONG!" to everyone and pretend it doesn't exist or just realize that some people have a problem that you don't.

You can't really use the comparisons you have against me, that's ridiculous. I hate comparisons, this is about ONE sole thing.

So you've established when you were depressed, you craved sugar because it changes brain chemistry.

Ok, so if that is the case, that sugar is scientifically proven to change brain chemistry, depressed or not - it would affect everyone, surely? If it is science, everyone would become addicted to it? This isn't an illness, or a thing like aspartame causing headaches..

this is SUGAR you are saying is addictive, if something is ADDICTIVE surely it's addictive to everyone?

candylilacs

Well, I'm sure you'll get a ton of flak for the first part, but I enjoyed this line. Completely nonsensical, but provided with enthusiasm!

An apiarist told me that you don't get blood sugar spikes with honey because unlike refined sugars it takes less to digest -- because the bees have already digested it once for us. To be honest, I never really investigated, but honey is naturally occurring and bees are essential for our ecosystem so I don't think you can ever go wrong with it.

As you can see from my ticker, I like bees. They're a keystone species and our world would fall apart without them.

jwdieter

I will buy the concept of sugar addiction as valid when you admit that you have exchanged sexual favors with a complete stranger you met in the grocery store because he bought you 5 packages of Oreos.

Restricting the definition of addiction to a point where you've spent all your money and lost all self control is pretty odd. There are millions of people who are addicted to various types of drugs and are able to maintain their dependence at high function.

I could understand if you wanted to take a restrictive definition of physical withdrawal symptoms. But "it ain't addiction unless you've robbed your family and sold your body!" is pretty nuts.

pamelak5

Serious question:

Why is it a bad habit to have desert every night after dinner? I just don't get it.

Personally I sometimes have 3 deserts after dinner. It's all accounted for and pre planned.

I think it depends on the size of the dessert and your goals. Daily dessertsused to fit my macros as provided by MFP. But then my goals changed. I am trying to get 30% of my calories from protein, and there is simply zero room for daily desserts. Also, I thought my diet was fine, but realized that I was avoiding other healthier foods in order to make room for my sugar fix. Avocados, nuts, whole grains, etc. I still enjoy desserts occasionally but I realized that I was displacing too much good stuff to make room for the treats.

I agree that "addict" is too strong a word. Dependency? Habit? Maybe.

I get 30% protein and have daily desserts. I did when I was losing weight, too (maintaining now), my desserts were just smaller, like a 50 cal piece of dark chocolate.

50 calorie square of chocolate can totally fit! But I know myself, and I have trouble sticking with one. So yeah, it has to do with goals, size of desserts, and willpower. I lose willpower when it comes to desserts, but I am certainly not an addict.

candylilacs

I think the 'addiction' to food thing is taken way too far out of context, lets be perfectly honest about this. I was fat, I loved eating, was I addicted? well, no? But regardless I got fat, too fat.

So under most peoples logic if you're getting fat, you're addicted to food - I disagree, I was bored, I liked the taste (still, does not mean addicted) and I didn't care at the time. Once I realised I was getting fat, and realised this isn't how you're supposed to live, I simply reversed it.. just like that. Anyone has the power to do the same.. I just think 'addiction' is an excuse.

So what if it is an excuse, as you say? How does that affect you or your weight loss? It doesn't. So what's with all the vitriol about it?

laylaness

Honestly unless you've ever been addicted to narcotics or alcohol you really won't understand why it makes no sense for some people when they hear others say they are addicted to sugar. Yes maybe you can sit and est 1000 calories in Oreos or cheesecake or whatever but have ever not paid your rent, you car or insurance, paid your utilities or fed your kids because you needed to buy Oreos? Have you ever only had 25 dollars to your name and convinced yourself you could go spend 20 of it on Oreos and live off the remaining 5 dollars for the week?

Hey, there's no doubt that people will go to different lengths to satisfy their addictions. But they are still addictions. Not everyone will stoop to armed robbery to satisfy an addiction, but some people will.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addiction

Addiction is the continued use of a psychoactive drug, or the repetition of a behavior despite adverse consequences,[1] or a neurological impairment leading to such behaviors.[2]

Addictions can include, but are not limited to, drug abuse, exercise addiction, food addiction, sexual addiction, computer addiction and gambling. Classic hallmarks of addiction include impaired control over substances or behavior, preoccupation with substance or behavior, continued use despite consequences, and denial.[3] Habits and patterns associated with addiction are typically characterized by immediate gratification (short-term reward), coupled with delayed deleterious effects (long-term costs).[4]

The fact is, any pleasurable stimulus can be addictive.

I have a problem with the Wikipedia citation. It's user-generated content, and there are no citations there for the list of addictions.

Food addiction, to me, is a fallacy. I come from a family of addicts. I just cannot get on-board with being "addicted" to something every human needs to stay alive. I have depression and anxiety disorder, and I used to use "comfort food" as a way to take my mind off of my issues, so I can understand that, for sure, but it's not an addiction.

In terms of staying on-track with the OP's question, I don't think sugar addiction is a thing, either. Cravings =/= addiction.