Sugar addiction....
Replies
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So after reading what everyone had to say today, I decided to go see my doctor. She recommended cutting down as much as I can on all the sweets. She suggested making a smoothie daily with fruit to get my "fix". She wants to see me again in a month to see how it's going. She also didn't agree with going cold turkey, rather making better choices and reminding myself that I don't need to consume all the stuff I crave to be happy.
Thank you to everyone who responded. I appreciate all the advice and laughs you gave me.
Glad you sought out a doctor! Trying is the hardest part, but we are all here for you along your journey. Good luck!0 -
So after reading what everyone had to say today, I decided to go see my doctor. She recommended cutting down as much as I can on all the sweets. She suggested making a smoothie daily with fruit to get my "fix". She wants to see me again in a month to see how it's going. She also didn't agree with going cold turkey, rather making better choices and reminding myself that I don't need to consume all the stuff I crave to be happy.
Sounds like good, solid advice. I pretty much went "cold turkey", but I still eat "bad" things from time to time. One night I totally flipped my **** and just went and bought a pint of Ben and Jerry's. A couple of weeks ago I bought an entire Strawberry cheesecake and ate half of it over the course of a week.
In the end, it's all about calories. You can eat sweets from time to time - you'll just find as you track your food that there is not much pleasure gained out of so few mouthfuls of it for the calorie hit you'll take for the day.I'm pretty sure what that REALLY means is, "I really like the taste of the foods that contain processed sugar so I've been avoiding them and choosing better options."
Absolutely. You have to break the behavior of eating the tasty foods and learn how to live with the generally less-tasty but less-calorie-dense options.0 -
I need help overcoming my sugar addiction. I would love tips from anyone who has been through this and broke the addiction.
21 Day Sugar Detox or Whole30.
LOL'Z
There's no such thing, unless OP, you're in a bathroom somewhere with a tourniquet tied around your arm or you're sneaking it in your coffee.
Actually, there are a ton of studies out there indicating that the effect sugar has on the brain is similar to the effect opioids and cocaine have - re: dopamine release.0 -
I need help overcoming my sugar addiction. I would love tips from anyone who has been through this and broke the addiction.
21 Day Sugar Detox or Whole30.
LOL'Z
There's no such thing, unless OP, you're in a bathroom somewhere with a tourniquet tied around your arm or you're sneaking it in your coffee.
Actually, there are a ton of studies out there indicating that the effect sugar has on the brain is similar to the effect opioids and cocaine have - re: dopamine release.
I bet they would find the same about anyting pleasurable. Thank heaveans we all have frontal lobes!!!0 -
I have a firm grasp on reality, thanks. Perhaps "hostile" was the wrong word. You're just a bit preachy and condescending when delivering your opinions/advice.
I agree with your calorie deficit theory. Of course. It's solid science. Being on a low-carbohydrate plan which causes a ketogenic state, reduces the appetite causing you to eat fewer calories. This can be achieved in many forms. Replacing higher fat items with their low or no-fat counterparts is also a good option for those who can tolerate the change. Reducing portion size can work as well.
I think that people should do whatever works best for them. Whatever they can actually stick with! I have many friends who are excited about my progress and ask what I'm doing. They want to do it too. The ones who want to do this as a "crash diet" and then go back to eating "normally," I tell them this isn't the plan for them. You have to be in it for life. It's a lifestyle change, not a diet.
Have you considered that for many, there's no such thing as moderation where refined, sugary treats are concerned? It's an all or nothing sort of thing. It's not a mind over matter thing. It's not a question of will-power, but a chemically induced compulsion. Very similar to addiction. It's a behavior. A little bit of the "bad" stuff causes a binge.
And I also disagree with the other poster about being miserable from completely eliminating refined sugary treats. I'm not miserable. I eat well every day. I have a few sweet tasting things now and then, but I do not eat white sugar, ever! I'm enjoying my diet and enjoying the benefits I'm reaping from it.0 -
Have you considered that for many, there's no such thing as moderation where refined, sugary treats are concerned? It's an all or nothing sort of thing. It's not a mind over matter thing. It's not a question of will-power, but a chemically induced compulsion. Very similar to addiction. It's a behavior. A little bit of the "bad" stuff causes a binge.
And I also disagree with the other poster about being miserable from completely eliminating refined sugary treats. I'm not miserable. I eat well every day. I have a few sweet tasting things now and then, but I do not eat white sugar, ever! I'm enjoying my diet and enjoying the benefits I'm reaping from it.
Why can they do moderation of "natural" sugars but not refined?0 -
Have you considered that for many, there's no such thing as moderation where refined, sugary treats are concerned? It's an all or nothing sort of thing. It's not a mind over matter thing. It's not a question of will-power, but a chemically induced compulsion. Very similar to addiction. It's a behavior. A little bit of the "bad" stuff causes a binge.
And I also disagree with the other poster about being miserable from completely eliminating refined sugary treats. I'm not miserable. I eat well every day. I have a few sweet tasting things now and then, but I do not eat white sugar, ever! I'm enjoying my diet and enjoying the benefits I'm reaping from it.
Why can they do moderation of "natural" sugars but not refined?
Because that would mean it was their fault they got fat in the first place, we can't have people taking responsibility for their actions... that's just crazy talk.0 -
I get you. Its not really an addiction as it is a lack of willpower. I have a carb issue. I stay away from them because once I start, I can't stop. (Not talking about "good carbs" but the processed crap). I make sure I have healthy alternatives around like fruit. For the most part I am good. I fall off the wagon every 2-3 weeks, get mad at myself for a day, then get over it.0
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Possibly because they completely eliminate all forms of sugar for a period of time, and then very slowly reintroduce them.
I think we basically agree on things here. In the end, it's just about switching to healthier alternatives for your sweet fix.
I just believe it's more effective for some people (like me) to completely eliminate for a while and then gradually reintroduce the healthier choices.
Trying to moderate by subbing low-cal versions of the sweets I liked, didn't work for me. I couldn't control my portions. I would binge. It works that way for some people. So, I eliminated them altogether, and then slowly reintroduced "sweet" things, in the form of berries, other lower sugar fruits, or adding a bit of Stevia to my tea, etc.
I believe I retrained myself. I'm learning balance. I just took a different route than some of you did, but we ended up in the same place.0 -
There's no such thing. Just get your diet figured out and fit in moderate amounts of foods you enjoy.
This I'm doing right now - at this moment. it sounds good to me0 -
Possibly because they completely eliminate all forms of sugar for a period of time, and then very slowly reintroduce them.
I think we basically agree on things here. In the end, it's just about switching to healthier alternatives for your sweet fix.
I just believe it's more effective for some people (like me) to completely eliminate for a while and then gradually reintroduce the healthier choices.
Trying to moderate by subbing low-cal versions of the sweets I liked, didn't work for me. I couldn't control my portions. I would binge. It works that way for some people. So, I eliminated them altogether, and then slowly reintroduced "sweet" things, in the form of berries, other lower sugar fruits, or adding a bit of Stevia to my tea, etc.
I believe I retrained myself. I'm learning balance. I just took a different route than some of you did, but we ended up in the same place.
So you went zero carb for a time to get over your "addiction"? Even being mindful of carbs in things like eggs etc?0 -
I went zero carb for 5 days, then did Atkins-like Induction for 2 weeks (getting carbs from only a few cheeses, eggs, and green vegetables, no artificial sweeteners) and staying under 20 net carbs, then did another 2 weeks of Atkins-like Induction but added a bigger variety of vegetables, staying under 20 net carbs, then gradually started increasing my carb count by 5 net per week, and at that point started adding in things like protein powder, yogurt, berries, the occasional Stevia packet or diet soda, etc.0
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I stopped eating meat two months ago and it wasn't hard to give up at all. I didn't really have craving because I wasn't a big meat eater to begin with. Now giving up carbs is another story.
What do you you guys that went low carb limit your daily carb intake to. My doctor said don't cut them out all together. I just want a general guideline. I am starting today and the oatmeal packet I just had was 30 carbs and it wan't even that sweet!!0 -
I'm up to 45 net carbs per day. I started at 20 net carbs per day (if you don't count the 5 day zero carb thing). If you love carbs and don't think you can go that low, don't. Start by eliminating, or at least greatly reducing your sugar intake. Switch to low-carb versions of breads, pastas, etc. Stop eating starchy vegetables and grains and replace them with more greenery.0
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I stopped eating meat two months ago and it wasn't hard to give up at all. I didn't really have craving because I wasn't a big meat eater to begin with. Now giving up carbs is another story.
What do you you guys that went low carb limit your daily carb intake to. My doctor said don't cut them out all together. I just want a general guideline. I am starting today and the oatmeal packet I just had was 30 carbs and it wan't even that sweet!!
If you don't eat meat, and you don't want to eat carbs... what ARE you going to eat? How do you plan to get your protein?0 -
I think it's much more important to focus on the quality of carbs, rather than quantity. Try to eat more beans, whole grains and fresh fruits and less processed foods.What do you you guys that went low carb limit your daily carb intake to. My doctor said don't cut them out all together. I just want a general guideline. I am starting today and the oatmeal packet I just had was 30 carbs and it wan't even that sweet!!0 -
I stopped eating meat two months ago and it wasn't hard to give up at all. I didn't really have craving because I wasn't a big meat eater to begin with. Now giving up carbs is another story.
What do you you guys that went low carb limit your daily carb intake to. My doctor said don't cut them out all together. I just want a general guideline. I am starting today and the oatmeal packet I just had was 30 carbs and it wan't even that sweet!!
If you don't eat meat, and you don't want to eat carbs... what ARE you going to eat? How do you plan to get your protein?
I am still going to eat carbs. Like I said, my doctor just recommended cutting down. I don't plan on going radical with it lol. I have never counted my carbs or even paid attention to how many I eat so I was just looking for a starting point.0 -
I think it's much more important to focus on the quality of carbs, rather than quantity. Try to eat more beans, whole grains and fresh fruits and less processed foods.What do you you guys that went low carb limit your daily carb intake to. My doctor said don't cut them out all together. I just want a general guideline. I am starting today and the oatmeal packet I just had was 30 carbs and it wan't even that sweet!!
Will do!!0 -
I stopped eating meat two months ago and it wasn't hard to give up at all. I didn't really have craving because I wasn't a big meat eater to begin with. Now giving up carbs is another story.
What do you you guys that went low carb limit your daily carb intake to. My doctor said don't cut them out all together. I just want a general guideline. I am starting today and the oatmeal packet I just had was 30 carbs and it wan't even that sweet!!
If you don't eat meat, and you don't want to eat carbs... what ARE you going to eat? How do you plan to get your protein?
I am still going to eat carbs. Like I said, my doctor just recommended cutting down. I don't plan on going radical with it lol. I have never counted my carbs or even paid attention to how many I eat so I was just looking for a starting point.
Rather than working your macros around the grams of carbs (which is irrelevent unless you have a medical reason to watch them) I would start by calculating your lean mass and eating 1g/lb of lean mass of protein and then go to your fats and calculate .3-.45g of fat/lb of IDEAL body weight and the rest will naturally go to carbs. If you want to have higher fats (I chose this option) you can because as we know, fat doesn't make you fat. You can choose to get your carbs from whole grains, sprouted grains, vegetables and fruit. If sometimes you decide to get them from pop tarts and ice cream that's okay too. No shame.0 -
I stopped eating meat two months ago and it wasn't hard to give up at all. I didn't really have craving because I wasn't a big meat eater to begin with. Now giving up carbs is another story.
What do you you guys that went low carb limit your daily carb intake to. My doctor said don't cut them out all together. I just want a general guideline. I am starting today and the oatmeal packet I just had was 30 carbs and it wan't even that sweet!!
If you don't eat meat, and you don't want to eat carbs... what ARE you going to eat? How do you plan to get your protein?
I am still going to eat carbs. Like I said, my doctor just recommended cutting down. I don't plan on going radical with it lol. I have never counted my carbs or even paid attention to how many I eat so I was just looking for a starting point.
Rather than working your macros around the grams of carbs (which is irrelevent unless you have a medical reason to watch them) I would start by calculating your lean mass and eating 1g/lb of lean mass of protein and then go to your fats and calculate .3-.45g of fat/lb of IDEAL body weight and the rest will naturally go to carbs. If you want to have higher fats (I chose this option) you can because as we know, fat doesn't make you fat. You can choose to get your carbs from whole grains, sprouted grains, vegetables and fruit. If sometimes you decide to get them from pop tarts and ice cream that's okay too. No shame.
Thank you so much :flowerforyou:0 -
Rather than working your macros around the grams of carbs (which is irrelevent unless you have a medical reason to watch them) I would start by calculating your lean mass and eating 1g/lb of lean mass of protein and then go to your fats and calculate .3-.45g of fat/lb of IDEAL body weight and the rest will naturally go to carbs. If you want to have higher fats (I chose this option) you can because as we know, fat doesn't make you fat. You can choose to get your carbs from whole grains, sprouted grains, vegetables and fruit.
^^^^^^
Yes!!0 -
I bet they would find the same about anyting pleasurable. Thank heaveans we all have frontal lobes!!!
And, in fact, they do!
There are behavioral addictions to many pleasurable stimuli. Video games. Internet use. Sex. Pornography. Work. Working out. Gambling.
People who have these addictions almost all have frontal lobes. And they generally know that they have a problem, though they may be in denial about it.
It's not that they don't know that they have a problem, or what the problem behavior is, it's that they don't have the willpower to overcome it.0 -
Why can they do moderation of "natural" sugars but not refined?
Because, as I already explained, it's not the sugar causing the behavioral addiction. It's the pleasure derived from the taste of the food.
It might be the same sugar in a piece of fruit vs. ice cream, but the ice cream generates far, far more pleasure than any fruit every will!
Behavioral addictions are about chemical changes to the brain involving the reward circuitry.
Find a source of natural sugars as rewarding to eat as ice cream and you'll probably see the same problems with eating it.0 -
Because that would mean it was their fault they got fat in the first place, we can't have people taking responsibility for their actions... that's just crazy talk.
Again with the condescension.
Recognizing a problem is not the same thing as making an excuse for continuing the behavior.
The first step to taking responsibility for your actions is recognizing problem actions and their cause.
No one is saying that people with eating disorders aren't responsible for their actions.0 -
I get you. Its not really an addiction as it is a lack of willpower.
Every addiction is ultimately a result of a lack of willpower. They lack the willpower to stop the negative behavior even knowing the consequences of it.0 -
What do you you guys that went low carb limit your daily carb intake to. My doctor said don't cut them out all together. I just want a general guideline. I am starting today and the oatmeal packet I just had was 30 carbs and it wan't even that sweet!!
I track calories, not carbs, because the calorie deficit is what will make you lose weight.
You will simply find, if you start tracking your calories, that you will generally take a not-worth-it calorie hit for any high-carb food.
So you start avoiding carbs not because there is anything inherently wrong with eating them but rather it takes too much of your precious daily calorie allotment to eat a few mouthfuls of it.
Then, too, I avoid "yummy" carb-rich foods like ice cream, or cookies, etc., because I don't have the willpower to control how many of them I eat. If I break down and buy a box of cookies I'm going to eat the whole damn thing once I start. So it's best just to avoid those kinds of foods altogether. It's hard enough to summon the willpower to stay hungry every waking moment without having to summon enough to stop eating cookies when there are more right in front of you to eat.0 -
I love how controversial this topic is. For some of us, sugar makes us crave more sugar. I have never given a bj for sugar, but it's a powerful compulsion regardless of what people claim. I also think it's funny when people say they don't crave sweets while I watch them eat quarter of a loaf of bread or a big bowl of pasta. WHAT do they think bread and pasta are? *smh*
Personally, I did Atkins Induction to the letter for 2 weeks, after that, I had to learn to eat enough protein/fat with sugar, to balance the sugar, so I didn't have hypoglycemic attacks. After day 3 of induction, you don't crave sugar. A less painful approach is to cut your simple carb consumption in half. If you normally eat a burger on a bun, eat only half of the bun. If you normally eat bread with pasta, choose which one you like more and skip the other. And, by all means, skip sodas (even diet sodas) and juice. Wasted calories and too many chemicals that have been shown in studies to cause sugar and food cravings.
Anyway, it's not hard to cut back; you just have to use discipline in making these changes and stick to your resolve to follow through.0 -
I get you. Its not really an addiction as it is a lack of willpower.
Every addiction is ultimately a result of a lack of willpower. They lack the willpower to stop the negative behavior even knowing the consequences of it.
We can try to make it so "simple" by explaining that it's a matter of willpower you "weakling" but that doesn't help the other individual and whether we like it or not it may be more difficult for some than others....otherwise mental health professionals wouldn't exist...psychology wouldn't exist, studies on human behavior wouldn't exist...etc, etc....it is not as simple as telling someone to go get some willpower....it may happen like that for some but not everyone0 -
What do you you guys that went low carb limit your daily carb intake to. My doctor said don't cut them out all together. I just want a general guideline. I am starting today and the oatmeal packet I just had was 30 carbs and it wan't even that sweet!!
I track calories, not carbs, because the calorie deficit is what will make you lose weight.
^^Agreed^^0 -
I track both...calories and carbs because lower carbs helps you feel energized and satisfied while higher carbs make you hungry faster...it's easier to deal with a calorie deficit on low carb. Low carb to me is between 50-100 g depending on your physicial activity during the day.0
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