Sugar addiction....

Acg67

You stop eating it. You say no. And you don't vilify it. It's not the sugar's fault. Sugary foods aren't bad, and they aren't the devil.

I had to stop eating sugar for about a month before the cravings stopped. I cut WAY down on bread and tried my best to eliminate all processed foods. I had a piece of fruit after every meal to retrain my brain and cravings that after dinner I didn't want ice cream, I wanted a peach. When I do want something sweet, I eat a piece of fruit. When I want something salty, I have some almonds or cashews.

Yesterday I had a small slice of cake, and I have no cravings for more. It was enough for me.

Ultimately, you stop eating sugar the same way that you stop being overweight. You have self control and say 'no'.

Um, how did you stop eating sugar but ate fruit?

InForBacon

There's no such thing. Just get your diet figured out and fit in moderate amounts of foods you enjoy.

^This

Have you ever seen someone that was actually addicted to something? It's not pretty.

ndj1979

I relate to this a lot and I really don't think you'll find someone who is completely "sober" from sugar since it is all around us all the time. Even a monthly snack would be considered cheating if it were an addiction. Which is why I second that it cannot be called an addiction. I call it a craving because that is what it feels like to me. And it is a very tricky craving in that if you give in you will become hungrier. So look at that sugary snack as a medication for appetite because that is what it will give you!

I started this thing where candy is for kids only, now I do not eat candy. From there it was harder to avoid the obligatory slice of cake at a party or ice cream once a week. I think the best way to successfully get ahold of the sugar crave is to give yourself boundaries and do NOT break them. I would even go as far as to say "you can have that cookie but you have to run/walk first" and you'll see that after you ran/walked you may actually not want that cookie anymore!

My new implementations are dessert once a week except for special occasions. And if you're a socialite and have a special occassion several times a week then obviously that is something you will have to revise. And one dessert means one serving of course. I heard it should be about 5% of your diet if you have it everyday, that would include a morning breakfast cookie/scone/mocha/anything high in sugars

I am sorry but this is a little ridiculous...

I eat sugar every day ..carbs, fruit, whatever, and as of this morning am 173 pounds and about 13% body fat....

So I really do not understand this line of thinking...

ndj1979

You stop eating it. You say no. And you don't vilify it. It's not the sugar's fault. Sugary foods aren't bad, and they aren't the devil.

I had to stop eating sugar for about a month before the cravings stopped. I cut WAY down on bread and tried my best to eliminate all processed foods. I had a piece of fruit after every meal to retrain my brain and cravings that after dinner I didn't want ice cream, I wanted a peach. When I do want something sweet, I eat a piece of fruit. When I want something salty, I have some almonds or cashews.

Yesterday I had a small slice of cake, and I have no cravings for more. It was enough for me.

Ultimately, you stop eating sugar the same way that you stop being overweight. You have self control and say 'no'.

Um, how did you stop eating sugar but ate fruit?

fruit sugar is not real sugar, everyone knows that!

ajaxe432

I relate to this a lot and I really don't think you'll find someone who is completely "sober" from sugar since it is all around us all the time. Even a monthly snack would be considered cheating if it were an addiction. Which is why I second that it cannot be called an addiction. I call it a craving because that is what it feels like to me. And it is a very tricky craving in that if you give in you will become hungrier. So look at that sugary snack as a medication for appetite because that is what it will give you!

I started this thing where candy is for kids only, now I do not eat candy. From there it was harder to avoid the obligatory slice of cake at a party or ice cream once a week. I think the best way to successfully get ahold of the sugar crave is to give yourself boundaries and do NOT break them. I would even go as far as to say "you can have that cookie but you have to run/walk first" and you'll see that after you ran/walked you may actually not want that cookie anymore!

My new implementations are dessert once a week except for special occasions. And if you're a socialite and have a special occassion several times a week then obviously that is something you will have to revise. And one dessert means one serving of course. I heard it should be about 5% of your diet if you have it everyday, that would include a morning breakfast cookie/scone/mocha/anything high in sugars

:huh:

scottaworley

You stop eating it. You say no. And you don't vilify it. It's not the sugar's fault. Sugary foods aren't bad, and they aren't the devil.

I had to stop eating sugar for about a month before the cravings stopped. I cut WAY down on bread and tried my best to eliminate all processed foods. I had a piece of fruit after every meal to retrain my brain and cravings that after dinner I didn't want ice cream, I wanted a peach. When I do want something sweet, I eat a piece of fruit. When I want something salty, I have some almonds or cashews.

Yesterday I had a small slice of cake, and I have no cravings for more. It was enough for me.

Ultimately, you stop eating sugar the same way that you stop being overweight. You have self control and say 'no'.

Um, how did you stop eating sugar but ate fruit?

fruit sugar is not real sugar, everyone knows that!

Fruits don't have fructose.

greentart

You stop eating it. You say no. And you don't vilify it. It's not the sugar's fault. Sugary foods aren't bad, and they aren't the devil.

I had to stop eating sugar for about a month before the cravings stopped. I cut WAY down on bread and tried my best to eliminate all processed foods. I had a piece of fruit after every meal to retrain my brain and cravings that after dinner I didn't want ice cream, I wanted a peach. When I do want something sweet, I eat a piece of fruit. When I want something salty, I have some almonds or cashews.

Yesterday I had a small slice of cake, and I have no cravings for more. It was enough for me.

Ultimately, you stop eating sugar the same way that you stop being overweight. You have self control and say 'no'.

Um, how did you stop eating sugar but ate fruit?

Have you ever heard someone ask 'Oh god. I'm so addicted to fruit! How do I stop eating it?!' No, because it's the processed sugar that tends to have addictive qualities. They're two different kinds of sugar, so no need to be the 'but its all sugar' guy.

BeachIron

I really wish that they would slap a sin tax on Dairy Queen.

I have to pass one every morning when I drive to the liquor store to pick up my fifth of Jack for breakfast.

AprilMae1975

I may not be physically addicted to it but if feels like it has a strong hold on me. I know this might sound super dramatic but it's the best way I can describe it. I don't drink much soda but I love cookies, cakes, donuts etc. I will do great for a few days then splurge on something and then it's all downhill again. I have gained control over all other aspects of my eating except this part. I am just looking to find people who can relate to what I am going through.

I know that the change starts with me...

Acg67

You stop eating it. You say no. And you don't vilify it. It's not the sugar's fault. Sugary foods aren't bad, and they aren't the devil.

I had to stop eating sugar for about a month before the cravings stopped. I cut WAY down on bread and tried my best to eliminate all processed foods. I had a piece of fruit after every meal to retrain my brain and cravings that after dinner I didn't want ice cream, I wanted a peach. When I do want something sweet, I eat a piece of fruit. When I want something salty, I have some almonds or cashews.

Yesterday I had a small slice of cake, and I have no cravings for more. It was enough for me.

Ultimately, you stop eating sugar the same way that you stop being overweight. You have self control and say 'no'.

Um, how did you stop eating sugar but ate fruit?

Have you ever heard someone ask 'Oh god. I'm so addicted to fruit! How do I stop eating it?!' No, because it's the processed sugar that tends to have addictive qualities. They're two different kinds of sugar, so no need to be the 'but its all sugar' guy.

You are aware that fruits contain lots of different types of sugars, fructose, glucose, sucrose etc, right? I'd love to hear exactly how those are different then "processed" sugars, esp metabolically

AprilMae1975

This might not end well......

I guess I asked for it.....lol

ajaxe432

You stop eating it. You say no. And you don't vilify it. It's not the sugar's fault. Sugary foods aren't bad, and they aren't the devil.

I had to stop eating sugar for about a month before the cravings stopped. I cut WAY down on bread and tried my best to eliminate all processed foods. I had a piece of fruit after every meal to retrain my brain and cravings that after dinner I didn't want ice cream, I wanted a peach. When I do want something sweet, I eat a piece of fruit. When I want something salty, I have some almonds or cashews.

Yesterday I had a small slice of cake, and I have no cravings for more. It was enough for me.

Ultimately, you stop eating sugar the same way that you stop being overweight. You have self control and say 'no'.

Um, how did you stop eating sugar but ate fruit?

Have you ever heard someone ask 'Oh god. I'm so addicted to fruit! How do I stop eating it?!' No, because it's the processed sugar that tends to have addictive qualities. They're two different kinds of sugar, so no need to be the 'but its all sugar' guy.

what kind of "addictive " qualities are you referring to?

Chief_Rocka

I may not be physically addicted to it but if feels like it has a strong hold on me. I know this might sound super dramatic but it's the best way I can describe it. I don't drink much soda but I love cookies, cakes, donuts etc. I will do great for a few days then splurge on something and then it's all downhill again. I have gained control over all other aspects of my eating except this part. I am just looking to find people who can relate to what I am going through.

I know that the change starts with me...

Get rid of the "all or nothing" mentality. Having a few cookies every day and hitting your calorie goal can go a long way toward controlling the splurges.

maillemaker

You probably don't have a physiological addiction to sugar, you have a behavioral addiction.

You are going to find a lot of people here that do not believe that behavioral addictions are real. They are.

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

Any pleasurable experience triggers brain changes and for some people can result in compulsive behavior. There are plenty of examples of this:

Behavioral addiction, which is sometimes referred to as impulse control disorders, are increasingly recognized as treatable forms of addictions.[12] The type of behaviors which some people have identified as being addictive include gambling, food, sex, viewing of pornography, use of computers, playing video games, use of the internet, work, exercise, spiritual obsession (as opposed to religious devotion), cutting, and shopping.

You are also going to find a lot of people who think that unless you are resorting to crime you aren't really addicted. Of course there are people the world over who smoke cigarettes because of addiction every day who don't resort to theft or prostitution to support their addiction. It is quite possible to be high-level functioning and addicted.

Anyway, what I found is that it took me about a month and a half to break, or at least have some measure of a feeling of control over my food addiction. Prior to that time, I thought about food all the time. I dreamed about food. I would go to bed early many times just to avoid being hungry and thinking about food.

After about a month and a a half I still could feel myself wanting "bad" foods, but I felt like I was able to control myself. I felt in control of what I was eating. This was a life first. For the first time in my life I could see free donuts or cake or cookies at work and instead of thinking "OH MY GOD I WISH I COULD EAT THAT!" I thought instead, "I don't eat those things anymore."

It's not that I don't want to eat them anymore, it's just that there is no longer this fire alarm insistence to eat them on sight now.

So that's the good news - you can break the behavior after about 6 weeks of effort.

The bad news is those 6 weeks are rough, as I described above.

For me, hunger was the straw that broke the camel's back. I could resist eating "bad" foods until I got hungry, and then I would break down and binge on ice cream or cookies or whatever. So the trick to surviving those first 6 weeks is to stop being hungry as best you can. One way to do this is to eat a lot of protein. Of course, in order to maintain your calorie deficit this will mean cutting out other foods, probably carbs. Diets high in protein have been shown to curb appetite. If you can keep the hunger away, it's easier to stick to your diet.

AprilMae1975

I really wish that they would slap a sin tax on Dairy Queen.

I have to pass one every morning when I drive to the liquor store to pick up my fifth of Jack for breakfast.

And why did they add Orange Julius to their menu?? I hated DQ before that!!

scottaworley

You stop eating it. You say no. And you don't vilify it. It's not the sugar's fault. Sugary foods aren't bad, and they aren't the devil.

I had to stop eating sugar for about a month before the cravings stopped. I cut WAY down on bread and tried my best to eliminate all processed foods. I had a piece of fruit after every meal to retrain my brain and cravings that after dinner I didn't want ice cream, I wanted a peach. When I do want something sweet, I eat a piece of fruit. When I want something salty, I have some almonds or cashews.

Yesterday I had a small slice of cake, and I have no cravings for more. It was enough for me.

Ultimately, you stop eating sugar the same way that you stop being overweight. You have self control and say 'no'.

Um, how did you stop eating sugar but ate fruit?

Have you ever heard someone ask 'Oh god. I'm so addicted to fruit! How do I stop eating it?!' No, because it's the processed sugar that tends to have addictive qualities. They're two different kinds of sugar, so no need to be the 'but its all sugar' guy.

what kind of "addictive " qualities of you referring to?

There's a chemical that companies put in processed sugar to keep us hooked. Science.

scottaworley

I may not be physically addicted to it but if feels like it has a strong hold on me. I know this might sound super dramatic but it's the best way I can describe it. I don't drink much soda but I love cookies, cakes, donuts etc. I will do great for a few days then splurge on something and then it's all downhill again. I have gained control over all other aspects of my eating except this part. I am just looking to find people who can relate to what I am going through.

I know that the change starts with me...

Get rid of the "all or nothing" mentality. Having a few cookies every day and hitting your calorie goal can go a long way toward controlling the splurges.

Yep. Severely restricting anything will likely lead to a binge.
If you think that it is truly binge eating you should see a professional.

AprilMae1975

You probably don't have a physiological addiction to sugar, you have a behavioral addiction.

You are going to find a lot of people here that do not believe that behavioral addictions are real. They are.

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

Any pleasurable experience triggers brain changes and for some people can result in compulsive behavior. There are plenty of examples of this:

Behavioral addiction, which is sometimes referred to as impulse control disorders, are increasingly recognized as treatable forms of addictions.[12] The type of behaviors which some people have identified as being addictive include gambling, food, sex, viewing of pornography, use of computers, playing video games, use of the internet, work, exercise, spiritual obsession (as opposed to religious devotion), cutting, and shopping.

You are also going to find a lot of people who think that unless you are resorting to crime you aren't really addicted. Of course there are people the world over who smoke cigarettes because of addiction every day who don't resort to theft or prostitution to support their addiction. It is quite possible to be high-level functioning and addicted.

Anyway, what I found is that it took me about a month and a half to break, or at least have some measure of a feeling of control over my food addiction. Prior to that time, I thought about food all the time. I dreamed about food. I would go to bed early many times just to avoid being hungry and thinking about food.

After about a month and a a half I still could feel myself wanting "bad" foods, but I felt like I was able to control myself. I felt in control of what I was eating. This was a life first. For the first time in my life I could see free donuts or cake or cookies at work and instead of thinking "OH MY GOD I WISH I COULD EAT THAT!" I thought instead, "I don't eat those things anymore."

It's not that I don't want to eat them anymore, it's just that there is no longer this fire alarm insistence to eat them on sight now.

So that's the good news - you can break the behavior after about 6 weeks of effort.

The bad news is those 6 weeks are rough, as I described above.

For me, hunger was the straw that broke the camel's back. I could resist eating "bad" foods until I got hungry, and then I would break down and binge on ice cream or cookies or whatever. So the trick to surviving those first 6 weeks is to stop being hungry as best you can. One way to do this is to eat a lot of protein. Of course, in order to maintain your calorie deficit this will mean cutting out other foods, probably carbs. Diets high in protein have been shown to curb appetite. If you can keep the hunger away, it's easier to stick to your diet.

Thank you so much

pastryari

I may not be physically addicted to it but if feels like it has a strong hold on me. I know this might sound super dramatic but it's the best way I can describe it. I don't drink much soda but I love cookies, cakes, donuts etc. I will do great for a few days then splurge on something and then it's all downhill again. I have gained control over all other aspects of my eating except this part. I am just looking to find people who can relate to what I am going through.

I know that the change starts with me...

Get rid of the "all or nothing" mentality. Having a few cookies every day and hitting your calorie goal can go a long way toward controlling the splurges.

^ This.

highervibes

When did you finally realize you had a problem?

When it started affecting your work, when you sold your TV for a sugar cube, or when you gave a bj for a sugar packet?

I'm not proud of some of the things I've done for a sugar cube.