Sugar addiction....
Replies
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This might not end well......
I guess I asked for it.....lol
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what kind of "addictive " qualities are you referring to?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.0 -
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.0 -
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.0 -
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!!0 -
what kind of "addictive " qualities of you referring to?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.
There's a chemical that companies put in processed sugar to keep us hooked. Science.0 -
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.0 -
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 0 -
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.0 -
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.0 -
Sugar is not the answer(unless you are taking it 3 pounds a day)! Stay within 20% deficit on your TDEE and you will be fine!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...0 -
I dont know why, this one got me! Well played!!!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.0 -
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.
^ We have a winner!0 -
For my knowledge, can you direct me to a source, or the source you used to determine this theory?
what kind of "addictive " qualities of you referring to?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.
There's a chemical that companies put in processed sugar to keep us hooked. Science.0 -
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.
I like this.....I need self control. One usually turns into two or three. Doing that a few times a day is the bad part.0 -
Go cold turkey from refined sugars.
Or
Reduce the amount you eat each day.
Either will work.0 -
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?
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
:laugh:
I really shouldn't laugh at it, because there was that one time I really wanted a Klondike Bar..0 -
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.
Once I found myself crawling around a horse stall trying to find one that had been left behind. That's when I traded my sugar addiction for alcoholism because it was more dignified.0 -
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?
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
:laugh:
I really shouldn't laugh at it, because there was that one time I really wanted a Klondike Bar..
Pssss! You. Yea, you.
I got Klondikes.
In my freezer.
What kind ya like?0 -
This content has been removed.
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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...
I can relate 100% and there is no need to apologize for how you feel. As you note, food addiction probably is not physical (physiological) but there are most definitely food behavioral addictions.
Behavioral addictions have been slow to make it into the DSM but binge eating is now in DSM-V. So now is gambling, and Internet and sexual addictions are now listed in the appendix.
'"The new ASAM definition makes a departure from equating addiction with just substance dependence, by describing how addiction is also related to behaviors that are rewarding. This is the first time that ASAM has taken an official position that addiction is not solely "substance dependence." This definition says that addiction is about functioning and brain circuitry and how the structure and function of the brains of persons with addiction differ from the structure and function of the brains of persons who do not have addiction. It talks about reward circuitry in the brain and related circuitry, but the emphasis is not on the external rewards that act on the reward system. Food and sexual behaviors and gambling behaviors can be associated with the "pathological pursuit of rewards" described in this new definition of addiction.
We all have the brain reward circuitry that makes food and sex rewarding. In fact, this is a survival mechanism. In a healthy brain, these rewards have feedback mechanisms for satiety or 'enough.' In someone with addiction, the circuitry becomes dysfunctional such that the message to the individual becomes ‘more’, which leads to the pathological pursuit of rewards and/or relief through the use of substances and behaviors. So, anyone who has addiction is vulnerable to food and sex addiction.[19]"
- American Society of Addiction Medicine. (2011). DEFINITION OF ADDICTION: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS. http://www.asam.org/pdf/Advocacy/20110816_DefofAddiction-FAQs.pdf
This behavior has run in my family for years. I remember growing up hearing my mother joke about food saying, "If some is good, more is better!" It's exactly the way I have approached food my whole life.0 -
It isn't an addiction until you have snorted a line of sugar off of the Kool Aid Man's *kitten*.0
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There's no such thing. Just get your diet figured out and fit in moderate amounts of foods you enjoy.
Not "addiction" per se, but sugar dependence has certainly been proven. http://www.princeton.edu/pr/news/02/q2/0620-hoebel.htm0 -
I need help overcoming my sugar addiction. I would love tips from anyone who has been through this and broke the addiction.
It probably isn't really an addiction so much as a habit. I have a pretty major sweet tooth and generally crave something sweet after lunch and dinner. I also have a hard time not eating certain things if they're in my house and with other things, if I have that first taste I want more and more.
So, I don't keep those things in my house at all (and if I HAVE TO have them there, I avoid that first taste). For the little sweet craving, I learned to substitute. After lunch pretty much every day, I have six squares of Green & Black's 85% cocoa dark chocolate with some peanut butter (optional). It's the ONLY dark chocolate I can stand. It isn't as bitter as others, but still not a lot of sugar. And it's so rich that that little bit is more than enough.
I end every evening with a fruit smoothie:
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup each of raspberries and blackberries
1 banana
1 Tablespoon Peanut Butter & Co. Dark Chocolate Dreams
Ice
Blend and top with LIGHT whipped cream. 16 grams of fiber and a ton of vitamins. And so yummy.0 -
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.
I like this.....I need self control. One usually turns into two or three. Doing that a few times a day is the bad part.
Honestly, it's starting to sound like disordered eating. I would definitely talk to a counselor about it.0 -
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?
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
:laugh:
I really shouldn't laugh at it, because there was that one time I really wanted a Klondike Bar..
Pssss! You. Yea, you.
I got Klondikes.
In my freezer.
What kind ya like?
Whoa...where'd my clothes just go?!?
Caramel pretzel...name your price.0 -
For my knowledge, can you direct me to a source, or the source you used to determine this theory?
what kind of "addictive " qualities of you referring to?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.
There's a chemical that companies put in processed sugar to keep us hooked. Science.
I read it on a blog somewhere0 -
There's no such thing. Just get your diet figured out and fit in moderate amounts of foods you enjoy.
Not "addiction" per se, but sugar dependence has certainly been proven. http://www.princeton.edu/pr/news/02/q2/0620-hoebel.htm
Did you even bother to read the article?0 -
I need help overcoming my sugar addiction. I would love tips from anyone who has been through this and broke the addiction.
It probably isn't really an addiction so much as a habit. I have a pretty major sweet tooth and generally crave something sweet after lunch and dinner. I also have a hard time not eating certain things if they're in my house and with other things, if I have that first taste I want more and more.
So, I don't keep those things in my house at all (and if I HAVE TO have them there, I avoid that first taste). For the little sweet craving, I learned to substitute. After lunch pretty much every day, I have six squares of Green & Black's 85% cocoa dark chocolate with some peanut butter (optional). It's the ONLY dark chocolate I can stand. It isn't as bitter as others, but still not a lot of sugar. And it's so rich that that little bit is more than enough.
I end every evening with a fruit smoothie:
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup each of raspberries and blackberries
1 banana
1 Tablespoon Peanut Butter & Co. Dark Chocolate Dreams
Ice
Blend and top with LIGHT whipped cream. 16 grams of fiber and a ton of vitamins. And so yummy.
Great ideas....thank you 0 -
Cool, thank you.
For my knowledge, can you direct me to a source, or the source you used to determine this theory?
what kind of "addictive " qualities of you referring to?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.
There's a chemical that companies put in processed sugar to keep us hooked. Science.
I read it on a blog somewhere0
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