Addicted to sugar..HELP!!

PhatGirl8924

Hi, I just join today and my biggest problem I have is eating a lot of sweets and carbs. What are some things I can do to control my cravings? Im breastfeeding also so that makes me feel hungry most of the day. Thanks for the help. :-)

marathon_44

I'm really sensitive to processed carbs and sugar too. Here's what works for me. (I've never done this while breastfeeding, so there is that caveat...)
1) start your day off with eggs, or some other protein heavy meal - I think this sets me up for success for the day.
2) stop drinking diet soda - I think the sweet flavor makes my brain think it has had something sweet, so I get more cravings
3) avoid processed carbs like the plague - think "white" foods (flours, tortilla chips, breads, etc.)
4) I adjusted my macro ratio so it was is evenly split between carbs, fats and protein.
5) Enjoy all of the wonderful fruits and veggies that are out there!
As long as I do this, I'm not tempted by all of the junk and sweets that infiltrate my life, nor do I really miss it (office candy jar, birthday donuts, etc.). But if I don't, I know I'm going to be in for a tough day of feeling like the cookie monster! Me want cookies!!

PhatGirl8924

Thanks for the help!!! I love cookies... It will be hard controling myself with the Christmas baking .. :-P

Mokey41

Don't eat that stuff. Once you start eating it you just crave more. It's hard to do but just cut it out cold turkey and after a few days the cravings start to go away.

PhatGirl8924

Thanks :-)

Holly_Roman_Empire

My number one suggestion would be to try and fill up on protein. It's good since you're breastfeeding, too! There's nothing wrong with carbs and sugars in terms of weightloss, though. But if moderation is something you can't handle, I'd just stick to fruits and veggies to fill your carb macro.

Mcgrawhaha

im addicted to sugar and carbs too... and I wouldn't have it any other way!!! BRING ON THE SKITTLES!!!

AprilMae1975

I posted the same topic a few months ago, early in my journey. I got so many responses, good and bad but all helpful. What worked for me was learning to say no. I still eat sweets and I love them. I just know when to stop and also when to say no. There are times I have failed but I just pick myself up, start again and learn from it.

I can't imagine living life and not enjoying a sweet treat ever again. If I stay at a calorie deficit , even with the sweet treats I am losing weight!! It really just depends on how much you want to lose weight/get healthy. I want it really bad so I have to practice major self control.

Greenrun99

Stop buying it

julesoa

I have 2 suggestions which have helped me: one is to take a look at a website radiantrecovery.com which is based on books by Kathleen DesMaisons on recovery from sugar addiction. Basically it is a way of eating which teaches you to eat the right amount of protein for your body, complex carbs rather than 'white' ones and to steadily work towards removing sugar from your diet.
I am asbsolutely a sugar addict and have found that I can't eat it at all in any processed way it just triggers me more and more. For me I have found Overeaters Anonymous has helped me to recognise the addiction for the illness it is and recover one day at a time. I don't know if either of those will help you but just wanted to share what I could.

SnicciFit

I see some suggestions to eat a lot of protein, and that's good, but don't forget about healthy fat. It's a good fuel and helps you feel satiated. Things like avocado, nuts (don't go to crazy on nuts, a handful is good!) and cooking with some fats, such as coconut oil or butter will help too.

WendyTerry420

Here's the deal. Sugar is not addictive. It can be an obsession. How to cure an obsession you ask? Find something different to be obsessed over. It works.

PhatGirl8924

Thanks for the advice, everyone

lthames0810

Also addicted to sweets. The main thing that has made me fat is the bingeing on sugary things. I used to think of a serving of golden oreos as the entire package.

I have learned over the years that denying myself the treats doesn't last long and then I go overboard with a mega binge. My best success has come from accepting that I adore sweet things and will have to have some in my diet long term. I'm just learning how to account for them during my day so that I don't go over on calories.

Obviously an entire package of cookies can't fit into an allotment of 1700 cal per day so I can't have the oreos in the house but I have something else like ginger snaps that I can control myself with. Once I began to have some success with weight loss I started to not want to ruin all my hard work, so now the binges are much less damaging.

AprilMae1975

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1085417-sugar-addiction

Lol....have fun reading

poohpoohpeapod

powdered l-glutamine is supposed to work on the brain to reduce sweet cravings. It is an amino acid

Phoenix_Warrior

They tried to make me go to rehab but I said nooo, nooo, nooo.

Vicxie86

My solution is to incorporate it into your calorie allowance. I eat carb every single day e.g. white bread, potatoes and pasta but never for dinner. I can snack a ton if i want to but i don't get addicted to food. There's this indulgence ice cream that i love and use to have like 3 in a day, alongside diary milk chocolate, maybe toffee cake and custard if i had cake available, point is, i ate high sugar food everyday all day. Almost 6 weeks on into mfp, i don't suffer from cravings, i did miss my indulgence ice cream in the first 3wks and if i felt that i wanted it, i had it. Now, what i do is to incorporate it into my saturday calorie intake.

I chose the weekend to eat high sugary food because during the weekdays, i don't get home from work until after 5pm and i have had to stop myself from snacking after dinner and just stick to treating myself early at weekends when my body will have enough time to burn it off.

Whatever it is you love, eat it by incorporating it into your daily meal and very soon, you won't miss it much. Some people crave what they feel like they shouldn't have the most, tell your brain that you can have it if you want it but will wait until the day you have allocated it to. I find planning meals a day or even 2 ahead of time helps me a lot.

Discipline is the key to success. Do what works best for you. Good Luck

poohpoohpeapod

Here's the deal. Sugar is not addictive. It can be an obsession. How to cure an obsession you ask? Find something different to be obsessed over. It works.

It can be "addictive" the same receptors in the brain that light on brain scans light when SOME people eat sugar, so just poo pooing someone that has an issue is nonsense. the cravings are similar to drug cravings as sugar works on the dopamine receptors as well as serotonin.

AprilMae1975

They tried to make me go to rehab but I said nooo, nooo, nooo.

I will never give it up.....NEVER!!!!

emilyyyrussell

carbs are not the enemy, refined sugars/ processed foods are i eat a LOT of fruit, only whole foods, never anything processed. and you know what?i dont want that crap either. you cant crave what you dont eat. every time you want a chocolate, you have a date stuffed with peanut butter (of course in moderation, but its still better than candy!). or every time you want chips, you have apple slices. once you push through the cravings, they will become less and less and soon you wont have any at all. i know for some people this can be extremely hard, but if i can do it you can do it! good luck!

eryquem

Here's the deal. Sugar is not addictive. It can be an obsession. How to cure an obsession you ask? Find something different to be obsessed over. It works.

It can be "addictive" the same receptors in the brain that light on brain scans light when SOME people eat sugar, so just poo pooing someone that has an issue is nonsense. the cravings are similar to drug cravings as sugar works on the dopamine receptors as well as serotonin.

That makes absolutely no sense. All carbs have to be converted to glucose in order to reach the brain. So you'd get the exact same effect on dopamine receptors if you ate pasta, rice, bread, fruit and veggies, etc.

Now if we're talking about a psychological addiction, that's a bit more complicated.

unFATuated

I used to be a sugar fiend too. I found the inclusion of more protein in my diet very helpful to control the sugar cravings I was having (I was bfing too when I first started MFP), and more fat is also helpful with satiety.

Personally the less I eat of the sweet stuff, the less I want it, but the other thing I've found is that not depriving myself of my favourites and just working them into my 'normal' daily intake is the easiest thing to do. I started following a flexiable dieting/If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM) approach a few months ago, I still have treats and I have just clocked up 20kgs weight loss since May.

Saramelie

My advice : CUT IT
I am a total carbs and sugar (same thing) addict and when I don't eat grains and sugar and don't over do it with fruits, the urge to binge on it just.... disapear! Much easier for me to not have it then to have it trying to control the amount and then crave it like crazy afterward. It's hard (stopping it) for the first couple of days and then it gets so freeing. I've tried many many many time to ""go at it with moderation"", but it never worked for me. I wish........!

mwhite61451

I'm addicted as well. I made the conscious decision 2 weeks ago, that I wanted to stop eating sugar, beacuase I knew it was detrimental to where I wanted to be. Typically, I would buy a package of cookies and they would be gone within 1/2 hour after I could open them. My rule for ice cream is "more." Chocolate is my my downfall, any kind, but particularly semi-sweet. Once I start, there is no stopping until it's gone.

Fortunately, for me, I am in a recovery program for drinking, and as long as I stay in it, I've been sober. It takes work, but more importanly you have to want to change. We'll help you.

Danny_Boy13

One thing that helps me with my sweet tooth is to eat fruits... berries in particular. Works for me anyhow.

ajaxe432

I think if people are going to use science for an argument.....show me your credentials.....because some of ya are making no sense what so ever!!!!

Acg67

Awaits someone to say sugar is as addictive as cocaine while failing to mention it was a study done in rodents

afat12

Don't eat that stuff. Once you start eating it you just crave more. It's hard to do but just cut it out cold turkey and after a few days the cravings start to go away.

Agreed it is super hard at first but in the end it is worth it

Holly_Roman_Empire

Awaits someone to say sugar is as addictive as cocaine while failing to mention it was a study done in rodents

You're too late! (See page 1.)

WendyTerry420

Here's the deal. Sugar is not addictive. It can be an obsession. How to cure an obsession you ask? Find something different to be obsessed over. It works.

It can be "addictive" the same receptors in the brain that light on brain scans light when SOME people eat sugar, so just poo pooing someone that has an issue is nonsense. the cravings are similar to drug cravings as sugar works on the dopamine receptors as well as serotonin.

It's not "poo-pooing" it at all. It's clarifying that the problem is in your mind and attitude. The cravings are *NOTHING* like drug cravings. Cocaine and heroin, even nicotine, are associated with physical withdrawal syndromes. The body is literally addicted to those substances. There is no literal addiction, and no associated withdrawal syndrome for sucrose because sucrose is converted into glucose in the body, and glucose is necessary for humans to survive.

This is why I say it's more of an obsession, just like you can become obsessed with a video game, or some other habit. You have to get your head on straight. It's not easy, but the solution really is simple. (Just like losing weight is simple, but not easy)