Sugar withdrawals

LauraFouhse

I cut all refined sugar out of my diet and limit significantly the amount of natural sugar I take in (fruits for example). For the most part I am trying to eat a clean diet.

For me.. sugar addiction is like any other addiction. It's all or nothing. I do not crave sugary things at all until I allow myself to have a little something... then I eat every sugary thing I can get my hands on. Eating sugar in no way enhances my life, so I just don't eat it. Have been sugar free for 7 months.

I am recovering from another addiction as well and I know that my physical response to sugar and binging is VERY similar to alcohol. The only way I could stop getting drunk was to avoid alcohol completely. It's worked for me for over 20 years.

jac_84

Dont cut sugar out of your diet if your only going to crave it. just have it in moderation to get your fix.

ndj1979

peer reviewed, published scientific studies comparing cocaine and sugar addiction:

http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0000698#pone-0000698-g006

http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/pha/15/5/481/

from the plosone article

"Here we report that when rats were allowed to choose mutually-exclusively between water sweetened with saccharin–an intense calorie-free sweetener–and intravenous cocaine–a highly addictive and harmful substance–the large majority of animals (94%) preferred the sweet taste of saccharin."

so the rats went for what tasted better?

Also, if the cocaine was given intravenously how did they choose between the water and the intravenous injection? It is not like they can ask …

It would seem to make more sense to have cocaine in water and sweetener in water and see what they went for….no?

i see what they did …they had levers that they "selected" from …I still think it is interesting that they just went for what more than likely tasted better…and I am not a big fan of applying rat trials to humans….but that is just my two cents...

SunofaBeach14

peer reviewed, published scientific studies comparing cocaine and sugar addiction:

http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0000698#pone-0000698-g006

http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/pha/15/5/481/

from the plosone article

"Here we report that when rats were allowed to choose mutually-exclusively between water sweetened with saccharin–an intense calorie-free sweetener–and intravenous cocaine–a highly addictive and harmful substance–the large majority of animals (94%) preferred the sweet taste of saccharin."

so the rats went for what tasted better?

Also, if the cocaine was given intravenously how did they choose between the water and the intravenous injection? It is not like they can ask …

It would seem to make more sense to have cocaine in water and sweetener in water and see what they went for….no?

i see what they did …they had levers that they "selected" from …I still think it is interesting that they just went for what more than likely tasted better…and I am not a big fan of applying rat trials to humans….but that is just my two cents...

It seemed like an odd study to me too. A preference doesn't hit me as the same thing as an addiction.

Slacker16

Why is this episode of the series in Gaining Weight? It's usually broadcast on Food & Nutrition or General Weight Loss.

For the record, my diet is and always has been low on sugar because I don't care for sweets or fruit.
I ate low-sugar as a skinny kid.
I ate low-sugar as an obese early teen.
I ate low-sugar as a slender late teen.
I ate low-sugar as an increasingly chubby early twenties guy with a binging problem.
I'm eating low-sugar as an increasingly slender late twenties guy with no binging problem.

rww59

Seven and half years on SCD.
No sugar,lactose or complex carbs.

The healthiest diet on god's green earth Bar none:glasses:

ndj1979

Why is this episode of the series in Gaining Weight? It's usually broadcast on Food & Nutrition or General Weight Loss.

For the record, my diet is and always has been low on sugar because I don't care for sweets or fruit.
I ate low-sugar as a skinny kid.
I ate low-sugar as an obese early teen.
I ate low-sugar as a slender late teen.
I ate low-sugar as an increasingly chubby early twenties guy with a binging problem.
I'm eating low-sugar as an increasingly slender late twenties guy with no binging problem.

wait, so you are saying you got obese by eating too much food AND low sugar.?? *mindblown*

I thought all sugar was stored as fat and that is what made you obese….

32sami

Occasionally I try and detox from crap but that's about it. I couldn't give up sugar, etc anymore than I could give up breathing.

32sami

A distinction needs to be made between added table sugar or high fructose syrup and the sugars that are naturally found in plants and dairy. I think the OP is referring to added sugar, and I think it's a great idea to give it up if you find it hard to control cravings for sweets.

Not everyone has a problem with self control around sweets, and for them, eating sweets in moderation is an option, if that's what they choose. However, if you're someone who has thoughts about sweets throughout the day, it's a good idea to try a diet that's free from added sugars to see if your thought patterns change.

I'm much happier on a diet that's free from added sugar. Yes, I miss the treats, but I don't miss what sugar in my blood stream does to my self control. A limited amount of fruit and dairy sugars don't mess with my mind, so I eat them. I think it's a mistake to avoid fruit because there are so many vital nutrients found in fruit that are hard to find elsewhere.

ummm no…

sugar is sugar..it does not matter if you have unicorns deliver it to your doorstop, or devils add it to your food…at the end of the day you body recognizes sugar, as sugar….

Or angels fly it out of your *kitten*

shinkalork

didn't cut it all but i've reduced my quantity to barely nothing.
Way under in my macro ....as per what i could take.

And yes,,,,fruits contain good sugar (fructose) but don't over do it...it's still sugar

sloth3toes

In.

sue_langley

I've read that taking glutamine can help keep sugar cravings at bay. I haven't tried it myself, but it's worth doing some research if you're struggling.

yes, I recently started taking L-glutamine raw and can't believe how I don't crave sugar and bad carbs.
I use the powder form, 1/4 serving morning and again at about 3 PM.
I've lost 1/2 inch off my hips in a short period of time. my hips were my problem area and now I think it may have been the sugar or bad carbs, worth a try.

jamesisaac108

When I started my little adventure October of 2012 I was honest with myself. Im not giving up sweets altogether. Ill cut down a lot but Ill be realistic. As I used to be hooked on drugs pretty bad in the past it became sort of easy to recognize some the addiction from some of the sweets I was eating. A couple of months ago I actually found myself obsessing about peanut M&Ms. I was actually a little freaked out about it. I guess there was truth in all those stories about how companies are making food more addictive. Recognize that makes it a lot easier to stay away from it. If I want something sweet then I will stick to chocolate with at least 60% dark chocolate in it. Staying away from processed food as much as possible will help in all aspects of your diet and exercise.

tigersword

peer reviewed, published scientific studies comparing cocaine and sugar addiction:

http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0000698#pone-0000698-g006

http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/pha/15/5/481/

from the plosone article

"Here we report that when rats were allowed to choose mutually-exclusively between water sweetened with saccharin–an intense calorie-free sweetener–and intravenous cocaine–a highly addictive and harmful substance–the large majority of animals (94%) preferred the sweet taste of saccharin."

so the rats went for what tasted better?

Also, if the cocaine was given intravenously how did they choose between the water and the intravenous injection? It is not like they can ask …

It would seem to make more sense to have cocaine in water and sweetener in water and see what they went for….no?

A more interesting observation. Saccharin isn't sugar.

CynthiasChoice

Nora D Volkow is a well-respected researcher of substance abuse. She is the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2003 – present.

In one journal article she writes:

“repeated exposure to certain foods (particularly those with a high fat and sugar content) in vulnerable individuals can also result in compulsive food consumption, poor food intake control, conditioning to food stimuli, and, over time, massive weight gain.”

And also: “we propose that some forms of obesity are driven by an excessive motivational drive for food and should be included as a mental disorder”

She says there’s an “urgent need to develop better therapeutic interventions that help mitigate the pathologically intense drive for food consumption.”

http://journals.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleid=98310
http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/363/1507/3191.short

Those who have never experienced an excessive, intense drive to eat have a difficult time understanding what that’s like, and may be tempted to demonize those with poor impulse control, or criticize them for making the “excuse” that they are addicted to sugar. You know the saying…until you’ve walked a mile in my shoes…

Just on this thread alone we’ve seen many people who say that eating sugary foods makes them lose control of their eating. They report that giving up sugar is incredibly hard, but when they stop eating sugar, the drive to eat excessively diminishes.

Is there anyone reading these testimonies that would have to gall to disregard these very real struggles that people are having, and try to deny that their experiences are credible?

We have to remember that the human body and the human brain are amazingly complex – beyond what scientists can yet understand. We don’t gain any new knowledge by being closed-minded. What is to be gained by saying there is no such thing as sugar addiction?

jamesisaac108

Nora D Volkow is a well-respected researcher of substance abuse. She is the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2003 – present.

In one journal article she writes:

“repeated exposure to certain foods (particularly those with a high fat and sugar content) in vulnerable individuals can also result in compulsive food consumption, poor food intake control, conditioning to food stimuli, and, over time, massive weight gain.”

And also: “we propose that some forms of obesity are driven by an excessive motivational drive for food and should be included as a mental disorder”

She says there’s an “urgent need to develop better therapeutic interventions that help mitigate the pathologically intense drive for food consumption.”

http://journals.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleid=98310
http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/363/1507/3191.short

Those who have never experienced an excessive, intense drive to eat have a difficult time understanding what that’s like, and may be tempted to demonize those with poor impulse control, or criticize them for making the “excuse” that they are addicted to sugar. You know the saying…until you’ve walked a mile in my shoes…

Just on this thread alone we’ve seen many people who say that eating sugary foods makes them lose control of their eating. They report that giving up sugar is incredibly hard, but when they stop eating sugar, the drive to eat excessively diminishes.

Is there anyone reading these testimonies that would have to gall to disregard these very real struggles that people are having, and try to deny that their experiences are credible?

We have to remember that the human body and the human brain are amazingly complex – beyond what scientists can yet understand. We don’t gain any new knowledge by being closed-minded. What is to be gained by saying there is no such thing as sugar addiction?

I couldn't agree with you more. My sister and I often discuss weight loss. She is trying to shed a few pounds and she is frustrated about what to eat. I try to always remind her that its just food and not to worry so much about what to eat. It's just food. Its nutrition. Just nutrition. I have been where so many of these people been and my heart goes out to everyone.

CynthiasChoice

When I started my little adventure October of 2012 I was honest with myself. Im not giving up sweets altogether. Ill cut down a lot but Ill be realistic. As I used to be hooked on drugs pretty bad in the past it became sort of easy to recognize some the addiction from some of the sweets I was eating. A couple of months ago I actually found myself obsessing about peanut M&Ms. I was actually a little freaked out about it. I guess there was truth in all those stories about how companies are making food more addictive. Recognize that makes it a lot easier to stay away from it. If I want something sweet then I will stick to chocolate with at least 60% dark chocolate in it. Staying away from processed food as much as possible will help in all aspects of your diet and exercise.

James - How has it been with not giving up sweets altogether for you? Has cutting back on sugar decreased your cravings for it, or do you still have thoughts about eating sugary foods through the day? I'd love to hear more about your experience.

My experience has been that after I give up sugar for a number of weeks, the cravings get much milder and I don't find myself obsessing about food. At that point, after I'm "clean," I can have a very small treat (50 cals) once every few days and still stay on track, but it takes a lot of self discipline to keep that treat small.

I'm still cautiously experimenting with this, because I really don't want to sabotage all my efforts to get my brain working optimally. I'd like to find a way to enjoy a small treat occasionally without my prefrontal cortex going haywire. Staying away from sugar seems to keep the "parent" in my brain strong and able to control the child.

jamesisaac108

I dont remember having any withdrawls to tell you the truth. But I run enough that I dont worry about what I eat very much. The shakes I make in the morning for my workouts helped a ton. Nothing really special about them. Fresh fruit and whey protein in a blender. Its important to see food as nothing more than nutrition. Believe me, it helps a lot. Losing weight doesnt have to be hard. Its as hard as you make it. I lost about 75 pounds in about 18 months and they were an absolute blast.

When I started my little adventure October of 2012 I was honest with myself. Im not giving up sweets altogether. Ill cut down a lot but Ill be realistic. As I used to be hooked on drugs pretty bad in the past it became sort of easy to recognize some the addiction from some of the sweets I was eating. A couple of months ago I actually found myself obsessing about peanut M&Ms. I was actually a little freaked out about it. I guess there was truth in all those stories about how companies are making food more addictive. Recognize that makes it a lot easier to stay away from it. If I want something sweet then I will stick to chocolate with at least 60% dark chocolate in it. Staying away from processed food as much as possible will help in all aspects of your diet and exercise.

James - How has it been with not giving up sweets altogether for you? Has cutting back on sugar decreased your cravings for it, or do you still have thoughts about eating sugary foods through the day? I'd love to hear more about your experience.

My experience has been that after I give up sugar for a number of weeks, the cravings get much milder and I don't find myself obsessing about food. At that point, after I'm "clean," I can have a very small treat (50 cals) once every few days and still stay on track, but it takes a lot of self discipline to keep that treat small.

I'm still cautiously experimenting with this, because I really don't want to sabotage all my efforts to get my brain working optimally. I'd like to find a way to enjoy a small treat occasionally without my prefrontal cortex going haywire. Staying away from sugar seems to keep the "parent" in my brain strong and able to control the child.

LauraFouhse

I know without a doubt that for me the only way to not binge on refined sugar is to avoid it completely. Complete abstinence. I also really limit my intact of natural sugars (fruit).

When I am not eating sugar at all, I don't crave it at all (after the first week of withdrawal). As soon as I allow myself to eat even a tiny bit of sugar, I immediately become obsessive in my thinking which always leads to obsessive in my eating.

My life is not in anyway enhanced by eating sugar and I"m learning to accept that.

jamesisaac108

I know without a doubt that for me the only way to not binge on refined sugar is to avoid it completely. Complete abstinence. I also really limit my intact of natural sugars (fruit).

When I am not eating sugar at all, I don't crave it at all (after the first week of withdrawal). As soon as I allow myself to eat even a tiny bit of sugar, I immediately become obsessive in my thinking which always leads to obsessive in my eating.

My life is not in anyway enhanced by eating sugar and I"m learning to accept that.

It's not a bad idea getting rid of refined sugar if you can manage it. Personally, I never felt I had to. The teas I been drinking lately have been so good that sugar would just ruin it. But no way am I giving up fresh fruit. I dont think that is very healthy.