Need serious help with SUGAR!!!!

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  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,302 Member
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    It's not an addiction, but habitual. Takes about 21 days of consistent behavior to form a habit. You just need to form a new habit. Set aside what ever treats you like in a measured portion for that day and STICK TO IT. Do it for 21 days and see if you can stick to that habit. But you HAVE to want to do this. Don't go in with the case of the "well-uhs":

    "Well uh this happened"
    "Well uh I wanted more"
    "Well uh I don't think I can do it"

    Unless you change the habit, it will continue.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    So grab Duhigg's book on Habits. Search Charles Duhigg, read it, figure out your cues, routines, and rewards. Good or bad habits, they can be changed. Just read the book. Next caller...
  • sloth3toes
    sloth3toes Posts: 2,212 Member
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    Ya'll are crazy! :wink:

    Can you cite any peer reviewed articles to back this up?
  • rebeccawesterfield5
    rebeccawesterfield5 Posts: 132 Member
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    I think I too am related to the chocolate lovers! I am going to check out the recommended books, need all the help I can get cutting back on sugar. Some days I go so far over but haven't used up all my calories!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    The real question in my mind is when someone feels they are addicted to sugary foods, what's the solution? Although, I suspect if there was a good answer to that question, a lot fewer people would be overweight. :tongue:

    For me, the answer was giving it up cold turkey. No cake, no donuts, no candy, no syrup, no desserts or sweet treats of any kind. I was not overweight at the time, but I ate way too much sugar. And I craved it. Once I started eating it I had a hard time stopping.

    That was long ago and I really don't remember how long I gave it up, but it was more than a month. Since then, no cravings. It's been decades and I can still eat candy, cake, etc. without wanting to eat ALL the candy or cake.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Show me someone that goes through withdrawal symptoms similar to drug or alcohol addicts and watch them be "detoxed" and then MAYBE i will consider food addiction a real thing.

    Why would the symptoms have to similar or as severe? Giving up smoking does not have similar symptoms to a heroin addict giving up heroin, yet few would argue that both were addictions.

    Few would argue? Anyone "in the know" would agree that nicotine addiction is more severe than heroin addiction. Nicotine is the most difficult drug to quit. In fact, NIDA used to have a chart on this...

    That was more or less my point. They are both addictive, but the reactions are not similar.

    I don't really have an opinion on whether one can be addicted to sugar other than I doubt there is sufficient research for anyone to say deifinitively one way or the other.

    They have been trying for decades to prove that sugar is addictive and have been unable to do so without intellectual dishonesty. :ohwell:

    If they could definitvely say "No, not addictive" why would the studies continue? Although the move is away from saying anything is an "addiction" to saying "dependence".

    Because they are after federal funding. The food nazis won't stop, only multiply.

    food nazis?? :huh:

    Researchers want to be published. To be known. Whatever the funding source, they research something hoping they will be the one to find something no one else has found. If they are studying sugar or food addictions, they are not positive they won't find anything.
  • Greytfish
    Greytfish Posts: 810
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    Researchers want to be published. To be known. Whatever the funding source, they research something hoping they will be the one to find something no one else has found. If they are studying sugar or food addictions, they are not positive they won't find anything.

    They just hope to find something. Many, many discoveries that have brought about major changes were not the intended result or even the subject of the research. That does not mean that studying a possible sugar addiction means they believe there is such a thing. It means someone will pay them to research it, and any research is more likley to get them noticed than none.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    Whether sugar is "addictive" is not something you can determine with a single study. Individual studies are going to look at very specific effects of sugar, or certain types of sugar-containing foods. It's really up to panels of experts to review the sum of the available literature and make a determination about it.
  • mdhummel
    mdhummel Posts: 201 Member
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    If you can't control yourself around sugar I would not buy sugary snacks at the grocery store in fear that you will just binge. Swap the sugar out for fruit and treat yourself to dessert once or twice a week. When you treat yourself go out for an ice cream cone or go to a café for a decadent pastry and coffee, but don't bring leftovers to your house.
  • kaotik26
    kaotik26 Posts: 590 Member
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    In response to all the sugar addiction comments I want to add something I have read on the subject. When we eat something awesome and sweet like a brownie, we enjoy it. We enjoy it to a point that the brain releases the 'happy feeling' chemicals. So we continue to eat more brownie because it continues to make us feel all warm and fuzzy. The body would greatly prefer happy over sad. I guess this is true about comfort foods in general. We just need to learn that we don't truly need the whole pan of brownies.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    Actually, now, looking at the list of courses, none of them seem to be about research in any capacity. Maybe epidemiology, sort of, but not really. None of them have anything to do with clinical research, publication, interpretation of results, etc. They're all simply didactic courses about learning facts, not learning anything about the actual process of science.

    Rather than critiquing someone's course load, would it be too much to ask to actually quote the passages from the researchers that you think support your position? For what it's worth, I don't see people misrepresenting what the students that performed the study in question said, at least in their press release. For example, from the professor supervising the research:
    "This correlated well with our behavioral results and lends support to the hypothesis that high-fat/ high sugar foods can be thought of as addictive," said Schroeder.

    While I agree the fox news article isn't the best source to cite to, you aren't citing to any source whatsoever. You're simply attacking the person you disagree with and their coursework.

    Hahaha exactly. They just LOVE starting drama and picking fights anywhere they find possible. Thanks buddy!

    "Jonnythan" or whatever the hell his name is life revolves around attacking me on every single forum possible. It's okay, I've requested he be removed from the site multiple times for not only attacking me, but a number of other individuals who don't agree with his opinions. He simply can't handle people not agreeing with him or not being right for once in his precious life. :)

    And yet I'm still here.

    You referred to a Fox News post about a press release about an unpublished study without peer review as "scientific proof." I'm not the only one who saw the absurdity of that.

    Sorry I have more important things to do than be a condescending wise guy on MFP forums all day long. I don't have the time to search the internet to get the primary sources just so you can keep quiet and leave me alone.

    aren't you the debunked health professional from the ketone thread?

    Yes, the "health professional" who has been 110 lbs 15% body fat all her life, but is now 25-28% body fat with 50 lbs to lose. Her dad is a doctor, and she's an undergrad who got a cert as a radiation therapist. And just look at all those science courses she's taken. Her team of doctors all told her to take raspberry ketones.

    I want it to be clear that these statements are all virtually verbatim things that she's told us in the past couple of days. Unfortunately the threads are gone, otherwise I'd just link to them.

    she also recommended green tea for weight loss..

    yes, I saw the posts and will vouch for what you said..

    Yep. I saw them too.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,523 Member
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    Zero science background? LOL. That's really funny.

    Principles and practice of radiation therapy I, II, III, & IV
    Fundamentals of radiologic physics
    Patient Care for the radiologic technologist I, II
    Medical terminology
    Foundations of radiation therapy
    Fundamentals of radiation therapy
    Radiation biology
    Radiation protection
    Radiation therapy imaging
    Mathematics for radiation therapy
    Radiation therapy clinical internship I, II, III, IV, V, & VI
    Radiation therapy operation
    Quality management
    Oncologic pathology
    Treatment planning I, II, & III
    Clinical radiation oncology I & II
    Radiation therapy physics
    Computer application in radiation therapy
    Seminar in radiation therapy
    Honors general biology
    Microbiology
    A&P I & II
    Inorganic chem
    Organic chem
    Biochemistry
    Intro to public health
    Global & multicultural health
    Epidemiology
    Infectious diseases
    Intro to nutrition
    Pathophysiology
    Pharmacology

    ^^^ That's a list of every SCIENCE class I've taken so far in college. So don't ever try to tell me again that I don't have a background in science. Just because I haven't finished my degree yet, doesn't mean I don't know what I'm talking about.
    But what you've studied doesn't validate that sugar is an addiction. A person who has a Phd in physics may not know anything about nutrition.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Nettabee
    Nettabee Posts: 296 Member
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    It's not an addiction, but habitual. Takes about 21 days of consistent behavior to form a habit. You just need to form a new habit. Set aside what ever treats you like in a measured portion for that day and STICK TO IT. Do it for 21 days and see if you can stick to that habit. But you HAVE to want to do this. Don't go in with the case of the "well-uhs":

    "Well uh this happened"
    "Well uh I wanted more"
    "Well uh I don't think I can do it"

    Unless you change the habit, it will continue.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    This is excellent advice! I need to learn how to ration out chocolate and cookies. Right now i'm cold turkey but this will definitely help when the time comes to add them back in!
  • Gemmz2014
    Gemmz2014 Posts: 220
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    Ya'll are crazy! :wink:

    Can you cite any peer reviewed articles to back this up?

    :tongue:
  • judybutler73
    judybutler73 Posts: 1
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    I know how you crave sugar...I do also. To help me curb the craving, I sprinkle just a wee bit of cinnamon on my tongue. This seems to help.Also, try not to eat sugar free goodies, it makes the craving worse because you don't get that pleasure as you would from the real product. Hope this helps. Judy
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    Pretty sure huh? You a recovering alcoholic? You work in rehab? If you have no idea what you are talking about, its a pretty good idea to keep quiet.

    Well, my father was an alcoholic, but no.

    I don't need to be an alcoholic or work in a rehab clinic to know you're talking crap. No offence.

    Alcohol is not sugar, nor a form of sugar, and your body doesn't turn it into sugar.
    Excuse me? During the process of fermentation, yeast breaks sugar down into ethanol and carbon dioxide, so it started out as...sugar.

    This is why diabetics have to limit alcohol intake. It raises their blood glucose.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    My original post SAID what you just said, are you always like this?

    Yes, he is. Welcome to the forums! :flowerforyou:
  • bboomer51
    bboomer51 Posts: 2 Member
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    I am in the same boat! I love sweets and salty too. I have decided to go cold turkey as, like you, if I get started I don't quit until it is all gone. I am starting with chocolate as it is my biggest craving. I know I can do this and so can you!
  • daelkin
    daelkin Posts: 6
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    I completely understand where you are coming from.

    I have ALWAYS been addicted to sweets/chocolate. I am serious when I say addicted. I truly believe it's an addiction.


    I have found that dark chocolate keeps me from eating the whole bag (lol, yes that has happened) It's much richer and I
    am satisfied after a couple of pcs.

    That has helped curb my cravings. That doesn't mean I am not prone to giving in and eating a pc of chocolate cake. But
    it has helped on a day to day basis to reduce the amount I indulge in.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    "A cocaine addiction is a physical dependence."

    Cocaine is not physically addictive. It is psychologically addictive.



    http://www.addictionsandrecovery.org/cocaine.htm

    http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000947.htm

    http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/cocaine-use-and-its-effects?page=2

    http://addictions.about.com/od/cocaine/a/What-To-Expect-From-Cocaine-Withdrawal.htm



    It varies somewhat on an individual basis, but it is well-documented that cocaine has a withdrawal syndrome associated with physical dependence.
  • daelkin
    daelkin Posts: 6
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    I believe it's the PERSON who has an addictive personality/tendencies that causes them to be addicted to drugs/alcohol/food etc... Not the substance itself.



    Sugar even affects the same "feel-good" brain hormones as street drugs. Nobody would say sugar is the same as heroin, but it can still mess with your brain and body.

    Sugar fuels every cell in the brain. When you overload on sugary foods, it may alter the parts of the brain that control how much you eat. In lab studies, rats that binged on sugar had brain changes like those of getting off drugs. In humans, just seeing pictures of milkshakes triggered brain effects like those seen in drug addicts. It was strongest in women whose answers showed they were more hooked on eating.

    Can you beat your sugar habit by quitting cold turkey? Some sugar detox plans urge you to avoid all sweets. That means all fruit, dairy, and refined grains. The idea is to purge your system of sugar. Diet changes like this are too drastic to keep up. Changes that you can do only for the short term mean you'll fall back to your old habits.

    http://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-sugar-addiction

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