help! keep going on sugar binges cant stop myself

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stephaniesowers140
stephaniesowers140 Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
For the last few months I have been going on sugar binges, now these arent like a few pieces of chocolate binges its like 4 cookies,2 donuts,cinnamon graham crackers,2 granola bars and whatever else I can find. After eating all this stuff I get really depressed and mad at myself and promise myself I wont do it again, but then those craving come again and I do it again, I cant help myself.I have lost 128lb so far and im so scared that im going to gain it back and then some please give me some tips on what to do when these cravings come,thanks
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  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    Whenever I find myself suspect to sugar binges, I go a week or so very low carb: basically only lean proteins and veggies. This usually breaks me of the cravings so that I can be satisfied with one serving once I go back to eating normally.
  • badwolf4
    badwolf4 Posts: 49 Member
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    Scientifically sugar is exactly like a drug, and from what I know of drug addicts they more they have the more they want. It's harder with food, because it is something you need to live, unlike most drugs. What I did was I stopped eating sugar entirely, and am very careful with the substitutes I use. I also know this is NOT the solution for everyone.

    Keep trying and don't give up (: You'll get there eventually. Also, please don't beat up on yourself so much, you're a person just like any other and I bet you wouldn't want your best friend to beat themselves up over this (:

    Amberley
  • Ainar
    Ainar Posts: 858 Member
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    1. Try going low carb. Sometimes sugar cravings can be cause by carbs. More you ate more you want, kinda like drugs. This is biological. Also it can be mental cos sometimes if you start it's harder to stop. You might think one tiny candy will make no difference I've been good for many weeks. Then it might snowball in crazyness. it's even worse if you got to have a mental "snowballness" and biological "drugness". Try decreasing slowly. You need to treat is as a drug, if you try to stop completely you won't succeed, detox slowly.

    2. If that's not the case for you then maybe it's a mental thing cos you exclude sugar from your diet completely. Adding small portions frequently might keep your mind satisfied so you don't binge. Ya know, IIFYM and stuff...

    3. Closing eyes and focusing might help. Close eyes and think how bad eating that will make you feel, try really feeling it not just intellectually, focus on feelings of depression you have after you ate sugar. Do it for five minutes and then focus on feelings of pride and strength what you would have if you would not ate it. if you do it right you won't even want to ate it in first place, no self discipline necessary. If you do it on constant basis you might even program yourself so that you would not want to ate sweets ever again, unless you choose to, not because you crave and cant control yourself. It sounds simple but it works, I study psychology and this is very basic stuff. Now the key is to actually do it for 10 min before you about to ate that chocolate. If it does not works you can still ate it, don't be in hurry to ate it before you done the task, sugar won't run away. But if you stick the urge might.^^
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
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    I want to share with you something I did once. And for me, it's had long-lasting positive effects on me not putting back on all the pounds I lost. For about 3 months I gave up every drop of high fructose corn syrup. No soda, no syrup or bread or salad dressing that had high fructose corn syrup. No frostings that had it, no sauces. Nothing. If I picked something up off the shelf and it had HFCS in it, I put it back and found a different brand.

    I think by giving up the highly-concentrated sweetener, my tongue regrew some tastebuds or something, because now, I can eat plain, oven-roasted sweet potatoes or carrots (with just a little salt and garlic on them, maybe) and they actually taste sweet to me. If I have a sweet craving, toast with jam can fill the urge. Or an orange.

    Don't get me wrong, I can eat brownies and cake and donuts. And I do sometimes. But it's so much harder for me to "binge" on them because they taste so sickingly sweet (even though they don't actually have HFCS, probably) my brain tells my mouth to stop. And typically, I just don't want it. Regular coke or mountain dew tastes chemically now, because of the HFCS. (I'm much more likely to binge on things like cheese now -- but hey, at least it has protein.) I do eat a little bit of dark chocolate every day, though. And maybe that helps give me something to look forward to instead of eating the donuts at work.

    So anyway, I just wanted to share my experience. I still binge, sort of, sometimes. But it just seems to do so much less damage when I do because I'm not eating those foods with that highly concentrated sugar.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    Break up the carb chain. Eat something with protein (e.g. greek yogurt, jerky, etc) and perhaps drink some unsweetened tea or water.
  • sloth3toes
    sloth3toes Posts: 2,212 Member
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    This thread went 32 pages, with no answer.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1182607-need-serious-help-with-sugar

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1184875-need-serious-help-with-sugar
    it's not a sugar addiction. If it's an addiction at all, it's an addiction to hyperpalatable food.

    You might find some assistance Googling 'hyperpalable food.'

    If you find the solution please post it.

    http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/compulsive-overeating-and-how-to-stop-it
  • rejectuf
    rejectuf Posts: 487 Member
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    You could try treating it like an addiction. (not saying it actually is, just that treating it like one may help you deal with the problem)

    Cold turkey often fails pretty miserably. What tends to work better is a gradual reduction into cessation. How often are these binges happening? If they happen every week, then try allowing yourself a small & planned treat every 3-4 days. Slowly increase the time apart until you have a manageable schedule and/or can just quit the sugary stuff altogether.
  • sloth3toes
    sloth3toes Posts: 2,212 Member
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    Also, congrats on such an awesome weight loss ! How did you lose 128 lbs? Did you change up your diet alot, or just eat less of the same foods? In other words did you restrict yourself from certain foods, that you now allow yourself to eat?
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    For the last few months I have been going on sugar binges, now these arent like a few pieces of chocolate binges its like 4 cookies,2 donuts,cinnamon graham crackers,2 granola bars and whatever else I can find. After eating all this stuff I get really depressed and mad at myself and promise myself I wont do it again, but then those craving come again and I do it again, I cant help myself.I have lost 128lb so far and im so scared that im going to gain it back and then some please give me some tips on what to do when these cravings come,thanks
    Stephanie, I'm going to tell you--if you keep eating over your calories like that, you will end up gaining weight.

    It's not that you are eating sugary foods per se, but that you are not using portion control. If you've lost 128 pounds (that is FANTASTIC, by the way! :drinker: ), then you know what portion control is.

    Just a thought- anything stressful or emotional come up that could be contributing to your binges?
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    Scientifically sugar is exactly like a drug, and from what I know of drug addicts they more they have the more they want. It's harder with food, because it is something you need to live, unlike most drugs. What I did was I stopped eating sugar entirely, and am very careful with the substitutes I use. I also know this is NOT the solution for everyone.

    Keep trying and don't give up (: You'll get there eventually. Also, please don't beat up on yourself so much, you're a person just like any other and I bet you wouldn't want your best friend to beat themselves up over this (:

    Amberley

    I am just going with a no on this one..as I am sick and tired of comparing crack heads to sugar heads…sigh...
  • ebayaddict0127
    ebayaddict0127 Posts: 523 Member
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    How are you getting these foods? Are you buying them? Are they at work? If you're buying them - stop. If they're at work, you need to exercise self control. Try replacing sugary crap with a piece of fruit. (Yeah I know.. who wants fruit over cookies..) Just try. Or get some frozen berries and drizzle a little bit of chocolate syrup on them. Or if you gotta have it.. they used to sell these little Hostess 100 calorie packs of the chocolate muffins. Sooo good. Just have one 100 calorie pack. OR drink a ton of water and see if the urge goes away.

    OR distract yourself. Get up and take a walk. Go clean the bathroom. Do some laundry. Do something active so you won't sit there and think about sugar.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    I thought it said sugar bangers and I wanted to see what that was about.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    I see some posters are on the "sugar is an addiction" path here, and I just want to say I used to think that too. Why? Because I convinced myself that once I started eating sugar I would not be able to stop, therefore I must be addicted to sugar.

    Once I started practicing moderation in every single thing I eat, I was able to see that sugar was never the problem to my weight gain. The problem was that I allowed myself to eat enough of it that sugary foods put me at surplus calories, thus I regained 30 of the 70 pounds I'd initially lost.

    At work I don't eat any of their sugar foods because I know why I used to reach for it- stress. I was stressed and sugar gave me a temporary reprieve, but then I crashed because I ate too much sugar. I didn't give up sugar, I gave up eating it at work because of the reason I was eating it.

    I still eat sugar, though. Fruits, vegetables, a cookie once in awhile, Aunt's brownies and strawberry short cake, maybe desert at a party. The difference is that I am not stressed in these situations, therefore moderation is a cinch.

    Sugar is not bad for you (unless you are diabetic or have other sugar issues and your doctor tells you to cut it out), it is just another food. Moderation is the key, not depriving yourself.
  • gunshowgreg
    gunshowgreg Posts: 169 Member
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    Have you tried eating hard candies when you get a sugar craving? It helps me and when I'm watching my calories those little 90 calorie fiber one bars do me well too. But you can only have ONE. Take baby steps. Hope this helps.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    How are you getting these foods? Are you buying them? Are they at work? If you're buying them - stop. If they're at work, you need to exercise self control. Try replacing sugary crap with a piece of fruit. (Yeah I know.. who wants fruit over cookies..) Just try. Or get some frozen berries and drizzle a little bit of chocolate syrup on them. Or if you gotta have it.. they used to sell these little Hostess 100 calorie packs of the chocolate muffins. Sooo good. Just have one 100 calorie pack. OR drink a ton of water and see if the urge goes away.

    OR distract yourself. Get up and take a walk. Go clean the bathroom. Do some laundry. Do something active so you won't sit there and think about sugar.

    why would OP binge on all other sugars but not fruit sugar? Thats like giving a crack head cocaine….
  • thefitnightowl
    thefitnightowl Posts: 32 Member
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    I used to be like that all the time. It took some research to finally figure out that I was a 'binger'. Id def be willing to bet that you don't eat breakfast....or go hours and hours without eating because youre not hungry or too busy and then binge later on?? That's how I was at least. I wish I could help you, its definitely a very bad and tough habit to break. The way I changed my life around was by trying a product called Shakeology 3 years ago, and ive been drinking it ever since regareless of its price because it WORKS for me. It seems super expensive, but has a risk free 30 day offer and the benefits of getting my life in control is worth every penny for me! It completely controlled my binges because its so nutrient dense...its practically impossible to get the nutrition in an ENTIRE week as you would get with 1 shake. Id love to talk more with you about it, feel free to friend me....I know your struggle!!!!!!! good luck!!

    -Shannon
  • jessicawindschitl
    jessicawindschitl Posts: 6
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    I have the same issue as you and in the last year have really realized I have an issue with sugar. I did something called the Virgin Diet (Author JJ Virgin) at the start of the year (second time doing it-lost 10 pounds each time and have kept it off). One of the items you give up for the 21 days is excessive sugar and artificial sweeteners. It has helped me quite a bit. It makes you more aware of what you are consuming and I noticed I had a lot of hidden sugars in my diet that made me keep craving more. It is possible you are consuming a ton of sugar and not even realizing it to begin with.

    I have found hot flavored teas have helped with my sugar cravings. I have been using that to help, especially if I am extremely stressed. If you like tea give it a shot. Try a fruity flavor (lemon zinger by celestial is great). Try not to add any sugar or honey.

    Congrats on your weight loss!!!! :)
  • lthames0810
    lthames0810 Posts: 722 Member
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    If this has just been happening over the past few months, maybe something else in your life is triggering it.

    Sometimes not getting enough sleep causes sugar cravings.

    I find that chewing mint gum kills a binge before it really gets roaring.

    BTW: It's the middle of the night where I am and I can't sleep and I'm hungry and I don't have any gum in the house and I'm craving sugar and I've eaten all my calories for the day. I had a small glass of milk and posting this reply is helping me so far.
  • silken555
    silken555 Posts: 478 Member
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    I used to be like that all the time. It took some research to finally figure out that I was a 'binger'. Id def be willing to bet that you don't eat breakfast....or go hours and hours without eating because youre not hungry or too busy and then binge later on?? That's how I was at least. I wish I could help you, its definitely a very bad and tough habit to break. The way I changed my life around was by trying a product called Shakeology 3 years ago, and ive been drinking it ever since regareless of its price because it WORKS for me. It seems super expensive, but has a risk free 30 day offer and the benefits of getting my life in control is worth every penny for me! It completely controlled my binges because its so nutrient dense...its practically impossible to get the nutrition in an ENTIRE week as you would get with 1 shake. Id love to talk more with you about it, feel free to friend me....I know your struggle!!!!!!! good luck!!

    -Shannon

    I hope you aren't a distributer...solicitation is not allowed on MFP.
  • sloth3toes
    sloth3toes Posts: 2,212 Member
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    I used to be like that all the time. It took some research to finally figure out that I was a 'binger'. Id def be willing to bet that you don't eat breakfast....or go hours and hours without eating because youre not hungry or too busy and then binge later on?? That's how I was at least. I wish I could help you, its definitely a very bad and tough habit to break. The way I changed my life around was by trying a product called Shakeology 3 years ago, and ive been drinking it ever since regareless of its price because it WORKS for me. It seems super expensive, but has a risk free 30 day offer and the benefits of getting my life in control is worth every penny for me! It completely controlled my binges because its so nutrient dense...its practically impossible to get the nutrition in an ENTIRE week as you would get with 1 shake. Id love to talk more with you about it, feel free to friend me....I know your struggle!!!!!!! good luck!!

    -Shannon

    I hope you aren't a distributer...solicitation is not allowed on MFP.

    They're like ambulance chasing attorneys. :huh:

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