I feel the addiction
Zx14chick
Posts: 255 Member
That the refined sugars cause! There are constantly chocolates, cheesecake, d*mn Girl Scout cookies, donuts, etc. around the office. I am so tempted to eat them and it's like they call my name! I don't attempt to deny myself of treats, but it's really difficult when these things are always staring me in the face. I am finding it easier to walk away from them as each day goes by, but it irritates me the addiction they create!
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It does me too, I grew up eating like that. I am coming to realize I have a serious sugar addiction and I honestly do not know how to fix it. Just keep pushing on and rely on the people around you that you can lean on!
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Thanks everyone for sharing your stories, now I don't feel so alone.0
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In for the entertainment that is sure to ensue...
^^^This^^^0 -
Food addiction is very real. For me, it was fast food. I spent 200-300 dollars a month on fast food alone. I couldn't live without it. It got to the point to where I'd leave my debit card and home and end up digging through my car for spare change just to buy ANYTHING. I would get shaky if I didn't have it and couldn't think of anything else. I cut it out cold turkey and although it was hard, I got over it. Here's an interesting article that you might want to read:
http://www.thatsfit.com/2010/03/30/fast-food-is-like-heroin-studies-find/0 -
The treats don't create the addiction. The combination of your behavior, your mentality, and your body chemistry create the addiction. It's time to change the way you look at these things.
If you crave sugar, studies have proven that you can satiate the sugar craving with fruits just as effectively as you can with eating chocolate. It's still sugar, but it's ultimately better for you.
Ultimately, if you have that serious of a problem with control over the compulsion to eat sugar, you should probably not feed it. I instituted a rule for my dietary change and it has worked well. I can eat it if it was GIVEN to me. That is, if someone gives me a box of chocolates, I enjoy them without guilt, but I do not buy them for myself. If someone buys me a birthday cake, I'll have a piece, but I don't keep one in my home. If there's no gift, I don't touch it, and for days where I really crave chocolate, I keep chocolate SlimFast or Ovaltine to mix in my almond milk to get the taste in a healthier way.0 -
If sugar isn't a problem for you personally, feel free to move along.
OP, I can relate. It is a constant struggle. Abstaining from the worst offenders, keeping the junk out of the house, and eating real whole foods, with enough fats and proteins can help. Hang in there-- it can be overcome!
I can't wait to post my success story. :-)0 -
Thank you to those of you actually contributed to the conversation so far. And thanks to the trolls for not resisting the opportunity to post something - anything - just for the attention.
I like your rule, Quasita. Thank you for the suggestions about adding to the almond milk. I do love my almond milk. I still have to contend with the people at work always bringing things in. You know it's always someone's birthday...
I am keeping the sweets out of the house, for the most part.
Thanks for the article, Techgirl. That's frightening! Good for you giving it up! I think the last time I had fast food was when we were going to be driving three hours straight after work, but other than that, I don't have too much of a problem not eating fast food. My bigger problem is the dinners we attend. My husband and I have talked about saying no more often when it comes to the dinner invites.0 -
I was always a salt person. And a bread person. But I never actually struggled with weight so I was like hm whatever who cares how much or how often I eat. When I started tracking for wellness I was like oh my god, I'm also consuming SO MUCH SUGAR too. It's WILD. And then I started noticing that I would stop at a bodega and want a snapple and a cookie and chips and on and on and on. I think we are all the same kinds of creatures….we see it, we want it. Especially when it hits all of those spots we can't reach with a banana :grumble:
So I practice out of site out of mind.
And if you take a look at my diary, I also eat these things in humorously small portions when I do have them. It's sort of fun that way!0 -
What it really boils down to is if you succumb to eating them or not. No one is going to force you to eat them. Try taking a walk or some sort of physical movement since it usually helps with reducing cravings.
And if you need a sugar fix.............eat a banana or some other fruit with high sugar in it.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
It calls to me. Sometimes I say yes, sometimes I find the power within to say no.
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I used to have a behavioural problem with eating, too. Emotional eating.
It wasn't an addiction, it was just something I did "just because" I was unhappy with most things... the thing is, I ate alone most of the time... and so I had nobody who would hold me accountable for my choices and for the regularity I made those choices.
And after a while I got embarrassed that my eating was so epic and personally unrestricted, when other people were around to witness it I found the ability to say no. To make better choices. It was strange... to suddenly go to a buffet with pastries and sweets, and a chocolate fountain, and opt for the fruit bowl instead... or to ask for a baked potato or more vegetables instead of fries... but to most of all enjoy it. To enjoy how empowered I felt that I was making a decision that wasn't driven by the need to eat for emotional comfort.
What you need to understand within yourself is that it is not an addiction, because an addiction implies you have no control. Control, and the lack of it, is all that you have.
The point you're at now is a fork in the road. You can either choose to blame your choices on food, the alarmism and lies about its chemical makeup, and its palatability, and forever be stuck in this mindset that infrequent treats will send you on a downward spiral - and therefore you must not have them at all, ever - or you can choose to embark on a personal journey that makes you stronger.0 -
^^^^ that was lovely
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bump0
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From somebody who just ate 1/2 cup ice cream simply because I couldn't stand knowing it was here and not have some (and it's not even lunch time) - I feel you. I really do.
Now to go distract myself!0 -
I absolutely have a "love/hate" relationship with sugar! I am finding it a bit easier these days as long as I east 5 small meals a day however for me the cravings are still there.0
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Food addiction is very real. For me, it was fast food. I spent 200-300 dollars a month on fast food alone. I couldn't live without it. It got to the point to where I'd leave my debit card and home and end up digging through my car for spare change just to buy ANYTHING. I would get shaky if I didn't have it and couldn't think of anything else. I cut it out cold turkey and although it was hard, I got over it. Here's an interesting article that you might want to read:
http://www.thatsfit.com/2010/03/30/fast-food-is-like-heroin-studies-find/
Do you even read links you post or just google and post away without reading them0 -
My biggest problem is at work - for several years we have kept a basket with sweet treats, usually miniature candy bars and such as a community thing between all of the peeps in the group. The basket (since my cube is central to the group) is kept on the edge of my cube so it's always right there in my face... before January I was eating 8-10 of these things a day and it was a little difficult at first, but I have gotten the habit broken now and if I eat 2 of the bars in a week it is a lot for me now.
Basically, it just takes willpower and a desire to change - anyone can do it!
The other secret is to not deny yourself the treats for ever - having a treat every once in a while will not kill you nor will it destroy your lifestyle change, in fact it could prevent a binge later on.0 -
Thanks again for all the useful information. You are right, it's not really an addiction, but control issue. I have been controlling myself, but I guess what I was really saying is that I feel it happening and it really stinks! I can't wait until that feeling subsides.0
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As far as I'm concerned, making the good choices is habitual... I don't personally believe that the desire toward hyperpalatable foods ever goes away.
We tend towards things that are pleasurable to us (getting into Freud's "pleasure principle" here, haha), and that includes foods with a certain taste... I think it once was an evolutionary benefit, but don't quote me on that... years upon years of mostly eating these hyperpalatable foods is a habit spurred on by pleasure-seeking behaviour, ease of acquiring these foods and basically not having a real reason to say "no".
Getting away from that is just breaking a bad habit and forming a new one.
I could be talking complete bull-ish, but it makes sense to me :laugh:0 -
I would agree, Happy.
I went to dinner with girlfriends last night and they ordered the hummus plate, which included 4 types of hummus, pita bread (of course), carrots and cucumbers. I am happy to report that I did not eat one slice of bread, only carrots and cucumbers with my hummus. I also opted for the lighter wrap option on the menu AND I did not order dessert (they both had cheesecake) NOR did I eat any of theirs! I may have eaten more hummus than I should have, but I know it was the better choice.0 -
Food addiction is very real. For me, it was fast food. I spent 200-300 dollars a month on fast food alone. I couldn't live without it. It got to the point to where I'd leave my debit card and home and end up digging through my car for spare change just to buy ANYTHING. I would get shaky if I didn't have it and couldn't think of anything else. I cut it out cold turkey and although it was hard, I got over it. Here's an interesting article that you might want to read:
http://www.thatsfit.com/2010/03/30/fast-food-is-like-heroin-studies-find/
Do you even read links you post or just google and post away without reading them
Yes, I read this. No need to be snarky. I think that they may be exaggerating in terms of comparing it to heroin. However, fast food addiction is real and these studies help prove it. My doctor was the one who taught me of this addiction.
Edit: Here is a clearer article from the actual institute that did the study:
http://www.scripps.edu/news/press/2010/20100329.html0 -
That the refined sugars cause! There are constantly chocolates, cheesecake, d*mn Girl Scout cookies, donuts, etc. around the office. I am so tempted to eat them and it's like they call my name! I don't attempt to deny myself of treats, but it's really difficult when these things are always staring me in the face. I am finding it easier to walk away from them as each day goes by, but it irritates me the addiction they create!
I know exactly what you mean about food "calling your name" For some reason, when the food isn't around, I don't notice it and I don't "crave" it... but when there are cupcakes in the next room over, I can't stop thinking about eating one! There are days that I could just not have one, and I lived, but vast majority of the time there were too many treats at the workplace and too much encouragement to just eat, eat eat... including my own brain telling me that's what I should do.0 -
I feel bad for all the families and lives destroyed by sugar. Will no one think of the children?!?
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I know exactly what you mean about food "calling your name" For some reason, when the food isn't around, I don't notice it and I don't "crave" it... but when there are cupcakes in the next room over, I can't stop thinking about eating one! There are days that I could just not have one, and I lived, but vast majority of the time there were too many treats at the workplace and too much encouragement to just eat, eat eat... including my own brain telling me that's what I should do.
This is me. I don't buy sweets but occasionally I buy treats for baking, or bake treats, or make icecream etc etc and once I know they're there I literally can't stop thinking about them until I have finished every one off. If there are no treats immediately available I have been known to stick my tongue in the coconut sugar container
The only "sweet" thing that I can resist is organic dark chocolate sweetened with agave syrup. The texture and taste is no substitute for the real thing.0 -
"Would you like to buy a box of my delicious Girl Scout Cookies?"
Wednesday replies:
"Are they made from real Girl Scouts?"
~The Addams Family
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zH5jRHkXXQ 0 -
Behavior and habit help to form how someone's gets ready for work, how they interact and how they eat. Unless one grew up in a gym, having to learn how to do it habitually takes consistency and desire.
Same thing with food. Having to change the way you eat, after habitually eating a certain way for a long time can be challenging. But through consistency and some discipline, it can be changed. You don't have to cut out refined sugar forever. You just need to find your way where you can have it and not overdo it. Lol, I actually had a friend who wouldn't eat a piece of birthday cake at any party she went to until she was in her car and practically driving off because she knew she would go back for seconds! So whatever you have to do to make it work.
But learning how to eat other more nutrient dense foods with sugar and fiber (fruits) can help you transition to eating less refined sugar.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
If junk food makes its way into my kitchen I just throw it away. It took a while to build up the habit, but now it's like second nature.0
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If I ever crave that stuff, I just eat it and then get a workout done especially for those cookies/chocolate/ice cream or whatever. Think about it - I eat 3 cookies for a 100 cals, that's 10 min on a stationary bike for me. Some days the thought of having to work it out later puts me off the junk. Other days, I tough it out later!
I'm also finding that the more weight I lose, I'm satisfied with less of the junk. I used to eat half or the whole of a box of cookies. Today I ate only 2 so any day soon, I'll get over it and so will you, just hang in there.0 -
I am so proud of my eating this past week! The only sweet I have had is the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cupcake that I bought while on vacation. I ate it on the way home and haven't had another sweet since. I have been eating fruit and greek yogurt as my sweets and have felt quite satisfied.
On another note, I have given up fries for lent. I have an unhealthy relationship with fries as well and while I think I should allow myself to have a sweet here and there since I have been doing well, the fries are unnecessary. Wish me luck!0
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