SUGAR ADDICT about to go COLD TURKEY -Advice?

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  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
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    It's taken a lot of practice and willpower... and I'll admit, I still struggle with it from time to time. But to be fair, I'm positive that if I can do it, anyone else can.
    The other side of the coin is some people don't want to struggle in order to have moderate portions of potato chips, M&Ms and donuts in their diet everyday or week. I like eating a restrictive diet everyday and not obsessing with when I can eat next or shaving off calories here and there and trying to fit in a workout in order to afford sugar cravings. It takes zero willpower not to eat what you don't want. There is such freedom in not NEEDING junk food in order to not feel "deprived" or eating more than you meant to when that one portion is never enough and you want more and more. That is absolutely not sustainable for me -- it's pure misery.

    I like treating sweets and the like as something special. I look forward to cookies at Christmas, pies at Thanksgiving, chips at the Superbowl party and my husband bringing home ice cream as a treat in the summer. It makes all of those things special when they're not on your weekly grocery list and they become part of a memory that's worth the extra bit of willpower it takes to deal with the inevitable cravings after the fact.

    Bottom line, going cold turkey to get over the NEED for certain foods does not mean a lifetime of misery and deprivation that's guaranteed to fail. It can be the exact opposite.

    So in other words, you practice moderation, right? I was under the impression you completely cut out everything forever.
    Yes, I think I practice moderation and I even said I indulge on page 2 of this thread. I'm not sure that anyone else thinks that's moderation though. It can be months between occasions where I'll deviate from my usual diet -- just like the OP is planning on going a few months without sugary junk food -- which was met with a bunch of resistance and doom and gloom predictions about how moderation is the only way.

    I guess it all just boils down to perception. Others perceive my low carb/sugar diet to be unnecessarily restrictive which is fine and even understandable considering I think indulging in sweets daily or almost daily is excessive and not moderate at all. Whatever works.
  • janine2355
    janine2355 Posts: 628 Member
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    two guys on here kept going at it and then It sounded like someone was getting upset with you actually.
  • lautour
    lautour Posts: 89 Member
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    It's taken a lot of practice and willpower... and I'll admit, I still struggle with it from time to time. But to be fair, I'm positive that if I can do it, anyone else can.
    The other side of the coin is some people don't want to struggle in order to have moderate portions of potato chips, M&Ms and donuts in their diet everyday or week. I like eating a restrictive diet everyday and not obsessing with when I can eat next or shaving off calories here and there and trying to fit in a workout in order to afford sugar cravings. It takes zero willpower not to eat what you don't want. There is such freedom in not NEEDING junk food in order to not feel "deprived" or eating more than you meant to when that one portion is never enough and you want more and more. That is absolutely not sustainable for me -- it's pure misery.

    I like treating sweets and the like as something special. I look forward to cookies at Christmas, pies at Thanksgiving, chips at the Superbowl party and my husband bringing home ice cream as a treat in the summer. It makes all of those things special when they're not on your weekly grocery list and they become part of a memory that's worth the extra bit of willpower it takes to deal with the inevitable cravings after the fact.

    Bottom line, going cold turkey to get over the NEED for certain foods does not mean a lifetime of misery and deprivation that's guaranteed to fail. It can be the exact opposite.

    So in other words, you practice moderation, right? I was under the impression you completely cut out everything forever.
    Yes, I think I practice moderation and I even said I indulge on page 2 of this thread. I'm not sure that anyone else thinks that's moderation though. It can be months between occasions where I'll deviate from my usual diet -- just like the OP is planning on going a few months without sugary junk food -- which was met with a bunch of resistance and doom and gloom predictions about how moderation is the only way.

    I guess it all just boils down to perception. Others perceive my low carb/sugar diet to be unnecessarily restrictive which is fine and even understandable considering I think indulging in sweets daily or almost daily is excessive and not moderate at all. Whatever works.

    Exactly!!! When people say "eat what you want, just practice moderation" they almost always mean keep eating as you did before, just less. So next time have one slice of cake instead of two, but they assume there should be a next time and that time will come as it normally does. "Stop eating for months then gradually add it back at lower rates " is what the OP said she was doing from the start yet got all this push back about moderation. As if moderation can only mean daily or even weekly eating of whatever it is.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    two guys on here kept going at it and then It sounded like someone was getting upset with you actually.

    Hehe, that's all just par for the course. I will try to discredit anyone that spreads nonsense in disguise as fact. Differing opinions don't bother me so much.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    It's taken a lot of practice and willpower... and I'll admit, I still struggle with it from time to time. But to be fair, I'm positive that if I can do it, anyone else can.
    The other side of the coin is some people don't want to struggle in order to have moderate portions of potato chips, M&Ms and donuts in their diet everyday or week. I like eating a restrictive diet everyday and not obsessing with when I can eat next or shaving off calories here and there and trying to fit in a workout in order to afford sugar cravings. It takes zero willpower not to eat what you don't want. There is such freedom in not NEEDING junk food in order to not feel "deprived" or eating more than you meant to when that one portion is never enough and you want more and more. That is absolutely not sustainable for me -- it's pure misery.

    I like treating sweets and the like as something special. I look forward to cookies at Christmas, pies at Thanksgiving, chips at the Superbowl party and my husband bringing home ice cream as a treat in the summer. It makes all of those things special when they're not on your weekly grocery list and they become part of a memory that's worth the extra bit of willpower it takes to deal with the inevitable cravings after the fact.

    Bottom line, going cold turkey to get over the NEED for certain foods does not mean a lifetime of misery and deprivation that's guaranteed to fail. It can be the exact opposite.

    So in other words, you practice moderation, right? I was under the impression you completely cut out everything forever.
    Yes, I think I practice moderation and I even said I indulge on page 2 of this thread. I'm not sure that anyone else thinks that's moderation though. It can be months between occasions where I'll deviate from my usual diet -- just like the OP is planning on going a few months without sugary junk food -- which was met with a bunch of resistance and doom and gloom predictions about how moderation is the only way.

    I guess it all just boils down to perception. Others perceive my low carb/sugar diet to be unnecessarily restrictive which is fine and even understandable considering I think indulging in sweets daily or almost daily is excessive and not moderate at all. Whatever works.

    I agree it is about perception. If it works for you, then it works for you, and I would call that moderation. You're right, others wouldn't. I just am cautious when people say they will try to cut out something completely forever, no matter what it is. So many people think that if they cave one time, it's failure, and then they go off the deep end engulfing everything in sight. I used to have that mindset.
  • VoodooSyxx
    VoodooSyxx Posts: 297
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    two guys on here kept going at it and then It sounded like someone was getting upset with you actually.

    If I'm one of the guys you're referring to, I wasn't and am not angry in any way. I will call out stupidity where and when I see it, but there's no malice involved.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
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    two guys on here kept going at it and then It sounded like someone was getting upset with you actually.

    If I'm one of the guys you're referring to, I wasn't and am not angry in any way. I will call out stupidity where and when I see it, but there's no malice involved.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning–Kruger_effect
  • VoodooSyxx
    VoodooSyxx Posts: 297
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    two guys on here kept going at it and then It sounded like someone was getting upset with you actually.

    If I'm one of the guys you're referring to, I wasn't and am not angry in any way. I will call out stupidity where and when I see it, but there's no malice involved.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning–Kruger_effect

    You should really watch out for that. Nasty business it is.
  • janine2355
    janine2355 Posts: 628 Member
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    two guys on here kept going at it and then It sounded like someone was getting upset with you actually.

    If I'm one of the guys you're referring to, I wasn't and am not angry in any way. I will call out stupidity where and when I see it, but there's no malice involved.
    oh, that's good. I get it. :)
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
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    two guys on here kept going at it and then It sounded like someone was getting upset with you actually.

    If I'm one of the guys you're referring to, I wasn't and am not angry in any way. I will call out stupidity where and when I see it, but there's no malice involved.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning–Kruger_effect

    You should really watch out for that. Nasty business it is.

    Yes indeed. Arrogant self delusion is common among the uneducated. I see it here often.
  • janine2355
    janine2355 Posts: 628 Member
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    two guys on here kept going at it and then It sounded like someone was getting upset with you actually.

    Hehe, that's all just par for the course. I will try to discredit anyone that spreads nonsense in disguise as fact. Differing opinions don't bother me so much.
    oh that's good. :)
  • Lifelink
    Lifelink Posts: 193 Member
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    You can't quit sugar as it's in everything. Sugar quits you!
  • tanyaunkovich
    tanyaunkovich Posts: 1 Member
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    Thought of making your own sugar free sweet treats? I use Artisana Coconut butter, Cacao powder, a little peanut butter, chia seeds and some dried fruit...not a lot though.....you may not want to add the dried fruit. I used a few apricots as they are not as sweet as some others...or goji berries are good too. Good luck!
  • Jesygfbaker
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    SUGAR!!! The gateway drug! Once you get over the first couple of weeks, EVERYTHING will taste so much sweeter! Be gentle on yourself! The worst cravings I get are when I don't get enough sleep. If I don't exercise everyday, my cravings can get a little carb-crazy. My son is a dessert lover, and I often trick him with frozen cherries blended with something creamy (for his skinny little butt, it's 1/2&1/2). My favorite is frozen banana slices blended with really dark cocoa powder, almond milk, and a stevia packet! Mostly though, I just have a cup of red zinger tea with a stevia packet. If it's making me crazy, I GO TO BED! Then, I make a plan for when I can fit in an indulgence. Raw cashews in the freezer are incredibly sweet, and often just a couple of those will give me the power to walk away! Frozen berries are a super sweet treat (and can boost your fiber intake)! You may want to consider adding some micronutrients to help you on your way. Good luck! It is a hard addiction to break!
  • FoodFitnessTravel
    FoodFitnessTravel Posts: 294 Member
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    i have chocolate and ice cream EVERY DAY. just save calories. eat less of something else
  • cwsreddy
    cwsreddy Posts: 998 Member
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    I'll try again

    ndj, answer me this:

    which gives a higher, faster spike of insulin: sour patch kids, or an apple, in identical caloric amounts?

    or do they metabolize identically, according to you?
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    I'll try again

    ndj, answer me this:

    which gives a higher, faster spike of insulin: sour patch kids, or an apple, in identical caloric amounts?

    or do they metabolize identically, according to you?

    And is the below sucrose from a sour patch kid or from an apple?

    Fig2sucrose.gif
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    Sucrose is sucrose, that won't change.

    How much dietary fibre is there in sour patch kids and what percentage of the sugar is sucrose?
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    Sucrose is sucrose, that won't change.

    How much dietary fibre is there in sour patch kids and what percentage of the sugar is sucrose?

    If it won't change, then there is no real need to differentiate between natural and unnatural sugar, then?

    What does fiber have to do with anything? Since fiber is included in the "package" of fruit? If so does that make frosted mini wheats ok?
  • thelms77
    thelms77 Posts: 27 Member
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    you know if you're eating fruit you're still eating a ton of sugar right? and still taking in sugar if you have any dairy? or most carbs? in all probability you're not going cold turkey on sugar at all, just excess sweets

    EXCESS SWEETS honey, you hit the nail on the head. I don't want to cut out all sugar. I want healthy sugar, in moderation... so I can try to shake this excessive compulsion I have.

    Am I thank different, that unique of a snowflake.... that no one else out there in the land of MFP can understand how I feel or just where I am coming from with this issue? I am sure it just mental but... it's been life-long.


    You are not unique at all. I, and I'm sure others, crave those kind of sugars all the time. I have to take it day by day. I am getting better but not al all where I want to be. I don't know whether it's because I cannot do it (addicted) or that I just don't want to. It's work.