Anyone else feel they are addicted to sugar?

mytime6630

I have lost 15 lbs, and want to lose another 20. But in the past 3 months, I have struggled with staying on track, even though most days I write everything down. But, the scale has not moved. The past 4 weeks especially have been really difficult, and I am realizing that once I eat sugary things, I am much more hungry, and crave sugary things even more. I will go for a day trying to eat healthy, only to give in towards evenings. And when I mean "give in", it is things like ice cream. I know - I know - don't buy that stuff! But I get to the store, and my brain seems to shut off, and the stuff ends up in my cart. Its like it a cycle I can't seem to get out of. I keep telling myself that if I could just learn to eat only 1 ice cream bar, it would help me not crave the stuff so much, as I would not feel deprived.

So last nite I was reading online about sugar addictions, and I believe this to be a big part of my problem. I see others that can control their eating, like eat just one cookie, or one bowl of ice cream, and I always thought it was just that I did not have strong enough will power.

Usually for breakfast, for the past year, I eat my standard breakfast - oatmeal, milk, and 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce. I did not realize that the "Unsweetened applesauce" had 18 grams of sugar! My husband and I buy the Special K protein bars. I thought this would help me to lose weight, as they are only 190 calories, with 18 grams of protein, and would help when I am hungry. But - they have almost 20 grams of sugar. SO I am thinking I am hurting myself even more by eating something that just triggers the sugar addiction.

So today was Day 1. I think I did great, kept my sugar grams to 50 (MFP says 55 is max). And the best part, is that I did not feel super hungry all day. Of course, I was outside working in the yard all day, so that may have been part of it.

But just wondering if any of you also have this problem with sugar, or am I way off base in blaming this as my problem? Is it just that I don't want to lose the weight bad enough to stop with just one bowl of ice cream? Looking for any suggestions. I know this week I will most likely still have the cravings, but hoping they will go away, and the scale will get back to moving!

absconded

Since its summer, I can't go a day without an ice cold soda or ice cream

Mr_Bad_Example

No.

Cranquistador

No.

Mr_Bad_Example

No.

I thought that this was the most appropriate answer given the question.

lovinlandl

I totally understand your post -- I do the same... go all day only to sabotage my plan in the evening -- cravings. It is usually ice cream but, if I start to eat something sweet (cake, cookie, candy....) I binge. I haven't ever tried watching the sugar grams through MFP -- I will have to try that and see if I can hold myself accountable that way.

joshpass

The only thing to get rid of sugar addictions is to stop eating it. Like all of it, including fruit. Watch any food with added sugar. Don't eat anything with sugar substitutes. You don't have to do this forever but it does take time for your body to kick the addiction. I've done it once before and it's a hell of a feeling to finally kick it. It's amazing. It's also amazing how sweet things taste after you have kicked the addiction. With all that said, I'm addicted right now unfortunately haha. Not so much that I'm eating deserts all the time but I definitely crave it. It's hard to do and keep on it, at least for me.

daw0518

You're going to get ripped to shreds for putting 'sugar' & 'addicted' in the same sentence, but I digress.

I've been having a similar issue lately, but no, I don't think it's because of a sugar addiction. I just think that lately I've been craving sweet things more for some reason. Maybe it's the summer heat. Maybe it's the fact that I went off BC a couple months ago and my body is still adjusting. Maybe it's the change in my schedule. I do think I have a serious issue keeping under my calorie goal because I've lost the will to care and just want to eat an entire carton of ice cream, but I still don't believe in 'sugar addiction' and I don't think I have it. I refuse to make myself miserable by cutting out an entire food group just because I'm having a bad few weeks. When I want it bad enough, I'll get it under control, just like I did last time I successfully lost weight.

I do agree that people have foods they can't eat just one of. I'm that way with chips, ice cream, Nutella, & lately, chocolate covered sunflower seeds. I think it's just a matter of figuring out what those things are and either not eating them or finding ways to eat them in moderation - for example, I only buy chips in the single serve bags and if I want ice cream I get ice cream bars. That's usually enough to keep me from going crazy, but it might not work for you, as you stated.

I think it's great that you've identified something that's a problem for yourself, just be careful not to restrict yourself too much. Remember, this is a lifestyle change, not just a short-term stint. I mean, are you willing to give up ice cream/granola bars/fruit forever?

Meerataila

I'm not addicted to sugar. I won't go get sugar out of the cabinet and eat it straight out of the bag. Although when I was a kid I would. I do find there are foods that make me hungrier after I eat them and that trigger cravings for other foods. So I stopped eating those. They tend to be bready sweets like cake and cookies. As well as just plain old bread.

weavernv

To be honest with you I did the Atkins diet solely (only for the 2 week induction then went off of it) to kick the sugar habit. I have it partly under control now. I don't crave it nearly as much. It's always been the only way I get it under control for awhile. Everything always tastes too sweet to me for the longest time afterward. I always have fallen off the wagon a year or two later. I WONT this time I am losing for good this time, but for me fatty sweet things like Ice Cream and Lattes are usually my down fall. I even drink my coffee without sugar in it now.

tlicttbh

Yes, I have had that problem, like eating a whole bag of chocolate chips. But I am doing much better now that I read EatQ by Susan Albers. For the past several weeks, I have been just having one sweet treat a day, such as one Dove chocolate square. That's what seems to work for me. But for some of my friends, they seem to do better if they get all of the sugary food out of their house. I do better with moderation.

Meerataila

The only thing to get rid of sugar addictions is to stop eating it. Like all of it, including fruit. Watch any food with added sugar. Don't eat anything with sugar substitutes. You don't have to do this forever but it does take time for your body to kick the addiction. I've done it once before and it's a hell of a feeling to finally kick it. It's amazing. It's also amazing how sweet things taste after you have kicked the addiction. With all that said, I'm addicted right now unfortunately haha. Not so much that I'm eating deserts all the time but I definitely crave it. It's hard to do and keep on it, at least for me.

I hope you're wrong about fruit, at least in my case. I'll find out tomorrow. I do IF and it's a fast day. Will the oatmeal fruit peanut butter cake in the fridge call my name all day or won't it? I'm curious to find out.

asianrunner

I feel addicted to sugar at times! I used to eat a lot of fruit but lately have been substituting chocolate and pastries instead of fruit.

4:00 and evenings tend to be the worst. I try not to buy much too much and limit and some days are better than others.

losingforgood120

I noticed at one point I was craving sugar so much it was ruining my enjoyment of other food (especially protein containing foods.) So... I took a break from desserts but I always kept up my carbs level (I think I'm aiming for a 50/25/25 split right now-meaning 50% calories from carbs, 25% from fats and 25% from protein.) And I tried to reach that 25% protein level. My cravings went away.

I found that getting enough protein really helped me crave sugar less. Eating fruits and vegetables and protein at lunch and dinner helped. But I don't think there's anything wrong w/ wanting desserts or eating them in moderation. I just noticed at one point I wanted them instead of other foods I needed for good nutrition. And that made me eat over my calorie goal (since they are so calorie dense).... Maybe paying closer attention to your macros (carbs, fat, protein) and taking a break from desserts would help you.

One last thing- my favorite quote about eating in moderation was someone said- I didn't learn how to eat treats in moderation over night, it took practice. So even though it sounds "easy" it does take some people time and effort to learn.

I eat dessert every day now while still losing weight, hitting my macros, and eating plenty of healthful food. Maybe you can to. :flowerforyou: Good luck!

losingforgood120

One more thing- the cravings may have gone away when I stopped eating desserts but I felt like I was hurting socially and felt restricted after a few weeks of no desserts. Finally my husband and I were at a fancy restaurant where free desserts were included and I was like- ok this is enough! I've got to learn to eat desserts in moderation I don't want to go through the rest of my life completely avoiding refined sugar!

multimode

I was having similar issues with food cravings that I thought might be sugar related, after some small experimenting with sugar intake I was able to trace the cravings back to not just sugar but carbs. I had lost over 20lbs twice, only to have extreme food and sugar cravings stunt and revert my progress (which can be extremely discouraging).

I now watch my carb intake even closer then my calories and no longer have food cravings. I still get hungry, but I don't have "cravings" if that makes sense.

I started by making sure that my "added sugar" intake was under 37 grams a day (based on the American Heart Association recommendation for men). I then moved to keeping my daily carb intake under 100 grams. To do this most of my meals end up being whole foods, loaded with veggies, prepared at home.

There is a lot of debate about low carb, but its really working for me. I will still eat artisan bread and fresh fruit, I just need to do so in moderation.

I found these articles very helpful:
http://authoritynutrition.com/how-much-sugar-per-day/
http://authoritynutrition.com/low-carb-diet-meal-plan-and-menu/

MiloBloom83

Sugar consumption is all about moderation and self control. Your lack of self control does not constitute an addiction. An addict is driven to their vices by a physiological craving. Its food. You can survive without sugar. But to all it an "addicttion" is an insult to people who have real issues not related to applesauce or other foods in general.

sun_fish

I used to think I was. Just over 2 years ago I started logging on MFP, and over time I have learned moderation and portion control. I realize now that what I thought was sugar addiction, was just my own difficulty with food choices and when to say no to more food. It has been a gradual change, and there are certainly still food items I don't have in my house. But more and more I am able to have things in my house, and use my new skills to only have one serving. I hope you can find the same success that I have, best of luck.

Meerataila

Sugar consumption is all about moderation and self control. Your lack of self control does not constitute an addiction. An addict is driven to their vices by a physiological craving. Its food. You can survive without sugar. But to all it an "addicttion" is an insult to people who have real issues not related to applesauce or other foods in general.

Actually researchers are starting to look at the genetics of other addictions as well as brain chemistry to explore obesity related issues such as overeating.

I just found this today. It's pretty difficult listening. I probably understood about half of it. But it's interesting stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XvysqJm4KQ

Eric Stice, Oregon Research Institute, examines factors that increase risk for onset of eating disorders and obesity, as well as the development and evaluation of prevention programs for these conditions. Series: "UCSF Center for Obesity, Assessment, Study and Treatment" [7/2011] [Health and Medicine] [Professional Medical Education] [Show ID: 21691]

schelly81

I do not worry about sugar addiction or my sugar consumption at all. I do know there are certain things that I cannot stop eating. Cookies for example, or mini chocolate bars. What works for me is I eat a slightly higher protein diet. I eat about 130 g of protein a day and 1700 calories. I noticed the higher protein keeps me feeling full.

I do still have my treats, but I save my treats for the end of the day, weight or measure them out, log them, and enjoy it. I find plain chocolate ice cream with a little wowbutter drizzled on top is satisfying or sometimes I'll have chips or popcorn with butter and salt.

This allows me to stay on track, the little treat at the end of the day is my reward for being good during the day. If I do absolutely need chocolate I will buy a single chocolate bar, put it in the freezer until after the kids are in bed and really enjoy it. That way I can't overindulge.

SherryTeach

Yes, I have had that problem, like eating a whole bag of chocolate chips. But I am doing much better now that I read EatQ by Susan Albers. For the past several weeks, I have been just having one sweet treat a day, such as one Dove chocolate square. That's what seems to work for me. But for some of my friends, they seem to do better if they get all of the sugary food out of their house. I do better with moderation.

Most of the people I know that have gotten all militant about sugar either gain all their weight back when they can't maintain that hard-core lifestyle or else they are really grumpy. I eat mostly nutritious food and ALWAYS save some calories for dark chocolate or ice cream or angel food cake with fruit on top.