Sugar Addiction

gameon15

Hey everyone! So I have two problems now - I'm an emotional eater & have done so much of it - that I'm ADDICTED to sugar!!!
Does anyone have any tips on how to kick this addiction???
I have a headache today & I think it has something to do with not having a lot of sugar today...

By the way if anyone who is struggling is looking for support - feel free to add me!

Athena125

I'm doing pretty well with this but have struggled with it ever since my mid-20s. If I eat sugar without protein, I get headaches. When I got off sugar, I went through MAJOR withdrawal. I was literally on the couch for 4 straight days feeling with low blood pressure, nausea, etc. In my 20s, I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression, but guess what? When I stopped eating sugar, I never had another panic attack again and stopped being such a moody-crazy person! I think my body is just very sensitive to sugar.

Here are some things I've noticed that help:
1. ALWAYS eat a good amount of protein and healthy fat with your carb or sugar (even if I have something healthy like an apple, I put natural peanut or almond butter on it).
2. Rather than go cold turkey, slowly replace processed foods, white flours, and sugar with fruits and whole grains.
3. AVOID fake sugars. Only use Stevia. Fake sugars do weird, bad things.
4. After you have replaced your treats, white flours, and processed foods, then slowly cut back on the fruits and grains and try to add in more veggies (like today I added a bunch of veggies to my stir fry and skipped the rice completely).
5. If necessary, try using a supplement for blood sugar regulation. I use Dia-Slim (it's Chinese medicine - bought online). It really has taken away my sugar craving, and when I do eat something sweet, I don't keep wanting to eat it like I used to).
6. Don't blame yourself for being weak. You are not weak. You just have sensitive blood sugar/insulin response. If your insulin is working overtime, it drains you of too much sugar, and thus, you crave more....and more....and more!
7. See the documentary "Hungry for Change." This documentary CHANGED my attitude toward food. No longer do I feel guilty.
8. Do not feel bad/guilty about wanting sugar. We humans are programmed to want sugar because it is only very recently that humanity has had such easy access to food.
9. Do not completely avoid all carbs and all treats always. It will only drive you crazy. Just eat a little amount after you have all the other stuff (protein, fat, etc.).
10. Finally, think about what you DO want to eat instead of what you don't (like: today, I want to eat 3 vegetables and 3 proteins and one or two fruits). I will tell myself I can have the sugar treat after I meet all my other goals, and honestly most of the time I end up not wanting it because I'm full!

hollyjjohnson

Wow -- those are all really good suggestions. I, too, have read that sugar substitutes just make you continue to crave sugar. That's why people who drink a lot of diet soda can't lose weight because their body still craves sugar.

I like the idea of trying to find good food substitutes for sugary foods. Another article I read suggested choosing fruits that aren't super sweet -- like apples and strawberries or blueberries because they don't cause spikes in your blood sugar OR your sweet tooth!

Good luck!

mrodrigue2013

all i ever crave is suger and carbs.. one of the 2 worst things so i used to use alot of the fake stuff ( yes, i know even worse!) and now am trying to detox from it all still have a bit, but still the headaces are bad, and there are around daily! but am drinking plain water now( this is huge, was using water flavors in every bottle of water) and only have cream in my coffee! Thanks for the post know am not alone!

bostonbonny

I can sooooo relate. Sugar last night means hangover this morning. I also woke up with a headache. My bad cause I know what sugar & refined flour do to me. It really is an addiction. It usually takes about 3 days for the body to clean out after eating sugar. This has been my experience anyway.

bostonbonny

You have listed some great suggestions. It does take some time to get to where you are. For me I need to just let it go otherwise I go right back to the addiction. I would like to see that documentary. Thanks for your advice.