Sugar addiction

jackiegiraffe

I'm a sugar addict in a very dangerous profession: cake decorating. It is extremely difficult for me to resist temptation when it is all around me. How do you break this addiction? I've tried everything and I know how bad sugar is for weight gain. But when I'm around the stuff, there's no stopping me. And it's not just one little taste here and there. When I eat sweets, I binge hard... and then hate myself for doing so. HELP!

astylla

I have found alternatives such as a fresh fruits and veggies help me. I also really enjoy Quaker "popped" rice snacks that have tasty flavors such as vanilla creme bruelle and caramel corn and for 13 of them for just over 100 calories and 1g fat they can't be beat. I also really enjoy Skinny Cow Heavenly crisp bars for my chocolate needs - only 110 calories a bar and about 5g fat.

Hope this helps.

AmberSpamber

I find myself in the same situation as you. I think what has helped me the most is to limit the servings I have available to me. I only eat sweets once a week. If I want to make cookies, I freeze the dough and only make one cookie so that I don't eat the whole batch, or I give it away so that it doesn't tempt me. I have also found new things to replace bad sugars for my "sweet tooth" I recently discovered that if you cut up bananas, drizzle them with honey and then put a little cinnamon on them, it helps a ton! It is just what I need and tastes AMAZING! Good luck. Feel free to add me if you need support!

juliedor

I think understanding your addiction is a good start. I read a book called Sweet Poison which makes a lot of sense.

holly3585

Try a sugar detox to kick it off!! Set a time frame, 1 month, or 1 week, and make a commitment that you WILL not eat any 'sugar' or 'sugar substitute' AT ALL!! Make the only sweets fresh fruit! I find it helps me to have a short lived radical change, and then you can re-evaluate the situation, and having changed you cycle for a period of time, it may be easier to set realistic goal. I am like you... once I start w/ sweets, I BINGE!!!

lisavirani

If you are looking for alternative "sugary foods", I have pinned a TON of recipes on Pinterest that you can look through. Everything on this board is a better-for-you option than your typical desserts. They have satisfied my sweet tooth many time. I love to cook and bake though... if you don't then you might not find this helpful. But, here's what I have collected through this journey Good luck!

http://pinterest.com/goeke8/a-better-me-desserts/

MaraDiaz

I'm a sugar addict in a very dangerous profession: cake decorating. It is extremely difficult for me to resist temptation when it is all around me. How do you break this addiction? I've tried everything and I know how bad sugar is for weight gain. But when I'm around the stuff, there's no stopping me. And it's not just one little taste here and there. When I eat sweets, I binge hard... and then hate myself for doing so. HELP!

I couldn't work there. No way. That is going to take some serious willpower. If you can do it, well, you can probably do anything in the world you set your mind to.

lvpthemvp

Yikes! I share the sugar addiction. It's bad. I am not sure what you would do if you have to work with it. Chew gum? make a no eating while working rule? Eat the sugar and work it off? Keep healthy snacks you can access so you dont eat it? I feel ya. Good luck.

lvpthemvp

http://pinterest.com/goeke8/a-better-me-desserts/

this was a great idea. Thanks goeke8

lisavirani

http://pinterest.com/goeke8/a-better-me-desserts/

this was a great idea. Thanks goeke8

You're welcome I've made MANY desserts on this list. I plan to make them all... but that's going to take a long long time. I just keep growing it! ha

Timmi1978

I'm a sugar addict in a very dangerous profession: cake decorating. It is extremely difficult for me to resist temptation when it is all around me. How do you break this addiction? I've tried everything and I know how bad sugar is for weight gain. But when I'm around the stuff, there's no stopping me. And it's not just one little taste here and there. When I eat sweets, I binge hard... and then hate myself for doing so. HELP!

You're truly in a dangerous situation It may help you to bring along your healthy snacks and substitute as soon you feel like eating sweets. Also, many people swear on a sugar detox challenge - overcome the cravings in the first place create new eating habits. Of course it will require some initial willpower but it's so worth the energy. Tim (no, not Timmi ) posted it on his blog: timreviews.com/21daysugardetox

sweetmelissaphoto

I hear you! I am doing this:
http://balancedbites.com/sugar-detox

squatsandlipgloss

I make cakes as a hobby, and even though I used to have a sugar addiction, I found that it didn't really appeal to me... Maybe because one day I ate so much buttercream, I almost threw up...


Good luck, I think you've been given some great tips!

GeekAmour

Addiction is the right word; consuming sugar feeds the body's desire & cravings for more sugar - the only way to beat it is to stop consuming it altogether, if you truly want to beat the addiction, and once you do - and this will be very hard for you to believe - you won't WANT any. Really.

I have been "sugar-free" (<----in quotes for pedants that will say "Vegetables have sugar! Milk has sugar!" etc) since March last year & I just don't desire it in the same way, if at all. The only time I am tempted is when I am really hungry & something like a scone with jam happens by me.... eating this way does require a certain degree of adaption - once you realise all the not-so-obvious places sugar (fructose specifically) hides, it cuts way back on the list of things you want to eat.

I followed the method in this book - https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/sweet-poison-quit-plan/id490878272?mt=11 - which was basically cutting out anything with processed sugar & fruit too initially, until the withdrawal period is over (and I do mean withdrawal, headaches, nausea, the whole bit - makes you realise how awful it really must be for us), and then gradually adding back moderate fruit & avoiding anything processed with a fructose content over 3g per 100g.

Eventually, the cravings just pass. If you do have something sweet, it becomes VERY sweet as your tastes change, fruit is much sweeter & more satisfying & if you eat something like a cookie or a piece of cake I would be surprised if you could finish it without feeling sick. Some people can do that, after detoxing, have the very occasional sweet (like once a month), but for others it is really like being addicted to any other substance, one taste feeds the desire for more! There are different kinds of sugars that are safer to consume in this regard, and "safe" alternatives if you do want some sort of baked treat, but once again, you probably can't be bothered once your tastes change.

A couple of friends of mine have also gone "sugar-free" for almost as long & they don't regret it. I know personally that my moods have stabilized for the better and I just enjoy how I feel when I don't consume sugar, and not how I feel when I do.

A couple of resources for you, as I really can't go into the nitty gritty here, and even if I could, these people explain the whys & wherefores much better than me!

http://www.howmuchsugar.com/

http://www.sarahwilson.com.au/ (<--- This chicky has an amazeballs cookbook that I highly recommend)

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-definitive-guide-to-sugar/#axzz2RqYGpUrD

I know quitting* "sugar" completely will seem extreme - and I'm not suggesting that everybody should do it or that some sugar, like everything, in moderation isn't perfectly fine, but I am saying that if you've even the slightest interest in conquering this addiction as you yourself have called it, it can't hurt to give it a try; the worst that can happen is you have a few weeks off from sugar & decide you would rather eat a little cake every day after all. The best that could happen is you feel a whole lot better & don't have this problem on your mind anymore.

Good luck either way.

*ETA: I still have plenty of "sugars" in my diet, just not a lot from from processed sources, or an over-supply of the wrong sugars from natural sources... just covering all the bases here lmao.

Landman3535

I too struggle greatly with sugar addiction. If I am strong enough through-out the day to avoid it completely (I mean candy) then it is a good day. But, if I even have 1 piece of candy or cake or whatever, my body goes into some sort of binge mode where I cannot stop eating it.

Feel free to friend me if you want some extra support. Today is my 2nd day without candy and I have heard it takes 4 days to break any habit.

AuntieKT

I haven't read all of the responses, so I apologize if this has already been said, but here is my two cents: If you want to really kick your sugar addiction, you need to get rid of sugar altogether in your diet. No sugar substitutes, no fake sweet recipies, just no sugar, period. Even try to eat fruit sparingly. The only way to slay the sugar dragon is to starve him. Though I know on the general forums I am taking the risk of people jumping all over my response here, I will tell you that I follow the Paleo Lifestyle and it wasn't until I did my first Whole 30 (30 days of absolutley no sugar, or anything else that is restricted) and got the sugar completely out of my system that I stopped craving it. Now I don't even miss it and hesitate to even think about having some. Not because I think that having it once in a while would be the worst thing in the world, but because I don't want the sugar cravings to come back. Sugar is a hard thing to kick and a VERY addictive substance. Good luck!

ashleyoh33

bump

i work in a bakery...ugh!

carolsclio

Several members have posted about detoxing from sugar. I am in my second week of detox. I tried it once before and ended up off the wagon in a total binge. But I picked myself back up and got right back on that wagon. For some of us, sugar is like alcohol. Recovering alcoholics have a saying that one drink is too many and 10 drinks are not enough. That's the best way to look at sugar for some of us who are addicts. Just like some people can have a drink, certain people can eat sugar in moderation. I don't suggest low sugar desserts, it is still sugar and its like that one drink to an alcoholic. Also, if you want to completely break the addiction watch out for hidden sugars. The biggest culprit is fat free and it's a total myth! Once the fat is removed, something has to be added to give it taste and guess what that something is? Yep, sugar. As proof, I recommend that the next time you are in the grocery store pick up a bottle of regular ranch salad dressing then pick up a bottle of the same salad dressing that is fat free. You'll notice the sugar added to the fat free. You are better off to eat the fat! Try this on anything that is fat free.

You won't make any progress until you face your addiction and realize that you are better than your addiction. Let the beautiful you shine through and don't let this ruin your life. Several people have made some good suggestions here and you should really read up about this and take advantage of everything that can possibly help you.

carolsclio

I also want to add that I am not talking about hidden sugars found in natural foods like fruit and vegetables. I mean hidden as in sugar that has been added to foods. Also, my husband owned a bakery when we got married. I gained 20 pounds the first year we were married. Fortunately for me we sold the business ...

HermioneDanger118

I'm a total sugar addict and baking is my stress relief. I'm looking into a sugar detox program so I'll definitely check out some of these links! Thanks!