Dear people with sugar addictions..
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If you fight it, you will use all of your willpower to do so, then next time you will have none.
However if you look at that days diary and theres room, then go ahead.
The best way to do it is to only diet 6 days a week... theres no way (outside of a massive binge) that you could undo your hard work in 1 day, and then enjoy some less healthy (but dont go mad) food.
This works for me. One cheat day per week, and try not to go crazy with it.0 -
Trader Joe's actually carries sugar-free (it has sugar alcohols) milk chocolate and dark chocolate with/without almonds. I use this as my go-to when I'm dying for something sweet. I tend to crave savory more, though, so I tend to not have to worry about this too much. I also really like Stevia, and will add that to my green tea for a kick of sweet when I want something other than water.
Hang in there!
edit: The brand is Simply Lite, and I think you can also get them on Amazon.0 -
eat a piece of hard candy or chew a sweet flavored gum0
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I love sweets! I set aside about 100 - 150 calories a day for a treat. I also drink one can of diet pop a day (spare me the lectures, some of us drink it, some don't)....it always satisfies my craving.0
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These are things that helps me
I eat hard sugar free candy ( butterscotch)
Jell with fat free cool whip
I have made fresh fruit salad
Greek yogurt by yoplait
or if we have it I take a bite and make my hubby get rid of it lol
And I always have water before I eat any of these things
So far the hard candy has worked the best
Hope this helps0 -
Read the book "Brain over Binge" by Kathryn Hansen. It has stopped me binge eating completely - I no longer crave sugary things or if I do I know how to ignore it. I know I'm completely in control now - I can't really put into words how much this book helped me. But there are plenty of good reviews about it on amazon which explain a bit more.0
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hi....I feel I have (had) a sugar addiction. What worked for me, may not work for you....and I am sure it would draw criticism from others. For me....not eating breakfast helps to control the desire for sugar. I also have (almost) eliminated diet soda. I was trying to see if eliminating that would end the cravings....as some have said.
I have also heard that drinking warm water can curb the desire for sweets. I still allow myself sweets. As a matter of fact I just ate two mini candy bars. I love when the halloween candy comes out....perfect size for a TREAT. I have been trying to watch/log what I eat for nearly 60 days. Since drastically cutting back on sugar when I do have it now.....it seems so rich in flavor.....strong. Still tasty......but I focus on the numbers.....and what sugary treat gives me the most goodness for the least amount of calories/sugar/carbs/
Hope that helped.
(also some medications can make you crave sweets. I am on a prescription for migraines....and one of the side effects is it makes you crave sweets. Now....mix someone who already has a problem with sugar and add this med ....and YUCK)0 -
I feel your pain. For me very rarely can i have just some, An idea ive always really liked is eat good and if your really craving sugar make it something you only have when you out to eat...so its just one serving and dessert is spendy and are you really going to order a whole other piece of cake? At my thinest that was what i did only ate dessert or white bread when i was out and really really wanred and then just ate half.0
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Fruit. I stayed off sugar for 6 months and fruit saved me. Fresh pineapple has been the best at reducing the sugar cravings. Yes, I know there is sugar in fruit, but it's not even close to the same.0
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My sugar treat is frozen greek yogurt - every once in awhile, and only 1/2 a cup. When I buy the carton of it, I'll usually eat it over a few weeks until it's gone and not buy it again for months... Other than that, I really don't eat any sugar that isn't natural. It's REALLY hard in the beginning - you have to muster up all of the willpower you can possible find, and just do it.0
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I'm not that fond of sugar, so not qualified to speak to the addiction thing, but as to people offering it to you when they know you're trying to quit (which horribly enough does actually happen with cigarettes, booze, and drugs . . . sadly, I know this all too well). People know I don't really like sugar but they offer it to me all the time. I just say, "Oh thanks, sorry i don't really care for it." Or, if I think that will seem rude (like, it's their grandma's home-baked cookies or something), I tell the other truth, which is that it makes me feel sleepy and weird, so I just can't eat it at work. If you have a good story ("Oh, I can't drink, it's a medical thing," "Sorry, weed makes me paranoid," "Sugar makes me fall asleep") and repeat it enough, folks do start to "get it." But I agree if you just say, "I'm trying to quit" some idiots see it as a challenge. Oh, another one that works is "My doctor told me I need to lay off for a while."0
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Agree! 70% dark chocolate is dark enough and will keep you on track.
Peanut butter is more my problem.... so I switched to all natural. No sugar.
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Hello, I am a chocoholic. There I said it. And not only that I am raising 3 more and enabling a 4th. I am such a bad mother. Oh well. Maybe you can get some of those 100 calorie cookie snacks. The fudge grahams are really good. Like others I allow myself something, but try to limit it and make sure it fits in my daily allowances. I understand the fruit suggestion, but if you are like me- I don't like fruit or vegetables for that matter! If it is a huge uncontrollable craving, eat part of it and then work it off later with exercise. I know, not real healthy. But this is a day by day learning journey. You have to figure out your body and what works for you.0
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I used to, in my younger days. As a child I hardly ate anything but chocolate, and I still pigged on it as a young adult. I used to drink my coffee with 6 sugars, and scoff cake. Ironically, I was always very thin...
I don't know how to help with the transition, because it's just happened naturally for me; all I know is that I cut down sugar, and then went off it, to the point where I really don't like added sugar, sweet puddings or cakes and actively avoid them because I hate the taste.
I eat chocolate again now - for some reason it works for me when I'm trying to stay off alcohol! I'd rather have the booze, frankly, but modest amounts of chocolate seem like a healthier substitution, and I'm never tempted to eat a lot of it.
So I guess - wean off, and allow your body and your tastebuds to adjust. Experiment with different savoury flavours until you find things you like, and if you persevere you'll come to prefer them.0 -
For me....not eating breakfast helps to control the desire for sugar.
This just actually got my hopes up a lot! I've just recently (2 days ago) starting intermittnt fasting, where I wake up at 4:30am, but don't eat my first meal untill 3pm. And I know what you mean by "this is gonna get some haters", but meh, hatters can hate. Intermittent fasting has shown more benefits for overall health, fat loss, and muscle growth than the traditional 6 meals a day has.0 -
This is a great post! I am new to the group-only one week and I'm a sugar addict! I will be referring to this post often, I'm sure. Thank you to everyone for your great ideas.0
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If the craving is due to emotional/mental control-
1.have a cup of hot water(as warm as you can handle)-the craving will be gone.
2.if it still persists-i have wedges of oranges in a ziplock with me-pop one in.
3.have a protein bar
If there is an internal problem that has not been handled-
4.it can be magnesium deficiency-take cal-mag supplements
5.Stress/sleeplessness can cause serious cravings-try stress relief methods.0 -
If it's an actual addiction to sugar, then eating a piece of fruit should be enough to relieve the craving.
If fruit doesn't work and it's really just that you're yearning for your favourite candy or dessert, then that's a different thing entirely... in which case you need to decide if you can fit the calories into your daily/weekly goal or not.
(I suspect we use the word addiction pretty loosely sometimes)0 -
Have something!
Greek yogurt blended with frozen berries (or fresh fruit and ice)
Greek yogurt with sugar free preserves (boysenberry is awesome) mixed in
One square of the best chocolate I can find. Currently hazelnut Milka. Only do this if you can actually stop at one piece though
No sugar added fruit bars. These are 40 cals a piece
Any berry or sliced nectarines with a little cream and splenda
Swiss miss sensible sweets no sugar added. These are 60 cals. Sometimes I add a splash of cream for extra richness
Chocolate protein shake. I usually have one for breakfast so it gives me my "chocolate milk" fix and it helps me get my protein
I have little, individually wrapped sour punch straws. I used to eat a whole pack, now two or three little ones does the trick
Sugar free jello made with canned pinapple, peaches, or mandarin oranges
Tapioca pudding from the box, replacing the sugar with splenda
Canned pumpkin (not pie mix!) mixed with some splenda and cinnamon. Stir and warm in microwave. Veggie bonus!
Starbucks light mocha frappacinos in a bottle. 100 cals!
Fun size of whatever candy you like! Freeze the rest to get them out of your head.
Melt dark chocolate (get chips) in the microwave then dip strawberries or bananas in it and freeze them.
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I also had to fast for 2 days to 'break the addiction' the first time I started my change...I would eat like a yogurt and an apple and drink TONS of water...again this isn't for everybody and I will likely get haters too...But just like an addict, you need it out of your system!
A journal to log my feelings about the food also helped me out...The more you have, the more you will crave it, so I don't really agree with the people that say just go for it...because if I just go for it, the next thing I know I am eating it every day again!
I am due for another fast, because I've been giving it to a lot of my cravings lately and need another detox to get back in to control!0
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