Vicious Sugar Cravings
tattoogrrl28
Posts: 53
I find myself going through periods of strict restrictive dieting, and "stuff my face with junk" times. My main problem seems to be sweets. So Halloween is not the best time for me. I'm down to the last 20 pounds to lose, but continuing to eat the way I'm eating lately will make me gain. Candy, pastries, cake..I don't know what to do. i have 2 small children and I can't just throw away their trick or treat candy. so I need suggestions. Do i just throw stuff away? Lock the candy away?
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Replies
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Go ahead and eat it...but force yourself to eat slowly when you eat it, and if you're tempted to go and grab a second piece right after you finish your first, make sure you let time pass in between, like an hour or more. Eating one or two fun size candy bars in a day won't set you back much - the real problem is eating too many at one time or too frequently. I sometimes make myself hot tea if I have a craving - occupies my mouth, relaxes me, and takes some time to finish.0
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Our 5yr old is limited to a small pail of candy from which we remove gum and anything we do not consider safe. That pail goes in the freezer, he gets one or 2 pieces a day after dinner until he either forgets about it, or its gone. This is HIS candy thus I do not touch it. If I want something then I have my own 'treat'. You basically say "this is not mine, so I won't eat it." If you decide to share some candy then you will have to limit yourself to 1 piece and eat it very slowly.
I really believe that if you normally have a high sugar diet then you will have sugar cravings often. If you cut back on your sugar you will find that the cravings will slowly lessen and things that you previously found unpalatable - like black coffee - will become tolerable. I can no longer eat syrup on pancakes (actually I have also had to cut the sugar in the recipe down because now I find them TOO sweet) I used to love ketchup, now it's too sweet also . This may not be the case for everyone but this is what I have observed in many people.0 -
I know exactly how you feel!! Sugar, especially chocolate and baking, are total binge-triggers for me. I have found that allowing myself to eat good quality sweets (like 70% dark chocolate or home-made cake as opposed to cheap chocolate bars or store-made sweets) in moderation really curbs my cravings. If I try to cut it out completely I go mental and stuff my face for a whole day. It also helps me to substitute something more healthy for a sweet snack, like apples and cinnamon or peanut butter, or peanut butter and jam on a rice cake.0
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was just about to post about this myself.. I have been doing so well no cravings and now all the sudden the past 4 or so days i cant seem to help myself !! Trick or treat and my sons candy doesnt help! its like i eat it until its gone! I dont buy the stuff but if its in the house i can not seem to help myself. then get upset with myself for doing so
im with ya on this one it stinks!!! 0 -
I'm a serious sugar addict - the cravings ruined every diet I've ever been on. This time around I gave up sugar completely. I discovered that when I gave up sugar I also lost all my carb cravings - immediately. I still enjoy sweet things - I recently made a raw pumpkin pie sweetened only with dates, and I often have unsweetened chocolate with slices of apple. But since I gave up sugar everything tastes so much sweeter and I truly don't miss it. If you're a carb binger I heartily recommend it. I've lost weight every week since I started this last New Years and it's been the easiest diet I've ever been on.
I have 4 huge Sam's club bags of candy at home and have no desire to touch them - every other year I'd eat dozens of chocolates from the Halloween candy. Giving up sugar has been a real godsend and a real eye opener0 -
I second bhankiii's post. Sugar has sabotaged every single goal I've had in terms of fitness...until now. I've always been someone who would do great during the day but would hit the pantry and snacks in the evening for something sweet. and a little something would turn into several somethings. It kept me soft and untoned. It's also led me to feeling lethargic and lacking in energy even when thin. I did a detox of sorts and now eat low glycemic with a 40-30-30 ratio. It's the best thing I've ever done. My energy is up, I look better, I lose steadily (without much to lose to begin with) and my cravings are gone.
If I can do it, anyone can.0 -
I find myself going through periods of strict restrictive dieting, and "stuff my face with junk" times.
Your first sentence is the solution to your problem - "strict restrictive dieting" then "stuff my face with junk".
My advice is to balance your diet. Don't completely cut out foods, don't be overly strict with your calorie restriction, and just practice some moderation. If you can level out your "mood swings" you will be much happier and successful in the long term.
I eat candy every day. I just limit it to a bite or two. I don't need to eat an entire box of reese's cups (my fav) because I know that Hershey will make more of them and I can run to the store ANY time I want one within about 5 minutes time!
It took me a while to wrap my head around that concept. It is ingrained in us as a survival mechanism, but food is so readily available nowadays that there is no need to eat big portions - ever. For me, if I am craving sugar (I have a pretty bad sweet tooth) usually 1 bite will satisfy my craving. Anything more and I am just trying to fill up on junk.0 -
I feel you. I'm seriously addicted to sugar, particularly candy. Like crackhead style addiction to candy. I can't just have a piece, I have to make myself sick on it. I can eat ridiculous amounts of candy. I have to completely cut it out of my diet. 0
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I also have bad sugar cravings. There are two bags of jolly ranchers in the office and they keep calling my name. Yes and around holidays, all i want is Pumpkin anything.0
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Maybe experiment with a temporary high-pro/low-carb skew to your eating during the Season of Candy?
I love carbs of all sorts and am not dissing them at all. Just have noticed that for me, my cravings ease up and I have more consistent energy levels when eating more protein. That makes it easier to rebalance my eating overall.0 -
Restricting yourself so strictly probably magnifies your "face stuffing" reaction when you're finally surrounded by candy. Allow yourself small amounts, maybe at the end of the day, so you have some to look forward to and don't feel deprived.0
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Thanks everyone! It's nice to know it's not just me
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Unlike some I have found with chocolate, I cannot have 'some'. One small piece per day quickly grows to 2, which becomes a small bar, which becomes a bag of M&M's which becomes half a kilo in next to no time. 25 years has taught me that like some alcoholics who cannot have one drink, I cannot have 'just a small piece' of chocolate. I have not had any chocolate since before Christmas, I lost track of the exact date I last had a chocolate. If I want something sweet I either have a cup of tea with 0.5 teaspoon of sugar unstirred, so last mouthful is sweet... or I eat a piece of fruit if also hungry.
Like others have mentioned I have eliminated most sugars from diet, except those mentioned as well as artificial sweeteners, now I rarely have a craving. Also I limit myself to a single 'splurge' a week: a cake, brownie, dessert etc. When I have my treats I do not feel guilt but instead enjoy them.
It also helps that my internal dialogue is no longer "I cannot have that", but "I am making the choice to have....." and my choices are health, less pain, more comfort (easier to fit in airline seats etc).0 -
I LOVE SWEETS! I feel you big time. The easiest thing personally is to just not have them around. If they're not there, you can't eat them. With that being said though, a sweet every once in a while is necessary to keep from binging out so just set limits.0
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Eat Apples. Apples contain pectin which is an appetite suppressant and apples stop sugar cravings. If you are hungry between meals eat apples.
Breakfast: Big Bowl of oats with milk but no sugar.
Snack: 1 fruit
Lunch: Protein(Chickpeas, lentils, navy beans, black beans eggs, tuna or skinless chicken) + salad
Snack: 1 fruit
Supper: Protein(Chickpeas, lentils, navy beans, black beans, eggs, tuna or skinless chicken) + dark green vegetables
Drink 2 litres of water a day
No refined sugar in any form
No refined carbs0 -
Your first sentence is the solution to your problem - "strict restrictive dieting" then "stuff my face with junk".
My advice is to balance your diet. Don't completely cut out foods, don't be overly strict with your calorie restriction, and just practice some moderation. If you can level out your "mood swings" you will be much happier and successful in the long term.
I eat candy every day. I just limit it to a bite or two. I don't need to eat an entire box of reese's cups (my fav) because I know that Hershey will make more of them and I can run to the store ANY time I want one within about 5 minutes time!
It took me a while to wrap my head around that concept. It is ingrained in us as a survival mechanism, but food is so readily available nowadays that there is no need to eat big portions - ever. For me, if I am craving sugar (I have a pretty bad sweet tooth) usually 1 bite will satisfy my craving. Anything more and I am just trying to fill up on junk.
The thing about addiction is that moderation doesn't work. A little sugar just makes me want a little more. I could easily eat an entire pie and still not satisfy my sugar cravings because each bite only makes my body want more. I have eaten entire pies - only stopping when my stomach could no longer accommodate any more. Now, after having beaten the addiction through total abstinence, I can eat one piece of candy or a tiny sliver of pie and be satisfied - but oddly enough, I no longer feel any need to. Sugar adds absolutely nothing to my life, or my health, and only dulls my taste buds. Giving up the sugar isn't a sacrifice, it's a blessing - life is so much sweeter without it.0 -
Eat Apples. Apples contain pectin which is an appetite suppressant and apples stop sugar cravings. If you are hungry between meals eat apples.
Breakfast: Big Bowl of oats with milk but no sugar.
Snack: 1 fruit
Lunch: Protein(Chickpeas, lentils, navy beans, black beans eggs, tuna or skinless chicken) + salad
Snack: 1 fruit
Supper: Protein(Chickpeas, lentils, navy beans, black beans, eggs, tuna or skinless chicken) + dark green vegetables
Drink 2 litres of water a day
No refined sugar in any form
No refined carbs
A great easy breakfast is "overnight oatmeal". Just mix equal parts whole oats (I like Bob's Red Mill) and skim milk, add some dried fruit - apples, raisins, date, apricots, etc., some nuts if you want, and leave it in the fridge overnight. It's raw, healthy and delicious.0 -
The thing about addiction is that moderation doesn't work. A little sugar just makes me want a little more.
True, but that is assuming that the OP is an actual addict. The original post implies that although sugar is the MAIN problem, the same behavior also occurs with other foods as well. If so, then it is more of an issue of being so restrictive when being "good" that when you finally eat something you want, you can't stop.
I think there are some food/sugar addicts, but I also think most people that claim they are are using it as an excuse of having no willpower or moderation.0 -
The thing about addiction is that moderation doesn't work. A little sugar just makes me want a little more.
True, but that is assuming that the OP is an actual addict. The original post implies that although sugar is the MAIN problem, the same behavior also occurs with other foods as well. If so, then it is more of an issue of being so restrictive when being "good" that when you finally eat something you want, you can't stop.
I think there are some food/sugar addicts, but I also think most people that claim they are are using it as an excuse of having no willpower or moderation.
The science of sugar addiction (like alcohol or drug addiction) is well documented. It's a physiological issue, not a symptom of moral weakness.0 -
The science of sugar addiction (like alcohol or drug addiction) is well documented. It's a physiological issue, not a symptom of moral weakness.
I totally agree. I said that already.
My point was... not everyone that drinks too much is an alcoholic just like not everyone that eats too much is an addict.
Again, the OP implied that they have this issue with all food, but a special difficultly with sugar. I am no expert, but in my book, that is not a sugar addiction.
Also, for the record, I never questioned the OP's "moral weakness". My original point was that if you are overly strict with your "diet" that when you fall, you fall hard - it is a survival mechanism.0 -
Keep a few of your favorites and give the rest away! I bring all of mine to work and it is gone by lunch time!
I also have a hard time with sugar - mostly ice cream and chocolate for me. The longer it's around in your house the more you will eat.0
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