How to beat my sugar addiction. Help!

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ajd241
ajd241 Posts: 76
in Food and Nutrition
Ok. So I am a lover of sugary foods. Weekends seems to be the worst time for me and I seem to binge on a tonne of sugary food and ruin a great week of healthy diet and exercise. I don't understand my mindset but I do believe that sugar is an addiction much like caffeine or nicotine and honestly, I need help in how to stop myself.

I've tried drinking a lot of water because I thought I was confusing hunger with thirst, I've tried distracting myself but all in all it comes back into my mind instantly. I really have got into the habit of a weekend (especially a sunday evening) to satisfy my cravings..even when it's not in the house!!

Please help me! Please tell me how you've all overcome your problems please. I am losing faith in myself.
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Replies

  • Cuna77
    Cuna77 Posts: 75 Member
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    Cold turkey worked for me.
    Is it worth it to ruin my goal.
  • Gwen_B
    Gwen_B Posts: 1,018 Member
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    Don't keep any sugar or or sugar products at home!! Don't go to the grocery store hungry to ensure you don't buy any!
  • mpbfmom
    mpbfmom Posts: 49 Member
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    Even though I've lost 130 pounds, I still struggle with sweets. Recently (although this is very junior high like), I've started writing on my hand "worth it?" It makes me stop and think is what I'm eating worth the calories; or worth staying at the weight I am at; or worth, etc. So far, it has worked really well. It was just enough to make me pause, stop and think, before I eat. I still indulge sometimes because I am believer that you cannot completely deprive yourself. I try to limit and include it in my calorie count for the day. Hope that helps!
  • shakespearessister
    shakespearessister Posts: 42
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    Yes, if you have the willpower cold turkey does work best. Once you get over the hump those first couple days, you really lose the craving. However, something that hugely helped me is increasing my intake of fermented foods. Yogurt, kefir (plain and sweetened with stevia), kombucha, etc, really helped take away the cravings.
  • marjoleina
    marjoleina Posts: 189 Member
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    I agree, stop eating simple sugar all together. Add protein and fruit, veg, complex carbs. I can't eat sugar in a simple form, (cookies), because once I do, that is all I want to eat.
  • NorthWoodsLee
    NorthWoodsLee Posts: 92 Member
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    I do believe that sugar and processed flour are almost as bad as crack. I know this: I started early this summer cutting out all processed flour, chips, and sweets. I purposefully choose to eat foods with a low glycemic index and, when I eat foods with natural sugars like fruits (which I eat regularly), I always eat something with protein in it at the same time to reduce the glycemic load. That means my blood sugars don't spike, which leads to easy fat storage, and best of all I don't get the urge to eat more sugary crap when my blood sugars crash again. My cravings for sugary and processed snacks has prety much gone away and the addiction surely has. Now if I feel like eating something sweet I'll add some blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries to some nonfat plain yogurt. Or sometimes I'll pop a raspberry or blackberry "Carbmaster" yogurt in the freezer for a couple of hours and have a delicious, sweet -tasting dessert that tastes like a great frozen yogurt with only 60 calories and only 4 total carb grams.

    I personally believe that you can't beat the sugar addiction by feeding it and happily testify that life is much better without it!
  • MemphisKitten
    MemphisKitten Posts: 878 Member
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    Sugar is absolutely an addiction. And you aren't weak or lacking willpower if you can't beat it on your own. Addiction to anything is all about how a person's brain and behavior responds to a substance. Since you can't just cut out sugar completely (like someone would if he/she was to quit smoking), it is best to limit yourself to fruit sugars as much as possible. But even they can cause cravings. Other substances like potatoes and starchy veges can cause a "relapse" as well. I am a sugar addict also and have struggled with substance abuse in the past. Eating lots of veges, nuts, and using unsweetened products will reduce physical cravings, but the psychological dependence on the sugar is what is going to be the most difficult. Don't be afraid of fat! But make sure you are eating healthy fats!! You will feel like total garbage when you first embark on your low-sugar journey, so be prepared. Right now I still average close to 100g of sugar a day, but that is a lot less than what I used to have!!
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
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    You could just plan for it and work it into your diet. I eat a pint of various ice creams a night and average >100g's of sugar a day. Managed to lose some weight this way as well as get perfect blood panel results.

    It can be done, just work it into your macro goals. Just my opinion. My diary's open, ignore the over/under calories. I eat the same amount daily (currently 3000, was 3300 for the last 6 months until two weeks ago) and regulate with exercise.
  • ajd241
    ajd241 Posts: 76
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    I personally believe that you can't beat the sugar addiction by feeding it and happily testify that life is much better without it!

    Thank you so much. That is what I needed to hear. I need to get my act together. Just have good low gi foods in my house. Once I get over the hump in a few days I should be free and clear. The weekends will be my big test though. I WILL get through this. I do NOT need this in my body. It is only making me feel horrible and depressed and it gives me no nutritious value. I need to snap out of the mindset that I do need this stuff. I know I don't but my brain keeps telling me I do. I really need to reprogram my mindset.
  • RobynMWilson
    RobynMWilson Posts: 1,540 Member
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    Don't keep any sugar or or sugar products at home!! Don't go to the grocery store hungry to ensure you don't buy any!

    ^^ this is the only thing that has worked for me over the long term. I do allow one "bad" treat, like a couple of cookies, maybe 2 or 3 nights a week as "dessert" so that I stay on the beam the rest of the time. I've also found my Reese cup addiction of over 30 years is finally done, with the help of Smucker's All Natural No Salt Added PB. I dk what it is about this PB but it helps with both sugar and chocolate cravings. And it's healthy fat so much better to eat! Shakeology also helps me tremendously with sugar cravings!
  • PhearlessPhreaks
    PhearlessPhreaks Posts: 890 Member
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    Ok. So I am a lover of sugary foods. Weekends seems to be the worst time for me and I seem to binge on a tonne of sugary food and ruin a great week of healthy diet and exercise. I don't understand my mindset but I do believe that sugar is an addiction much like caffeine or nicotine and honestly, I need help in how to stop myself.

    I've tried drinking a lot of water because I thought I was confusing hunger with thirst, I've tried distracting myself but all in all it comes back into my mind instantly. I really have got into the habit of a weekend (especially a sunday evening) to satisfy my cravings..even when it's not in the house!!

    Please help me! Please tell me how you've all overcome your problems please. I am losing faith in myself.

    It absolutely is an addiction like any other. It's my ultimate weakness as well.. As the first commenter said, cold turkey. it's hard as *kitten*, it hurts, but it's so worth it. I completely understand how you feel- I struggle with the same cravings; all is well and good until you have to go shopping, and heaven forbid if it's a day where you're having bad cravings! But seriously, cold turkey is the only way I found that works. Weaning, small treats, a 'cheat day' just doesn't work for me.
  • cajungirltx
    cajungirltx Posts: 147 Member
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    :sad: Thanks for posting this. I am addicted to sugar as well. I need to try the cold turkey advice
  • GiGiBeans
    GiGiBeans Posts: 1,062 Member
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    As a last resort, I tried low carb. It's worked. I no longer eat a 10 ounce bag of candy in an hour or three bananas, an orange and apple in an hour and look for more. I'm fine with a cup of berries and a piece of dark chocolate now. Feels good to be around sweets and just not care.
  • cinnamom17
    cinnamom17 Posts: 8
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    Instead of focusing on avoiding sugar, focus on increasing protein. I went from averaging 65 grams of protein per day to averaging 125, and my sugar cravings are gone. My daily protein shake (one cup of milk and one scoop of Muscle Milk powder blended with ice) helps a lot because it tastes like quite the indulgence.
  • barb_32
    barb_32 Posts: 73 Member
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    I'm also addicted to sugar and the only way I've found to beat it is cold turkey. If it's really bad maybe a crystal lite flavored water but other than that cold turkey. I had a piece of pie at thanksgiving and holy cow I wanted it bad for the next couple of days. Horrible!
  • Zeromilediet
    Zeromilediet Posts: 787 Member
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    Sugar is a real addiction, and more demanding in some people than others--some people struggle with this as if it were another opiate addiction. Be kind to yourself for that reason. But also tough about the reality. Another issue is willpower. Keep sugary treats out if the house & car; if they're at work, make sure you have to walk a long way to get them; reduce the number of times you must exercise willpower to avoid eating. Seriously, research has shown humans have a limit to their willpower. Avoid temptation and you can do it!
  • nickyfm
    nickyfm Posts: 1,214 Member
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    I found that drinking green tea and putting cinnamon in my yogurt/oatmeal really helped.

    Also eating a protein and healthy fat with every meal. Try eating every 2-3 hours. Mediherb's "Gluco Balance" tablets worked a treat as well.

    I haven't craved sugar AT ALL in about a week, which is amazing for someone who would constantly crave it every day :)
  • m1311
    m1311 Posts: 103 Member
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    I have the same issues. If you like having support in writing, you might see whether your library has any of Kathleen DesMaisons' books. She wrote Potatoes Not Prozac and Your Last Diet, among others. She gives a sort of 12 or 10 - step plan (can't remember which) for dealing with sugar addiction. She starts by suggesting you eat breakfast every day, then move to whole grains, then hook your sugar intake to being only when you've had some protein. You slowly work out of having any processed (or "invisible") sugar in your diet. It helped me a lot. I couldn't do it cold turkey, and I am much happier now that I can manage it.
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
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    Lets face it you can't avoid all sugar just have to use the old will power and grab an apple over the chocolate bar :)
  • busywaterbending
    busywaterbending Posts: 844 Member
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    the only way to break your sugar addiction is to go low carb. And LOW Glycemic Index!

    Depending on how addicted you (and the gut flora are) It will take 2 - 4 months of below 100g carbs a day to end it.

    Sometimes it takes longer to completely eliminate the gut flora's toxic biofeed back cravings.

    Best wishes. It can be done, I did it!

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