How to break sugar addiction?
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I was addicted to carbs and sugar. I basically went cold turkey when i joined mfp.
It is the only way, you will get a headache initially but once you substitute your fast release carbs with slow release carbs, the sugar rush stops.
Try brown bread (or even better no bread at all), bananas, frozen berries, yoghurt, peanut butter, nuts, seeds, veggie home made soups, frozen veggies. These things all break down slowly in your body and therefore provide a steady stream of carbs so you do not get sugar spikes and depressions.0 -
I've been hopelessly addicted to sugar for a long time, but I've slowly been breaking the habit. I have two main weapons: eating fruit when I'm craving sugar, and if that doesn't cut it, using the two-bite rule. If you're craving something specific and nothing else will do, take two bites of whatever it is. Chew slowly and savor it. Between the two, I've been beating this thing (:0
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I started my "diet" early this year like so many, resolving to loose weight. I had been doing really great up until late this week. But now everything with sugar is calling my name!
From the beginning, I wanted to make this a positive experience so I would stick with it. I cut way back on soda (I'm drinking 1 mini-can - 90cals per day). I've been staying within my calories each day. I bought some special K pastry crisps to help curb the sugar cravings, giving myself the "treat" as long as I had exercised that day. I've been exercising 6 days a week, mostly circuit training. But, some treadmill sprints and weights too.
Anyway, the sugar cravings are actually getting worse instead of better. What have you done to help curb those cravings?
Your bowel flora is probably "calling out" for sugar. Candida fungus for one, thrives on a steady diet of sucrose (table sugar). Scientists have discovered that our bodies are not exactly our own. Various microorganisms in our bodies outnumber the actual cells in our body by a factor of TEN! :noway: They have also discovered that the microflora colonies "talk" to each other and have some kind of bio-chemical affect on the neural cells that line the human gut! (There are as many neural cells lining the human gut as there are neural cells in the brain.) As they are challenged by the lack of sugar, could it be that they "tell" us to "EAT MORE SUGAR---NOW!" Who knows? As you continue to stay away from sugar, the cravings will eventually stop. Another technique that I have found particularly helpful is to stay away from fruit for a couple of weeks in addition to staying away from sucrose. That will help lower the level of fructokinase in the body (fructokinase is an enzyme that our bodies produce to help us to digest fructose). Eating sucrose (which is 50% fructose) causes fructose levels to rise abnormally high because of the amount of fructose we are getting. The average consumption of sucrose is about 500 calories worth a day. Processed food contains a lot of sugar. Experts recommend eating only 25 grams or less of fructose every day. One can of soda (sweetened with high fructose corn syrup) contains about 26 grams of fructose (and it is totally empty calories). A small Valencia orange has, by comparison, 2 grams of fructose.0 -
Cut the soda out and don't do diet soda either. There are no sugars in it, but it'll make you crave them more. Try and go for more natural sugars from fruit, honey etc. If you do need a sugar hit then what I do is make my treats rather than buy them. Then you know what's going in and can limit yourself or find healthy alternatives. I have been trying to curb my sugar this year and I had a bakewell cake today and it tasted so sugar laden it made my teeth ache!
Try sweetening with glucose instead of sucrose. Our bodies know well what to do with glucose and as long as you don't overdo it, you shouldn't have a problem with addictive impulses. I make my own chocolates using a small amount of glucose with unsweetened chocolate. I add nuts to keep the glycemic value down. There are substances in chocolate, that help your body repair the damage done to one's DNA by eating too much fructose (in the form of table sugar). You can buy both the unsweetened chocolate and the glucose at your local bulk food store. Just melt 4 oz. of chocolate in a double boiler and add 2 heaping TBS of glucose and a splash of real vanilla. Stir in the nuts and divide it into four portions, dropping the portions onto parchment paper. Chill. The recommended amount of chocolate per day is one oz. This chocolate is very intense and rather bitter but it certainly satisfies chocolate cravings. Has about 190 calories for one ounce (plus the nuts).0 -
I cut all high fructose corn syrup from my diet and that helps a lot. I find as soon as I eat a highly processed sugar the cravings start again. The only way I can deal with it myself is cold turkey. I don't believe in sugar substitutes so I use honey, maple syrup, raw cane sugar, and occasionally agave nectar. I also have tried to cut back on carbs that release a lot of sugar into the bloodstream like white breads, white rice etc.
I struggled with sugar addiction for many years and this year is the first year I'm feeling its under control. When I asked my doctor about it when I was 23 and a super sugar binger she looked at me like I was a whiner and that there was no such thing as sugar addiction. I used to eat a full bag of candy to fall asleep almost every night back then. Now I know that my doctor was the crazy one and I should have listened to my own instincts to correct the problem. It's now 13 years later and I'm finally doing something about it.
Good luck and feel free to message me with any questions.0 -
Hi aroundthemulb,I started my "diet" early this year like so many, resolving to loose weight. I had been doing really great up until late this week. But now everything with sugar is calling my name!
From the beginning, I wanted to make this a positive experience so I would stick with it. I cut way back on soda (I'm drinking 1 mini-can - 90cals per day). I've been staying within my calories each day. I bought some special K pastry crisps to help curb the sugar cravings, giving myself the "treat" as long as I had exercised that day. I've been exercising 6 days a week, mostly circuit training. But, some treadmill sprints and weights too.
Anyway, the sugar cravings are actually getting worse instead of better. What have you done to help curb those cravings?
Your sugar 'addiction' ,might be related to something else, like stress. Keeping a food diary can help with these things. In addition to noticing what you eat, record your emotional state or how you are feeling along with it. Keep it for a few weekdays and a weekend and review it, see what patterns emerge. You may be a stress eater, or you may just be eating sugary foods because they are available and you are hungry.
I don't recommend using sugar substitutes (splenda, equal, etc.), these don't really fix the problem, which is your self-identified sensitivity to sugar. Sugar substitutes are many thousands of times sweeter than sugar, and can in fact make a bad problem worse.
Eat whole fruit, not dried or juice or anything else like that. This is a great replacement for sweets, the sweetness is generally lower, and actually has a dietary benefit vs. plain sugar.
Don't keep sugary foods around. Walk away. Remove yourself from the situation. Eliminate your cues to eat sugary foods. Treat it like an alcoholic would treat a beer/wine/etc.
The 21day Sugar Detox gave me some great insights and actually helped me to overcome (most) of my cravings.( An interesting review on http://timreviews.com/rg )
Timmi0 -
Just cutting out the soda isn't going to get rid of your sugar cravings, you have to cut out all sugar AND processed food. I really don't understand why people would choose fake, processed food over REAL food. If you want sugar, eat some berries or a banana, stop feeding yourself poison in the form of processed food. Switch to diet soda??? Are you serious? There's tons of research saying that diet soda is actually worse for you than regular soda.0
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i eat chocolate granola!... the kind the does not come in granola bars... not having any sugar is hard..so limit yourself and its okay!.. the granola i get has no high fructose corn syrup or bad ingrediants0
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i felt the same in the past. however after discovering a serious love for natural, fat free yogurt with 100 g of blueberries mixed in (and then left in the freezer for approx an hour) i am able to eat suger twice daily and not feel guilty about it. the best part is that it keeps you full and so your cravings disappear. this way i can stick to my diet because i dont feel like i am missing out. i definatly recommend it. all the best!
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For me, I try to simply replace the processed sugar with a smaller portion of a natural sugar. For instance, rather than having that milkshake, make a banana and yogurt smoothie instead. Or instead of the candy bar, have a piece of fruit; honey instead of table sugar in my tea or coffee... There is still sugar in fruit, of course, but it's much easier for your body to metabolize (especially as it has the fiber with it), and it is not as chemically addicting like processed sugars are.0
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I too am struggling with sugar addiction. I can go for weeks without refined sugars and refined carbs and then I get offered some chocolate or cake and it is like I imagine heroin to be, I am hooked again.
When I am doing OK and am off sugar I eat Coconut nectar and xylitol as replacements as they are sweet but low glycemic load. I would love to find a sugar addicts support group or start one. ANyone interested?0 -
I LOVE sugar. I LOVE candy. For the very first time I chose to eat one M&M instead of the entire bag offered to me. Yes, one stinking M&M. My coworkers laughed at me because it was absurd, but it gave me that sweet taste I was craving. The doctor I work for also does something similar. When patients bring in sweet treats, he will only have a bite or two of a cookie and toss the rest. I didn't get it, but it does help some.0
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I started my "diet" early this year like so many, resolving to loose weight. I had been doing really great up until late this week. But now everything with sugar is calling my name!
From the beginning, I wanted to make this a positive experience so I would stick with it. I cut way back on soda (I'm drinking 1 mini-can - 90cals per day). I've been staying within my calories each day. I bought some special K pastry crisps to help curb the sugar cravings, giving myself the "treat" as long as I had exercised that day. I've been exercising 6 days a week, mostly circuit training. But, some treadmill sprints and weights too.
Anyway, the sugar cravings are actually getting worse instead of better. What have you done to help curb those cravings?
Don't eliminate anything from your diet, just allow yourself little treats of your favorite foods, not substitutes that you would only eat while dieting restrictively. If you don't give them up, you won't crave them and then binge on them when the cravings get to be too much.
Moderation is key.0 -
Though this isn't the case for everyone, I found I had to rid my body of processed sugar and then STAY OFF OF IT. I went on the 17-Day Diet. The first 17 days is a wonderful cleanse and gave me the kick-start I needed. Now I don't eat cookies, cakes, treats, etc., made with processed sugar and read labels on everything. I still love my sweets, but use alternate sources such as fruits, agave, etc. I know the cold-turkey method is harsh, but I think I have a sugar addiction. I can't eat just one cookie or piece of candy. It's much easier if I just don't have that first bite.0
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Though this isn't the case for everyone, I found I had to rid my body of processed sugar and then STAY OFF OF IT. I went on the 17-Day Diet. The first 17 days is a wonderful cleanse and gave me the kick-start I needed. Now I don't eat cookies, cakes, treats, etc., made with processed sugar and read labels on everything. I still love my sweets, but use alternate sources such as fruits, agave, etc. I know the cold-turkey method is harsh, but I think I have a sugar addiction. I can't eat just one cookie or piece of candy. It's much easier if I just don't have that first bite.
Same here. I have been without sugar for two years. And you know what? I don't even miss it anymore--either physically or mentally (the mental part went on long after I broke the physical addiction). Just as with any physical addiction, the craving goes away fairly quickly---the mental part takes a bit of time. NOW, I like the way I feel when I feed my body spinach much more than I ever did when I ate a cupcake or doughnut.
My family and friends have quit asking me if I want some of the sweet treat that they are having. They know the answer will always be "no". A few have even complained that I make them feel guilty. And I tell them, "This is not about judging you, you are doing what you want with your body and that is none of my business. This is about me doing what is best for MY body and I feel so much better than I did two years ago that I will NEVER go back to eating sugary foods."0 -
I started my "diet" early this year like so many, resolving to loose weight. I had been doing really great up until late this week. But now everything with sugar is calling my name!
From the beginning, I wanted to make this a positive experience so I would stick with it. I cut way back on soda (I'm drinking 1 mini-can - 90cals per day). I've been staying within my calories each day. I bought some special K pastry crisps to help curb the sugar cravings, giving myself the "treat" as long as I had exercised that day. I've been exercising 6 days a week, mostly circuit training. But, some treadmill sprints and weights too.
Anyway, the sugar cravings are actually getting worse instead of better. What have you done to help curb those cravings?
Don't eliminate anything from your diet, just allow yourself little treats of your favorite foods, not substitutes that you would only eat while dieting restrictively. If you don't give them up, you won't crave them and then binge on them when the cravings get to be too much.
Moderation is key.
I would respectfully disagree with this advice. There are some of us who MUST avoid sugar if we are going to stay out of the binge rut. It is very similar to alcoholism. Every recovering alcoholic understands that, sobriety depends on never even tasting that first taste. Very few recovering alcoholics can ever engage in "moderate drinking" again. I grew up addicted to sugar and wheat---it makes my life just a whole lot simpler if I avoid both---particularly sugar. 0 -
I started my "diet" early this year like so many, resolving to loose weight. I had been doing really great up until late this week. But now everything with sugar is calling my name!
From the beginning, I wanted to make this a positive experience so I would stick with it. I cut way back on soda (I'm drinking 1 mini-can - 90cals per day). I've been staying within my calories each day. I bought some special K pastry crisps to help curb the sugar cravings, giving myself the "treat" as long as I had exercised that day. I've been exercising 6 days a week, mostly circuit training. But, some treadmill sprints and weights too.
Anyway, the sugar cravings are actually getting worse instead of better. What have you done to help curb those cravings?
Don't eliminate anything from your diet, just allow yourself little treats of your favorite foods, not substitutes that you would only eat while dieting restrictively. If you don't give them up, you won't crave them and then binge on them when the cravings get to be too much.
Moderation is key.
I would respectfully disagree with this advice. There are some of us who MUST avoid sugar if we are going to stay out of the binge rut. It is very similar to alcoholism. Every recovering alcoholic understands that, sobriety depends on never even tasting that first taste. Very few recovering alcoholics can ever engage in "moderate drinking" again. I grew up addicted to sugar and wheat---it makes my life just a whole lot simpler if I avoid both---particularly sugar.
I understand this and what works for one will not work for another. This was directed at the OP who has been restricting herself of nearly all sugar and is not having horrid cravings. She might be like me (certainly sounds like how I was each time I failed at a diet in the past). I can't cut any one food out or I start to obsess about what I can't have, to the point of dreaming about it. I've been successful for the past three years with this path. I was only offering an alternative, not giving a commandment. I should have stated it less strongly so that I didn't give the "my way or the highway" impression.0 -
I started my "diet" early this year like so many, resolving to loose weight. I had been doing really great up until late this week. But now everything with sugar is calling my name!
From the beginning, I wanted to make this a positive experience so I would stick with it. I cut way back on soda (I'm drinking 1 mini-can - 90cals per day). I've been staying within my calories each day. I bought some special K pastry crisps to help curb the sugar cravings, giving myself the "treat" as long as I had exercised that day. I've been exercising 6 days a week, mostly circuit training. But, some treadmill sprints and weights too.
Anyway, the sugar cravings are actually getting worse instead of better. What have you done to help curb those cravings?
Don't eliminate anything from your diet, just allow yourself little treats of your favorite foods, not substitutes that you would only eat while dieting restrictively. If you don't give them up, you won't crave them and then binge on them when the cravings get to be too much.
Moderation is key.
I would respectfully disagree with this advice. There are some of us who MUST avoid sugar if we are going to stay out of the binge rut. It is very similar to alcoholism. Every recovering alcoholic understands that, sobriety depends on never even tasting that first taste. Very few recovering alcoholics can ever engage in "moderate drinking" again. I grew up addicted to sugar and wheat---it makes my life just a whole lot simpler if I avoid both---particularly sugar.
I understand this and what works for one will not work for another. This was directed at the OP who has been restricting herself of nearly all sugar and is not having horrid cravings. She might be like me (certainly sounds like how I was each time I failed at a diet in the past). I can't cut any one food out or I start to obsess about what I can't have, to the point of dreaming about it. I've been successful for the past three years with this path. I was only offering an alternative, not giving a commandment. I should have stated it less strongly so that I didn't give the "my way or the highway" impression.
No problem. 0 -
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