Help Me Get off the Sugar!

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  • mtzrose2001
    mtzrose2001 Posts: 62 Member
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    Go to Walmart and purchase Spring Valley Chromium Picolinate 1000mcg.I personally take one tablet in the morning everyday and I do not crave sugar at all.I hope this helps.
    Thanks I'll certainly look into it!
  • mtzrose2001
    mtzrose2001 Posts: 62 Member
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    I know there are people on here that have cut out virtually all sugar from their diet. I'm not one of them. I want to enjoy things like ice cream, pie and cake. And I drink beer. And I eat pizza 2-3 times a week. Hell, I had Wendy's today (a chicken sandwich but Wendy's nevertheless).

    My point is, focus on what really matters: calories, and macro- and micronutrients. If you have calories left, you have gotten sufficient protein and fats, and you've consumed sufficient micronutrients, then enjoy your sweets so long as you do not go over on your calories. I find that this is a great motivator to do cardio. The more exercise, the more you are allowed to eat and stay within your goals.

    You will see people on here and other places calling this "IIFYM" or "If It Fits Your Macros." There is a wonderful flexibility in this that frees you from the pain and agony of diets and the entire concept of "bad foods." Use it. Be happy.
    I will be looking into the Macro thing as I have never heard of it b4. I was happy and felt great on wholefoods after the first few days. I just wanna get through the withdraws without all the pain and then I think I'll be okay and on my way.
  • mtzrose2001
    mtzrose2001 Posts: 62 Member
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    Here's an article I wrote about sugar withdrawal: http://hub.me/aeCOt
    Thanks for the article. Nice info :)
  • mtzrose2001
    mtzrose2001 Posts: 62 Member
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    Carbohydrate, and especially sugar addictions are common. You stated it perfectly. You are out of control, you feel icky when you try to stop, you have health consequences (overweight).

    Go to Overeaters Anonymous. Or look it up online. Sugar is absolutely an addictive substance. Been there. You can wean yourself off, or quit Cold Turkey. Eventually you will be able to control it. Have faith. You can do this.
    I'll check it out. Thanks!
  • sugarfree123
    sugarfree123 Posts: 82 Member
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    I used to be a major sugar addict. I did not want to eat anything that was not a simple carb or totally sweet. I tried several different methods like " no sugar till after 12 noon then game on" then no sugar till after 5 pm them game on. this method worked somewhat because if you start the day out with sugar then you keep rebounding and craving all day. (Remember simple carbs are sugar) If I just ate sugar before bedtime, I had no time to rebound before bed. Not only can the sugar lead to diabetes and insulin resistance, it also causes hardening of the arteries and can also cause osteoporosis and wrinkled skin. Another fact, if you are eating junk like sugar, it replaces the good stuff you are supposed to be eating. If you will eat what you ate in the past, plain meats,(lots of protein) fruits and veges, you will discover that by giving your body what it really wants and needs that your cravings will stop. I seldom crave anything. Remember, shop on the outer parameter of the store. Don't buy the junk and it won't call your name in a moment of weakness. Eat small healthy stuff very frequently. Even if it is every hour. Don't allow yourself to get hungry and your body will not realize that it is doing without junk food and you will stay under better control. You can do this because you are crazy enough to think you can. You just have to decide that enough is enough and just do it.
  • netski19
    netski19 Posts: 12
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    I started the paleo diet ten days ago so I know exactly how you feel. If it helps, my headaches were only on the 3rd and 4th days and they weren't debilitating; more like a dull pain. Of course, everyone is different, and your headaches might be worse than mine but keep telling yourself that it'll pass. I was addicted to white rice, I ate it with every meal, but I got through that because reading about the paleo diet motivated me to keep going and I'm so glad I did, because I can already feel the difference. Seven days after completely cutting off the sugar, I took a sip of my son's root beer, and it tasted sooo gross! I felt like I drank pancake syrup, so now, I don't miss it. Even when I'm around a lot of carbs and sweets, I'm okay eating lean and veggies. Good luck! You can do this!
  • stargazer008
    stargazer008 Posts: 531
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    I found that once I started eating more healthy fats and proteins, my cravings for sugar were reduced. I find that fruit can satisfy me nicely. I rarely have urges for sugar now. I still like to have a daily sugary treat though I don't want to gorge on it like I used to. If you check out my food diary, most of my sugar intake is from fruits, veggies and other natural sugars like lactose. I'm still working on my sugar intake. I would say that going cold turkey may help, sure it will suck at first though your body will adjust to the change and likely be happier as well.
  • kw85296
    kw85296 Posts: 265 Member
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    I, too, am addicted to sugar. I found that I do not crave it as long as I have plenty of fruit in my diet. Pineapple seems to help alot as well as strawberries and apples. In fact, there have been studies that show apples are helpful in maintaining a level sugar (glucose) level in the blood stream. I also don't eat a lot of bread, because for some reason, it makes me more apt to crave bake goods. Hope this helps.
  • gkozub
    gkozub Posts: 22
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    I used to have this problem, hardcore!
    A few tips:

    1) Make fruit your best friend! It is a healthy, fibre-filled way to eat sugar without feeling guilty about it. The sugar in fruit is natural, and will not sit on your waist the way refined sugar does. Try to have fruit with most of your meals, as this will always keep a little bit of natural sugar in your body, and you will crave less.

    2) Ditch the artificial sweeteners (if you're using any). Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose (found in diet soft drinks and "sugar-free" food items) actually cause sugar cravings for some people. Why? Because these chemical ingredients are meant to trick your brain into feeling like you're eating sugar, but your body knows it's not actually the real sugar its craving. Not to mention, a packet of splenda, for example, tastes 2x as sweet as a packet of sugar! Try switching to a natural sweetener, like stevia or truvia.

    3) Find replacements for your go-to sugar-filled foods. For example, I love Nutella, but its main ingredient is sugar. So, I switched to Maranantha Chocolate Almond spread. It's delicious, and is not nearly as bad for you as Nutella is. Another example of a switch I made was to get rid of candy bars (oh, how I do love Kit-Kat...), and replaced it with dark chocolate. Calorie wise, there is not much difference, but the sugar content in dark chocolate is much lower than it is in milk chocolate (the darker the chocolate, the less the sugar-- I aim to eat 70% cocoa). It gives me my chocolate fix without going overboard.

    4) Indulge on occasion! It is not a crime to have a sweet tooth! I also love jelly beans, apple pie, chocolate brownies and chocolate covered almonds. So, I do have those on occasion! You should enjoy the foods you love once in a while.

    :)
  • mtzrose2001
    mtzrose2001 Posts: 62 Member
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    I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant and have diabetes on both sides of my family. I do better with a lower carb diet. That being said I indulge in dark chocolate and sweets here and there. I've done Atkins (too severe) and South Beach (too salty) and Paleo.. too restrictive... Once you cut your sugars down you crave them less & less. I'd much rather have 200 calories of steak than 200 calories of cake... = )
    I do find also that cutting sugars down helps you to stop craving them less. The problem for me personally is that any sugar in my diet eventually leads me to craving more and more over time.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    I know there are people on here that have cut out virtually all sugar from their diet. I'm not one of them. I want to enjoy things like ice cream, pie and cake. And I drink beer. And I eat pizza 2-3 times a week. Hell, I had Wendy's today (a chicken sandwich but Wendy's nevertheless).

    My point is, focus on what really matters: calories, and macro- and micronutrients. If you have calories left, you have gotten sufficient protein and fats, and you've consumed sufficient micronutrients, then enjoy your sweets so long as you do not go over on your calories. I find that this is a great motivator to do cardio. The more exercise, the more you are allowed to eat and stay within your goals.

    You will see people on here and other places calling this "IIFYM" or "If It Fits Your Macros." There is a wonderful flexibility in this that frees you from the pain and agony of diets and the entire concept of "bad foods." Use it. Be happy.
    I will be looking into the Macro thing as I have never heard of it b4. I was happy and felt great on wholefoods after the first few days. I just wanna get through the withdraws without all the pain and then I think I'll be okay and on my way.

    Your macros are your fat, protein and carb ratios.

    Sugar is part of carbs. What I do is to first make sure I hit protein. I have mine set at 97 grams per day because I'm trying to preserve muscle. I usually hit fat with no trouble thanks to protein. That's another 45 grams. Everything else can be carbs. By focusing first on those two it doesn't leave as much room for sugar.

    But I don't have any trouble limiting myself. I just like sugar, I don't really feel out of control.
  • mtzrose2001
    mtzrose2001 Posts: 62 Member
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    Seriously if you eat more cooked vegetables, in particular greens it will help detox you, taking away the cravings. Drink water primarily. Read food labels for hidden sugars, like dextrose, sucrose, fructose, corn syrup, etc.
    Thanks for the tip! I defiantly plan on eating tons of veggies and love my veggies :)))))
  • vanessamcinnis
    vanessamcinnis Posts: 204 Member
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    I am way addicted to sugar. It's scares me to reflect on the amount of sugar that I actually consume. It is way too much! This is most likely the main reason I am overweight. I am 5'8" and 210 lbs. I was heavier last year. Then I managed to loose 30 lbs quite quickly with a diet of natual and whole foods. I quite all unnatural sugar and ate all whole foods. After I lost enough weight that I felt satisfied with my appearance, I began to slowly regain my bad eating habits back. I regained 20 of the pounds I lost. I made a plan to start eating healthy again and to cut out the sugar. However, I could not make it thorough even one day I felt soooo horrible and got a really bad headache. I think this is when I realized how much my body really is counting on it's daily dose of sugar. I really need some guidance and help this time around with cutting out my sugar. I'm sure that my blood sugar levels are are up and down all day. I get really insane cravings for sweat things all day long and they are really intense at times. I feel like I need large amounts of sugar for my body to feel okay. I would love to know how to get off of this crap b4 it kills me! I can feel that I am unhealthy. I am almost certain that this will turn into diabetes down the road. I am the only person I know that eats as much sugar as I do. I really just want to get a start on kicking this sugar additions butt. Is there a way to cut it out cold turkey without going through the headaches and such. I'm not good at sustaining a long term goals that includes me weening off sugar. I feel I need to just set a date and cut it all at once if I'm going to be successful at this thing. Is there something that I can take (besides over the counter pain relievers) to help the headaches. Is there anything that will help to level off my blood sugar levels? Has anyone been through this? I could really use and appreciate some advice. Please, add me as a friend if you are or have struggled with this kind of thing. I would love to make some friends here and support each others efforts!
    Amanda

    http://drrodgermurphree.com/yeast-overgrowth/ You may not have stomach issues but I do. I have to go on this diet I'm 100% I will be finding out this Thurssday. When you cut sugar out there will be symptoms. It's going to be tough
  • mtzrose2001
    mtzrose2001 Posts: 62 Member
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    it will take 3 days to get to feeling better. day 3 was the worst for me.
    I found this to be true as well the last time I tried. Just about 3 days to not crave it at all. Right now I can feel it in my body like a body buzz.
  • mtzrose2001
    mtzrose2001 Posts: 62 Member
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    I started the paleo diet ten days ago so I know exactly how you feel. If it helps, my headaches were only on the 3rd and 4th days and they weren't debilitating; more like a dull pain. Of course, everyone is different, and your headaches might be worse than mine but keep telling yourself that it'll pass. I was addicted to white rice, I ate it with every meal, but I got through that because reading about the paleo diet motivated me to keep going and I'm so glad I did, because I can already feel the difference. Seven days after completely cutting off the sugar, I took a sip of my son's root beer, and it tasted sooo gross! I felt like I drank pancake syrup, so now, I don't miss it. Even when I'm around a lot of carbs and sweets, I'm okay eating lean and veggies. Good luck! You can do this!
    Good to hear that you got the headaches too. I can leave the sugar behind. Iv'e done it b4. I'm really hoping to do it less painfully this time around! I just kept thinking okay this is not going to kill me. It was like three days of headaches and sweating and feeling sick! I really wish that I would have stayed off it. I'm not looking forward to going through it again. But this time for sure I won't go back to it!
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    Carbohydrate, and especially sugar addictions are common. You stated it perfectly. You are out of control, you feel icky when you try to stop, you have health consequences (overweight).

    Go to Overeaters Anonymous. Or look it up online. Sugar is absolutely an addictive substance. Been there. You can wean yourself off, or quit Cold Turkey. Eventually you will be able to control it. Have faith. You can do this.

    Actually, researchers are pretty sure that it is the fructose portion of sugar that is addictive (sugar, that is sucrose, is 50% fructose). Fructose seems to cause an "anti-satiety" response in test subjects. I don't generally eat any added sugar at all, but on my heavy exercise days, I sometimes have a craving for chocolate (could be the magnesium that I crave in it). I make my own with pure glucose (the industry name for glucose is "dextrose") and unsweetened baker's chocolate. While I wouldn't recommend eating a lot of glucose (because of the obvious problem of jacking up your blood glucose levels if you eat a lot of it), it can help you get past the sucrose withdrawal. The headaches, by the way, are likely from what naturopaths call "the die-off reaction". Certain organisms (like the fungus Candida Albicans) proliferate in the gut when a person eats a lot of sugar. When the sugar is suddenly withdrawn, those fungus and other assorted nasties that thrive on a diet of sugar, start to die off and put out a lot of toxins as they die. Those toxins are absorbed into the bloodstream and they are very inflammatory--thus the headaches. Drink lots of water (helps the body to eliminate toxins) and the headaches will likely go away after a few days of staying strictly away from sugar. Good luck. I have been off of added sugar for almost three years and have benefited a lot from staying away from it.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant and have diabetes on both sides of my family. I do better with a lower carb diet. That being said I indulge in dark chocolate and sweets here and there. I've done Atkins (too severe) and South Beach (too salty) and Paleo.. too restrictive... Once you cut your sugars down you crave them less & less. I'd much rather have 200 calories of steak than 200 calories of cake... = )
    I do find also that cutting sugars down helps you to stop craving them less. The problem for me personally is that any sugar in my diet eventually leads me to craving more and more over time.

    It works that way for a LOT of people--you are certainly not alone. It is similar to an addiction to alcohol in its effects. Fructose (sugar, that is sucrose, is 50% fructose) is metabolized in a way that is very similar to alcohol in the liver. Most natural sugars come encased in fiber, protein and fat and our bodies know what to do with them. Concentrated fructose is another matter. Some people simply have a very addictive response to eating fructose and must limit it to a serving or two of fruit per day. A small to medium orange has about 2 grams of fructose. A 12-oz. can of "orange" soda has about 26 grams of fructose in 44 grams of high fructose corn syrup. :noway:
  • gloglorinn
    gloglorinn Posts: 1
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    Me too! I'm bloody addicted to sugar. :noway: BUT I realize that eating oranges (but not juice, of course) make me feel better. :wink: I prefer them because later I get thirsty so I drink a lot of water too!! :drinker:
  • stefanopsimaris
    stefanopsimaris Posts: 12 Member
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    Sugar does not lead to diabetes. all studies surgesting this are done on sedetary individuals. Although exess sugar can lead to diebets due to inproper insulen responce over time the level of sugar one must eat if they have a low BF% and exercise would be massive like 40% of your dailey intake of sugar.
    This is somewhat confusing because you said that sugar does not lead to diabetes but then said that it does (indirectly).
    i meant to say 40% of your caloric intake in sugar. I guess if you add sugar to the extreme you do it could increase ones chance however it is verry rare that you would get diabetes from sugar if you exercise have relatively low BF% and your family does not have a history of diabetes.
  • 366to266
    366to266 Posts: 473 Member
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    Track your Macro's. And if it fits your Macros Eat dat sugar brahette
    I think sugar and refined sugars are making up at least half of my daily calories:(
    All I drink in sweetened drinks. Mostly coffee with tones of sugar. That's all day every day. I don't drink any water. Just for example today I ate a Hershey pie for breakfast along with a brat and a giant cup of coffee with about a 1/4 cup sugar in it and cinnamon slavered syrup. Then for lunch I had about 2 cups of pasts with about 1/2 cup of shrimp. Then I went on to drink a couple cups of Lipton iced tee. Then I had a chocolate moose (the one from Applebees.) I also had 2 of the real little bags of Cheetos. Oh and I had one package of oatmeal with about about 3 teaspoons of sugar on it. I'll probably have a bowl of chocolate/ peanut butter cereal before bed. Soooo, Yeah.... It's bad and I don't think I should just keep eating it :( Kind of wish it were that simple! I have an insane amount of willpower and determination. I feel like this is one thing that I am definitely going to need some help with and some tools.

    Yep - that was me 10 years ago.
    You have to go cold turkey. Honestly, it's the only way.
    I tried moderation, substitution, reduction.
    All that worked was cold turkey.

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