I'm ADDICTED to sugar

brady3xox
brady3xox Posts: 4
in Introduce Yourself
Hi guys,

I decided to start this food journal because I think actually seeing what I eat every day will inspire me to make healthier choices. I always start off my day super healthy, but by the end, it's like I don't seem to care.

I would say that my biggest struggle is sugar. They say that women are not supposed to consume more than 6g of added sugar per day. I would say that I usually eat 80-100g of sugar added sugar per day!

It is difficult to find foods that do not have added sugar, so I am working on filtering it out of my diet and being aware of what I'm putting into my body. My breakfast today was completely sugar free! Yay! ...but breakfast is the easy part. All of these processed foods have a ton of sugar!

For those of you who struggle with sugar addiction, what have you done to stick to your nutritional limits? Thanks xoxo

Replies

  • red9812
    red9812 Posts: 85 Member
    Hey there, I'm also concerned about consuming too much sugar. It's in EVERYTHING! I've been working to cut soda out of my diet and so far I've found that increased fiber/protein intake has helped my sugar cravings. As far those hidden sugars, I'm just going to lurk this thread and see if anyone else has any suggestions.
  • PurpleTina
    PurpleTina Posts: 390 Member
    What works for me is 'all things in moderation'. I do still eat chocolate occasionally, but I make sure that it's on an exercise day, rather than a rest day, so I can 'afford' the extra calories IYSWIM? I also eat flapjacks and the occasional biscuit. Denying myself these odd treats completely would simply not be sustainable, and I want to be healthy long-term, as well as lose weight. Small changes are easier to stick to than a 'diet'.

    I try and eat home cooked foods rather than manufactured meals, and satisfy my sweet tooth with fruit and fruit yoghurt. The biggest change for mne though, has been taking up exercise; when you are becoming more healthy, instinctively it seems much better to be eating healthy food, rather than sugar.
  • brady3xox
    brady3xox Posts: 4
    It is true, you can't deprive yourself of treats. Making these changes as part of your everyday life and not just for a temporary diet is essential in being successful.

    Cutting out soda is not a problem for me- I never drink it anyways. But ice cream, chocolate, anything else sweet, that's the problem!

    I believe that eating home cooked meals is the best advice out there. Why? So we know what we are putting into our bodies.

    Any other suggestions to reducing added sugar to your diet?
  • EricCowperthwaite
    EricCowperthwaite Posts: 450
    The first, and most important, thing I did was to get rid of the foods in the cupboard. Basically, all processed foods are now gone from the house. My wife and I now make everything that we eat from scratch. Nearly any packaged or processed food you buy at the grocery store has HFCS added to it (which is 55% fructose, 45% sucrose).

    The second thing is to go cold turkey on sugar. I know it's hard, but it's the only way that worked for me. I don't add sugar to my coffee, I make whipped cream from scratch with no sugar in it, and so forth. I stopped eating fruit when I went cold turkey. Just cause the fructose comes from an apple doesn't make it any different or better than fructose in a packaged dinner. Now, 8 months later, I am able to add fruits back as a treat to myself on Sunday.

    Also, don't substitute sugar free stuff for the sugar stuff. Diet soda is at least as bad for you as full strength soda.
  • Camille0502
    Camille0502 Posts: 311 Member
    I understand that you want to reduce your added sugar - but the quote in your OP: "They say that women are not supposed to consume more than 6g of added sugar per day" leaves me puzzled. First of all, I don't know who "they" is. Where do these guidelines come from - seem very arbitrary? It is a great idea to reduce added sugar, but putting such crazy limits on yourself may lead to failure.
    If you feel that you do have a problem with sugar, perhaps read "Sugar Busters" or follow some similar program instead of lisntening to what "they" say.
  • Ryleas
    Ryleas Posts: 1 Member
    I am also a sugar addict and always have been. I used to stash fruit snacks and candy under my bed when I was a kid. The hardest thing with eating healthy was getting rid of the cravings. I honestly think it depends on how badly you want to lose weight and be healthy. I just started cracking down 2 weeks ago and my cravings for sugar have gone away for the most part. I still always have a back up. Weight Watchers ice cream cones are a good little snack and help the craving go away. I eat one maybe once or twice a week. I also drink chocolate or strawberry Muscle Milk after my workouts for the protein. But they are really sweet so its kind of like a treat. Fruit also helps. Your body cant tell the difference between the sugar in fruit and the sugar in a candy bar (only your taste buds). So eating fruit will satisfy the cravings and its healthy!
  • missj1020
    missj1020 Posts: 37 Member
    I am a recovering addict, so sugar is my new drug. Over the past 2months of journaling, it has helped me tremendously! I have lost 15lbs and i know a lot of it is because of eliminating sugar. I do eat sugar, I will deprive myself and then binge, so I eat small doses. Just to give u a background, I could eat a dozen donuts in one sitting, I feel more in control without it. I also am bi-polar, so sugar is NOT my friend : (
  • kate909
    kate909 Posts: 7 Member
    Hi there - I'm a sugar addict too. If you would like some help, you should visit http://radiantrecovery.com/ - it's a fabulous community. There is a program to help you get off of sugar for good - it's a slow process, but it's amazing how good you can feel when sugar isn't ruling your life!

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