sugar addict

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  • tammyhoover7
    tammyhoover7 Posts: 2
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    I have polycystic ovarian disease and one of the affects of that is that my body will not process insulin, (insulin resistant) so I have to watch the sugars but yet since my body is not processing them correctly I crave them. As you said when I get cravings I could eat a whole pk of cookies or whatever it is that I'm near..so I don't keep sweets in the house, I choose items for snacks that are high in fiber and whole grain or low fat cheddar cheese in moderation...cholesterol. I just bought 90 calorie brownies so if I do get a sweet tooth I can have one of those and still feel decent about it. Also I start my day out with a bowl of instant oatmeal, wegmans weight control has a cinnamon that is great and decent on sugars. if you keep up with myfitnesspal throughout the day you can see where you are on your goal for the day and may be able to fit a small sweet in there.
    Also you can buy dark chocolate chips, giardelli has one that is low on sugar but it really good, count out 5 and put the rest away, suck on them to make them last longer.
  • deeshore
    deeshore Posts: 12
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    LOL Hey Victoria Secret models are encourage to have chocolate twice a week. The mentality behind it, is simple. If you have it, you don't crave it. In moderation of course. I say have a small piece of Dark Chocolate. Chocolate has magnesium something women lack during that ranting lunatic time of the month.
  • anaboneana
    anaboneana Posts: 195 Member
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    Sugar is my crack... Sadly, I'm not even joking (hence why I developed bulimia). The things that have significantly helped me fight the battle over my cravings include:

    - identify what my body is really craving (say.. i'm craving ice cream - i proceed to go into the fridge and grab a cup of fat-free skim milk; which i like to heat up, because the warmness in my tummy helps make me feel fuller. if i'm craving sugar - i get a piece of fruit, especially a banana if my craving is absurdly strong. if i'm craving pizza - a bit of rice/whole-wheat bread sandwich. oddly, usually whenever i crave pizza, it's usually because i'm hungry for protein instead)

    - establish a time boundary - no eating after 7pm (when most of binge/purge sessions would occur)

    - no TV (too often, I'd find myself digging into a pint of ice cream or bags upon bags of candy; completely zoned out in front of the telly)

    - get off your *kitten* (doing excercise really helps put it into perspective how hard it is to burn off a lot of calories - making me less likely to want to binge)

    - resist the urge to purge (this applies more to bulimics.. but, honestly, purging made my binge episodes so much worse)
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    I completely understand where you're coming from. I'm in my 40's and have craved sugar my whole life. And as you probably have seen and experienced, eating sugar begets eating more sugar. I especially craved chocolate (in fact, my motto used to be "if it doesn't have chocolate then it doesn't count as dessert"), but really any sugar would do. I seriously never felt like a meal was complete unless I was able to eat something sugary.

    Anytime I've ever made a concerted effort to lose weight, the sugar (as usual) addiction caused me the most trouble. The one little piece of chocolate that I would allow myself turned into much more, and that was honestly always the thing that broke any diet.

    I started taking Magnesium on a daily basis last month after reading of all the positive health benefits it offers. For me, the biggest benefits it has provided are calming my nerves, helping me sleep (and stay asleep), and keeping me regular.

    One of the even bigger benefits I discovered on my own was the effect it can have on cravings--specifically, sugar (including chocolate) and alcohol. There's a lot or research out there to back it up.

    Magnesium has naturally given me the power to almost eliminate my chocolate/sweet cravings, and to me that is better than any other method I have heard about or tried. I think I had something chocolate the other day, but I don't remember what or when. If you had asked me that 2 months ago, the answer would have been very definitive answer about some item I consumed within the last 24 hours.

    All you have to do is google "benefits of magnesium" and you will find over 4 million articles that will explain it to you. If you're interested in what specific product I'm taking, it is called "Natural Calm" and it is 100% natural magnesium citrate. It's available on amazon as well as locally in vitamin or health food stores. I follow the directions exactly and have had great results. Magnesium is safe for just about everyone, has no marked side effects (other than laxative effect if you take too much), and can really do a lot to improve your overall well-being.

    Just my two cents' :happy:

    Magnesium also helps your body to shed fat (it's complicated). By the way, have you tried Epsom salts BATHS? (A lot of people can't handle oral magnesium supplementation as it gives them the runs.) If you are magnesium deficient, you will take in the magnesium right through your skin (Epsom salts are pure magnesium sulphate). The sulphate is good too as we don't typically get enough sulfur in our diets. If you decide to go that route, aim for two 15-minute soaks per week. :smile:
  • Ryanmariem
    Ryanmariem Posts: 46 Member
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    anyone else struggling with serious sugar addiction? i mean, not the usual laziness stuff, and you grab whatever is there, but real actual binging issues because your body just absolutely craves that dopamine shift. oh my gosh. it's bad! the past week has been pretty awful, and i am trying to get rid of everything, but feeling so down because of it. tonight i did better with eating--mixed veggies and raw juice smoothie. i had a small piece of cheese pizza with my family as well, but other than that, i was able to stop and haven't succumbed to the sugar pull. however, this morning, i sure ate my share of thin mints. starting over tomorrow. sorry if i sound like a sap. i just feel so out of control and i HATE that feeling! i used to love to run, and now because i've gotten so out of shape (and bigger) it's not fun. :( but i'm doing it anyway! :) i have a 5k at the end of march, so we'll see.

    okay, randomness over. anyone else relate, though?

    Sugar is a huge addiction problem, I love my sweets always have.. though I have always been more of a pastry, cookie and chocolate kind of addict. But sweets is sweets and I can relate!

    What helps me is to have a high protein meal in the morning, this helps w/the cravings throughout the day. I also try to keep eating protien throughout the day, again helps w/cravings as it fills you up and lasts longer.

    I do my best not to allow certian sweets into my house, I will not be tempted to eat them if they are not "calling my name" from the cupboard.

    I try to go for fresh fruit as good alternative or even some nice dried fruit, that stuff is really sweet and satifies that sweet tooth.

    DO NOT USE ARTIFICIAL SWEETNERS: that stuff is just bad for you... so much new research at all the side effects and some is worse than others like Aspartame turns into formaldehyde in your body (yuck!). Also they are way sweeter than natural suger and will not trigger that you are full, so people tend to eat more. High Fructose Corn Syrup is another sweetner to try and avoid at all costs, it actually makes you want to eat more and is found in most processed food.

    I also drink lots of water and Green Tea throughout the day, my fav. green tea is Jasmine Blossom from Stash, I like to add a little honey too, no more than 1 tbs... Honey is very good for you and does not process the same as reg. sugar... but still you don't want to overdue it.

    This book has HELP me a lot to learn about sugar addiction and just how to cut out the unnessecary sugar out of my diet. The Blood Sugar Solution by, Dr. Mark Hyman, it is very easy to read and talks about a lot more than just blood sugar, it also has shopping list and recipes to try out.

    The idea is if you eat more whole natural foods, not pre-packaged, processed and preserved stuff.... you will naturally start to eliminate that added sugar, and stop most cravings. You will feel full longer and what I have found have a bigger healthier meal that is very satisfying and loose weight. I started my kick at the begining of Jan 2013 and already have noticed a huge difference.

    Yes we do slip now and then, but it becomes less and less and really the sugar sweets start not to taste as good... weird... to me now it is more satisfying having a sweet fruit than it is to have a pastry.
  • Dolci07
    Dolci07 Posts: 37 Member
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    I have an addiction to donuts. I can't have sweets in the house or I will just sit and eat it all. There is no "in moderation" for me. I can't handle it!
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    I have an addiction to donuts. I can't have sweets in the house or I will just sit and eat it all. There is no "in moderation" for me. I can't handle it!

    Yep, the sugar, fat and wheat combo is particularly potent. But once you cut out sugar and wheat, it loses its hold on you. I have progressed to where I can have it in the house but not eat it. My thin husband likes his cookies, so we always have some around for him and the grandkiddies (although I refuse to bake them). At one time, as long as I was eating some sugar and wheat, I would have had to eat the cookies. My hubby would have one or two and I would eat the rest (between my bouts of crash dieting). Now, they don't much tempt me. I have to be careful though. My grandkids will sometimes leave half a cookie and the temptation to pop the rest in my mouth is strong--but I have learned to dump it in the garbage no matter how much it offends my "waste not, want not" mentality. :wink: Just like an alcoholic knows better than to take a sip of wine, I know that half a cookie could start me on a course that I don't want to take. Freedom is worth giving up a lot.
  • nextrightthing
    nextrightthing Posts: 408 Member
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  • Bookchick887
    Bookchick887 Posts: 126 Member
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    I stopped eating sugar for a year (1997). A year. Made my own bread, taco seasoning, ketchup. Kept away from it totally. But, it never lost it's hold over me. I am in my 3rd day w/o it and the worst time is after a meal. I want dessert when I finish eating. Hard habit to break. When I am sticking my hand into the bag of choc peanut clusters for the last scrap of candy, I hear myself saying, "There's not enough chocolate in the world to satisfy me..." then I know I'm in trouble.
    My point is that the cravings never go away, I just catch myself and use my self control and struggle to go cold turkey again.
  • lizbennet
    lizbennet Posts: 8 Member
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    wow, everyone! i can't believe the response! it's nice to know there are others out there who share this same issue...not that i'm glad you all suffer like me, just that there is understanding and commeraderie! even more important, there are some great success stories, tips, and encouraging words! i love it! i'm doing the "no eating after 7pm" thing right now. i've been on a binge the past week, and bumped up 5 pounds. NICE! but i'm back on track. my husband and i are juicing/blending only raw veggies and fruits in the morning and evening, and eating regularly during lunch. this seems to work well for me. i'm getting a TON of great stuff my body needs, but can still have stuff i "want." for example, today for lunch i had a grilled chicken sandwich with veggies. but.....then i went and got a small vanilla cone from mcdonald's. however, because i've had SO much kale, spinach, fresh fruit, etc, it didn't even make a bump in my day. i did have a chocolate craving this afternoon, but just had a few dark chocolate almonds. but, i both started and ended my day with good stuff. i figure, i'll get into that routine for a while, and then start working on the middle....i already feel more energized in my day, and more clear headed. so, i'm looking forward to seeing what i can do about the middle part of my day! :)

    thank you to everyone for all your support! i love it! nice to know people can relate!
  • jesusismyhero
    jesusismyhero Posts: 5
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    :sad: yes I feel your pain too! I smoked cigs for many many years and after I gave it up due to medical issues... pound by pound it came every month. I often wonder how I could give up smoking and not eating. It pains me to say that I would rather smoke than be this much overweight. I have no plans of going back to smoking. Also, after smoking all those years I food didn't taste as good as it does now. Even my husband agrees that food taste alot better after he quit smoking. It's no wonder people gain weight after kicking the habit. :noway: :noway:
  • char71165
    char71165 Posts: 65 Member
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    I am on day three of not eating sugar. I had decided to not eat ice cream during Lent. I LOVE ice cream. It is my favorite dessert. I could eat it three times a day! So it was a big decision to let it go for Lent. So I started and I was doing great without it. Or so I thought until I realized I was binge eating on other sweets. So I was really upset. So I decided that it was time to give up the sugar. I am addicted to it and so it has to go. So I am doing it one day at a time. I hope that in the future I will be able to have a sweet on a special occasion and not be thrown into a sugar binge. But for now I am not going to focus on that or worry about it. I am focusing on today and learning what eating can be like without sugar. God help me! Thank you MFP friends for supporting and encouraging me on this journey.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    I am on day three of not eating sugar. I had decided to not eat ice cream during Lent. I LOVE ice cream. It is my favorite dessert. I could eat it three times a day! So it was a big decision to let it go for Lent. So I started and I was doing great without it. Or so I thought until I realized I was binge eating on other sweets. So I was really upset. So I decided that it was time to give up the sugar. I am addicted to it and so it has to go. So I am doing it one day at a time. I hope that in the future I will be able to have a sweet on a special occasion and not be thrown into a sugar binge. But for now I am not going to focus on that or worry about it. I am focusing on today and learning what eating can be like without sugar. God help me! Thank you MFP friends for supporting and encouraging me on this journey.

    You can do it! I did it about three years ago and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I have lost 51 pounds since then. My blood pressure has returned to normal without medication (and I was previously on two of them). My arthritis is greatly improved. The benefits keep rolling in! To your better health...:drinker:
  • bobbeagley59
    bobbeagley59 Posts: 2
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    I eat cookies and candy and Ice cream all the time I mean if it is in the house I eat it and I like it a lot. I know that I shouldn't eat the stuff but I just keep eating and eating the stuff cause it tastes so good and everyone around me eats tons of it so I eat tons of it too. so I am stuck with no end in sight and no motivation to stop either. even though I weigh more now that I ever have in my life and my back is hurting bad as well. so I hope we all can help each other?
  • bobbeagley59
    bobbeagley59 Posts: 2
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    Thanks for the positive help I am going to make a good effort. Thanks. Keep up the good work!!!!!
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    I eat cookies and candy and Ice cream all the time I mean if it is in the house I eat it and I like it a lot. I know that I shouldn't eat the stuff but I just keep eating and eating the stuff cause it tastes so good and everyone around me eats tons of it so I eat tons of it too. so I am stuck with no end in sight and no motivation to stop either. even though I weigh more now that I ever have in my life and my back is hurting bad as well. so I hope we all can help each other?

    You can do it! Believe me, if I can do it, so can you. Once you get off the stuff you will find that you have lost your taste for it. But you must get completely off of it to experience the freedom of not having to eat it just because it is there. It only took me about two weeks. Now, if I go to a birthday party or something and get served a piece of cake, I'll take a bite or two and leave the rest because it just doesn't taste good to me anymore. Waaaaay too sweet, sickeningly so.:tongue:
  • lizbennet
    lizbennet Posts: 8 Member
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    you can totally do it!!! go you!!!! great job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • nomicat77
    nomicat77 Posts: 132 Member
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    sounds like you are insulin resistant. you should check your blood sugar levels when you feel like this. most doctors will hand you a tester for free.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    sounds like you are insulin resistant. you should check your blood sugar levels when you feel like this. most doctors will hand you a tester for free.

    Not sure if you are talking to me, nomicat, but if you are, I don't think I am IR. I had my FBS and A1C (and triglycerides) done just last fall and they were excellent. But thanks for the warning. :smile:
  • sandynas
    sandynas Posts: 89 Member
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    I have a MAJOR sweet tooth. You're doing great! I still cheat here and there but eat a lot of fruit!

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