sugar addict
lizbennet
Posts: 8 Member
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?
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?
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Replies
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Oh yes, if I'm not careful I can eat a whole package of cookies.
So I try to stay away.0 -
The only sugar that comes into my home is dark chocolate which I have no problem with. But no cookies, cake, candy or ice cream. Just whole fruit of all kinds. If the sugary stuff came into my house I would eat it til it was gone.0
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Try stocking up with sugar free pudding, low carb plain yogurt, or making your own stuff with xylitol, Erythritol (fruit sugar), Truvia, or Stevia.
I've been warding off the chocolate cravings with a glass of low carb hot chocolate,,, 4 oz milk, 4 oz water, 2 T. cocoa powder, 1 packet of Truvia or two spoons of xylitol.
I've thought of making my own sugar free chocolates using Bakers unsweetened chocolate bars, a candy mold, and a Truvia/xylitol natural sweetener combination.
They taste great, but barely weigh in on the glycemic index.
Another good one with the sweeteners is sugar free cheesecake made with low fat cream cheese and plain greek yogurt with lemon rind...0 -
Me, me, me!! And it makes sense that its getting worse lately because its winter and gloomy (I am not a winter person) don't get outside and am limited to do much exercising aside from cleaning and walking (I'm in my third trimester of pregnancy) not to mention the fact I normally have a sugar addiction anyways but this is just insane. What has helped the most is not keeping it in the house and clean eating. REAL foods, fats, not a ton of processed stuff. Its hard but recently in my food diary its become very clear the more junk I eat the the more junk I crave period. I need to get back on the clean eating wagon and go back to sharing my treats with the kids.0
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The only sugar that comes into my home is dark chocolate which I have no problem with. But no cookies, cake, candy or ice cream. Just whole fruit of all kinds. If the sugary stuff came into my house I would eat it til it was gone.
Ah, I love dark chocolate too:) that's also (almost) my only sugar that I consume.
Small tip: Don't keep any sugary foods around at home. Remove yourself from the situation. Eliminate your cues to eat sugary foods!
Lizbennet, I don't want to promote anything that I'm not 100% convinced of but because my girlfriend also had a big problem with sweet snacks, we did the 21 sugar detox challenge together (http://timreviews.com/21daysugardetox) - It's difficult in the first 3-4 days, but it pays off and is a big eye opener.
The MAIN BENEFIT is that we have less cravings for fast food, chocolates, chips,.. . The cravings, if any, are now so slight that they are easy to resist.
Timmi0 -
I have a real problem.Some times I've binged several times a week. I have and will buy a whole cake frosted 13x9 and eat the entire thing in one day. Same with cookies or brownies even a bowl or 2 of coolwhip. When I buy the package I first check how cals times the servings so I'll know how many cals I'll be eating and sometimes it can be 3 or 4 to 7500 cals in one sitting. This can happen for a couple days in a row. My real illness comes in when I tell myself oh you are going to workout more for the next couple of days or You are only going to have a protein shake or 2 for the next few days to make up for it all.This never happens and I gain 5lbs. By checking the total cals on a package of something I can talk myself out of it, because I know I'll eat the whole thing. Then there is work. Everyday a celebration of some sort or the families bringing in goodies for us uuuugggghhhh!!!! I quit smoking why cant I quit this? Thanks for your post I needed to get this off my chest!!!0
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Lol, I have a huge problem with sugar binges. A HUGE one. For a day or two I'll think I can "just have a few". But then the cravings set in and a few isn't enough anymore. Sometimes I'll throw in some cheeto's puffs in there too, but usually my binges will consist of cookies, cake-like things, and chocolate in any form. I've resolved that I need to cut those things out of my diet completely, with exceptions being birthday parties & holidays.0
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Try getting sugar from natural fruits. They have vitamins and fiber as well.
Do not go for the sugar substitutes. That chemical crap is deadly and only feeds you hunger for real sugar.
Just clean out the cupboards.
Get temptation out of the house entirely without chemical substitutes.
Maybe a big bowl of fruit on the table will begin to draw your attention there.
Good Luck.
You really have to go cold turkey for a month before you get over your cravings.0 -
@lizbennet I can completely relate. I am battling this too and I HATE it. I love sugar and have been addicted to it (I believe) since I was a toddler. I have let go of the fake sugar. However now it is time to get rid of sugar and it is like I am morning the loss already. Day one and it is so hard!0
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I think not having the sugar in the house is the first thing that helps...but to stop the craving....I really eat a well rounded meal. the craving did go away. I have had a run of some cookies last week, I won't lie. But it has been easier. And now they are out of the house again. (shew). Anyway. Eating some whole grains, protein, some healthy fat and veggies for lunch and dinner has made a big difference for me. I eat whole grain cereal for breakfast most of the time. The craving will go away...but if you let it slip back in to your life, it will come back. Also, I see you are going to do a 5K. I did the couch to 5 K. I have never been a runner. I have friends who have jogged for years and still can't do a full 5K. I can jog a full 5K! 0
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I'm reading a book right now about what sugar does to us to try and understand how it affects my body. I feel like I've had bad sugar cravings since I got pregnant and had my first child. The book is called "Fat Chance" and while I can't vouch for the material in it (I literally just started it this morning) I've read and heard good things about it.
As for the day to day cravings, I've tried to cut diet soda out of my diet completely because I find that that can lead to bigger cravings for me. Also, I just try to completely avoid processed sugar (candy, ice cream, cookies, etc.) because as soon as I have a little bit it is honestly like starting an avalanche in my brain and the craving is sometimes all-consuming. My one saving grace has been dark chocolate. I have 1 piece of 90%cocoa each night and I've found that helps to satisfy the sweets craving but I can be OK with just one piece because the chocolate is pretty bitter and more than 1 just wouldn't taste good.0 -
Found this on Facebook. I totally agree with it.
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Watch the You Tube clip of Dr. Robert Lustig of the UCSF School of Medicine. After seeing him on "60 Minutes" talking about the damage sugar does to the body, I quit refined sugar cold turkey. That was 7 months ago, and I will not go back no matter what!
For your convenience:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM 0 -
I definitely can relate. I use to be, and probably still am, addicted to sugar. I had a real problem with chocolate. I cut out all sugars from candy and chocolate in my diet a few years ago and made it 62 days. Once you get past the initial 2 weeks of cravings it gets easier. This time around I cut out not only the sugars from junk food but all artificial sugar and regular sugar, besides what is found naturally in fruit and veggies. I have found the cravings to go away a lot quicker. I also removed all products containing sugar from my home. My biggest temptation right now is just what is at work but I have found by day 4 it gets a little easier. One thing I learned last time is when you reintroduce sugar back into your life a little goes a long way because you are not use to it. If you do not feel like you can completely reduce sugar, start off slow, make it only a weekend occurrence, or as a reward once you drop a certain amount of weight or accomplish your 5K. I am doing my no sugar diet right now to prep for the NYC Half Marathon as I find I feel lighter and run better without sugar in my system, especially for evening runs.0
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Yes! I can totally relate! This why i am struggling with my weight! Also, cause i eat late in the evening.
I recently heard that if you always crave sugar, dont totally deprive yourself of it, instead the best time to eat it, is in the morning with breakfast. Only like 2 little squares of chocolate. you usually move for the rest of the day, thus digesting it and not letting it turn into fat. Also, If you eat red meat or fish, it will help you stay full longer.
Istarted to eat honey if i crave sweets.0 -
Try stocking up with sugar free pudding, low carb plain yogurt, or making your own stuff with xylitol, Erythritol (fruit sugar), Truvia, or Stevia.
I've been warding off the chocolate cravings with a glass of low carb hot chocolate,,, 4 oz milk, 4 oz water, 2 T. cocoa powder, 1 packet of Truvia or two spoons of xylitol.
I've thought of making my own sugar free chocolates using Bakers unsweetened chocolate bars, a candy mold, and a Truvia/xylitol natural sweetener combination.
They taste great, but barely weigh in on the glycemic index.
Another good one with the sweeteners is sugar free cheesecake made with low fat cream cheese and plain greek yogurt with lemon rind...
You don't need to go with fake sugar to avoid the addictive quality of sucrose (table sugar). The addictive part of sucrose is actually the fructose in it (sucrose is 50% fructose). There is a great book called, "The Fat Switch" that describes the effect of eating large amounts of fructose (in the form of the 500 calories worth of sucrose that the average person eats every day). I make my own chocolate by using glucose and unsweetened baker's chocolate. One piece of that and you are supercharged! You just wouldn't want to eat a lot of it (probably can't anyway because it is very rich). Since I have been avoiding sucrose, I have completely lost my taste for it. If I go to a birthday party or something and have a piece of cake, I usually can't take more than a couple of bites as it is so gaggingly sweet. Glucose doesn't taste anywhere near as sweet as does sucrose. Fructose tastes even sweeter yet (that is why just a few grams in a piece of fruit makes it taste sweet). Fructose is metabolized in the liver in a process similar to the metabolizing of alcohol. Glucose, on the other hand, is taken directly into the blood stream from the intestines. All animals search for fructose when they want to get fat (like black bears gorging on massive quantities of wild blueberries at the end of summer and putting on a lot of body fat). Glucose and other food sugars do not have that effect. Obviously, eating lots of any kind of food would raise blood glucose and insulin levels (which would then create body fat). But food addiction is triggered by fructose as the "anti-satiety" substance. Here is an article that describes some interesting research findings that were presented at the "Food Addiction Summit" last year: http://www.foodaddictionsummit.org/docs/johnson-359fructoseindex.pdf0 -
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:0 -
I love desserts and sugar in moderation... I find it better to fit a little treat into my daily calories than to deprive myself completely... that can lead to closet binges..
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sadly...this thread has me craving chocolate :sad:
and now cookie dough....doh!0 -
I had a serious sugar problem. It was so sever that I now have to dark spots in my face.
I did it cold turkey and it was the hardest thing I've done. But I now only use a teaspoon of honey or Sugar in the raw. I was a uber (fill in the blank) for the first month. But I knew that if I didn't stop, I was risking myself for something greater than my addiction.
My trick is, when I'm craving something sweet, I eat one of those 100 calorie packs of raisins. They are sweet and yummy, and satisfying. I also don't deprive myself of a cookie here and there. Your body needs to be given a few bad things so it doesn't store it in your system keeping you heavy. When your body is deprive of anything, when you do have it, it stores it because it doesn't know when it's going to get it next.
Remember as long as as you don't over do it, nothing is bad. Moderation is key with everything.0 -
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.0 -
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.0
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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)0 -
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. 0 -
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.0 -
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!0
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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.
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. 0 -
Bump0
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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.0 -
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!0
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