Sugar addiction...where do I start...

2

Replies

  • sparrow747
    sparrow747 Posts: 87
    I'm on Day 7 of my sugar detox. Honestly like everyone else said... go cold turkey. It's on your mind now, so just do it and hang in there. I felt great on Day 1. A little woozy on days 2 and 3, it was clearly withdrawal symptoms and it didn't feel good. Since Day 4, I've felt totally normal. I don't feel like I'm Superwoman or anything, but I feel fine and have no cravings for sugar. Even the smoothie I made this morning was too sweet. I've really been enjoying sweetness through a little fruit every day. I'm planning to reintroduce sugar on a "treat only" basis and definitely not every day. Also, funnily enough, I can eat SO MUCH MORE now that I'm focusing around nutrient dense meals, not loosing 300 cals to some cookies and being starving after.
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    I do not have diabetes. This means I can enjoy whatever sugar I want.
  • dark_angel1554
    dark_angel1554 Posts: 65 Member
    Ok, so I am obviously addicted to sugar. Any suggestions on how to start reducing sugar besides the obvious? No Cokes, no candy etc....frustrated that it has become a cycle.

    Thanks for your help :)

    Been there! I definitely agree with the cold turkey method. I also found that I had some trigger foods in my diet that caused me to crave sugar more - like if I ate a ton of bread or grain-products...I would crave it instantly. Seems odd, and everybody is different so I'm not sure if it's the same for you. I was eating WAY too much of that food group so I cut it down and started eating more protien-rich foods and my cravings started subsiding.

    Also, I find that yogurt helps if I do get cravings, and so do fruits - like berries.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I'm curious as to when exactly sugar intake became pathologised as an addiction? I'm only asking from a pure interests sake... I'm doing research at the moment and everyone seems to come to the same conclusion - as far away as New Zealand and in Singapore.

    H :)

    When people decided they needed another excuse on why they can't lose weight
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    I'm curious as to when exactly sugar intake became pathologised as an addiction? I'm only asking from a pure interests sake... I'm doing research at the moment and everyone seems to come to the same conclusion - as far away as New Zealand and in Singapore.

    H :)

    When people decided they needed another excuse on why they can't lose weight

    ^
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    It it's fresh fruit, don't worry about the sugar levels unless you have a medical reason to do so.

    Life feels so much better without the sugar spikes and crashes. I don't miss white sugar at all, but I do get a lot of sugar through fruit - just remember to eat it with a protein rich product to minimize the effects.

    All those blueberries you eat? Have sucrose in them...

    Sugar doesn't count if it comes out of the ground, only if it's an ingredient in delicious food. Duh.
  • holyforge
    holyforge Posts: 7 Member
    Read all labels, you'd be surprised where you find sugar. Things like pasta sauce, ketchup, breads, etc. One trick the food industry uses in low-fat deserts is added sugar, more so than the regular fat option (for flavor of course).

    Good luck!
  • 1ConcreteGirl
    1ConcreteGirl Posts: 3,677 Member
    I would be careful with fruit because I know for me it makes me go on sugar binges. Oatmeal, vegetables, sprouted breads, whole wheat pastas, etc, etc.

    How in the name of grabass are any of these foods considered a sugar binge?
  • Mainebikerchick
    Mainebikerchick Posts: 1,573 Member
    I would be careful with fruit because I know for me it makes me go on sugar binges. Oatmeal, vegetables, sprouted breads, whole wheat pastas, etc, etc.

    How in the name of grabass are any of these foods considered a sugar binge?


    Yes!!! HOW????
  • ks4e
    ks4e Posts: 374 Member
    I don't consider myself addicted to sugar, but I do tend to start off my day with coffee (cream and sugar). After cutting that out, I began to lose weight. Why? Because I use a ton of sugar in my coffee, which meant my body was too busy trying to burn off that sugar all day that it wouldn't get around to burning off the fat. Also consider the fact that it was white sugar (processed crap) with corn syrup for flavoring (more processed crap). Totally not healthy at all. My medium cup of coffee had about 28 grams of sugar!

    So if you are indeed intent on stopping, stop cold turkey. Don't worry too much about sugars that are naturally found in foods (like fruits) but instead focused on foods with ADDED sugars, especially artificial sugar.

    If you are dependent on sugar, you will notice withdrawal-like symptoms the first few days. You might get headaches, get shaky, and feel like you have no energy. After the 4th day or so, you will be fine. And you'll find you have way more energy than before.

    Basically, cutting out sugars will allow you to eat healthier in general, avoiding processed foods and processed sugars. it's a win-win situation in my book!
  • Fisherdh13
    Fisherdh13 Posts: 37 Member
    And what I haven't seen mentioned (where to start): get it out of the house. You need to develop new habits without it being part of your life. Besides stress, boredom and eating mindlessly were hard things for me to change. Its a one day at a time thing. Yes, go cold turkey. But work on the rest of your plan a little at a time. You don't have to do it all at once, and don't give up.:smile:
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    I'm sorry, I fell over and hit my head at the suggestion of putting Truvia on a freaking muffin.

    So, I'm out...
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    Cold turkey will help you stay on a DIET.

    The probelm with that strategy is this ....... will you be on a diet for the rest of your life? Are you willing to give up sugar forever? Not me .....I have to develop strategies to reduce my sugar dependence. I love cereal, but I look for something really low sugar. #1. because low sugar cereal still tastes good & # 2. I want to "save" my sugar for something that counts .... a piece of chocolate.

    Nail down the "thing" that you crave .... allow yourself that thing (a small portion anyway). I typically save this until late in the day.
    Get rid of as much unnecessary sugar as you can.

    Cold turkey is good for cutting the physical and mental addiction. I'd only recommend this is someone felt like they were seriously addicted. I was eating ten-packs of candy bars at my desk every day and in a constant state of crashing from all of the refined sugars. I couldn't stop at just one anymore, it got too bad. So I just cut it out entirely. After I went without any candy or sweets for a few weeks, I could start having it again, but the addictive cycle was broken. For someone who enjoys sugar but isn't acting like an addict, cutting back and finding ways to eat lower is perfectly fine. But sometimes it needs to be harsher temporarily.
  • Armyantzzz
    Armyantzzz Posts: 214 Member
    Eating more veggies, avoid high sugar fruits (ie; apples) ... and lower your carb intake (carbs are converted to sugar if not used and then converted to storage- we call it fat!). Start flushing your system with water (i like lemonated water myself)... green tea and last but not least exercise.... stay routinely active...:wink::smile: :wink:
  • Beastette
    Beastette Posts: 1,497 Member
    I would be careful with fruit because I know for me it makes me go on sugar binges. Oatmeal, vegetables, sprouted breads, whole wheat pastas, etc, etc.

    How in the name of grabass are any of these foods considered a sugar binge?

    In for the grabass.
  • avanimalhotra
    avanimalhotra Posts: 5 Member
    Sigh.. everyones saying go cold turkey. Tried that once horribly hard. And what do you do when you own a home bakery and are baking the stuff all day?
  • GlassslippersAndFairyDust
    GlassslippersAndFairyDust Posts: 518 Member
    I'm curious as to when exactly sugar intake became pathologised as an addiction? I'm only asking from a pure interests sake... I'm doing research at the moment and everyone seems to come to the same conclusion - as far away as New Zealand and in Singapore.

    H :)

    When people decided they needed another excuse on why they can't lose weight


    Pompous much?

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/sugar-addiction_b_819113.html

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/

    http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/132530.php

    http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/researcher-sugar-addictive-cocaine-obesity-diabetes-cancer-heart-disease-article-1.1054419
  • kateauch
    kateauch Posts: 195 Member
    Bump for later. My bf is addicted as well. He doesn't have a weight problem (yet) but drinks over 3 liters of soda a day and usually binges on at least two candy bars. Still has a 32" waist though :grumble:

    Good luck with your struggle. You can do it!
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I'm curious as to when exactly sugar intake became pathologised as an addiction? I'm only asking from a pure interests sake... I'm doing research at the moment and everyone seems to come to the same conclusion - as far away as New Zealand and in Singapore.

    H :)

    When people decided they needed another excuse on why they can't lose weight


    Pompous much?

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/sugar-addiction_b_819113.html

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/

    http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/132530.php

    http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/researcher-sugar-addictive-cocaine-obesity-diabetes-cancer-heart-disease-article-1.1054419

    Oh are humans=rats now and you can use the term interchangeably?
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
    The only way for me is to cut sugar and most refined carbs out completely. It's hard for the first week but after I get through withdrawals I feel so much better!

    This.

    Yup.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    http://www.hungryforchange.tv/article/goodbye-sugar-cravings

    Just got this in my email from "Hungry For Change"... some of you are likely familiar with the newsletters. "Food Matters" etc. are videos that are a part of this ...

    I couldn't stop to read it all at the moment but have always gleaned a lot from this newsletter... this one is helping reduce sugar cravings ... some really helpful tips!

    Hearts:heart:
  • susanswan
    susanswan Posts: 1,194 Member
    Just stop.

    Don't try to replace with other sweet things.

    Change what you eat, and what you enjoy. It takes about 30 days to re-train your taste buds.

    I used to take lots of sugar in my coffee, once I got used to no sweetener in it, now I enjoy the flavor of the COFFEE, not just the sugar, and other tastes followed the same way.

    You can do it, it is a change to how you eat and think about food, not just replacing one form of sweet flavoring for another.
    ^^^^^^THIS. Alcoholics don't cut back, they stop. I am a sugar addict, too. I stopped sugar, junk food, and refined grains 6 years ago and have not looked back since. In about a week or two I felt in control of food for the first time in my life. I'm not saying that any of these things have not passed my lips again, but when they do get ready for the cravings to come back full on. You have to know that you are making a healthy lifestyle change or what is the point? Weight loss? You can lose weight eating candybars, but for a sugar addict like myself 1 Oreo or 100 are simply not enough! I prefer to avoid them and keep off my 70 pounds! Just my experience. Hope you find your way. You'll never know until you try it!
  • Phaedra2014
    Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
    Ok, so I am obviously addicted to sugar. Any suggestions on how to start reducing sugar besides the obvious? No Cokes, no candy etc....frustrated that it has become a cycle.

    Thanks for your help :)

    Cold turkey works best. There is no slow way to rip the sugar band aid off.
  • bacitracin
    bacitracin Posts: 921 Member
    Oddly enough, the studies I saw on NCBI showed that for most people, cold turkey leads to binges, and that gradual weaning is the most effective way to decrease sugar cravings.
  • brianlampert
    brianlampert Posts: 4
    My nutritionist said I could eat as much fruit as I want. I used to love candy, but when there is always apple or grape around I don't miss it at all.
  • bejuled74
    bejuled74 Posts: 191 Member
    I'm curious as to when exactly sugar intake became pathologised as an addiction? I'm only asking from a pure interests sake... I'm doing research at the moment and everyone seems to come to the same conclusion - as far away as New Zealand and in Singapore.

    H :)

    When people decided they needed another excuse on why they can't lose weight


    Pompous much?

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/sugar-addiction_b_819113.html

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/

    http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/132530.php

    http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/researcher-sugar-addictive-cocaine-obesity-diabetes-cancer-heart-disease-article-1.1054419

    Oh are humans=rats now and you can use the term interchangeably?

    hhhmmm. The article I read, http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/researcher-sugar-addictive-cocaine-obesity-diabetes-cancer-heart-disease-article-1.1054419, was research based on human brain scans...not rats. I think a brain scan is a pretty viable research tool.
  • GlassslippersAndFairyDust
    GlassslippersAndFairyDust Posts: 518 Member
    I'm curious as to when exactly sugar intake became pathologised as an addiction? I'm only asking from a pure interests sake... I'm doing research at the moment and everyone seems to come to the same conclusion - as far away as New Zealand and in Singapore.

    H :)

    When people decided they needed another excuse on why they can't lose weight


    Pompous much?

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/sugar-addiction_b_819113.html

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/

    http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/132530.php

    http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/researcher-sugar-addictive-cocaine-obesity-diabetes-cancer-heart-disease-article-1.1054419

    Oh are humans=rats now and you can use the term interchangeably?


    Really, that's all you've got?? Did you bother reading them? And FYI, scientists have been using rats/mice for years with amazing results. Some of the research was done on humans and there are several studies in particular that showed the brain reacted the same to heroin as it did sugar, they produced the same endorphins so the brain did not differentiate between the two. I'm guessing by your statement; "When people decided they needed another excuse on why they can't lose weight," that you have an issue with overweight people. I'm guessing you have the mentality that believes if we just put the doughnut down, all would be right with the world. In your closed mind, I'm guessing you have never entertained the possibility that you could be wrong, that maybe, just maybe some people are actually addicted to the endorphins that sugar produces in the brain, just like a heroin addict is. I've been battling sugar addiction for years and I am an expert with MY body/mind. I know what sugar does to me when I have it and what it does to me when I'm withdrawing from it. Just because you don't seem to suffer from this addiction doesn't mean it isn't real. I'm not an alcoholic but I realize that some people have a real addiction to it. I realize that even though people like you always want "proof," which I provided, it will never be enough proof for you. So go back to your fantasy world where the only opinion that counts it yours and I will remain happily in reality. :flowerforyou:
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I'm curious as to when exactly sugar intake became pathologised as an addiction? I'm only asking from a pure interests sake... I'm doing research at the moment and everyone seems to come to the same conclusion - as far away as New Zealand and in Singapore.

    H :)

    When people decided they needed another excuse on why they can't lose weight


    Pompous much?

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/sugar-addiction_b_819113.html

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/

    http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/132530.php

    http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/researcher-sugar-addictive-cocaine-obesity-diabetes-cancer-heart-disease-article-1.1054419

    Oh are humans=rats now and you can use the term interchangeably?


    Really, that's all you've got?? Did you bother reading them? And FYI, scientists have been using rats/mice for years with amazing results. Some of the research was done on humans and there are several studies in particular that showed the brain reacted the same to heroin as it did sugar, they produced the same endorphins so the brain did not differentiate between the two. I'm guessing by your statement; "When people decided they needed another excuse on why they can't lose weight," that you have an issue with overweight people. I'm guessing you have the mentality that believes if we just put the doughnut down, all would be right with the world. In your closed mind, I'm guessing you have never entertained the possibility that you could be wrong, that maybe, just maybe some people are actually addicted to the endorphins that sugar produces in the brain, just like a heroin addict is. I've been battling sugar addiction for years and I am an expert with MY body/mind. I know what sugar does to me when I have it and what it does to me when I'm withdrawing from it. Just because you don't seem to suffer from this addiction doesn't mean it isn't real. I'm not an alcoholic but I realize that some people have a real addiction to it. I realize that even though people like you always want "proof," which I provided, it will never be enough proof for you. So go back to your fantasy world where the only opinion that counts it yours and I will remain happily in reality. :flowerforyou:

    I did in fact read the links you posted, hyman is a joke and fearmongerer, Dr LOLstig was featured int eh NY daily news article and you had 2 on animal studies. You are correct we do often use animal studies to research things, but as you know not everything that works in animals works the same way in humans. For instance, the one actual paper you linked to, they repeatledly make reference to rats that were deprived of food for 12 hrs, now how might that correspond to humans? If looking at other research on rats and mice, it is prob anywhere between 3-5 days of complete fasting. Hmmm how often are humans engaged in that sort of behavior? Also other studies on intermittent caloric restriction in rats and mice show they also binge on whatever food source they are given, not just sugar.

    Did you really just try and compare alcoholism to "sugar addiction"? Checks the DSM and the NIH or both terms, wonder which term came back with 0 hits

    So where was this proof that you offered of sugar addiction in humans?

    If you are using yourself as an example, what Important social, occupational, or recreational activities have been given up or reduced because of eating sugar and how much time is spent on activities necessary to obtain, to use, or to recover from the effects of sugar?
  • LeanButNotMean44
    LeanButNotMean44 Posts: 852 Member
    Eating more veggies, avoid high sugar fruits (ie; apples) ... and lower your carb intake (carbs are converted to sugar if not used and then converted to storage- we call it fat!). Start flushing your system with water (i like lemonated water myself)... green tea and last but not least exercise.... stay routinely active...:wink::smile: :wink:

    Apples are one of the LOWEST fruits in the glycemic index: http://www.weightlossforall.com/glyemic-list-fruits-vegs.htm

    This link is very helpful. I quit ADDED/refined sugar 9 months ago. I miss bread and pasta, but have found other things to keep those cravings at bay - just don't ask me about desserts (I dream of carrot cake.... :sad: ).
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
    I"m genuinely curious as to why sugar and alcohol can not be compared as an addiction? Whan does alcohol do physiologically that makes it addictive?

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