Sugar addiction....

So after reading what everyone had to say today, I decided to go see my doctor. She recommended cutting down as much as I can on all the sweets. She suggested making a smoothie daily with fruit to get my "fix". She wants to see me again in a month to see how it's going. She also didn't agree with going cold turkey, rather making better choices and reminding myself that I don't need to consume all the stuff I crave to be happy.

Thank you to everyone who responded. I appreciate all the advice and laughs you gave me.

Glad you sought out a doctor! Trying is the hardest part, but we are all here for you along your journey. Good luck!

I need help overcoming my sugar addiction. I would love tips from anyone who has been through this and broke the addiction.

21 Day Sugar Detox or Whole30.

LOL'Z

There's no such thing, unless OP, you're in a bathroom somewhere with a tourniquet tied around your arm or you're sneaking it in your coffee.

Actually, there are a ton of studies out there indicating that the effect sugar has on the brain is similar to the effect opioids and cocaine have - re: dopamine release.

I have a firm grasp on reality, thanks. Perhaps "hostile" was the wrong word. You're just a bit preachy and condescending when delivering your opinions/advice.

I agree with your calorie deficit theory. Of course. It's solid science. Being on a low-carbohydrate plan which causes a ketogenic state, reduces the appetite causing you to eat fewer calories. This can be achieved in many forms. Replacing higher fat items with their low or no-fat counterparts is also a good option for those who can tolerate the change. Reducing portion size can work as well.

I think that people should do whatever works best for them. Whatever they can actually stick with! I have many friends who are excited about my progress and ask what I'm doing. They want to do it too. The ones who want to do this as a "crash diet" and then go back to eating "normally," I tell them this isn't the plan for them. You have to be in it for life. It's a lifestyle change, not a diet.

Have you considered that for many, there's no such thing as moderation where refined, sugary treats are concerned? It's an all or nothing sort of thing. It's not a mind over matter thing. It's not a question of will-power, but a chemically induced compulsion. Very similar to addiction. It's a behavior. A little bit of the "bad" stuff causes a binge.

And I also disagree with the other poster about being miserable from completely eliminating refined sugary treats. I'm not miserable. I eat well every day. I have a few sweet tasting things now and then, but I do not eat white sugar, ever! I'm enjoying my diet and enjoying the benefits I'm reaping from it.

Have you considered that for many, there's no such thing as moderation where refined, sugary treats are concerned? It's an all or nothing sort of thing. It's not a mind over matter thing. It's not a question of will-power, but a chemically induced compulsion. Very similar to addiction. It's a behavior. A little bit of the "bad" stuff causes a binge.

And I also disagree with the other poster about being miserable from completely eliminating refined sugary treats. I'm not miserable. I eat well every day. I have a few sweet tasting things now and then, but I do not eat white sugar, ever! I'm enjoying my diet and enjoying the benefits I'm reaping from it.

Why can they do moderation of "natural" sugars but not refined?

Because that would mean it was their fault they got fat in the first place, we can't have people taking responsibility for their actions... that's just crazy talk.

Possibly because they completely eliminate all forms of sugar for a period of time, and then very slowly reintroduce them.

I think we basically agree on things here. In the end, it's just about switching to healthier alternatives for your sweet fix.

I just believe it's more effective for some people (like me) to completely eliminate for a while and then gradually reintroduce the healthier choices.

Trying to moderate by subbing low-cal versions of the sweets I liked, didn't work for me. I couldn't control my portions. I would binge. It works that way for some people. So, I eliminated them altogether, and then slowly reintroduced "sweet" things, in the form of berries, other lower sugar fruits, or adding a bit of Stevia to my tea, etc.

I believe I retrained myself. I'm learning balance. I just took a different route than some of you did, but we ended up in the same place.

I stopped eating meat two months ago and it wasn't hard to give up at all. I didn't really have craving because I wasn't a big meat eater to begin with. Now giving up carbs is another story.

What do you you guys that went low carb limit your daily carb intake to. My doctor said don't cut them out all together. I just want a general guideline. I am starting today and the oatmeal packet I just had was 30 carbs and it wan't even that sweet!!

If you don't eat meat, and you don't want to eat carbs... what ARE you going to eat? How do you plan to get your protein?

I stopped eating meat two months ago and it wasn't hard to give up at all. I didn't really have craving because I wasn't a big meat eater to begin with. Now giving up carbs is another story.

What do you you guys that went low carb limit your daily carb intake to. My doctor said don't cut them out all together. I just want a general guideline. I am starting today and the oatmeal packet I just had was 30 carbs and it wan't even that sweet!!

If you don't eat meat, and you don't want to eat carbs... what ARE you going to eat? How do you plan to get your protein?

I am still going to eat carbs. Like I said, my doctor just recommended cutting down. I don't plan on going radical with it lol. I have never counted my carbs or even paid attention to how many I eat so I was just looking for a starting point.

Rather than working your macros around the grams of carbs (which is irrelevent unless you have a medical reason to watch them) I would start by calculating your lean mass and eating 1g/lb of lean mass of protein and then go to your fats and calculate .3-.45g of fat/lb of IDEAL body weight and the rest will naturally go to carbs. If you want to have higher fats (I chose this option) you can because as we know, fat doesn't make you fat. You can choose to get your carbs from whole grains, sprouted grains, vegetables and fruit. If sometimes you decide to get them from pop tarts and ice cream that's okay too. No shame.

Rather than working your macros around the grams of carbs (which is irrelevent unless you have a medical reason to watch them) I would start by calculating your lean mass and eating 1g/lb of lean mass of protein and then go to your fats and calculate .3-.45g of fat/lb of IDEAL body weight and the rest will naturally go to carbs. If you want to have higher fats (I chose this option) you can because as we know, fat doesn't make you fat. You can choose to get your carbs from whole grains, sprouted grains, vegetables and fruit.

^^^^^^
Yes!!

Why can they do moderation of "natural" sugars but not refined?

Because, as I already explained, it's not the sugar causing the behavioral addiction. It's the pleasure derived from the taste of the food.

It might be the same sugar in a piece of fruit vs. ice cream, but the ice cream generates far, far more pleasure than any fruit every will!

Behavioral addictions are about chemical changes to the brain involving the reward circuitry.

Find a source of natural sugars as rewarding to eat as ice cream and you'll probably see the same problems with eating it.

I get you. Its not really an addiction as it is a lack of willpower.

Every addiction is ultimately a result of a lack of willpower. They lack the willpower to stop the negative behavior even knowing the consequences of it.

I love how controversial this topic is. For some of us, sugar makes us crave more sugar. I have never given a bj for sugar, but it's a powerful compulsion regardless of what people claim. I also think it's funny when people say they don't crave sweets while I watch them eat quarter of a loaf of bread or a big bowl of pasta. WHAT do they think bread and pasta are? *smh*

Personally, I did Atkins Induction to the letter for 2 weeks, after that, I had to learn to eat enough protein/fat with sugar, to balance the sugar, so I didn't have hypoglycemic attacks. After day 3 of induction, you don't crave sugar. A less painful approach is to cut your simple carb consumption in half. If you normally eat a burger on a bun, eat only half of the bun. If you normally eat bread with pasta, choose which one you like more and skip the other. And, by all means, skip sodas (even diet sodas) and juice. Wasted calories and too many chemicals that have been shown in studies to cause sugar and food cravings.

Anyway, it's not hard to cut back; you just have to use discipline in making these changes and stick to your resolve to follow through.

What do you you guys that went low carb limit your daily carb intake to. My doctor said don't cut them out all together. I just want a general guideline. I am starting today and the oatmeal packet I just had was 30 carbs and it wan't even that sweet!!

I track calories, not carbs, because the calorie deficit is what will make you lose weight.

^^Agreed^^