Tips for a sugar junky

Eve_Eati02
Eve_Eati02 Posts: 23
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello!

I have been on and off trying to eat healthy for a long time. I make sure to do some sort of exercise everyday. I try my best to eat 3 balanced meals, as well as 2 snacks each day. I eat about 1250 calories a day (when I don't mess up). It seems that the only issue I have when it comes to committing to a healthy lifestyle is my sweet tooth. I usually eat really well till about 3 or 4 pm. Right around then, I start having some serious cravings for something sweet. If I have the will power to fight through this wave of cravings I'll usually choose some fruit or yogurt. After supper, and into the evening, I end up having another wave of sweet cravings. By this point I usually snap and give into the craving. I try to portion size, but usually end up going back for seconds, or pick another sugary snack throughout the night. It seems like every time I commit to a healthier lifestyle I end up overeating sugary foods at night. I've tried a lot of strategies (ex. Eat something with protein, portion size, plan, etc.) and it doesn't work for more than a few days. I've looked up sugar addiction and I swear I may have it. I am very happy with my life other than wanting to improve my eating choices, so I do not think my attachment to sugar has anything to do with emotional issues. I think my body is sugar sensitive and I was wondering if anyone has any tips for cutting out sugar. I have tried giving it up cold turkey before and after a week it failed. I've tried looking up a guide to do it at a nice slow pace, but haven't found any tips that have actually worked for me. Does anyone have a plan to give up sugar that worked for them? I was thinking of giving up something each week... ANY advice would be great! :)

Replies

  • JenzL13
    JenzL13 Posts: 27
    Follow :)
  • kennie2
    kennie2 Posts: 1,170 Member
    mmmm ssuuugaaarrrrr <3
    just make sure youre getting it from the right place
    i.e. lots of delicious fruit!
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
    If it fits into your calorie goals, why does it matter? You'll still lose weight. Have the sugar, enjoy it and move on. :flowerforyou:
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,995 Member
    You are following a good strategy with having your sugary treats at night.

    When you eat sugary foods, your blood glucose spikes upwards then downwards (your body over reacts because it is designed to deal with fruit, not Mars Bars). A few hours after a sugary snack, your blood glucose will be too low, which causes renewed sugar cravings. In order not to have your blood glucose roller coaster the whole day, try to hold off sugary treats until evening.
  • ingraha
    ingraha Posts: 99 Member
    The interesting thing about sugar is it is actually physically addictive. So once you eat some, it triggers this craving. It isnt even a matter of will power; chemically your body sets up this need. White flour, and other high carbohydrates also turn to sugar immediately and feed this craving.
    I have found a snack very high in protein and not sweet helps with this. I too am a sugar addictor and love chocolate. I dont eat it till the end of the day if I have calories left over.
    An apple with almond butter and this kind of snack really helps. There isnt any cut down measure that works with this. Trying to get as much sweetness from dates, figs, dried fruit, etc rather than refined sugar will help too.
  • Eve_Eati02
    Eve_Eati02 Posts: 23
    If it fits into your calorie goals, why does it matter? You'll still lose weight. Have the sugar, enjoy it and move on. :flowerforyou:


    Haha I get what your saying, the only issue is, I plan for a small portion to fit into my goals, but then as soon as I eat it, I end up binging on it... so then I end up way over my daily calorie goal. It is frustrating. I know portion size and eating in moderation is key.... My body just won't listen to that logic :P
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
    I have a sugar problem I see it I eat it lol I just try and go for lower calorie options and keep inside of my calories but sometimes I am sacrificing more nutritious food for junk which isn't good either. I am trying to cut way way back on it. Tootsie pops are awesome for me. I can suck on them a long time and they only have 80 calories so I am not sacrificing the good food just to stay under :)
  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,787 Member
    Kettle corn would be a great option here. Also: I just discovered cocoa-roasted almonds and they're the absolute PERFECT chocolate fix. Grab some of the 100-calorie packs if you think you'll have trouble with portioning.
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
    Kettle corn would be a great option here. Also: I just discovered cocoa-roasted almonds and they're the absolute PERFECT chocolate fix. Grab some of the 100-calorie packs if you think you'll have trouble with portioning.

    hey cool get some protein in as well :) I always forget about stuff like this lol
  • Eve_Eati02
    Eve_Eati02 Posts: 23
    Thanks everyone for the tips. I will try the high protein snack at night! I'll also see if I can get some of those coca covered almonds! They sound great! :)
  • Jessica_Mujahidah
    Jessica_Mujahidah Posts: 40 Member
    If I get a craving for chocolate, I make my own protein bars:

    http://www.gnclivewell.com.au/health-knowledge-details.asp?id=392&t=Make+your+own+Protein+Bars&cid=7

    It doesn't give you quantities, so I go with the following:

    2 scoops protein powder (37g). I use GNC Pro Performance Low Carb Delite in Chocolate. 30g protein per serve.
    2 scoops natural rolled oats (same scoop as for my protein powder for accuracy)
    1 tablespoon organic honey
    1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
    Dash of unsweetened almond milk (not on the recipe, but I found I needed some liquid to help it blend together)
    Put it all in the blender and away you go. Set it in the fridge until cold and it's DELICIOUS.

    It's my new go to treat for when I need "chocolate".

    For the quantities above, I used MFP to calculate the calories at 399. I try to cut this into 4 serves, which makes it a healthy snack at 100 cals or less, or if I'm being a pig and have half of it at once it's only 198 calories.
  • dstrugg
    dstrugg Posts: 4 Member
    I love sweets so much so this has been hard for me. I actually stopped counting my sugars because I generally go over. One of the best things I've done is quit drinking soda, which really helps reduce sugar cravings. I've been making frozen fruit smoothies and milkshakes with very minimal sugar. Dried fruits have been really helpful too. Lately if I'm craving something sweet I will make a drink such as a smoothie or a nice tea because I can control the sugar content rather than what is added in. Also, if you like to bake you can probably find some reduced sugar or recipes where you can use something like truvia or splenda to reduce the amount of sugar but still make sweet treats. That way you can bake them and portion them for later as well as know exactly how sweet it is. Apple pie is a tasty thing that can use just a bit of sugar and still be really good and last awhile. These have been my strategies so far. Also cashews, I love cashews and I've found though pretty salty and fatty, it has good fats and proteins and helps reduce hunger and cravings for sweets too.
  • Eve_Eati02
    Eve_Eati02 Posts: 23
    Thanks! I'm going to try that recipe for the protein bar, I really love chocolate. I also like that stevia idea. I have a box of it, so I think instead of just putting in my teas, I'll try baking with it. I'll try tricking myself into letting go of my sugar habits.
  • toridehaven
    toridehaven Posts: 95
    There are some really low calorie popsicles out there too. You could make your own pudding pops with sugar free pudding...I just did that this weekend for my kids, they LOVED them!
  • Ejourneys
    Ejourneys Posts: 1,603 Member
    Duplicating my post from a similar thread:
    What helped me is something I call bridge foods. For example:
    130219-substitutions.jpg

    Raisins gave me the sweetness I craved but not the fat of chocolate. However, they were still calorie-dense. I then moved from raisins to grapes and typically eat two cups of grapes after my workout.

    I got sugar cravings for about the first couple of weeks. But I let the raisins (and other dried fruit) wean me from the richer sweets first, then let the grapes (and other fresh fruit) wean me from the dried fruit. Now, both the desserts and the dried fruits taste almost too rich. I've had processed desserts (e.g., cake, cookies, chocolate) three or four times within the past year, which was a tremendous and very enjoyable treat, but I was also very happy to return to "my" food afterwards. I have honey on occasion, but my consumption there has been decreasing on its own.

    (I don't do low-fat, but most of my fats come from olive oil, cheese, and nuts.)

    Edited to add that I don't worry about going over on my sugars from fruit. Diabetes runs in my family, so I get tested every year. My fasting glucose has always been within normal range, but weight loss has made a huge difference. Regardless of how much sugar I've consumed or where it comes from, losing weight has dropped my fasting glucose reading by 20 points, from the 90s to the 70s.

    That said, I did not measure my sugar intake before I got onto MFP, but I know a lot of it came from ice cream and candy. A quick check of the nutrition facts for Ben & Jerry's shows that on average I consumed more sugar from ice cream alone back then, than I consume eating fruit now.
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    Sugar is a carb and there is no "sugar addiction" in any diagnostic criteria. There is something else going on, but it is not "sugar addiction." The only reason a person should be reducing or making attempts to eliminate something from their intake, is for a medical reason.
  • rikkijazz
    rikkijazz Posts: 5 Member
    You are following a good strategy with having your sugary treats at night.

    When you eat sugary foods, your blood glucose spikes upwards then downwards (your body over reacts because it is designed to deal with fruit, not Mars Bars). A few hours after a sugary snack, your blood glucose will be too low, which causes renewed sugar cravings. In order not to have your blood glucose roller coaster the whole day, try to hold off sugary treats until evening.

    As a (mostly) former sugar junkie, here's what worked for me:

    1) keeping lower sugar sweet things on hand (dark chocolate works particularly well for this), so I wasn't denying myself what I wanted entirely.
    2) avoiding consuming items with more than 10g of sugar (except for fruits and vegetables- that sugar still "counts," but it is a healthier sugar so I restrict it less
    3) I agree with acpgee above- I know for me, saving room for a small bit of dessert at night keeps me from away from sugar during the day. I used to need something sugary after lunch, but it is possible to break habits like that.

    Also, when you get used to a lower amount of sugar, things like apples start to taste sweeter. Just think about it- if you eat a Snickers and then an apple, the apple is gonna seem pretty dull, because your tastebuds are used to SUGAR!

    So basically, wean yourself down slowly by giving yourself good alternatives. :-) Good luck!
  • Eve_Eati02
    Eve_Eati02 Posts: 23
    Wow thanks everyone!
  • Eve_Eati02
    Eve_Eati02 Posts: 23
    Duplicating my post from a similar thread:
    What helped me is something I call bridge foods. For example:
    130219-substitutions.jpg

    Raisins gave me the sweetness I craved but not the fat of chocolate. However, they were still calorie-dense. I then moved from raisins to grapes and typically eat two cups of grapes after my workout.

    I got sugar cravings for about the first couple of weeks. But I let the raisins (and other dried fruit) wean me from the richer sweets first, then let the grapes (and other fresh fruit) wean me from the dried fruit. Now, both the desserts and the dried fruits taste almost too rich. I've had processed desserts (e.g., cake, cookies, chocolate) three or four times within the past year, which was a tremendous and very enjoyable treat, but I was also very happy to return to "my" food afterwards. I have honey on occasion, but my consumption there has been decreasing on its own.

    (I don't do low-fat, but most of my fats come from olive oil, cheese, and nuts.)

    Edited to add that I don't worry about going over on my sugars from fruit. Diabetes runs in my family, so I get tested every year. My fasting glucose has always been within normal range, but weight loss has made a huge difference. Regardless of how much sugar I've consumed or where it comes from, losing weight has dropped my fasting glucose reading by 20 points, from the 90s to the 70s.

    That said, I did not measure my sugar intake before I got onto MFP, but I know a lot of it came from ice cream and candy. A quick check of the nutrition facts for Ben & Jerry's shows that on average I consumed more sugar from ice cream alone back then, than I consume eating fruit now.

    This is genius, I am trying this out.
  • Nery_Tay
    Nery_Tay Posts: 81 Member
    I kind have failure when it comes to sweets I usually would cheat :(
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    You are following a good strategy with having your sugary treats at night.

    When you eat sugary foods, your blood glucose spikes upwards then downwards (your body over reacts because it is designed to deal with fruit, not Mars Bars). A few hours after a sugary snack, your blood glucose will be too low, which causes renewed sugar cravings. In order not to have your blood glucose roller coaster the whole day, try to hold off sugary treats until evening.

    so your body distinguishes between fruit sugar and mars bar sugar….Please explain this magical process…as sugar, is well sugar when you break it all down..it does not matter if it comes from candy bars or leprechauns at the end of a rainbow...

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