Need serious help with SUGAR!!!!
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personally i would go cold turkey, only because i am exactly the same as you, once ive had a taste i cant stop, i want more. i recently watched a programme about sugar and they did an MRI scan on someone eating sugar to see the brains response, and it gave the same response that cocaine does only a a smaller scale!! everyone is entitled to their own opinion, i say that i have found it addictive. i also think sugar is party to blame for the amount of weight i gained. when i look at my mother in law who found out she was diabetic then dropped over a stone when she cut out sugar i think im going to try and do the same!! so i know how you feel. im going to go cold turkey for a while, then maybe have an occasional treat when i feel more in control x
Sugar is definitely to blame for my weight gain. Ben & Jerrys ice cream to be exact!
I love the flower in your profile pic!!0 -
this is all I got..
saying you are going to do a sugar detox, and then proceeding to eat foods with sugar in them - AKA fruit - is the same as checking yourself into a 21 day rehab for alcohol and then drinking a bottle of wine every night while you are in said rehab for alcohol.
if you truly have a problem with sugar, then eliminate all sugar…
My suggestion would be to reevaluate your relationship with food, as it appears to not be a healthy one.
You see, to me, it's not the same. An apple vs a donut. Not even close. But that's okay for you to believe it is.
That's exactly the point.
A banana and donut are not the same, despite the fact that a banana has even more sugar than a donut.
Your problem is not "sugar." It's something else.0 -
personally i would go cold turkey, only because i am exactly the same as you, once ive had a taste i cant stop, i want more. i recently watched a programme about sugar and they did an MRI scan on someone eating sugar to see the brains response, and it gave the same response that cocaine does only a a smaller scale!! everyone is entitled to their own opinion, i say that i have found it addictive. i also think sugar is party to blame for the amount of weight i gained. when i look at my mother in law who found out she was diabetic then dropped over a stone when she cut out sugar i think im going to try and do the same!! so i know how you feel. im going to go cold turkey for a while, then maybe have an occasional treat when i feel more in control x
Sugar is definitely to blame for my weight gain. Ben & Jerrys ice cream to be exact!
I love the flower in your profile pic!!
Ben & Jerry's ice cream has more calories from fat than sugar.0 -
But if someone think it's an addiction, so what. Who are we to say what is or isn't? I know for a fact that I get the same feeling from sweets as I did from cocaine, pure pleasure. Can't stop at one line, can't stop at one cookie.
I think people who suffer from binge eating / compulsive over eating absolutely deserve to be treated with compassion and empathy. It can be a horrendously hard struggle to overcome. It is also certainly true that there is some degree of overlap, from a behavioural aspect, between it and addiction.
However, clarifying it isn't an addiction is important because if you do not classify it properly you send people down the wrong path when it comes to techniques to recover from it or make the path unnecessarily long or complex.
Addiction implies loss of control or powerlessness to overcome unless it is through abstinence in the main. The ability to overcome binging does not require abstinence at all (although short term avoidance can be useful) and people very much do have power to control it - in fact it is critical that people understand that they have the power to control their compulsions rather than their compulsions having power to control them when recovering.
That is why I mentioned before that it is spectacularly good thing sugar is not an addiction given how prevalent it is in modern food.0 -
this is all I got..
saying you are going to do a sugar detox, and then proceeding to eat foods with sugar in them - AKA fruit - is the same as checking yourself into a 21 day rehab for alcohol and then drinking a bottle of wine every night while you are in said rehab for alcohol.
if you truly have a problem with sugar, then eliminate all sugar…
My suggestion would be to reevaluate your relationship with food, as it appears to not be a healthy one.
You see, to me, it's not the same. An apple vs a donut. Not even close. But that's okay for you to believe it is.
That's exactly the point.
A banana and donut are not the same, despite the fact that a banana has even more sugar than a donut.
Your problem is not "sugar." It's something else.
So maybe it's the fat in combination with the sugar. I eat a banana a day, never need to eat another one where as I eat the entire pint of Ben & Jerrys0 -
Yes it is an addiction. Your body will actually go though withdraws after you stop "using." I usually get headaches and fatigue for the first few days if I go cold turkey. It's easier to ween myself off when I'm using MFP.
"Researchers say that sugar and the taste of sweet is said to stimulate the brain by activating beta endorphin receptor sites, the same chemicals activated in the brain by the ingestion of heroin and morphine." -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_addiction
I've been struggling with this for years. Once I am "clean" I feel so much better. My body looks and feels healthier. Even my skin looks healthier. It's just so hard to stay off of it especially around friends and family who don't understand sugar addiction.
Right now I'm replacing the sugar with fruit and honey.0 -
I have no problem resisting sweets. If I had to cut out refined sugar for a month (not that I would), I could do it with minimal irritation. It's the salty things that I have trouble staying away from. I love salt!0
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But if someone think it's an addiction, so what. Who are we to say what is or isn't? I know for a fact that I get the same feeling from sweets as I did from cocaine, pure pleasure. Can't stop at one line, can't stop at one cookie.
I think people who suffer from binge eating / compulsive over eating absolutely deserve to be treated with compassion and empathy. It can be a horrendously hard struggle to overcome. It is also certainly true that there is some degree of overlap, from a behavioural aspect, between it and addiction.
However, clarifying it isn't an addiction is important because if you do not classify it properly you send people down the wrong path when it comes to techniques to recover from it or make the path unnecessarily long or complex.
Addiction implies loss of control or powerlessness to overcome unless it is through abstinence in the main. The ability to overcome binging does not require abstinence at all (although short term avoidance can be useful) and people very much do have power to control it - in fact it is critical that people understand that they have the power to control their compulsions rather than their compulsions having power to control them when recovering.
That is why I mentioned before that it is spectacularly good thing sugar is not an addiction given how prevalent it is in modern food.
Funny you mention this. I know I have the power to control my compulsions. I have done it before in 2008 and 2009, gave up sweets for Lent for 40 days! Haven't been able to do it since, tried but always gave up.0 -
But if someone think it's an addiction, so what. Who are we to say what is or isn't? I know for a fact that I get the same feeling from sweets as I did from cocaine, pure pleasure. Can't stop at one line, can't stop at one cookie.
I think people who suffer from binge eating / compulsive over eating absolutely deserve to be treated with compassion and empathy. It can be a horrendously hard struggle to overcome. It is also certainly true that there is some degree of overlap, from a behavioural aspect, between it and addiction.
However, clarifying it isn't an addiction is important because if you do not classify it properly you send people down the wrong path when it comes to techniques to recover from it or make the path unnecessarily long or complex.
Addiction implies loss of control or powerlessness to overcome unless it is through abstinence in the main. The ability to overcome binging does not require abstinence at all (although short term avoidance can be useful) and people very much do have power to control it - in fact it is critical that people understand that they have the power to control their compulsions rather than their compulsions having power to control them when recovering.
That is why I mentioned before that it is spectacularly good thing sugar is not an addiction given how prevalent it is in modern food.
Exactly! Compulsive behavior is not the same as addiction.
When I used to binge on sweets, I would eat until my stomach hurt. I used fruit to end the cycle. For me that worked, to eat fresh fruit instead of cookies/candy/cake, etc. I still got the "yummy factor" from the sugar in the fruit, but without the compulsion to continue eating more and more of it. That's what it took for me to break my bad habit. Now I *can* eat cookies/candy/cake in moderation without obsessing over it.0 -
Yes it is an addiction. Your body will actually go though withdraws after you stop "using." I usually get headaches and fatigue for the first few days if I go cold turkey. It's easier to ween myself off when I'm using MFP.
"Researchers say that sugar and the taste of sweet is said to stimulate the brain by activating beta endorphin receptor sites, the same chemicals activated in the brain by the ingestion of heroin and morphine." -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_addiction
I've been struggling with this for years. Once I am "clean" I feel so much better. My body looks and feels healthier. Even my skin looks healthier. It's just so hard to stay off of it especially around friends and family who don't understand sugar addiction.
Right now I'm replacing the sugar with fruit and honey.
fruit = sugar
honey = sugar0 -
So maybe it's the fat in combination with the sugar. I eat a banana a day, never need to eat another one where as I eat the entire pint of Ben & Jerrys
That's because sugar, especially when mixed with fat, makes food highly palatable. This creates unconscious habits of over consumption which is rewarded by pleasure.
A banana by itself is not massively palatable. Mix it with butter, flour and refined sugar and make a banana fritter. Totally different ballgame...0 -
this is all I got..
saying you are going to do a sugar detox, and then proceeding to eat foods with sugar in them - AKA fruit - is the same as checking yourself into a 21 day rehab for alcohol and then drinking a bottle of wine every night while you are in said rehab for alcohol.
if you truly have a problem with sugar, then eliminate all sugar…
My suggestion would be to reevaluate your relationship with food, as it appears to not be a healthy one.
You see, to me, it's not the same. An apple vs a donut. Not even close. But that's okay for you to believe it is.
That's exactly the point.
A banana and donut are not the same, despite the fact that a banana has even more sugar than a donut.
Your problem is not "sugar." It's something else.
So maybe it's the fat in combination with the sugar. I eat a banana a day, never need to eat another one where as I eat the entire pint of Ben & Jerrys
Yes, this is exactly it. You're not addicted, but you have formed a habit and have self-control issues with certain foods you like a lot. It's not "sugar."
Identify the foods you have problems with and fix those problems. Don't develop irrational fears of certain nutrients.0 -
Funny you mention this. I know I have the power to control my compulsions. I have done it before in 2008 and 2009, gave up sweets for Lent for 40 days! Haven't been able to do it since, tried but always gave up.
Do this little thought experiment for me.
Imagine yourself in the midst of a secret binge with chocolate and cake surrounding you. Then imagine if someone you admire, respect or fancy the pants off walks in. Could you stop eating immediately? If the answer is yes, why do you believe that to be the case?0 -
There are many studies/books that talk about the physical reasons for sugar cravings that is very much like an addiction. To stop the cravings, essentially you have to get out of the sugar(high-carb) food cycle. Very simply - every time you have a high carb meal/snack you spike your blood sugar, your body will produce insulin to take care of it - but it is too much, which then causes a blood sugar drop - so you crave carbs again and it becomes a vicious cycle. This is a good article explaining it and why it has such a negative effect on weight loss:
http://nataliejillfitness.com/insulin-need-to-know/0 -
Yes it is an addiction. Your body will actually go though withdraws after you stop "using." I usually get headaches and fatigue for the first few days if I go cold turkey. It's easier to ween myself off when I'm using MFP.
"Researchers say that sugar and the taste of sweet is said to stimulate the brain by activating beta endorphin receptor sites, the same chemicals activated in the brain by the ingestion of heroin and morphine." -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_addiction
I've been struggling with this for years. Once I am "clean" I feel so much better. My body looks and feels healthier. Even my skin looks healthier. It's just so hard to stay off of it especially around friends and family who don't understand sugar addiction.
Right now I'm replacing the sugar with fruit and honey.
Thats because 'sugar addiction' doesnt exist. The fact that the wiki article you link has (dubious-discuss) next to the words 'sugar addiction' says it all. Evidence suggests that sugar may have a similar chemical effect in the brain to certain drugs, and sex, this doesnt make it a physiological addiction, it means you like the pleasurable feeling it causes and want it to continue. You wont die or become ill if you stop.
Replacing sugar with fruit and honey is like replacing brocoli with a romanesco. Fruit still contains fructose, its still sugar, it is metabolised in the body as sugar. If you like it and it makes you feel good, do it but dont think its a magic cure.
The absolute bro science on this thread in regards to 'sugar addiction' is making my brain hurt.0 -
Funny you mention this. I know I have the power to control my compulsions. I have done it before in 2008 and 2009, gave up sweets for Lent for 40 days! Haven't been able to do it since, tried but always gave up.
Do this little thought experiment for me.
Imagine yourself in the midst of a secret binge with chocolate and cake surrounding you. Then imagine if someone you admire, respect or fancy the pants off walks in. Could you stop eating immediately? If the answer is yes, why do you believe that to be the case?
Fancy the pants off :laugh:
Okay, so I'm secretly binging and Channing Tatum walks in, yes, I would stop and I would hide it! Why? How embarrassing is that? Now if I were 125 lbs and binging, I don't know if I would be as embarrassed.0 -
this is all I got..
saying you are going to do a sugar detox, and then proceeding to eat foods with sugar in them - AKA fruit - is the same as checking yourself into a 21 day rehab for alcohol and then drinking a bottle of wine every night while you are in said rehab for alcohol.
if you truly have a problem with sugar, then eliminate all sugar…
My suggestion would be to reevaluate your relationship with food, as it appears to not be a healthy one.
You see, to me, it's not the same. An apple vs a donut. Not even close. But that's okay for you to believe it is.
That's exactly the point.
A banana and donut are not the same, despite the fact that a banana has even more sugar than a donut.
Your problem is not "sugar." It's something else.
So maybe it's the fat in combination with the sugar. I eat a banana a day, never need to eat another one where as I eat the entire pint of Ben & Jerrys
Yes, this is exactly it. You're not addicted, but you have formed a habit and have self-control issues with certain foods you like a lot. It's not "sugar."
Identify the foods you have problems with and fix those problems. Don't develop irrational fears of certain nutrients.
My lack of self control just happens to be with foods high in sugar and fats. Is it so bad to want to quit them cold turkey?0 -
If you have netflix, watch the movie "Hungry for Change".0
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Sugar is an addiction and one that is hard to break. I used to have sweets everyday, but haven't for many years now.
Not the same thing will work for every person, but I just substituted for 'lesser evils.' Instead of a brownie I'd go with something that had natural sugar and was still very sweet, but didn't contain processed sugar. Options like dates or figs or naturally sweetened macaroons, etc. For me the idea was to substitute with better options, which is a step in the right direction.
Also have you tried baking with Stevia? Not everyone likes it, but it is sweet and it's a natural herb not a chemical like aspartame.
If you have really strong will power, cold turkey could work. However, I'd ease off slowly and substitute for a while until the cravings get under control.
Best,
BD0 -
But if someone think it's an addiction, so what. Who are we to say what is or isn't? I know for a fact that I get the same feeling from sweets as I did from cocaine, pure pleasure. Can't stop at one line, can't stop at one cookie.
I think people who suffer from binge eating / compulsive over eating absolutely deserve to be treated with compassion and empathy. It can be a horrendously hard struggle to overcome. It is also certainly true that there is some degree of overlap, from a behavioural aspect, between it and addiction.
However, clarifying it isn't an addiction is important because if you do not classify it properly you send people down the wrong path when it comes to techniques to recover from it or make the path unnecessarily long or complex.
Addiction implies loss of control or powerlessness to overcome unless it is through abstinence in the main. The ability to overcome binging does not require abstinence at all (although short term avoidance can be useful) and people very much do have power to control it - in fact it is critical that people understand that they have the power to control their compulsions rather than their compulsions having power to control them when recovering.
That is why I mentioned before that it is spectacularly good thing sugar is not an addiction given how prevalent it is in modern food.
Funny you mention this. I know I have the power to control my compulsions. I have done it before in 2008 and 2009, gave up sweets for Lent for 40 days! Haven't been able to do it since, tried but always gave up.
That sounds like an issue with will-power.0
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