Sugar addiction :(

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I can do so good and stay on plan then I am easily derailed by sweets. I have always had a sweet tooth but it seems even worse now. I know half of the responses I get will tell me if it fits in my calories it's fine. But I have PCOS and it's really hard for me to lose weight when not controlling my sugar. I seriously need some tips and advice on not bingeing on sugar.
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  • ginaward1990
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    i'm the same.....my sweet tooth is crazy and crave it allllll the time.

    last year i lost 14lbs in 12 weeks ish and managed to cut down loads on the sugar by biting the bullet and just cutting it out completely.....you feel like crap for a few days or even weeks but then your body stops craving.... just eat lots of fruit and veg and PROTEIN!! definitely helped me :)
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,051 Member
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    I found that stopping almost completely for a while was really helpful until I could get the rest of my nutrition under control. I would only allow a small treat once a week - like A Snickers bar - not A half gallon of Butter Pecan. You will probably be able to learn moderation some time in the future. Start by eating plenty of protein and getting enough fats other than with sweet things. I'm able to keep my sweets under control now, but it was a struggle at first.
  • caiconCristi
    caiconCristi Posts: 255 Member
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    I hear ya! As soon as I give up sugar the weight falls off. BUT---it just takes one moment for me to grab a handful of chocolate chips and then it takes weeks or months for me to give it up again. I crave sugar after every meal and all day long. I feel like crap when I'm done eating it but it's a drug when I am eating it. I'm on day 7 of no sugar and the first few days are the worst. Splitting headaches, achy body, fatigue etc... The headaches are gone but I'm still craving it. Eating a lot of good fats, meat and veggies. I'm just starting to read the book called Overcoming Sugar Addiction. This woman seems to have experienced what I am. Plus everyday I read something about someone who has given up sugar and their life feel infinitely better. I wish I had the magic secret--I don't! Just going day by day. Good luck!!!!
  • escapepod
    escapepod Posts: 68 Member
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    For me, the only solution that works is eliminating sugar. I've tried the moderation approach for years, and it leads me inevitably back to binging. There are loads of great websites with decadent sugar-free recipes, so I still have the occasional treat, but with the no-sugar, no-carb variations I can have just a little, and be happy with that.
    The first 2-3 weeks are the hardest, but once I get past that stage, resisting temptations and making good choices gets much easier. I agree with Gina - lots of protein helps, particularly in the first couple of weeks. I don't eat much fruit either, myself, too high in carbs, which is a risky path to go down. Lots of veggies, though.

    Good luck! PM me if you'd like pointers to some great sugar-free recipe sites.
  • fast_eddie_72
    fast_eddie_72 Posts: 719 Member
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    I found that stopping almost completely for a while was really helpful until I could get the rest of my nutrition under control. I would only allow a small treat once a week - like A Snickers bar - not A half gallon of Butter Pecan. You will probably be able to learn moderation some time in the future. Start by eating plenty of protein and getting enough fats other than with sweet things. I'm able to keep my sweets under control now, but it was a struggle at first.

    I agree. Seems like it took about two weeks for me to get the craving under control. Now I can include a *little* something without going crazy. Still don't like to keep a lot of candy type stuff around the house, though.
  • maracuya23
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    A few things that helped me get control over my formerly massive sweet tooth (slow but steady, making gradual changes)

    1. Cutting the especially binge-prone foods out of my diet, keeping them out of the house, or only buying single servings. For me, these were pure sugar candies like jelly beans.

    2. Made a new rule for myself for a while- snacks/ desserts/ treats had to include a fruit, some protien, or a nut (so, no pure sugar, no just crackers or chips) For me, it made it easier to not spike my blood sugar this way, and to start choosing foods that had less sugar and that still have a lot of flavor. Apples and peanut butter, cheese and wasabi rice crackers, hummus and carrots, savory greek yogurt with sliced cucumbers, almonds and dried apricots, a smoothie made with kefir.

    3. Found substitutes that enhanced the sweet flavor without being sugar. Not fake sweeteners. Things like cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom make me think things taste sweeter.

    4. Gradually stepping down the amount of added sugar in recipes. When I started a year ago, I only liked my oatmeal or morning greek yogurt of there were at least two big spoonfuls of honey or brown sugar added. Over time, I've gradually reduced the amount I add, to where it tastes really sweet to me now if I add some. It's become a treat again, instead of a necessity. My taste buds have adapted to where I like just the unsweetened flavors of most things.

    I don't think sugar is somehow inherently evil. I know I personally feel better when I don't get too much, and it's much easier to stay in my calorie goals and macros for the day if I don't eat a lot of added sugar.

    Hope that helps!
  • lwanbaugh81
    lwanbaugh81 Posts: 70 Member
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    Thanks for all the advice. I know it sounds silly but when you say cut out sugar do you mean all sugar even yogurt and fruit or just the processed/refined sugar?
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    I seriously need some tips and advice on not bingeing on sugar.

    There aren't any. For someone with a sweet tooth, it's hard work, and it will likely always be hard work.

    You just have to steel your resolve and "git 'er done"....
  • Sarah_Dreams
    Sarah_Dreams Posts: 2 Member
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    I have an extremely strong sweet tooth as well! I cut out all sweets except the occasional high % dark chocolate square to tide me over awhile back.. I lost 35lbs over 90 days but I was doing Insanity and whatever else workout I could in that time- I was a beast on a mission to win a contest.. At any rate in my mission to lose weight as fast as I could I learned about clean eating & absolutely fell in love. Since the contest that I won has been over & completed a couple months ago I still eat clean, I only work out a few times a week- I have something sweet every day & have not gained a lb from that goal weight I finally attained. I think it is important to keep your sweets limited, but more importantly to keep them clean! Good luck, if you are not looking to deprive yourself- just keep those sweets limited, cleaner, & of higher quality!!
  • Peacockbutterfly
    Peacockbutterfly Posts: 90 Member
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    I have an extraordinarily annoying sweet tooth myself and also PCOS. It's a struggle. I think the insulin resistance that comes with the PCOS makes me crave sugar even more. If I don't have enough I feel faint and uneasy. Giving up processed sugars is going to be an ongoing problem I feel like, however, the best thing to do is to just give them up. That does not mean necessarily giving up all sugar including fruit, but I am trying to be more conscious of not over eating those healthy sugars either. I started about two weeks ago and began by just cutting back on my unprocessed sugars. I was binge eating candy and soda and night and stopped. I replaced it with one soda a day and within a few days of eating right I stopped wanting those excess calories. I have started replacing my processed sugar with a smoothie every day that is half greens like Kale or Spinach and half fruit. I am finding my sugar cravings are subsiding. I am hoping in a month or two I will be able to cut back on certain fruit. It has only been 3 full days I have been under my sugar goal and it is hard but it will get easier. I just had to make the decision that sugar isn't as good as living and if I don't stop the sugar with my PCOS will kill me eventually.
  • maracuya23
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    I definitely still eat sugar. Just a lot less of the added kinds like honey, table sugar, brown sugar, etc.

    These days, I'm focusing on potassium. So, for me, I aim to get my sugar with a side of potassium. Yogurt (plain), milk, fruit, kefir (plain unsweetened) all naturally contain sugars. For me, they don't trigger massive sugar spikes or crashes, possibly because they have proteins (dairy), or fiber (the fruits).

    It took months of adjusting for my palette to change. To someone used to high sugar ice cream, my favorite after dinner treat is probably not sweet. To me, though, it's an awesome treat.

    1 cup frozen fruit (I like chopped mango + passionfruit pulp, or various mixed berries)
    3/4 cup plain greek yogurt (favorite is 2% fage)
    1/4 cup plain kefir (favorite is trader joe's)
    3 pieces crystallized ginger
    2 tbsp flax seed meal

    Throw it all in a blender, and enjoy like sorbet. The flax seeds make it thick and nutty, the protein in the yogurt and kefir make it creamy, and the ginger adds a little sweetness and spice. Yum. Makes a huge bowl, so recipe can easily be halved too.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,051 Member
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    Thanks for all the advice. I know it sounds silly but when you say cut out sugar do you mean all sugar even yogurt and fruit or just the processed/refined sugar?

    I don't consider fruit and dairy to be sugars to avoid in general. At first I would eat four or five fruits a day, because "healthier" than pie and ice cream, and it helped me step down my carbohydrates/sugars. Then I learned that to stay within my goals of Calories/Protein/Fat/Carbohydrates/Fiber - I had to make adjustments. There is no other way. Now my daily intake of fruit is 0-2 servings a day. Milk and dairy I have 2-4 servings a day. I use full-fat milk and cheeses and yogurt. The nutrient profile of milk and yogurt and cheese fits my goals perfectly, and it is essential to me for Calcium/Potassium/Protein/VitaminD.
  • lauraf130490
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    I was a full blown sugar addict, for me giving sugar up completely was just not an option because I really enjoy sweet tasting foods. I have massively reduced the amount of added sugars and chocolate, biscuits, sweets, cake etc I eat though. I know a lot of people hate them, but I swear by sweeteners, just make sure you don't add too much because they can taste very artificial. I drink a lot of tea and coffee and used to have two to three spoons of sugar in per mug, now I have none and just use sweeteners. Same with porridge and cereals, and I whenever I have squash or fizzy drinks I also have the no added sugar versions.

    Whenever I was craving something sweet I used to eat fruit or have something like toast and a bit of marmalade, sugar free jelly or dark 70% cocoa chocolate. I take the little and often approach, because I've noticed if I get too hungry or eat too much sugar in one go then my sugar levels crash and I get terrible cravings which make me more likely to binge. I'll never be able to completely cut out sugar, and to be honest I personally don't feel the need to, but I've gone from eating a ton of it, to what is probably a reasonable amount and I don't suffer from the strong cravings I used to have multiple times a day.

    You have to find what works for you though, some people can't have any sugar without it triggering a binge so it's easier for them to completely give it up. Just experiment and see what you find easiest to stick to, I think dieting is very much trial and error and what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for everyone else.
  • rubyrubyruby1
    rubyrubyruby1 Posts: 4 Member
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    Try buying coconut palm sugar and using it in things instead of regular sugar. I saw it on Dr. oz and it seemed to help a lot of people lose weight, and it tastes delicious :-)
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,994 Member
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    I suggest you take off and nuke the entire sugar shack from orbit.....it's the only way to be sure.:bigsmile:
  • AutumnFrostfall
    AutumnFrostfall Posts: 25 Member
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    Everyone has covered advice rather well. I just want to say I'm glad to see I'm not alone. I'm battling sugar myself & also have PCOS. I normally do ok, but fell off the wagon last week. Now I'm back on, one step at a time.

    When I do have sugar, since I have insulin resistance, I have to pair it with protein or my blood sugar spikes too quickly.
  • mtcloudgreytea
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    I went cold turkey with processed sugar products because I know that I'm not the kind of person who does moderation very well. I can't just open a pack of biscuits, eat one biscuit and then wrap the packet up and store it away for a week. I would have to eat at least a quarter of the pack to feel satisfied. Eating only one or two biscuits alone would in fact be torture for me as I would feel both teased and deprived off what I want.

    Entirely replacing processed sugary products with fruit and occasional yogurt is what seems to work for me personally. Also when I get intense cravings as a temporary solution to help me start out I go for the lower calorie but nor necessarily healthier option of sugar free gum and diet soda (I wouldn't recommend diet soda its not good for you but I liken its role to nicotine patches; they're not good for you and should be used with caution but they may help to get the job done).

    It is important to remember in trying to overcome this addiction is that everyone has different temperances and personalities so what works for them may not work for you. You may want to go down the moderation path or the cold turkey path, whichever you think would be best for you.
  • RonnieLodge
    RonnieLodge Posts: 665 Member
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    Read nutritional labels - if it is over 10gs of sugar per 100g, don't eat it. Don't buy it at the store, either.

    Not buying it/having it in the house and having low sugar alternatives at the ready is the best bet.
  • jenna808
    jenna808 Posts: 79 Member
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    I've got a serious sweet tooth and I am not good at moderation at it (I will eat all the candy, or the whole thing of ice cream, whatever it is). I decided to just cut out the junk sugar, and even though I still crave something sweet sometimes, I enjoy a piece of fruit, frozen fruit in a blender with greek yogurt, single serve container of frozen yogurt, sugar free jello, or even those flavored carbonated waters do it for me. I do have cake or ice cream at special events, I just know I can't have sugar all the time or I will overdo it.
  • manda1978
    manda1978 Posts: 525 Member
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    I was like you and ended up cutting out all sugar for a couple of weeks, and I mean ALL sugar so including fruit, milk, ketchup, sauces, marinades, honey, yoghurts along with the usual suspects of cakes, muffins, lollies, chocolate etc.

    It was really hard. Really really hard. But when I started reintoducing sugar I could only tolerate a much smaller amount.