Calling all sugar addicts!
Replies
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Hey, who knows. I've seen people do some stupid **** for kicks. Again, I don't liken sugar "addiction" to that of cocaine, heroin, gambling, etc. I don't see people who have to abstain from it, then get a massive craving and would hike 5 miles for it to get a fix. But again, who knows?
Without getting into the debate about addiction versus a disorder, people with eating disorders have been known to do things like that for food related reasons. Some people with binging related disorders will pull food out of the trash, sometimes after covering it with something to make it unappetizing. Some have resorted to shoplifting in order to fulfill a binge. People who truly binge (and not just overeat) can go to some pretty extreme behaviors when they are in a binge cycle.
*Most people with nicotine addictions aren't selling their bodies or eating poo either, but nicotine is still considered to be a highly addictive substance.0 -
Theres some people that food is just fuel. this topic is not for them
they dont have the same use of food as food addicts.
not that im going to use that as a crutch to justify my eating donuts all day.
But, some people have gone totally very low carb (like only 30 a day).. and not even fruit or dairy or cheese.
TOO hard!!!
So what i did was decide to do without processed carbs/sugars, and instread i have fruit. after a few weeks i really really crave it. its funny that i did without my usual sweets for about 2-3 weeks and amazingly i was able to do it even though they put all this valentines gourmet cupcakes out in the office for free.. but i spied a yogurt and that way i didn't feel deprived.
I am not with the "anything in moderation" crowd, however, to not feel deprived i choose what i feel is sweet and healthy.
im still working on it, however, to break your habit, find something healthy that will taste good and then you wont feel deprived and you will feel satisifed.0 -
I have been struggling viciously with binging on sugary carby foods, so I'm giving the 21 Day Detox a try. Not everyone would promote a "plan" like this, but I really like it so far. I have stopped eating crappy fat free yogurts with all kinds of additives and artificial sweeteners, sweet coffee creamers, etc. Only a couple of days in and my taste buds are picking up on the natural sweetness of whole foods.
Do you like the Greek yogurt, that have less desirable stuff than even regular yogurt? Im enjoying Fage with the fruit in it.0 -
Unlike a heroin addict who would risk using a dirty needle or a cocaine addict who would snort spilled cocaine of a urine infested floor, I truly doubt any sugar addict here would eat any sugar laden product after abstaining from it for however many days, if I sprinkled poo on it. If you could, then maybe you are a sugar "addict".
Physiologically we use glucose for energy, so we're never "abstaining" from it anyway. Psychologically people adhere to habitual behavior until it's changed. Habitually "needing" sugar will keep people wanting it. IMO it's really not an addiction since you really can't moderate addiction.
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That's an interesting argument. But are you really sure no one would eat the chocolate with poo sprinkles if there were not other chocolate available? A cocaine addict that could simply walk to the nearest 7-Eleven and get clean coke wouldn't likely take your poo sprinkles cocaine.
But what if chocolate were illegal and the only chocolate or sweet treat of any kind was your chocolate with poo sprinkles. Are you positive no one would take it?
Point to ponder!!!
I think thats poo to ponder !0 -
Hi. I'm working on kicking the sugar addiction. It's pretty scary when you start researching how addictive sugar really is and how over the past 30 years they've been adding it to everything. Some people blame carbs, some blame fat but it's the sugar that's getting us hooked and sick. There are some great YouTube videos about sugar. If you look up sugar addiction, you'll find them. Good luck. Keep in touch and let me know how it's going for you.0
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I've got to admit it, I'm a sugar addict!
Has anyone read The Sweet Poison Quit Plan? Did it work? I've got to break out of this cycle! :explode: I know I'm an addict because I can go so many days with nothing and and I quite literally start jonesing for chocolate and I have an almighty binge and then feel gross!
I've read that sugar is as addictive as nicotine! Is there anyone on here that's managed to kick the habit?
Just don't bring it in the house and do not go by the isles where you find the candy and ice cream. Empty calories can easily take up so many of your calories. I have such a problem with sugar. If I get it I cannot control myself and will eat and eat it until it is gone. I have polished off 10 large cookies or a whole cake over several times eating. i love baking but I will pig out on the things I make. They are just too good. I can't just have one or two servings. I have tried, but I just can't. Now we just get sweets when we go out in small servings.0 -
Processed sugars are an addiction for me. When I go off, I get a headache for several days. Ibuprofen helps me through. Once past that three day mark, the pull is easier to avoid. (likely because of the memory of NOT wanting to go through the headache phase again.) Having something to look forward to, like dark chocolate with almonds helps and I can stop eating that. (Unlike a pan of brownies where I can put away the whole thing, then look for more sugar to the point of ...well...I'm not going to go there.) Definitely eating more "clean" (whole foods, less processed stuff.) helps me tremendously, too. If I have something sweet, then I have to recognize the next time I crave it if it is the craving speaking...in which case I assert myself (keep busy, make other healtier choices) and avoid it to get back to the place where it loses its pull on me. The longer I go without the easier to avoid when its in my face. (bowls on desks, break room "treats", kids bringing stuff from grandma's...etc.)
I don't know about the book you are talking about, but I know there are plenty of people who claim sugar addiction. I think much like some people can handle alcohol fine without addiction, there are likely many people who can handle processed sugar without any trouble. For some of us, it is a gateway that leads to addictive behaviors (hiding while eating, hoarding, seeking...unable to think of anything else until you get that fix...then great for a bit until you come down...then feeling crappy...but the crappy feeling only makes you seek to get more to feel good again even though logically we know it's stupid.) Yeah...addiction.
Best of luck to you in your endeavors!
I get a headache too. I was having a little break from healthy living for a couple weeks because I had been watching what i eat for a while. I had cookies quite a bit. When I stopped having them, I had the worst headache. It went from the top of my head down to my upper spine. It was horrible.
My mom was a baker when I grew up and would make something once or twice a week. I remember pigging out on ice cream sandwiches and fudge even when I was a small child. As I got older I could eat a whole bag of cookies. It is such a problem for me and a big reason why I got fat.0 -
Sometimes it is easier to just cut something out entirely than control it. Some things people just can't control.0
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I love it when things that should be taken solely tongue and cheek are suddenly taken seriously.
Sugar addiction.
Yes. You are "addicted" to food.
Good luck breaking that one.0 -
Wow I came to this post for strategies and all I see is a bunch of disrespectful arguing? Palease!!!!! If you can't relate to driving around in your car eating donuts so your family won't know...and then realizing they will wonder what happen to the 4 missing out of the dozen so you hide them ...only to eat the rest about an hour later after everyone is gone to school...why are you posting on this thread... YOU DON"T GET IT... Man I am interested in hearing strategies... when I am off the stuff I don't want it... if I start it... it consumes my whole world and it becomes all I think about... I DON"T CARE WHAT YOU REFER TO THAT AS ... it is not the way to live ... high and mighties get out of the way please so those of us who need strategies to bite the bullet ...again... can get support...
Sakes alive people....
I used to do this at home when I was growing up. My family would get mad at me for eating their sweets every so often. I became quite a sneaker of food. I would stay home sometimes when my family went out just so I could eat. Now I don't sneak. My husband doesn't really judge me for eating sweets.0 -
I love it when things that should be taken solely tongue and cheek are suddenly taken seriously.
Sugar addiction.
Yes. You are "addicted" to food.
Good luck breaking that one.
Well, you can be addicted to white processed sugar, but you can control it by not having it in the house.0 -
Unlike a heroin addict who would risk using a dirty needle or a cocaine addict who would snort spilled cocaine of a urine infested floor, I truly doubt any sugar addict here would eat any sugar laden product after abstaining from it for however many days, if I sprinkled poo on it. If you could, then maybe you are a sugar "addict".
Physiologically we use glucose for energy, so we're never "abstaining" from it anyway. Psychologically people adhere to habitual behavior until it's changed. Habitually "needing" sugar will keep people wanting it. IMO it's really not an addiction since you really can't moderate addiction.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
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I'll concede that no, you won't find someone who considers themselves a 'sugar addict' to act as you mentioned. However, I have two points: the first being that sugar is much easier to access; someone who is 'addicted' to sugar has an extremely easy time getting their next fix. It's at nearly every store, every drive-thru. And it's cheaper; if heroin and cocaine were as easy to obtain at the same price as sugar without the legal ramifications they currently hold, you might see heroin addicts passing over the used needle; the cocaine addict not being so worried about the spillage on a dirty floor. Second, while there might not be actual 'sugar' addiction, I do believe there is such a thing as food addiction. Perhaps the people we are discussing are, in fact food addicts, and sugar is their 'drug', so to speak, of choice?
I think there are many different kinds of addiction, and they don't all produce the same effects.0 -
Some of these comments are so ignorant! OP, have you tried upping your healthy fats intake, along with upping your water intake? Doing these two things helps me a lot! Extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, flax oil, walnuts, and avocados are my favorite sources of fat lately. Having said this, I can't remember the last time when at least a couple squares of chocolate were not listed in my diary! :flowerforyou:0
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I think sugar addiction is very, very real. I will never forget years ago my French friend's mother telling me how shocked she was at the sugar content in american foods ("even the salad dressing!). And I think it is worse than meth. There are more fat sick over eaters in this country than there are meth addicts. Sugar has no health benefits, it destroys teeth, causes diabetes, over eating, blood sugar problems...it is normalized in our society and therefore people think its okay.
That being said, I love sweets! But there is a difference between having a treat and being on a constant sugar high/crash cycle. The way I curb myself: no processed garbage, no fruit except berries 80% of the time, extra dark chocolate (like mast brothers), and no mixed cocktails (I rarely drink, I prefer to get my calories from food, but when I do it's red wine or whiskey). Keeping my blood sugar in check helps a lot. One mini Snickers bar and I'll eat every sugary food in sight. Much better to keep that crap at bay.
I think it also depends on the individual, some people don't seem to get as high as I do off sugary food....but I think many ppl do0 -
Oh, and in response to the following:
"Unlike a heroin addict who would risk using a dirty needle or a cocaine addict who would snort spilled cocaine of a urine infested floor, I truly doubt any sugar addict here would eat any sugar laden product after abstaining from it for however many days, if I sprinkled poo on it. If you could, then maybe you are a sugar "addict". "
Who would risk eating a box of powdered donuts if he/she was 100 pounds overweight, had type 2 diabetes, and rolled around in a wheelchair?0 -
You know, I was just thinking. Sugar has a major affect on me emotionally as well. I am so much more moody when I eat a lot of sugar products. Really moody. When I get off of the sugar my emotions normalize.0
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Unlike a heroin addict who would risk using a dirty needle or a cocaine addict who would snort spilled cocaine of a urine infested floor, I truly doubt any sugar addict here would eat any sugar laden product after abstaining from it for however many days, if I sprinkled poo on it. If you could, then maybe you are a sugar "addict".
Physiologically we use glucose for energy, so we're never "abstaining" from it anyway. Psychologically people adhere to habitual behavior until it's changed. Habitually "needing" sugar will keep people wanting it. IMO it's really not an addiction since you really can't moderate addiction.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
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I'll concede that no, you won't find someone who considers themselves a 'sugar addict' to act as you mentioned. However, I have two points: the first being that sugar is much easier to access; someone who is 'addicted' to sugar has an extremely easy time getting their next fix. It's at nearly every store, every drive-thru. And it's cheaper; if heroin and cocaine were as easy to obtain at the same price as sugar without the legal ramifications they currently hold, you might see heroin addicts passing over the used needle; the cocaine addict not being so worried about the spillage on a dirty floor. Second, while there might not be actual 'sugar' addiction, I do believe there is such a thing as food addiction. Perhaps the people we are discussing are, in fact food addicts, and sugar is their 'drug', so to speak, of choice?
I think there are many different kinds of addiction, and they don't all produce the same effects.
Yes, I think fat people may have trigger foods that cause them to pig out on certain foods. I have to have them out of the house and not buy them at the store. I was trying for months after my last weight loss of 60 lbs to get my eating in control when I decided that I could "control" my trigger foods and let them in the house again. I ended up gaining all of the weight back. It was not until I went to an OA meeting that I learned how overeaters like myself just cannot have certain foods in the house. I cannot have any kind of nut butters, dairy products ( cheese, yogurt, and ice cream), or sweet treats in the house. They are my trigger foods. I can control fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, meat, eggs, but not those foods.0 -
I've got to admit it, I'm a sugar addict!
Has anyone read The Sweet Poison Quit Plan? Did it work? I've got to break out of this cycle! :explode: I know I'm an addict because I can go so many days with nothing and and I quite literally start jonesing for chocolate and I have an almighty binge and then feel gross!
I've read that sugar is as addictive as nicotine! Is there anyone on here that's managed to kick the habit?
Without sugar you'd die, true story
I would imagine you and she are not talking about the same definition of sugar.
No, I'm on about chocolate and cake and biscuits - processed sugar? Refined sugar?
so you eat fruit, honey, etc…you know sugar?0 -
You really are being insulting. A simple visit to an OA meeting shows that food addiction and trigger foods are real. The people at the meetings will vouch for these concepts. I have seen it even in thin people I know. My sister who is 130 lbs still has foods that she pigs out on. My cousin who has always been thin will eat a lot of packaged cookies at one sitting. My parents have problems with sweets and potatoes. I have seen my son control nearly every food he eats but give him pizza or sweets and he pigs out. Why is that? Oh, my son is just 6 years old. Why do many kids pig out on sweets but not anything else?0
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Sugar is PALATABLE. This is why people have issues with it. It's not an addiction issue, it's an issue that it tastes good and people just keeping eating it till they get sick of eating it.
Fruit and vegetables contain sugar in them. If sugar was truly an addiction, then why aren't people gobbling down bananas, mangoes, tangerines, grapes, cherries, or even dried fruit all very high in sugar?
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True, but what about my experience cutting out my trigger foods and my weight gain problems stopping immediately? I lost 60 lbs a couple years ago when I cut out my trigger foods, and then gained all the weight back when I reintroduced them. After I stopped bringing those foods in the house, not all are unhealthy, the weight gain stopped and I was able to lose weight again and I have lost 40 lbs in the past year. There are just some foods I cannot have in the house. Now, if I buy it eating out in a predetermined amount I don't have problems and do not have it in excessive quantities at home.
People just need to find what works for them and go with it.0 -
Sugar is PALATABLE. This is why people have issues with it. It's not an addiction issue, it's an issue that it tastes good and people just keeping eating it till they get sick of eating it.
Fruit and vegetables contain sugar in them. If sugar was truly an addiction, then why aren't people gobbling down bananas, mangoes, tangerines, grapes, cherries, or even dried fruit all very high in sugar?
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I'm sorry but why are you, a personal trainer, saying people should eat foods that give them problems? what is wrong with giving processed sugar up or only eating them in ways they can control? It is not better to eat something you cannot control.
This documentary called Hungry for Change has people in it that describe why modern processed sugar can create problems and how it is processed in a similar way to drugs. I don't agree with everything they say relating sugar to drugs, but I stand by the stance of getting rid of things in your life you can't control if they are bad for you and if they can be gotten rid of.0 -
if people are addicted to sugar then why are they not addicted to fruit? A banana should have the same affect on a sugar addict as a candy bar does...0
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Sugar is PALATABLE. This is why people have issues with it. It's not an addiction issue, it's an issue that it tastes good and people just keeping eating it till they get sick of eating it.
Fruit and vegetables contain sugar in them. If sugar was truly an addiction, then why aren't people gobbling down bananas, mangoes, tangerines, grapes, cherries, or even dried fruit all very high in sugar?
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
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I'm sorry but why are you, a personal trainer, saying people should eat foods that give them problems? what is wrong with giving processed sugar up or only eating them in ways they can control? It is not better to eat something you cannot control.
This documentary called Hungry for Change has people in it that describe why modern processed sugar can create problems and how it is processed in a similar way to drugs.
because you can't be addicted to one kind of sugar, just like you can't be addicted to one kind of cocaine…You can't say "wow, I am really addicted to crack cocaine, but I do not have any addiction to powder cocaine" They are both cocaine…just like fruit and candy bars are both sugar ...0 -
I haven't said people should eat foods that give them problems. I've been refuting that sugar is actually an addiction. If someone has no discipline when it comes to eating certain foods, then don't eat them.Sugar is PALATABLE. This is why people have issues with it. It's not an addiction issue, it's an issue that it tastes good and people just keeping eating it till they get sick of eating it.
Fruit and vegetables contain sugar in them. If sugar was truly an addiction, then why aren't people gobbling down bananas, mangoes, tangerines, grapes, cherries, or even dried fruit all very high in sugar?
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I'm sorry but why are you, a personal trainer, saying people should eat foods that give them problems? what is wrong with giving processed sugar up or only eating them in ways they can control? It is not better to eat something you cannot control.
This documentary called Hungry for Change has people in it that describe why modern processed sugar can create problems and how it is processed in a similar way to drugs. I don't agree with everything they say relating sugar to drugs, but I stand by the stance of getting rid of things in your life you can't control if they are bad for you and if they can be gotten rid of.
But as I mentioned, sugar is palatable which is why it's in so many foods today. You spoke of your son choosing junk over more nutrient dense food. Why? Because kids don't eat for nutrition, they eat for taste. Would you agree that if you placed a brussel sprout and a banana in front of him, he'd probably eat the banana? Even if you told him that the brussel sprout had more nutritional value?
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Dude, this describes me perfectly.I think much like some people can handle alcohol fine without addiction, there are likely many people who can handle processed sugar without any trouble. For some of us, it is a gateway that leads to addictive behaviors (hiding while eating, hoarding, seeking...unable to think of anything else until you get that fix...then great for a bit until you come down...then feeling crappy...but the crappy feeling only makes you seek to get more to feel good again even though logically we know it's stupid.) Yeah...addiction.
To some of the other "experts" on here, of course sugar isn't as addictive as Schedule I drugs like heroin and cocaine, no one is saying that it is. But that doesn't mean it can't be an addiction or it doesn't destroy lives. Just because you don't experience something personally doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Food addiction and binge eating disorder are actually quite common and medically valid, and MUCH worse than "cravings" or "desire for palatable food". It's certainly not unbelievable that sometimes these would be oriented around sugar, especially as refined sugar actually has been shown to be addictive0 -
Oh no, Groundhog Day!0
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First of all, what if I told you that there are multiple types of sugar? Fruit has fructose in it. Candy/refined sugar is usually a processed version of sucrose or different chemicals. Your body processes them completely differentlyif people are addicted to sugar then why are they not addicted to fruit? A banana should have the same affect on a sugar addict as a candy bar does...
That being said, I've binge-eaten bananas before. But even if I eat all the bananas in the house, which is usually six, that's only 600 calories and 96g of sugar, so they're really not the problem compared to eating a bag of chocolates or a box of cookies per-say.0 -
First of all, what if I told you that there are multiple types of sugar? Fruit has fructose in it. Candy/refined sugar is usually a processed version of sucrose or different chemicals. Your body processes them completely differentlyif people are addicted to sugar then why are they not addicted to fruit? A banana should have the same affect on a sugar addict as a candy bar does...
And what if I told you, fruits contain multiple types of sugar, even sucrose? How does your body tell processed sucrose from natural sucrose0 -
[/quote]I think it would depend on the poo and the chocolate....American chocolate I'd probably just eat the poo.
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