Sugar

If EVERYTHING that made us feel good was considered "addicting", then why aren't people just watching babies laugh, a child smiling after chemo, a belch or burp after a good meal, etc. and have people saying that their are "addicted" to those since they stimulate and bring on a "feel good" response?

Sugar TASTES good. So does fat. So does salty. Combine those 3 in a food that's high calorie......................

There's nothing wrong with wanting to eat good tasting food. The problem is that lots people have no discipline or self control to stop eating more than they should.

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Why would a baby having chemo make you feel good??

If you can go cold turkey for a week or two, most fruits taste as sweet as candy did.

Sadly, there's no magic pill for the will power.

Don't buy it and you won't eat it. That's all I got.

But fruit has sugar, why keep feeding the addiction

I hear what you're saying, but they're different kinds of sugar. Fruit has tons of nutrients while candy has none.

Right but I think the point is that sugar is sugar. I love fruit, don't get me wrong. If I need the fiber or the vitamins, I turn to fruit. If I want a snickers (Hey there's nuts in there!), I'll eat that. But to eliminate the candy bar in favor of the fruit purely because of the sugar to me is pointless.

I eat candy too. Eating fruit instead of sugar for awhile was a suggestion to the lady who created this thread. She said she had an addiction to sugar. I assumed she meant candy. Fruit only for awhile would be a good starting point for getting over a candy addiction.

Fruit contains sugar.
Candy contains sugar.
Donuts contain sugar.
Those little packages of sugar contain sugar.

All the sugar in all those different packages is chemically identical. The packaging, however, is not identical.

Now to the OP, I had/have a HUGE sweet tooth, and have been known to eat an entire family sized package of cookies in one sitting (cookies being my greatest weakness). I also used to have 4 teaspoons of sugar in every cup of coffee. I have gradually weaned myself off the sugar in my coffee, but I'm pretty confident that if I bought a family sized package of cookies, I may very well eat them all. So I don't buy them. I do still have sweets in moderation, but have to be really, really diligent to measure and log every bite, and not become complacent. I also make sure that the sweet in question is scrumptious enough to warren the calories it's going to cost me! I doubt today I'd waste 300 calories for a mediocre chain food donut.

The sugar though is not to blame, it is after all only a chemical compound, my lack of moderating ability is to blame, and I must do those things necessary to keep myself from binging (like not buying cookies!). If you find you cannot eat a certain food item in moderation, then by all means get rid of it! You may find that at a later date you'll be able to once again enjoy it in moderation.

I call Mt. Dew my "liquid heroin" and Oreos are "cookie crack". I cannot drink just one Dew. If I have it in my house, I will drink three or four a day, which leads to more candy, cookies, SUGAR! And then I gain on average .5-1 pound every week.

For me, if my sugar consumption gets out of control, what works for me is to do two weeks of Phase One of South Beach. You cut out all refined/processed foods/grains. You do not eat any fruit or starchy veggies. Lean meats, low fat dairy, beans, lots of green veggies, nuts, healthy oils (like olive oil) are all good. It is really hard to stick to it, but it's only 14 days. At the end of it, my cravings are gone. I appreciate fruits a LOT (I will normally not eat many fruits and veggies if I am eating a lot of sugar). And I add in whole grains- brown rice, 100% whole wheat breads and pastas.

I started over with this the end of January. I am now to the point where I can have some small sugar treats and some processed foods, but I have to be very careful not to eat too many, and I have to stay away from a few "trigger foods/drinks" (mostly sugary drinks).

I am not an advocate of eating low carb all of the time, because like many say, cutting out whole food groups are hard to sustain in the long run. And I believe there are health benefits to good complex carbs. However, forgoing those carbs for a short period of time to get my blood sugar levels normalized is the only way I have found to end the sugar binging cycle.

And then I keep as much of the crap food out of my house as possible. I try to get cookies/treats that my family likes but which are not tempting to me. And it is also important to look at the reasons why we eat those foods. For me, I am an emotional eater. If I am stressed or upset or depressed, I want to eat the junk- ALL THE TIME. And then I let my life take control of me. But if I take control of my life, and my eating, and recognize why I want to eat.... then it becomes easier to say no to the junk.

The question I would ask op, do you perceive that you are addicted to sugar or hyperpalatable foods? What kinds of foods are you binging on? Because whatever they are, just stop eating them.

So OP on your thread you said

'I have a huge huge addiction to sugar. Anyone else have this problem or had it and can give advice on how to fix it. I will admit I am addicted to it and as hard as i try i cannot seem to get over it.'

Good news I have a solution:

What kinds of foods are you binging on? Because whatever they are, just stop eating them.

I hope that has dealt with your issue - after all we are all here to be supportive

Thanks, but I am looking for specificity... which types of food... not just sugar which covers a very broad spectrum of foods.

In for sugar vs sugar .

In as well.

The question I would ask op, do you perceive that you are addicted to sugar or hyperpalatable foods? What kinds of foods are you binging on? Because whatever they are, just stop eating them.

So OP on your thread you said

'I have a huge huge addiction to sugar. Anyone else have this problem or had it and can give advice on how to fix it. I will admit I am addicted to it and as hard as i try i cannot seem to get over it.'

Good news I have a solution:

What kinds of foods are you binging on? Because whatever they are, just stop eating them.

I hope that has dealt with your issue - after all we are all here to be supportive

Thanks, but I am looking for specificity... which types of food... not just sugar which covers a very broad spectrum of foods.

sorry my misunderstanding - I clearly misinterpreted - 'because whatever they are just stop eating them'! .

I thought you meant whatever food your eating you can just stop eating them - my mistake.

You obviously meant something else.

Yep, I was meaning is she binging on donuts, chips, cookies, fruit, dairy etc...?

I started my weight loss journey at the beginning of the year, kind of as a New Year's Resolution. I've lost 40 pounds so far and I feel AMAZING!! Try this system: http://fitfemlove.wordpress.com

I've always found it's a four day thing to break sugar. On the fourth day your body is going nuts telling you to eat whatever you've got. But on the fifth day - it's totally easy. That's the thing - people cut out sugar and get through three days thinking they've licked it, and the fourth day kills you.

So PLAN on the fourth day to be the worst. When you cut out the sugar, get rid of all of it in your house - for god's sake don't keep a beer in the fridge. And if you can't get a week's worth of help from those whom you live with - at least ask for that one day - the fourth day, for them to stash their treats out of sight. It's only one day after all.

If you start this on a Monday, you will have passed the fourth day by the following weekend, if you find that on weekends you get tempted by the change in schedule. Don't do the fourth day on a stress day or a vacation, unless you think that would work best for you. If you don't find time to eat much on crazy stress days, then maybe planning that as the fourth day is what will work.

After that you'll find your body has quieted down and will listen to reason and you can plan on small sugary rewards every now and then. AND if you find yourself sliding back into sugar every day, remember the four day process and kick into it again.

please... I beg anyone and everyone. Make these stop. I can't bear this argument any more.

Where do we draw the line between personal responsibility and making diagnosis of things that seem like the perfect excuse to not adhere to our diets?

Knowing our limitations and cravings for things lets us know what we need to deal with. We can choose to either be a victim or we can choose to recognize it, and do something about it,, and what to avoid.

Some one will have better changes of changing something by not letting it have power over me. If i know that a candy bar will harm me in some way, i know to stay away from it. i am aware if i can have it or not. i know what happens when i dont eat it.. and i know that if i take a few days and choose not to eat it, that food becomes less important.

I do believe in taking personal responsibility for making changes, i do believe people can have habits and addictions and guilty pleasures, i do believe that is not a "disease" (like cancer) where we are helpless to defeat it, i do believe we choose to put the food in our mouth that makes us fat, while i know that we can change it, however, some people have strong cravings for something, and they need more strength and determination and fortitude to be able to say no.

thats what i beleive and that is what is helping me be successful in my weight loss here.