Experiencing Sugar and Fat Withdrawal: CRISIS MODE!

emtjmac
emtjmac Posts: 1,320 Member
in Motivation and Support
I have been back on track for a couple of days. So far, I have felt alright. Right now, I am craving pizza and chocolate chip cookies and if I don't get them soon I AM GOING TO TEAR OUT MY HAIR AND BECOME A SPITTING, RAVING LUNATIC. If I go near the stuff, I will binge. One cookie or one slice of pizza will not cut it. This is agony. I have done lost over 70 pounds in the past with MFP and I know the first two weeks are the hardest. I just forgot how hard.
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Replies

  • 20Grit
    20Grit Posts: 752 Member
    What would Richard Simmons do? :bigsmile:
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    Is 1800 net too much of a deficit?
  • emtjmac
    emtjmac Posts: 1,320 Member
    What would Richard Simmons do? :bigsmile:

    Cry spontaneously and talk at length about his mother?
  • EpsilonGamma
    EpsilonGamma Posts: 96
    Do you do any form of fasting? You can fast for most of the day, and order a smaller pizza than normal?
  • 20Grit
    20Grit Posts: 752 Member
    What would Richard Simmons do? :bigsmile:

    Cry spontaneously and talk at length about his mother?


    I can see where the inspiration comes in.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    Today so far I have had an entire supermarket pizza (extra chicken and ham) AND 6 custard slices (entire pack).

    I am still on track for losing 1.5-2lb/week, hitting my macros and getting some micro nutrients in (have had some salad too, not logged.)
    With my 300 calories and 10g of protein I need to fill up my diary, I'm thinking of cycling to a supermarket and making that 600-700 calories from the cycling, which I can then fill with cake, cookies or other similar nice foods :).
  • gmom316
    gmom316 Posts: 244
    Going near it for, even a little, is no different than an alcoholic having a sip of wine....as I'm sure is not news to you.

    If you're really looking for suggestions and help mine are to get the "booze bottles" out of the house. Find a replacement to help you through the withdrawal process. I make a pudding with good cocoa powder, plain gelatin, Truvia, sugar free (also sweetened with stevia) coconut milk and add unsweetened coconut and chopped walnuts.
  • csontos
    csontos Posts: 76 Member
    I totally feel you. I would literally sell my soul for a cupcake right now. I was staring at them earlier in the grocery store and almost starting crying when I walked away without one.

    The thing is, you can't just buy one cupcake. They always come in packs of like 4 or 6 and I refuse to throw away beautiful cupcakes. So, instead, I'm sitting here... sipping my diet coke and complaining on the internet.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    Going near it for, even a little, is no different than an alcoholic having a sip of wine....as I'm sure is not news to you.

    If you're really looking for suggestions and help mine are to get the "booze bottles" out of the house. Find a replacement to help you through the withdrawal process. I make a pudding with good cocoa powder, plain gelatin, Truvia, sugar free (also sweetened with stevia) coconut milk and add unsweetened coconut and chopped walnuts.

    Sugar/fat "addiction" is the same as alcohol addiction? Really?


    (Let's skip a few of the usual steps in this discussion and jump right to the end...)



    Same as cocaine? Heroin? Have you or anyone you know ever sold your body for another hit of sugar and fat? Perhaps sold your children for another hit?

    I'm trying to figure out just what this sugar/fat "addiction" entails.
  • fisherlassie
    fisherlassie Posts: 542 Member
    If you are still hanging in there I would suggest writing out (reviewing in some way) your reasons for wanting to avoid those things you are craving. Maybe having some protein and a large hot tea as well.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    Have the pizza.
    Log it. Move on.
  • gmom316
    gmom316 Posts: 244
    Sounds to me like you're just playing games, but who knows?

    There are many addictions where people don't sell their children. Don't know of any who have for a pack of cigarettes, not to say it hasn't happened.

    Joke to you or not, I do believe that sugar is just is the same sort of physical addiction to many as the thing you mentioned. Just like cigarettes, alcohols, drugs, etc. not everyone gets physically addicted but as a sugar addict knows, there are plenty out there.

    I've never been a binger but I did go a few years without eating sugar AT ALL. I never craved it, it was not hard for me to say no to birthday cakes, etc. As soon as I told myself "maybe just this time" and took a few small bites the cravings were back.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Fit pizza into your macros and calories, if you have net 1800 as someone said, thats not so hard!
  • Oonk3
    Oonk3 Posts: 1
    Of course it's hard because food is sooooo good, but you can do this! Try imagining pizza with your worst food on top of it. ....Say, no I don't want pizza. .....Tell yourself you like eating healthy. ..... For sugar cravings I indulge with a cocoa sometimes. mix bakers cocoa with coconut sugar and milk for a hot chocolate. Coconut sugar apparently doesn't register like regular sugar therefor not spiking insulin. Use coconut sugar in stead of regular sugar in all things. I find if I tell myself NO, it helps. I have also stayed away from carbs (90%) and find I don't crave junk.
  • vjohn04
    vjohn04 Posts: 2,276 Member
    I hate these addiction threads with the fire of a million suns.
  • Otterluv
    Otterluv Posts: 9,083 Member
    I hate these addiction threads with the fire of a million suns.

    ^^^ this

    It's horribly insulting to those who have had friends and loved ones who've dealt with real addiction.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    have something with sugar, have a slice of pizza. log it, move on.

    you can choose to just have some.

    it's a choice. we all make it every day.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    you can choose to just have some.
    Not really for me.

    Some have better self control with food than others.

    I just ate an entire box of french fancies.
    I did already plan to take the dog for a run however, so that'll balance my diary fine.
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
    The grand thing about pizza is that it's 100% possible to incorporate it as a healthy option. Same with cookies. You CAN buy just one cupcake. The real question comes down to, do you want to? And for some people, the honest answer is, no.

    I get the "addiction" part in the sense that it has been researched, and many studies are currently underway. Preliminary study results in rats have concluded that highly-palatable foods, particularly those high in fat and sugar, when eaten to excess, can trigger a dopamine release on par with drug addiction. Certain food substances have also been noted to have active impact on the opioid receptors in the brain, which would in turn suggest that ingestion of binge-level quantities of these foods would trigger feelings of pain relief and euphoria.

    Behavioral and psychological studies in humans have suggested that addiction behavior is growing to be more prevalent, not only in individuals diagnosed with eating disorders, but also in non-ED individuals who are presented with foods intermittently. While the science behind neurotransmitters in humans has not been 100% verified, early study results do suggest that some individuals become addicted to the dopamine/opioid release that is triggered by intense flavor sensations. This is the same mechanism that causes us to go "OH MY GOD" when we taste a particularly good piece of cheesecake or an expert piece of pizza. The flavor sensation triggers pleasure chemicals. Fact.

    With the epidemic of obesity in the US, scientists and behaviorists have been researching this more, and have found that obese individuals do seem to have a general correlation between their weight and their experience of euphoria when eating. That being said, they have not being able to definitively say "yay or nay" on the matter, as not all people respond the same way to these things.

    What should be noted though is that these studies have correlated intermittent exposure with binge eating. That is, having certain foods restricted from your diet, but then being intermittently exposed, promotes an "addiction-like" response, where the individual essentially hoards the food to experience the high. You can make certain conclusions from this... Though I suppose the strongest one would be, you need to either never have it, or regularly have it. Intermittently exposing yourself is going to promote behaviors and ingestion rates that will be ultimately detrimental.

    All this being said... dopamine is the same chemical released when a person does a drug like heroin. Now, the level may not be as high or as prolonged, but it's the same rush that a heroin user experiences, on a smaller scale. It is that rush that people get addicted to. Have I heard of someone foregoing work to eat? Yes. I've known people who, at parts of their life, would use allotted rent money to buy food they didn't need. Who donated plasma, using the money to feed food desires.

    I'm not trying to suggest that food addiction and obesity is as serious as heroin addiction... Just that the neurotransmitters and biological mechanism of addiction are on the same spectrum. It's actually really interesting. They have even started to find that sugar vs fat vs sugar/fat combo food substances all have different biological responses as well as withdrawal issues.

    ANYWAY. I'm sorry you're struggling OP. I personally don't subscribe to restrictive dieting. I used to... but found I was more prone to bulk-buying and consuming things like candy bars when I did that. Now, I just let myself have the taste if it works for my day. Maybe that would be a better approach?
  • sprocketism
    sprocketism Posts: 56 Member
    Sugar is super addicting and is in most of the foods in the grocery store aisles. Try to stick to the natural sugars found in fruits and agave, and those pesky white sugar cravings will go away.

    :heart:
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    Just eat some chocolate ffs.
  • RustyE49
    RustyE49 Posts: 2 Member
    I would say meh to the research. Those of us who cannot eat just one cupcake, donut, cookie understand what addiction is. No need to preach.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    I would say meh to the research. Those of us who cannot eat just one cupcake, donut, cookie understand what addiction is. No need to preach.

    "You dont understand me and science is wrong!"

    That is a juvenille statement.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    I'm trying to figure out just what this sugar/fat "addiction" entails.
    Wishful thinking.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    Sugar is super addicting and is in most of the foods in the grocery store aisles. Try to stick to the natural sugars found in fruits and agave, and those pesky white sugar cravings will go away.

    :heart:

    White sugar is natural. Sugar beets and sugar cane.
  • norlund568
    norlund568 Posts: 1
    I find that sometimes telling myself "no" is very hard, but when I do the next morning there is a reward. I'm usually down. Of course your body is going to rebel. Who's in charge here. Think of all the things you'll be able to do without the pizza and then assess if it's worth what you describe as gluttony. You can do it!
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    The grand thing about pizza is that it's 100% possible to incorporate it as a healthy option.
    Why? What's stopping it being incorporated as part of a healthy lifestyle?

    My post workout Pizza, once it had extra topping was likely around 1000 calories with 70g carbs, 45g fat and 65g protein (taking a bit of a guess there - the rest of the meat I had logged was eaten with salad later.)

    Oh and stick to fruit sugars. Great, so I can get addicted to a different kind of sugar! I also have problems with food like grapes and melons - if the Melons are ripe, can easily eat two whole large mellons in one sitting.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    I just had some pizza tonight. Was tasty.

    That's all I had to offer
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    Sugar is super addicting and is in most of the foods in the grocery store aisles. Try to stick to the natural sugars found in fruits and agave, and those pesky white sugar cravings will go away.

    :heart:

    White sugar is natural. Sugar beets and sugar cane.
    Yeah, this is like being addicted to beer that came from a bottle but not beer that came from a can.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    Sugar is super addicting and is in most of the foods in the grocery store aisles. Try to stick to the natural sugars found in fruits and agave, and those pesky white sugar cravings will go away.

    :heart:

    White sugar is natural. Sugar beets and sugar cane.
    Yeah, this is like being addicted to beer that came from a bottle but not beer that came from a can.

    Aluminum has no BPAs brah

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