Addicted to sugar, how to wean myself off?

Read up on what happens to diabetics and how they have to have limbs removed. And type 2 diabetes is self inflicted

@ndj1979 No we are not talking about fructose we are discussing the addiction to refined sugars. And yes honey is a refined sugar but it is not used as an ingredient to processed sweets we are talking about the OTHER type of refined sugar that has everyone in a mess. Capiche?

Peace

@ndj1979 No we are not talking about fructose we are discussing the addiction to refined sugars. And yes honey is a refined sugar but it is not used as an ingredient to processed sweets we are talking about the OTHER type of refined sugar that has everyone in a mess. Capiche?

Peace

sugar has fructose in it…capiche?

how does one be addicted to something and then continue to eat said substance that you are addicted to?

you might find this study interesting..

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=895280
here is a snip it from the abstract:

"In addition, there is often no difference in responses between foods containing added sugars and those containing naturally-occurring sugars."

note he study is about GI load in foods..but still relevant as you appear to think there is a difference between added sugar and fruit sugar, (natural sugar)

The difference is not in which food has more sugar. If someone, diabetic or whatever, cannot process sugar properly than one starts to look at what foods they can cut out. Chocolate bars may have as much sugar as an orange (I say may because I'm not sure and don't care) but the orange has fiber and vitamins that will help the body in other ways. There is very little nutritional value to a chocolate bar, thus making it not really worth the effort (usually). If a person notices that they have a hard time controlling their sugar intake, I think its a good thing to start looking for ways to cut it out BEFORE they are diagnosed with a health issue. Not all sugar "addicts" become diabetic, of course, but a whole lot of diabetics like sugar a lot.

Edited to fix a sentence that didn't make sense, lol.

*shrugs* I just learn moderation with everything I enjoy and don't try to blanket my desire to eat certain types of foods with the word, "addiction".

OP, I'm going to assume here that you know your own body and your ability to control yourself around sugar. When I find myself having eaten too much sugar over time and need to back off for awhile I eat a little more protein and fat until the cravings subside-they usually do after a few days. Yes, a deficit is the "right" answer but its hard to achieve that when your body is craving something constantly. Cold turkey is fine, too, but it gives me the munchies. The fat and protein keep that at bay for me.

I eat way too much sugar. I plan to change that, so I have started small, by not adding sugar to things when it's not necessary (ie my coffee). I still get cravings, which I hope will get less and less as I consume less sugar.

Has anyone here weaned themselves off sugar? Do you have any tips for me?

Are you going to stop eating fruit then? It seems to me that people cannot tell the difference between a craving and an 'I just want this' mental state. So everyones 'addicted' to things when in reality 99% of people just need to use some self control. I really want a doughnut at the moment. That's not a craving I just want one that doesn't mean I never have a doughnut in my life it means I use some self control and occasionally have one. Cutting needlessly totally out of your diet is the road to failure I'm afraid

Personally, I went cold turkey for a good 6 or so months, and ate whole foods. (Yes, sugar is in fruit and carbs convert into sugar. That's not really the point).

So, I completely cut out processed foods. That completely re-set my taste buds. Then, I started to introduce various things back into my diet and I started to see what were my trigger foods that I should stay away from - for me, most 'treat' foods! Biscuits, sweets, chocolate. Things I can never just have one of, and can never eat in moderation.

For now, I just avoid those trigger foods, and I re-introduce things I'm ok with. Cream in my coffee, dried fruit etc...

I think the 'cold turkey' aspect helps re-set some of your emotional associations with certain foods you over-eat. Then, you tend to be able to tell when you are craving sugar because you're 'bored', 'tired', 'sad' and so on.

I also never wanted to go the route of denying myself EVERYTHING, so if I crave something sweet I eat fruit. Even if I eat 500 calories-worth of fruit a day, it's still better than if I ate chocoate (which could very easily turn into 1000 calories of chocolate and then some).

It's not ideal - I know the end goal would be to have some self-control. But honestly, I don't really care at the moment. I'll figure that out later! Though I do know, the longer you go without certain 'treat' foods, the less you crave them and the more weird they taste if you do have them.

Sugar sets me off down a bad road, so I just went cold turkey. Have failed along the way, but just went right back at it. Throwing all the crap in your house away is a good start.

Reading through this thread, the problem people are having isn't sugar, it's foods that are hyper-palatable which also tend to be high in fat and calories. Not surprisingly, over-consumption of those same foods is tied to weight gain and diabetes.

So it would be more accurate to say that you are working on cutting out foods that you are unable to eat in moderation, rather than being "addicted to sugar." Your body doesn't know the difference between natural sugar and processed sugar; it's not the sugar.

There's nothing wrong with limiting certain foods if that's what you need to do to stay on track, but at least be honest as to why you are doing it, rather than trying to blame the food itself or using pseudoscience to back your choice. If there's one thing I've learned since being here, it's that accountability is everything if you want to succeed. Even when it means being accountable for the times you go overboard. You can't change a behavior unless you are willing to own it.

Go cold turkey...it's the only way. And have a lot of fresh fruits on hand to help with the cravings.

Just as an FYI...start on a Thursday...so you can deal with the withdrawal symptoms over the weekend and be refreshed by Monday. (Symptoms include fatigue and irritability)

I went off processed sugar about 2 years ago. It has been worth it! Food actually tastes GOOD! I make baked goods, homemade ice cream and smoothies using maple syrup as my sweetener. It takes very little and it does not spike your glycemic index.

I recently went on the Daniel Fast and could only use dates as my sweetener. It has been a bit tough but I'm doing it.

One thing I noticed a year after giving up sugar completely is that mosquitos are no longer attracted to me! I can sit outside and read a book under the trees and they come around but leave me alone. I used to be their favorite meal.

Best of luck to you! I'd recommend Nourishing Traditions cook book (and reference book). Very eye opening!

Reading through this thread, the problem people are having isn't sugar, it's foods that are hyper-palatable which also tend to be high in fat and calories. Not surprisingly, over-consumption of those same foods is tied to weight gain and diabetes.

So it would be more accurate to say that you are working on cutting out foods that you are unable to eat in moderation, rather than being "addicted to sugar." Your body doesn't know the difference between natural sugar and processed sugar; it's not the sugar.

There's nothing wrong with limiting certain foods if that's what you need to do to stay on track, but at least be honest as to why you are doing it, rather than trying to blame the food itself or using pseudoscience to back your choice. If there's one thing I've learned since being here, it's that accountability is everything if you want to succeed. Even when it means being accountable for the times you go overboard. You can't change a behavior unless you are willing to own it.

^^^ Yeah, this - what I was trying but failed to say!

^^^Well said. Self control is paramount to long term success. That is why most people fail at keeping the weight off. It doesn't end when you reach goal. Denying foods for the rest of your life will take huge self control, if you don't have it now, how will it develop at maintenance? A great quote I got here "If I don't yet have the self control, I don't want it bad enough".

None of this is simple or easy, if it was, none of us would have a problem in the first place.

Sigh... Moderation.

I kind of think that's the OP's point. Some folks have trouble eating sugar in moderation and need to cut it out for a time to control the cravings. If someone has never had to deal with constant and persistent sugar cravings it may seem simple but for others it is not.

That is fine and good, it doesn't make it addiction. Until people are picking dirty lollipops out of trash bins for their next sugar fix, it is not an addiction.