Runner with a serious sugar addiction

I totally understand what you are going through. I am also a runner addicted to chocolate. Many people here have said that it isn't an addiction but if you haven't been there its difficult to understand.

To this, I could respond, if you haven't suffered from both an addiction and a behavioral disorder, then you can't understand the distinction between the two.

To this I could respond, if you aren't the person in question, then you just can't understand what they are going through. I've noticed that most people who have struggled with compulsions and/or addictions and who have worked to overcome them go either one of two ways - they are either very sympathetic and empathetic or very unforgiving of the person who still struggles. Your posts seem to indicate that you have no sympathy for someone who can't overcome their issues as you have or are doing. The whole post you made about not blaming inanimate objects first made met think this and this post does the same.

Every person is unique. Some people have experiences that make them similar, yet some people can have the same experiences and be completely different. No one is right or wrong. Have you ever heard the saying that your perception is your reality? No matter whether you think a person who is dealing with a compulsion or addiction is right or wrong, their perception will be what is real to them. You can try to educate a person and help them change their perceptions, but just telling them they are wrong or don't know anything does nothing to help the situation. Many people who truly struggle with compulsions and/or addictions don't want to struggle - I would gladly give up my compulsions to have a healthy relationship with food. Do I say that it's impossible to do because I've failed more times than I can count? No. Do I blame my weight on my compulsions? Yes. It's not an excuse, it's my reality. Do I want to feel helpless to the fact that even though I know what my problem is and I know the solution to it, I just can't seem to do that? No.

I don't disagree that the word addiction is thrown around way too much - the same with the word binge. I've seen posts and heard people talk about being addicted or binging and think "you have no idea". Then, I realize that just because I don't think they did these things doesn't mean that that isn't their reality.

I have sympathy for people who are trying to regain control of their life. I don't have sympathy for those who just make excuses and refuse to accept responsibility for their own actions.

There's a line in a Kid Rock song "...all the heroes at the methadone clinic..." that I find appropriate here. Everyone makes mistakes and bad choices in life. I respect people for accepting responsibility, but I can not respect anyone who would blame an inanimate object for their own poor choices.

I get your feelings on accepting personal responsibility. You probably couldn't find someone who agrees with you more on the need for accepting personal responsibility, I guess I just didn't see too many places in this thread where people were shirking their responsibility. OP said she had a problem with sugar. No matter how we feel about it, it's a very real problem for her. She acknowledged the problem and asked for suggestions to help her overcome it. Is she addicted, does she have a compulsion to eat chocolate or is she just overstating the problem? We don't really know, but I don't see where she didn't accept personal responsibility for her problem and we don't have the right to tell her that her feelings on the matter are wrong or that she's just acting like a child or that she's just making excuses. We can try to offer solutions to help her overcome what is a very real problem to her - anything else really isn't helpful, even if we back it up by saying we're just being honest or telling the truth. Telling someone who already feels bad about their situation that they are wrong or lazy or anything else generally is not going to help them. Life isn't all sunshine and rainbows and all that other crap, but we don't have to be demeaning in how we communicate things.

Sugar is in almost everything processed including savory foods so it's a challenge to get it totally out of your system.

You can't get sugar totally out of your system. The human body manufactures sugar. It has a number of highly complex, sensitive systems in place to maintain sugar levels in the blood. If you got sugar totally out of your system, you would die instantly because your cells would starve.

I knew you would be trolling this thread...once again I am not talking about limiting anything but fructose...glucose, lactose, no limiting. You need sugar to live and your brain runs best on glucose. I am talking about reducing the fructose. BTW I opened my diary so if you want to take a peek you can have a look. I looked at yours, you are basically just keeping fast food and supplement companies in business. If your diet was so perfect you wouldn't have to supplement it with protein powders.

So you're talking about getting fructose "totally out of your system"? Is that right?

BTW, you'd do well to just about triple your protein intake if you want to lose fat mass instead of lean mass.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24092765
http://www.jissn.com/content/3/1/7

Now I feel bad for getting so bent out of shape...sorry to everyone! I've got no issues with protein powders or supplementing unless it's excessive...and even then we all do what we need to do to get by. I should not be so judgemental! Sometimes I forget that not everyone thinks about food in political and social terms the same what I do...and certainly I know we will not always agree on everthing and that's just fine.

I don't know if you had other yoga practice today, but it looks like you're getting some good practice in on this thread, and I don't mean the "getting bent out of shape part". Life is a lesson imperfectly learned. (And I hope you won't find it corny if I come back to add "Namaste".)

Hello, I can completely identify with you. I'm a PT and train quite heavily including lots of cardio, also done long distance running in the past. Teach spinning blah blah. However I AM addicted to simple sugars, the not so good ones. I've gained weight from bingeing in the the last year despite all the exercise. I know a lot about addiction as have been in recovery from alcohol for 20 years(yay). Unfortunately processed foods contain lots of sugar in varying forms. For me this is the only way , HOWEVER the cravings are the worst, unlike some addictions, food is everywhere. I have a diploma in nutrition, but it doesn't stop me craving. If only!!!! I've gone for long periods with no processed foods including being totally simple sugar free and yes I lost all my extra fat. Life IS not always that simple though and being caught up in this chocolate, cookie, and all things sugary is hell when it causes so much weight gain. Some Saints of course can get along just fine without it, I'm not in that high deity just yet but aiming to get there. AGAIN. Some of us need more support eliminating these things. I do , that's why all my glorious qualifications don't make me good at being perfect. Please don't tell me I'm a failure...... Or am I???? Hope you get it sorted ????????????????????????????????

Sugar isn't an addiction. Can you moderately drink alcohol and not submit to being an alcoholic again?
Sugar is highly palatable. That's why it's hard for many to give up. Since the body operates on sugars (even abstaining from them completely, the body still converts protein and fat to glucose), one "moderately" has "sugar" in their body pretty much all the time.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I treat sugar like an addictive substance and it is the only way I've managed to reduce cravings. I'm almost certain I will be able to enjoy sugar/fat like a normal person very soon. I simply don't need as much as I used to.


And yes, we need sugar to live. We do not need chocolate to live, or cake, or cookies or bon bons. So no, "needing sugar to live" is not a good defense to continue eating sweets. Some people can moderate their sweets intake like they might with wine. Others can't, and should not be encouraged to eat them if they have a problem with it.

Life without chocolate is not a life worth living.

Who is advocating a life without chocolate? Not me.

That is why I ordered chocolate from Finland that is $18 per bar and won't arrive for a month. Quality > quantity.

Since my cravings have reduced substantially, I won't eat all 200 grams in one day like I used to.

What I am saying is this: taking a month of chocolate isn't the end of the world.

We do not need chocolate to live