sugar addiction/binge eating

I know how you feel but lately ive been keeping these binges to a minimum by changing some things:

-replacing my sugar cravings with "good sugars" like sugars from fruit etc. I keep alot of berries and clementines handy and i literally eat them by the handful and hopefully satisfy the sugar craving part of my brain
-choosing when to eat a sweet treat. I actually had a piece of banana cake with frosting and washed it down with a protien shake after a hard workout. I know that i would spike my insulin but it would be OK because insulin spikes and protein intake after a workout is a lot better than eating dessert after a huge meal
-be aware of why im eating a sugar. boredom? mood? cant find anything to eat? Well all these situations are temporary and will pass. If i cant find anything to eat i make sure to fill up on my good calories then evaluate if i really want that treat
-moderation. I allow myself something sweet once in a while but as long as it fits in the scheme of my macronutrients and of course i log that in

GOOD LUCK!

I know this is way late, I can't do moderation, at least not today. I hope one day I don't see sugar as a treat and simply as sugar. There are too many emotions and memories tied into those foods that eating today would send me into a tailspin. I am looking forward to that moment when my tastebuds do not desire desserts. Anyone reading this that can relate, please friend me, let's support each other. It's hard out there for a sugar addict!

Hey strangegirlz,

You are not the only one who have this sugar cravings so don't beat yourself on it. I am a sucker for donuts, we have this very nice mom and pop donut shop that knows me by name as every Saturday I drop by and get a dozen for my family (5 for me, 7 for family - funny but im not kidding), aside from that I love fried salty food, Mc Donald's french fries is the best and KFC is my child hood best friend, so you have the picture, we all have cravings and I think having a free day keeps us "sane". Please let me explain

if we work out butts of Monday - Saturday with our hard workout and eat very healthy that will be quite a challenge to continue for a long time, eventually our will power cannot carry us for too long, thus free day (note- free day, singular, just one) comes along where we can "binge" but i will rather use the word "enjoy" the food we like to eat, it works for us 2 ways; 1 - psychologically as we look forward to something, a reward after all this work and eating healthy on Saturday I will have my donuts and fries and 2 - physically - eating what we like tells the body that we are not in "famine" mode, when the body is deprived of the stuff that it use to eat, it will think we are in "famine' this is a natural reaction of our body to protect itself, it stores fat, so free day is good. Although some people can argue that free day sets you back a day or two (notice that your weight is much heavier after a free day- as expected) of your weight goal, what free day gives you in my humble opinion is the ability to be consistent. Consistency is the key to weight loss or in anything we want to achieve, sure crash diet, fad diet works for a while but flames out in the end and we gained all the weight back and some.

So in a nut shell, its normal to crave for the stuff you want, free day can work for you with the caveat that you don't abuse it, meaning you don't have more than 1 day of free day and working out hard and consistent will allow you to achieve your goal. Keep track of your progress using MFP and make good friends that will keep you accountable.

As for me, I am working on my goal to get back to basketball form, I had an injury last year and now that I am fully recovered I need to work hard and lose all this weight, it's hard but consistency, discipline and knowing why you want to lose weight is key.

I hope that helps, good luck on your journey, we can do this!

I SO completely sympathize! I have the same problem - I will do really well with nutrition and avoid sugar altogether for days at a time and then something will go wrong. Sometimes it's as simple as eating sugar out of politeness (that cake my friend made for an intimate dinner party that I don't want to rudely turn down) or as a last resort (that sports drink to restore my blood sugar after a long cycle), but I'm the same as you - once I start, I can't seem to control myself. If I have a box of oreos, I eat the whole box.

The good thing to know is that this is not your fault - it probably has more to do with your body chemistry than your willpower. And clearly other people out there are going through the same thing, so it's not just us.

I've been doing a lot of research on this topic, and it seems like there are a couple of things that could contribute to out-of-control sugar cravings.

One is a simple blood sugar dip - getting so hungry that your body is screaming for a blood sugar boost. In that scenario, nothing will boost your blood sugar more quickly than simple sugar, so it makes sense that your brain sends an overwhelming urge to eat sugar. And it takes a while for your blood sugar to stabilize, so the instinct is to just keep eating the sugar (binging) as long as that "desperate" feeling remains. We've all heard the advice to regulate this problem - eat small meals including protein and fiber every few hours to keep blood sugar stable. For me, this is a good practice, though let's face it, some days it's easier than others to plan ahead, prepare all one's own meals, and get a nutritious snack at regular intervals. I just do my best to follow this practice, but I don't beat myself up when it doesn't happen - I just try to acknowledge the days that haven't gone as well as planned and focus on getting back to a regular eating routine the next day.

Another factor contributing to sugar cravings could be brain chemistry. Some of us, either through genetics or our own unique physiology, are pre-disposed to deficiencies in neurotransmitters that regulate mood, sleep, energy, weight, etc. There's increasing scientific research out there attempting to identify these kinds of deficiencies and possible treatments. You may have seen or even already taken the "Brain Quiz" designed by Dr. Eric Braverman, which tests for deficiencies in four neurotransmitters than have a role in mood and weight management. Sugar cravings are associated, in particular, with a deficiency in serotonin. For me, I sometimes crave sugar when I'm feeling kind of down, and in those moments, find it really hard to care about my diet or my plans - I just want to feel better. And no question, sugar does have the ability to improve mood, and to do so quickly. So if it's also a mood issue for you, the sugar binges could be your body trying to compensate for imbalanced brain chemistry. There are a lot of supplements on the market that claim to address these deficiencies. Personally, I approach supplements with caution because in some cases, the scientific research is limited, and the industry isn't well regulated yet. As such, I wouldn't want to advocate any supplements in particular, and think it's really important to do thorough research before trying anything. That said, I have had positive results with some supplements designed to correct dopamine and serotonin imbalances, which I believe contribute in part to my sugar cravings.

Whatever you do to work through your sugar binges, take heart - I know how discouraging it feels to "fall off the wagon", and I also know that friends / family can't always relate to the "addicted" feeling of sugar. But I've come to realize that this is a common problem, and may actually have as much to do with factors totally out of your control - like genetics and biology - as your nutrition. Good luck!