Anyone else feel they are addicted to sugar?

In any case, if someone has any issue with any food making them hungrier instead of less hungry in a way that contributes to unhealthy weight gain or makes the person crave more of that food in a way that will exceed a healthy day's calories, it's best to avoid that food.

That's substantially different from being addictive.

"Hey, don't eat the sugar if it causes you problems" makes sense. Telling an alcoholic or meth addict, "Hey, just stop drinking" or "Hey, just lay off the meth" probably isn't the most effective treatment path. The difference is illustrative, IMO.

Craving is the same whether it's nicotine, alcohol, or sugar.

It's true excessive hunger for other foods after excessive sugar consumption might just be an insulin spike, though.

I really don't get why people are so afraid to apply the word 'addiction' to years or decades of repeated consumption (often of specific types of foods) that ruins health, lives, and often relationships. Would the phrase 'sugary food consumption compulsion' make you all feel more comfortable?

When you feel your typical craving for sweets, think about whether it is associated with a certain time of day, or place or activity. Sometimes we don't recognize that our life routines can be triggers for eating.

For example: If I have to run an errand, the first thing I think about when I start the car is what snack I would like to get at the convenience store on the way. It was a bad habit I got into long ago and even now I crave sweets when I get in my car. Not addicted, just a head case. I keep mint gum in there now and that helps.

Once you figure out that there's an association, you can devise a stragety to mitigate it.

No.

I saw a mom selling her baby at the park for a Baby Ruth candy bar. It was sad.

My grandpa used to run a sugar gang, back in the day. They were pretty hard core guys baking cakes all day. They made a killing.

I've heard of people dying after getting cut open and having their intestines rewired in hopes of ending overeating. I've heard of people who didn't die but still couldn't stop overeating, even if it made them puke, even though they spent all that time going through surgery and pain and recovery and risked their lives trying to change.

I've heard of marriages ending, parents dying young and leaving their children orphans, people who had decent lives succumbing and ending up living, housebound or even bed-bound, on piddling disability checks and charity.

I've heard of people winning the fight, too, and losing the weight and keeping it off and not going back to old habits. But I've heard them talk about and seen them write about how it's a constant mindfulness, a constant battle, a drastic change in lifestyle and habits. That they can't 'have just one' or 'take a week off', that it's for life and that's it, and to succeed costs them incredible amounts of energy and effort.

In fact, so far, keeping my weight in the normal range is costing me a huge amount of effort and energy. More than I would have ever believed possible. People who disregard these things belittle others who are struggling and truly deserve a taste of their own contempt and ignorance back themselves.

Me. Totally and genuinely addicted. Kicking sugar is WAY more difficult than quitting smoking was for me - and I was a 1+ pack/day Marlboro reds smoker.

I know that I can not have a reasonable portion of sweets. If I have one cookie, I'll have the whole box. I also do the "don't know how it got there" thing with ice cream at the grocery store (and chocolate, and cookies). Not just the good stuff, but also the bad quality things - the ones that don't even taste good AND give me a stomachache to boot. Even if I do manage to keep the sweets out of the house, I will find _something_. Jam, honey, brown sugar....I find myself going there. The humiliation and shame spiral is intense. It is not an exaggeration to say that I eat sugar like an alcoholic who is trying to hide it drinks (this was pointed out to me by a sober alcoholic friend).

I am better at abstaining completely than moderating sugar intake. And I mean from processed sugar/"sweets" here. I pay attention to added sugar as well. Fruit is a special case because much of it is nutritionally dense. So fruit as part of a healthy plan, yes. But fruit for the sole purpose of feeding the sugar demon, no.

So what has helped? I've read extensively on nutrition, diet, and health, and the two books that have been the most relevant in terms of getting through to me on the sugar addiction issue have been "The End of Overeating" (a book about the biochemical processes involved in addiction to sugar, salt, and fat), and "It Starts With Food".

That second one is the book from the Whole30 folks, but I think that even if Whole30 isn't for you, the book can really help illuminate what's going on with the cravings, and why. Something I took from there is realizing that staying "off" something is not as difficult as moderating it, because if you're vulnerable to it, then having a reasonable amount means having to keep it in your head - front burner style. To abstain, it's a non-decision. There is no "can I" decision to be made. For some people, and I'm one of them, that frees up some headspace and makes it harder to obsess over.

As an aside, I have found Whole30 to be the most effective for me in slaying the sugar dragon. It's not easy, but the results are worth it to me. The first two weeks I white-knuckle the cravings (again, worse than my nicotine withdrawal ever was). But I went into it thinking that I can do _anything_ for 30 days....even plan all meals, shop almost daily, and cook every day. Once you get into the swing of it, it's not that difficult.

Me. Totally and genuinely addicted. Kicking sugar is WAY more difficult than quitting smoking was for me - and I was a 1+ pack/day Marlboro reds smoker.

I was just thinking about this. While I'd have to sit down and think about it for a few days before I'd trade my food addictions for hard drug or alcohol addiction, I'd trade it for a nicotine addiction in a heartbeat. I've had many friends who were heavy smokers over the years, and even the ones inclined to backslide were healthier than I was at 245 pounds by far.

And none of them ever had to jump through the kinds of hoops and expend the kind of focus and energy to quit and stay quit that I have to go through over food. I'm betting at least in part because no one ever tells them to just cut back to a few a day or have a smoke on special occasions or claims nicotine is fine in moderation.

I saw a mom selling her baby at the park for a Baby Ruth candy bar. It was sad.

My grandpa used to run a sugar gang, back in the day. They were pretty hard core guys baking cakes all day. They made a killing.

I've heard of people dying after getting cut open and having their intestines rewired in hopes of ending overeating. I've heard of people who didn't die but still couldn't stop overeating, even if it made them puke, even though they spent all that time going through surgery and pain and recovery and risked their lives trying to change.

I've heard of marriages ending, parents dying young and leaving their children orphans, people who had decent lives succumbing and ending up living, housebound or even bed-bound, on piddling disability checks and charity.

I've heard of people winning the fight, too, and losing the weight and keeping it off and not going back to old habits. But I've heard them talk about and seen them write about how it's a constant mindfulness, a constant battle, a drastic change in lifestyle and habits. That they can't 'have just one' or 'take a week off', that it's for life and that's it, and to succeed costs them incredible amounts of energy and effort.

In fact, so far, keeping my weight in the normal range is costing me a huge amount of effort and energy. More than I would have ever believed possible. People who disregard these things belittle others who are struggling and truly deserve a taste of their own contempt and ignorance back themselves.

:drinker:

I have lost 15 lbs, and want to lose another 20.
(snip)
I am realizing that once I eat sugary things, I am much more hungry, and crave sugary things even more. I will go for a day trying to eat healthy, only to give in towards evenings.
(snip)
So last nite I was reading online about sugar addictions, and I believe this to be a big part of my problem. I see others that can control their eating, like eat just one cookie, or one bowl of ice cream, and I always thought it was just that I did not have strong enough will power.
(snip)
But just wondering if any of you also have this problem with sugar, or am I way off base in blaming this as my problem?
(snipped)

Joan;

As another posted commented "...you are likely to get ripped for....." (as will I as well but so be it).

If you are of a mind to pay closer attention to those actually qualified to discuss the issue intelligently, those who base their "opinions" on actual research and science, I would suggest that there are better websites than this one for you to achieve that goal, and individuals much more well versed than I (or most other posters here), for you to seek out.

The "ship" regarding the body's desire for sugar, carbs, or any other nutrient has long since sailed and while there a few "absolutely, positively, definitive" clinical studies that provide clear yes or no answers to questions like "is sugar addictive?", or, "is sugar a toxin?", there is a growing body of research that supports the beliefs of many that sugar (in all of its forms) IS at least a contributor to a wide array of diseases which have markedly increased, not coincidentally, as the rate of ingestion has.

There is also little debate that sugars (as well as a number of other nutrients if ingested in the wrong proportions) have an effect on the body's ability to produce insulin which is known to be a major factor contributing to weight gain, the onset of metabolic syndrome, and ultimately T2D.

Much of the research has been around for over 50 years so this isn't some "fad" or the "latest" pipe dream of some guy in a white coat. It's documented, historical data now being looked at in light of the recent concerns over the fact that since embarking on the "low cal / low fat" mantra endorsed and promulgated by both the USDA and the majority of the medical community, the "results" (both in terms of long term weight control and the incidence of obesity related diseases), have been stunningly underwhelming.

Simply put, one need only consider the unprecedented levels of obesity and diabetes which have coexisted now for over 30 years, the low cal dogma, and at least ask, WHY?

No, it's not "proof" of cause and effect, not proof that sugar is necessarily bad or that carbs are - it's also, most certainly, not "proof" that they aren't.

I can assure you, however, that NO you are not alone and whether one calls it "sugar addiction" or the body's predisposition, matters much less than than that there is now a great deal of "evidence" that it's NOT "willpower", "gluttony", or "sloth", but rather a physiological response controlled more by the various chemical and organic functions in the body - for at least a significant percentage of those afflicted, and that the current mode of prevention IS NOT working.

The good news is, once the actual "cause" has been identified (and it's different for different people), there ARE ways to deal with it (many of which are dietary in nature).

The simple fact is, more research has to be done and much of it, long term, so it's unlikely that at least some of us will see it come to fruition in our lifetimes.

In the meantime though, it's imperative (IMO), that one (especially one with concerns regarding their personal health) invest the time and effort required, to at least inform themselves regarding the research that's out there and not simply rely on what "someone on the internet told me".

If you are (or anyone else is) interested in broadening your horizons on the subject I'd suggest you might start your research here:
http://eatingacademy.com/nutrition/sugar-101-how-harmful-is-sugar-part-i

I am not connected in any way to the site itself which is hosted by an MD who is one of the leading voices in the field (and who is not selling anything as far as I know).

Within the link there is another to a video by one of the most respected "experts" in the field and while I'm not personally convinced of all of his conclusions, he does provide a wealth of background info and documentation reference upon which they are based.

It's lengthy and you might want to read this article prior to viewing the video as it provides a detailed analysis of many of the points the Dr raises in the video.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17Sugar-t.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

Agree or disagree with the conclusions - that's for each of us to decide for ourselves. Doing the research to be able to make an informed decision is what we each owe ourselves.

Consider the links provided as a "gateway" to a stockpile of information which will provide you with access to that which you'll need to decide for yourself what is "right" for you.

Good luck on your mission.

(snip_
I don't believe for a second that a person that weigh 300 lbs wants to be this way. That this person does not just have the willpower to stop eating. It is more than that.
(snipped)
This, to me, is what this website should be about. Helping each other become more healthy.

Joan;

You are more than welcome and absolutely correct on both points - it IS what it is "supposed" to be all about.

It's sad that so many can't get past their ideology and "talking points" but then again that's not so different from the "real world" is it?

Anyway, if you are able to slog through the links above, I'd highly recommend placing this book (it's available on kindle for around 10 bucks) next on your list.
"Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It" - Gary Taube

You can also look on YouTube (search his name) where there are a number of videos, many of them presentations he's given over the years to medical professionals, and one a "cliff notes" version of the book above.

Gary Taube has been researching and writing about the whole area for over a decade. He's a "good read" and a wealth of knowledge on the subject. This book (which I think might be his latest) is much more "user friendly" than his prior one so it's a good place to start.

The prior book is not only really long (over 500 pages) but also much more technical and loaded up with literally hundreds of references. After reading WWGF, it's a whole lot easier to comprehend.

Good luck, and regardless of what you decide, the quest of knowledge will put you in good stead as you go forward - I have no doubt that you'll succeed.
DD

I want to thank the ones that responded in a way that did not ridicule me, or make me feel worse, which most of the earlier posts did.

I hope my early post didn't make you feel worse- that definitely was not my intent! I have wondered a lot about sugar addiction. I HAVE wondered if I was addicted to sugar. Alcoholism runs in my family and I have never had a drop of alcohol in my life and I never will. I did wonder if I may be more susceptible to addictive behavior in general with my family history. I just made a choice to try to achieve being able to eat sugar in moderation. And since I have had success doing this it made me feel that I did not have a sugar addiction. I may have had a behavioral addiction to eating desserts but I feel like I've worked through that. If you want to go the route of abstaining from sugar instead of moderation more power to you. That is definitely how I feel about alcohol and many other substances so I feel ya. Good luck and don't be sad! :flowerforyou:

Also- people who say it's an insult to real addictions.... Words like "addiction" and "depression" are arbitrary definitions of abstract concepts. It's hard to always use them correctly. So if a friend lost a family member and said I feel like I have a depression. Yet the arbitrary definition of clinical depression includes that the feelings lasts for certain period of time (which was an arbitrary decision made by the writers of the DSM I might add). I would never say to that person- no you don't have clinical depression by definition and it's an insult to all true cases of depression. I would understand that he/she may mean- this is the most down I've ever felt. So while the sugar addiction debate is about if it's a "true" addiction (based on the arbitrary definition we've given to that abstract concept)... I understand that you are probably using the word to mean you are very frustrated maybe even scared by the lack of self-control you feel with sugar and that it's negatively impacting your life. So, yeah, coming from a family that has dealt with "true addictions" I'm not at all insulted that you'd use the word. Who knows, maybe some day in the future the DSM will include sugar addiction... I'm not sure if it's a "real addiction" or not but I can recognize that you are struggling and want to get better.

I hope for no more tears over this for you!

I saw a mom selling her baby at the park for a Baby Ruth candy bar. It was sad.

My grandpa used to run a sugar gang, back in the day. They were pretty hard core guys baking cakes all day. They made a killing.

I've heard of people dying after getting cut open and having their intestines rewired in hopes of ending overeating. I've heard of people who didn't die but still couldn't stop overeating, even if it made them puke, even though they spent all that time going through surgery and pain and recovery and risked their lives trying to change.

I've heard of marriages ending, parents dying young and leaving their children orphans, people who had decent lives succumbing and ending up living, housebound or even bed-bound, on piddling disability checks and charity.

I've heard of people winning the fight, too, and losing the weight and keeping it off and not going back to old habits. But I've heard them talk about and seen them write about how it's a constant mindfulness, a constant battle, a drastic change in lifestyle and habits. That they can't 'have just one' or 'take a week off', that it's for life and that's it, and to succeed costs them incredible amounts of energy and effort.

In fact, so far, keeping my weight in the normal range is costing me a huge amount of effort and energy. More than I would have ever believed possible. People who disregard these things belittle others who are struggling and truly deserve a taste of their own contempt and ignorance back themselves.

My problem with this is you conflate compulsive eating and binging disorders--which obviously are a thing, but typically are not limited to specific kinds of food, like sugar--to standard tendency to gain weight. The idea that people want to eat cookies or gain weight because of a physical addiction to sugar, or that all fat people are essentially struggling with some version of uncontrollable eating or binging disorder is what seems obviously false to me. Psychological precision aside, there are links between these things and addiction, IMO, but the presence of these things is not needed to explain run of the mill weight gain or even most modern obesity.

I was reading some of the posts and I'm sorry some made you feel bad. I'm not sure why people feel the need to insult others, especially on a site that is used as a means of support. I have a problem with how much ice cream or nutella I eat. It's the only thing that really keeps me from feeling my best health-wise. Sometimes I think it's like self-sabotage. And other times I think, life is short, I want to eat my Ben & Jerry's! Especially when most of my day I'm eating very healthy and working out. For the most part, I just don't buy these culprits. But I wish I didn't have to avoid those foods, and instead learn how to enjoy them in moderation.
I hope I learn how to sooner than later, and I hope you find the best way for yourself as well.

Well OP apparently you used the wrong word to describe your problem. To me it was a word and I understand where you are coming from. There was some good advise offered and you have lost the weight before so you can for sure do it again.

What I don't understand is that if you would have posted you were additiced to peanutbutter or pizza or dam near anything else you probably would not have caught all the flak. I see it all the time on other post and if it isn't about suger addiction the heat just doesn't seem to be as great.

I wish you good luck. :drinker:

I saw a mom selling her baby at the park for a Baby Ruth candy bar. It was sad.

My grandpa used to run a sugar gang, back in the day. They were pretty hard core guys baking cakes all day. They made a killing.

I've heard of people dying after getting cut open and having their intestines rewired in hopes of ending overeating. I've heard of people who didn't die but still couldn't stop overeating, even if it made them puke, even though they spent all that time going through surgery and pain and recovery and risked their lives trying to change.

I've heard of marriages ending, parents dying young and leaving their children orphans, people who had decent lives succumbing and ending up living, housebound or even bed-bound, on piddling disability checks and charity.

I've heard of people winning the fight, too, and losing the weight and keeping it off and not going back to old habits. But I've heard them talk about and seen them write about how it's a constant mindfulness, a constant battle, a drastic change in lifestyle and habits. That they can't 'have just one' or 'take a week off', that it's for life and that's it, and to succeed costs them incredible amounts of energy and effort.

In fact, so far, keeping my weight in the normal range is costing me a huge amount of effort and energy. More than I would have ever believed possible. People who disregard these things belittle others who are struggling and truly deserve a taste of their own contempt and ignorance back themselves.

Was all of that because they had a sugar 'addiction'? Or because they were overweight from eating too much. There are plenty of obese people who do not have a sweet tooth. How do you explain them?

joan6630:

I want to thank the ones that responded in a way that did not ridicule me, or make me feel worse, which most of the earlier posts did.

I don't know whether my semi off topic response was helpful, but my intent was largely to confirm that your not alone with your sugar related challenges. If I eat too many sweets/carbs, I have irrational cravings for more sweets/crabs. If I restrict (not eliminate) sweets/carbs then I don't get irrational cravings for food my body doesn't need.

Sweets/carbs have sabotaged my progress twice right around the 20lbs lost mark. Now I watch my carb and sugar intake very closely and I'm well over the hump. Gary has a lot of great points but I feel like he takes some things too far, I haven't abandoned a calorie restricted diet for a carb restricted diet... Now I just restrict both. I get the results I want, but your mileage may vary.

This is the only thread I've ever responded to on MFP, and it will probably be my last.

GuitarJerry:

I have no words for this extremely bizarre conclusion.

Some Facts:
If your diabetic or at risk of diabetes (you have a family history, and/or are already obese), your insulin production could be compromised. High blood sugar is known to cause compulsive eating... if your insulin production is already compromised sweets/high carbs is going causes high blood sugar... which leads to compulsive eating... which leads to high blood sugar. This cycle is way different then "I like to eat Twinkies", but its a situation an individual could be in without realizing it. Its a situation I found myself in, and once identified and managed made my weightloss and fitness goals achievable.

I'm not saying it's an addiction, but its a physiological mechanic that drives a self repeating physiological craving. A physiological craving which you claimed did not exist in defense of individuals with more serious addiction issues. As a former heavy smoker (10 years) who quit cold turkey, I can say first hand that the the food cravings caused by a jacked up insulin response are harder to deal with then nicotine withdraw was. To make things worse... You can't quit food, but your right nobody is hocking their mom's car for some candy bars or birthday cake... However its probably easier for a recovered addict to avoid being offered free heroin at one of the many birthday parties they socially obligated to attend.

All that said: Is this going to cause "normal" people to become sugar fiends, and lead to brain damage like other substance abuse? No, but then again "normal" people can have beer on a Friday night without ruining their lives and the lives of their family. If your not "normal" and trapped in a high blood sugar cycle, your biggest dangers are obesity related illnesses, and depression. Unfortunately the effect of these dangers, just feeds into the cause...

Gary is a fraud. His research is total crap. People in the biz know this, and yet he just carries on, ripping people off and lying to everyone.

You and unknown "People" in some unknown "biz" obviously a very trustworthy source, I bet your surprised that we're not all just taking your word for it. Rather then casting shallow criticism on anything in the thread, perhaps you should should share your story and tell us what works for you.

From your profile I'm guessing your probably a healthy dude, living an active lifestyle who isn't already struggling with obesity. This is why the first thing I pointed out is that one size doesn't fit all.