My sugar addiction is killing me! help, please!

elenanxs · September 2014

Hello mfp world, I'm writing this post with tears rolling down my cheeks. Sugar has got to a point where it controls my entire life. I'm only 18 years old and I've gained 40 pounds during the last 10 months because of sugar. When I was younger, I used to be obsessed with my weight, wanting to looks like those models, so I restricted a lot and followed fad diets which, ultimately, caused my binge eating problems. I binge every single day, I cannot stop, I'm crying but I just can't put that jar of jam down my hand or that chocolate or anything sweet that I'm eating (because I always binge on sugary things, I never crave burgers or pizza s).
I cannot look at myself in the mirror, I don't recognise myself anymore, I know I'm just like any other drug addict, but I know that I have to stop! I have a lot of members in my family that suffer from diabetics (my grandmother, grandfather, all of my grandmother's sisters and my uncle too) and I just don't want to end up with such a terrible disease. I want to be confident and healthy and happy again, right now my life feels so miserable, I cannot even concentrate on my school work).

I'd like to go cold turkey 'cause I can't keep eating sugar and processed stuff anymore and I would like some advice from you, I'm so desperate at the moment, I want to recover from this!

Thank you so much for reading this and I'm sorry if I wrote some nonsenses here, but I'm such a big mess right now..

ajp1999 · September 2014

I have some issues with this myself. I have a major problem with sugar. Once I start I cannot stop. The only thing that seems to work for me is just to cut it out completely for the most part. I'm not saying I never eat it. I do fall off the wagon, however when I do it can start a binge that lasts for a week!!! Not good. How do you stop.. ?? There is no easy way unfortunately. For me I started by letting myself eat whatever I wanted as long as sugar was not in the food I ate. I did not restrict calories to start. Once I was able to do this then I started counting calories. I do treat myself to a hot coco (sugar free) every afternoon. Remove all of the sugary products from your home. This helped me out! There is still a ton of candy at work every day, but I've made a rule that I cannot eat candy at work.

marthalgutierrez92 · September 2014

Well, looks like me and you are almost on the same page.

I literally got the point where I HAD to eat fast food everyday.

I would literally eat

Pizza for breakfast.
Panda express for lunch.
Cookies,ice cream, chips for snacks
Multiple bowls of cereal
or more pizza or something fattening for dinner.
and I never ever drank water.

YES LITERALLY EVERYDAY!

Oh and I was addicted to alcohol
One time i went on an 8 month
streak where I drank every single weekend!
But, I decided I needed to change for my health and for me.

If you're addicted to sugar stop slowly and progress as time goes by
example.

Turn milk chocolate to Dark Chocolate.
Add water to your drinks.
Drink the zero calorie drinks that taste like sugar.
Get reduced fat ice cream.
sugar free gummies.
FIND REPLACEMENTS!

But also have a little self will, change your mentality
it's all in your head and you have the power to change
it and be who you want to be.
You're unstoppable and you can reach whatever goal you're
trying to reach!

SueInAz · September 2014

First of all, a big hug for you. Sugar is a weakness for me, too, but thankfully, I've never had a problem with binge eating beyond the occasional polishing off of a big bag of chips while watching TV. I count myself lucky.

Have you ever noticed that if you eat a really carb heavy meal that afterwards you want something sweet? Meals like spaghetti and fried rice do it to me every time. However, if my dinner consists of a lean protein (like a grilled chicken breast) with a green salad and steamed veggies, I don't want anything sweet afterwards. I will still have a snack later in the evening but it'll be something like pistachios, beef jerky or celery with peanut butter.

I think you're on the right track. If you KNOW sugar is a problem, stop eating it. Literally, throw it all into the trash to get it out of the house and stop buying it. I am betting you'd benefit greatly from a low carb program like Atkins. For me, personally, completely cutting out sugar and other carbs makes me stop craving them. The first few days are hard, just like kicking any addiction, but after the first week, I actually stop wanting or needing it. If I find I do want something sweet I'll have a small piece of sugar-free candy and that usually does the trick.

Good luck, whatever you end up doing. I hope everything works out for you.

reachmyfitnessgoal · September 2014

I dealt with similar problems a few years ago, and I'm only just starting to deal with the side effects (weight). There really is no right/wrong way to do this, and I think it takes practice but one main thing you have to learn is not to eat things that are not meant to be eaten on their own (i.e jam, sugar) Once you do that then try to make each thing you eat something really delicious and special and savor it. Then you can cut down the portions that you at, having it once or twice a day. Finally you will be able to have a small treat everyday, only about 100-150 kcal, or even eliminate the sweets fully, however I find that that small kick of sugar and the taste of a good swiss chocolate or some baclava are a nice treat and eating smaller amounts means I appreciate it. I don't know whether this is helpful but it sure helped me. I hope you feel better!

Adw7677 · September 2014

Find replacements and eat lot of protein (it's filling).

Fruits and raisins are sweet. V8 Fusion is all fruit and vegetable but really sweet.

Cut down on your other carbs and processed foods as they'll make you crave more sugar.

If these things don't work, you'll need to round up all the bad foods and get them the F out of your house. Sugar is proven to have the same effect on your brain as cocaine. You might need to start thinking of it as the addicting drug that it is, not "just sugar".

I sucessfully did a sugarfree week last week. It was much easier than I thought. I even made a cake for somebody and didn't have any of it.

elenanxs · September 2014

Thank you so much for your kind words and for your advice, it means a lot to me!
Yes, I noticed that when I eat a high carb meal like baked white potato salad or something with bread I get these cravings for sugar. And when I start eating sugar it's like...God, I can't describe it, I feel just a tiny bit ashamed of myself (but usually this comes right AFTER I binge, when this "tiny bit" turns into "very very very ashamed"), but I feel an euphoria in my brain and in all my body. I cannot control myself, it's like there's a voice in my head that's telling me "stop it, stop eating it, you're harming yourself" but I can't react to it, my hands keep moving and so does my mouth. It's terrible. I really have to overcome this.

sixpacklady · September 2014

I can totally relate as I used to have a biggest sweet tooth ever.

What helped me was not thinking that I can ever have sugar again, but thinking how too much sugar is going to affect my health. Things like diabetes, metabolic syndrome, fat belly, wrinkled skin etc. I also started noticing how bad my body and tummy feels after a sugar binge - my tummy starts hurting, i feel awful and bloated. It down right sucks.

For example, yesterday night I had Froyo and even my sleep was affected because of all the sugar overload.

So what helped me was doing IIFYM - making sure I eat nutritious food 80% of the time, meet my min, protein and fat requirements. Also, another things that immensely helped me was switching to dark chocolate. It helped me a lot to manage my cravings and also i felt like most other treats are overly too sweet for me.

So please read this link: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants?page=1

And set your intake accordingly. And make sure that you eat enough to fuel your workouts. With 40 lbs to lose, you may set your intake to TDEE - 20%, but as you reach nearer to your goal, adjust it to TDEE-10 or 15%. That is one of the mistakes that I did, which caused me to overeat/binge. I set my intake too low and it caused to binge, but as i increased my intake to the right amount, I feel happy and satisfied.

And you are only 18, your body is still growing. So i would not set any aggressive deficits.

tldr:> eat enough nutritious foods (80% of the time) so that your workouts does not suffer and you fell happy and energetic. allow treats (20%) everyday. do some kind of exercise 3 X weekly.

The results will come with consistent efforts, and you will look like a supermodel :flowerforyou:

Edit to add: Binges are the result of body protesting so that it will get the nutrition it needs. So if you give what it needs, you will have fewer and fewer binge episodes.

kgeyser · September 2014

It sounds like the problem is binge eating, not sugar. Speak to a doctor or therapist, they would be able to help you work on that behavior and any underlying issues that trigger the behavior.

Camo_xxx · September 2014

Having successfully kicked a few addictions in my day my advise is a change in your mental outlook to start.
Sugar or whatever you are addicted to didnt make you fat. Your loss of self control is what what made you fat.

Take full responsibility for your actions and the consequences as that is the first step in taking care of the problem.
Next work on your self control. Addictions can be either physical or mental. Sugar is likely a mental addiction but even if it is physical you are still the only person who can control you. You have to find a way to get self control.

Lots of tips or tricks can be used to aid you but it still boils down to your self control.

Be strong, win !

Cranquistador · September 2014

be VERY careful of sugar free gummies.

bad news

just sayin.

Camo_xxx · September 2014

be VERY careful of sugar free gummies.

bad news

just sayin.

The reviews on amazon should be made into a book. Best comedy on the Internet

elenanxs · September 2014

Thanks for replying, I appreciate it! I know it's also a mental battle, I have to say no to these foods because I know they don't do me any good, I just wish I could find that inner strength much easily.. I can't believe I've my addiction get this far

ButtBagg · September 2014

u sound like me
anyway it's okay to eat sweets but just dont eat a lot of them, lower it to like maybe 1 or 2 sweets a week or something and before u do it work out >.>

Camo_xxx · September 2014

Thanks for replying, I appreciate it! I know it's also a mental battle, I have to say no to these foods because I know they don't do me any good, I just wish I could find that inner strength much easily.. I can't believe I've my addiction get this far

Battling it doesn't have to be 100% mental.

There are lots of physical things you can do to aid your effort.

* Set a workout goal to get yourself in a higher level of fitness. That commitment and the desire to keep seeing the progress can counter the destructive habits.

* physically remove the offending products from your living environments as much as practical or nessassary so at least it requires considerably physical effort to easily access them.

* be accountable to yourself and a group. MFP is a great start. Get some friends on here that will be honest and direct with you. Additional groups are available depending on how much help you require. Over eaters anonymous comes to mind. Www.oe.org

That's a start, set your goal and go about accomplishing it.

jc_0324 · September 2014

I gained 50lbs from sweets alone. I craved sweets from my teenage years till today ( the weight didn't come on until my 40's). I was hoping as I got older it would change but it hasn't.

It honestly is all mind control. I have controlled my cravings so many times and I have also given in, apparently enough times to gain 50lbs.

I believe a lot of it (for me) is stress related. But who doesn't have stress, right? Some people will eat an entire pizza where you and I would prefer to eat a whole bag of oreos.

Cold turkey may just have to be the way to go right now and then slowly try having just one or two cookies (or whatever you like). I went 40 days without sweets for lent one year, so it is possible. Now, I avoid what I know I will eat a ton of, for example, I will not bake a cake or buy oreos. I might stop and buy a reeses cup, but only one pack.

Good luck and don't ever give up trying different ways to work this out. You're young, you'll figure it out.

persistentsoul · September 2014

I have had same issue most of my life. Going off highly processed sugar and higher carb foods cold turkey is the only way I ever get peace from the relentless cravings and mental torture not to mention the physical and social consequences of such an issue.

I have been in some quite militant eating disorder programs in past and do not recommend them. Finding and setting my own boundaries seems to work better, as long as meets nutritional needs and is sustainable.

I have been having success following high healthy fats, moderate protein and lower carb lifestyle. I do not forbid myself highly processed foods but i do keep them to a minimum. If i find myself getting cravings then I tighten up on lowering processed and higher carb foods more. I give myself permission to go out and have a regular meal of anything i fancy but I would only do that on rare occasions not as a regular part of my day to day eating.

I find that works for me because I am not telling myself I can never have this or that (so i avoid rebellion against myself). I find that knowing I can have whatever I want but being aware of how different foods impact me, I naturally choose to eat the things I feel most well on and the cravings for things that are not great for me have naturally fallen away.

After a few days to a week of choosing not to eat things that don't agree with me so much I find the cravings drop way down. Those few days can be tough but it is worth it. Then it is just a matter of being honest with myself about when i feel ok about eating foods I may have chosen to avoid and when it is not such a good idea for me. I find I also have to be assertive with declining things others may try to push on me ( i try to be as polite about it as I can). It is very personal, I am the best judge of if something is ok for me or not. I make sure I get the nutrients and energy I need from foods that make me feel good. Others do not always understand but it is my body and my mind. Other people who know and care about me accept that especially when they see I am happier and healthier this way.

You can do it

neandermagnon · September 2014

It sounds like the problem is binge eating, not sugar. Speak to a doctor or therapist, they would be able to help you work on that behavior and any underlying issues that trigger the behavior.

^^^ this

also realise that binge eating is often the direct response to eating too little... it's a normal survival response... if you want to stop the binge eating, eat normal meals including enough calories for your body to run properly, then you won't have these survival responses kicking in........

and because binge eating sometimes has a psychological factor as well (sometimes severe) I second the above advice... but really if there's a psychological going on, you don't want to be making it 100x worse by eating too little

JulieGirl58 · September 2014

I always say that if I wasn't having a love affair with sugar I'd be a thin woman. I can control my portions with absolutely every kind of food except sweets. One bite and that is all I want. So, for me, I can't just have a little. I have to completely abstain. Good luck, sweetie. I'm 59 and have been battling my love of sweets all my life. Fortunately they never made me gain weight until I was much, much older than you.

BombshellPhoenix · September 2014

It sounds like the problem is binge eating, not sugar. Speak to a doctor or therapist, they would be able to help you work on that behavior and any underlying issues that trigger the behavior.

^^^ this

also realise that binge eating is often the direct response to eating too little... it's a normal survival response... if you want to stop the binge eating, eat normal meals including enough calories for your body to run properly, then you won't have these survival responses kicking in........

and because binge eating sometimes has a psychological factor as well (sometimes severe) I second the above advice... but really if there's a psychological going on, you don't want to be making it 100x worse by eating too little

^QTF

reoskit · September 2014

It's not just "a mental battle" as you called it, it's a chemical battle. Hard stops are painful - if you're willing to detox (and baby, it hurts), good on you. None of us can tell you if cold turkey will work for you, but I've quit things and rebounded really hard. Falling off the wagon... more like jumping head first off the wagon. If I slip up at all I'm far more likely to overindulge. The only way that cold turkey works is to stick to it and never look back. Can you do that with sugar? $:\$

The advice about transitioning (milk chocolate to dark, etc) is solid. Personal example: I adooore orange juice and I could always convince myself it's healthy, but the sugar content is out of this world. Now, when I really want OJ, I take a pint glass, empty a can of flavored seltzer and the top off the glass with OJ. It's barely any OJ, still tons of volume, still great flavor, completely satisfying. If chocolate is your weakness, drizzle it (dark, way more flavor) over fruit. I have been and still occasionally find myself where you are - where cravings overwhelm and drive you mad. You have all my sympathy.

PikaKnight · September 2014

It sounds like the problem is binge eating, not sugar. Speak to a doctor or therapist, they would be able to help you work on that behavior and any underlying issues that trigger the behavior.

^^^ this

also realise that binge eating is often the direct response to eating too little... it's a normal survival response... if you want to stop the binge eating, eat normal meals including enough calories for your body to run properly, then you won't have these survival responses kicking in........

and because binge eating sometimes has a psychological factor as well (sometimes severe) I second the above advice... but really if there's a psychological going on, you don't want to be making it 100x worse by eating too little

^QTF

x2

And I'll leave this link here.

http://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/1575987-eating-disorder-resources

Even though binge and overeating aren't listed, you can still review the website listed for your country and contact them for help.

Adw7677 · September 2014

u sound like me
anyway it's okay to eat sweets but just dont eat a lot of them, lower it to like maybe 1 or 2 sweets a week or something and before u do it work out >.>

I REALLY like that last bit of advice. The body (supposedly, and I believe it) processes carbs more efficiently after a workout. If you want sweets, bargain with yourself that you can only have them after you get EXTRA exercise. Although... I can see us having to remind ourselves that a good workout is not an *excuse* to dive into the goodies.

I think I'll try this. The gym has gotten boring. This might motivate me to get back to it.

(picturing the fat girl on the treadmill, running towards a donut that's just out of her reach)

My sugar addiction is killing me! help, please!

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