sugar addiction
Replies
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I agree with poster about when you eat less sugary stuff ( chocs cookies etc) you do crave it/ want it less.
Day 3 of my challenge almost done and dusted! I feel sooooo much better.
I had some spanspek just now and the natural sweetness of it was just enough.0 -
slimbettie wrote: »I do eat fruit. Fruit does not have "added" sugars.
It is only 10 days to get me back on track and away from the cakes....
oh so added sugar is worse than natural sugar…totally legit argument..
you realize your body has no way to distinguish between the two, right? Because they are all the same at the molecular level...
the poster said they eat fruit because it does not have added sugar..so what is wrong with added sugar as opposed to just putting some sugar in your coffee? Why is the implication that one form is better than another? [/quot
Ndj there are no difference. I am on a Personal challenge though to avoid any added sugar stuff for 10 days. I shorten it for myself by taking out the word " added" and call it a " ni sugar challenge". I don't know why it fascinates you so much?? That's all.0 -
general observation..it is funny how the majority of the sugar addiction folks are also yo yo dieters….
Instead of restricting foods and viewing them as "evil" you could get on a long term and sustainable path to weight loss where you eat all foods moderately, enjoy them, and lose weight.
The problem is that sugar has become a "crutch" so that it can be blamed for the reason as to why X diet fails.
Agreed100%
There may be exceptions though. I am by no means a sugar addict or any other kind of addict. Addiction is serious and not a word to play with.
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OP - unless you are rummaging through a dumpster to get your sugar fix or eating spoons of sugar out of a bowl, you are not addicted to sugar. Do you have some self control issues with certain foods, perhaps...
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My suggestion - create a calorie deficit, try to eat the foods that you like (yes, I mean some ice cream, cookies, etc), get a food scale and weigh log measure everything that you eat. Foods are not "good" or "bad" they are just food that your body uses for energy (or for tissue repair, muscle growth, to maintain bones, to prevent cancer or disease, or to protect vision, the cardiovascular system, the nervous system, the brain....) Try to make better choices (based on what?) and maintain your calorie deficit.
you can lose 50 pounds and eat sugar...
Italics in above mine.
As someone who has gone through the garbage can to eat sugary treats, yes - sugar activates reward pathways similar to how drugs do. Individual responses to addictive substances vary, however. Some people are more likely to become alcoholic, some are more vulnerable to opiate addiction, and sugar addiction varies from person to person. None deserve judgement. Blame does not help anyone manage their weight.
As the OP is asking for help overcoming sugar addiction, not to be advised on the state of her willpower, this is my perspective:- Make sure you are hitting your macro and micronutrient goals. Dairy cravings have destroyed several of my diets - pica is a thing, eating smart works better than willpower
- Especially be sure you are getting enough protein. Try for .8g per kg of body weight. MFP recommendations may be too low. Protein will help you feel more satisfied, and may help you to feel fuller longer.
- Don't set yourself up for failure. I eat before I take my kids to the food court. It's easier to say no to ice cream if I'm already full.
- Don't try for too high a deficit and eat back some of your exercise calories
- Make sure to get enough sleep
- Consiously try to change bad habits and eliminate mindless munching. Or, replace go-to snacks with something lower calorie (i.e. celery and carrot sticks instead of a bag of M&Ms)
- Exercise. When the cravings hit, take a walk instead of eating. Intense exercise can help lower hunger. It may also retrain taste to prefer lower-calorie foods.
- Some people mistake hunger for thirst. Try having a glass of water before indulging.
- Eating meals at regular times may help with cravings
- Cravings can be hormonal. Sometimes you just have to ride it out for a few days, and then things get better.
- Chose to include sweets, but just one at the end of the day. Have them come packaged in in single servings (i.e. one pudding cup, not a bag of cookies).
- If it is emotional, wait it out. It may be healthier to feel the bad feelings, and talk/write yourself through them, than to eat them away.
Try one change, give it a while (21 days for a new habit) to see if it works, then try another. Eventually you will find out what works for you. Good luck
IF you really had to rummage through the trash for sugar, for your sugar fix, and you really think that sugar is addictive why are you advocating that OP eat sugar? That is like telling a crack head that it is OK to smoke crack once a month….
I have indeed rummaged through garbage cans for sugary treats. I had to do the Sex in the City thing, pouring dish soap over the treat, to discourage myself from eating it. Soap really tastes bad, and lingers in the mouth. I'm far from the only person I know who has done this. Is it because you are male that you are having problems understanding this (i.e. never been pregnant, no monthlies)? If you have never had food cravings, I'm happy for you. Please try to have some sympathy for those of us who have.
Harm reduction is a strategy used in addressing addictions.
http://www.camh.ca/en/hospital/about_camh/influencing_public_policy/public_policy_submissions/harm_reduction/Pages/harmreductionbackground.aspx
One harm reduction method is for heroin users to switch to methadone. The heroin had biochemically altered their brains so that they cannot be calm without opiates. Opiates are the cause of the disease and the treatment in this case. The use of methadone may allow some people to lead relatively normal lives, have stable housing, and keep their jobs.
It is possible to severely reduce added sugars while keeping some natural sugars. Doing this for a time can help retrain one's sense of taste so that the natural sweetness of lower-calorie foods is better appreciated.
The advantage of sugars from a natural source is that the serving size is lower. A 130 g apple, for example, has 13 grams of sugar (about 10 from fructose), whereas a can of Dr. Pepper has 38 grams of sugar, (21 from fructose) The Dr. Pepper has over 3x the amount of sugar as the apple, and none of the protective effect of the 3 grams of fiber the apple also has. The apple has polyphenols and micronutrients that protect against the damage that is associated with high-fructose consumption. Because of the fiber, the apple is digestly proportionately more slowly than the Dr. Pepper, leaving the dieter with more satisfaction per calorie consumed. There is a smaller glucose spike as the energy is released to the body at a rate that more closely matches the rate that it is burned by the body, so less is stored. Cravings are reduced when blood sugar levels are kept stable. The higher percentage of fructose in (most) fruit makes them more satisfying for a longer period of time than the 45:55 gluctose-fructose ratio in HFCS and 50:50 ratio of glucose to fructose in sucrose.
As I said in another post, sugar is hard to avoid, and some extremely healthy food contains it (i.e. spinach). Trying to completely eliminate it seems both unhealthy and impractical. A harm reduction approach has been shown to do just that, reduce harm, and allow people to recover from or manage their issues (whether or not they chose to refer to them as addictions). So, when trying to get through cravings- Cut back
- Have a crisis plan
- Identify and avoid triggers when possible
- Seek out social support
- Contact Dr. when appropriate (see PCOS post)
- Use distractions as appropriate (exercise, water, getting out of the house)
- Say "Yes, but later"
- Chose a "least harm" alternative (lower calorie snack, small amount of satisfying snack)
- Sometimes you just have to ride out the discomfort
- Celebrate success
- Otherwise stay heathy as possible (macros/micros, sleep)
Yup, the approach is a lot like what people would use for other addictions....
Why not just go to the store instead? Why resort to eating garbage? Like, actual garbage, since in was in the garbage can.
If I leave it in the garbage can and buy more I've wasted money (I didn't pay for the original "junk" either, I just hate to see food go to waste). I'm not worth it
Fortunately, by making sugar less of my life, this has become less of a problem for me.
wait, so you are addicted to sugar but you don't eat it all…???
All of your sugar posts make about zero sense, and the studies that you post are always shown to be biased and or do not prove your point..
I think its time to stop trying to convince everyone that sugar is evil.
Please post your unbiased studies so I can see what they look like.
I am recovering from my sugar cravings, so I am getting better at leaving sugar in the garbage cans...
I don't think sugar is evil, and I believe sugar can be part of a healthy diet. I can suffer from sugar cravings and not think it is evil.0 -
general observation..it is funny how the majority of the sugar addiction folks are also yo yo dieters….
Instead of restricting foods and viewing them as "evil" you could get on a long term and sustainable path to weight loss where you eat all foods moderately, enjoy them, and lose weight.
The problem is that sugar has become a "crutch" so that it can be blamed for the reason as to why X diet fails.
SO MUCH TRUTH!!!0 -
OP - unless you are rummaging through a dumpster to get your sugar fix or eating spoons of sugar out of a bowl, you are not addicted to sugar. Do you have some self control issues with certain foods, perhaps...
-
My suggestion - create a calorie deficit, try to eat the foods that you like (yes, I mean some ice cream, cookies, etc), get a food scale and weigh log measure everything that you eat. Foods are not "good" or "bad" they are just food that your body uses for energy (or for tissue repair, muscle growth, to maintain bones, to prevent cancer or disease, or to protect vision, the cardiovascular system, the nervous system, the brain....) Try to make better choices (based on what?) and maintain your calorie deficit.
you can lose 50 pounds and eat sugar...
Italics in above mine.
As someone who has gone through the garbage can to eat sugary treats, yes - sugar activates reward pathways similar to how drugs do. Individual responses to addictive substances vary, however. Some people are more likely to become alcoholic, some are more vulnerable to opiate addiction, and sugar addiction varies from person to person. None deserve judgement. Blame does not help anyone manage their weight.
As the OP is asking for help overcoming sugar addiction, not to be advised on the state of her willpower, this is my perspective:- Make sure you are hitting your macro and micronutrient goals. Dairy cravings have destroyed several of my diets - pica is a thing, eating smart works better than willpower
- Especially be sure you are getting enough protein. Try for .8g per kg of body weight. MFP recommendations may be too low. Protein will help you feel more satisfied, and may help you to feel fuller longer.
- Don't set yourself up for failure. I eat before I take my kids to the food court. It's easier to say no to ice cream if I'm already full.
- Don't try for too high a deficit and eat back some of your exercise calories
- Make sure to get enough sleep
- Consiously try to change bad habits and eliminate mindless munching. Or, replace go-to snacks with something lower calorie (i.e. celery and carrot sticks instead of a bag of M&Ms)
- Exercise. When the cravings hit, take a walk instead of eating. Intense exercise can help lower hunger. It may also retrain taste to prefer lower-calorie foods.
- Some people mistake hunger for thirst. Try having a glass of water before indulging.
- Eating meals at regular times may help with cravings
- Cravings can be hormonal. Sometimes you just have to ride it out for a few days, and then things get better.
- Chose to include sweets, but just one at the end of the day. Have them come packaged in in single servings (i.e. one pudding cup, not a bag of cookies).
- If it is emotional, wait it out. It may be healthier to feel the bad feelings, and talk/write yourself through them, than to eat them away.
Try one change, give it a while (21 days for a new habit) to see if it works, then try another. Eventually you will find out what works for you. Good luck
IF you really had to rummage through the trash for sugar, for your sugar fix, and you really think that sugar is addictive why are you advocating that OP eat sugar? That is like telling a crack head that it is OK to smoke crack once a month….
I have indeed rummaged through garbage cans for sugary treats. I had to do the Sex in the City thing, pouring dish soap over the treat, to discourage myself from eating it. Soap really tastes bad, and lingers in the mouth. I'm far from the only person I know who has done this. Is it because you are male that you are having problems understanding this (i.e. never been pregnant, no monthlies)? If you have never had food cravings, I'm happy for you. Please try to have some sympathy for those of us who have.
Harm reduction is a strategy used in addressing addictions.
http://www.camh.ca/en/hospital/about_camh/influencing_public_policy/public_policy_submissions/harm_reduction/Pages/harmreductionbackground.aspx
One harm reduction method is for heroin users to switch to methadone. The heroin had biochemically altered their brains so that they cannot be calm without opiates. Opiates are the cause of the disease and the treatment in this case. The use of methadone may allow some people to lead relatively normal lives, have stable housing, and keep their jobs.
It is possible to severely reduce added sugars while keeping some natural sugars. Doing this for a time can help retrain one's sense of taste so that the natural sweetness of lower-calorie foods is better appreciated.
The advantage of sugars from a natural source is that the serving size is lower. A 130 g apple, for example, has 13 grams of sugar (about 10 from fructose), whereas a can of Dr. Pepper has 38 grams of sugar, (21 from fructose) The Dr. Pepper has over 3x the amount of sugar as the apple, and none of the protective effect of the 3 grams of fiber the apple also has. The apple has polyphenols and micronutrients that protect against the damage that is associated with high-fructose consumption. Because of the fiber, the apple is digestly proportionately more slowly than the Dr. Pepper, leaving the dieter with more satisfaction per calorie consumed. There is a smaller glucose spike as the energy is released to the body at a rate that more closely matches the rate that it is burned by the body, so less is stored. Cravings are reduced when blood sugar levels are kept stable. The higher percentage of fructose in (most) fruit makes them more satisfying for a longer period of time than the 45:55 gluctose-fructose ratio in HFCS and 50:50 ratio of glucose to fructose in sucrose.
As I said in another post, sugar is hard to avoid, and some extremely healthy food contains it (i.e. spinach). Trying to completely eliminate it seems both unhealthy and impractical. A harm reduction approach has been shown to do just that, reduce harm, and allow people to recover from or manage their issues (whether or not they chose to refer to them as addictions). So, when trying to get through cravings- Cut back
- Have a crisis plan
- Identify and avoid triggers when possible
- Seek out social support
- Contact Dr. when appropriate (see PCOS post)
- Use distractions as appropriate (exercise, water, getting out of the house)
- Say "Yes, but later"
- Chose a "least harm" alternative (lower calorie snack, small amount of satisfying snack)
- Sometimes you just have to ride out the discomfort
- Celebrate success
- Otherwise stay heathy as possible (macros/micros, sleep)
Yup, the approach is a lot like what people would use for other addictions....
Why not just go to the store instead? Why resort to eating garbage? Like, actual garbage, since in was in the garbage can.
If I leave it in the garbage can and buy more I've wasted money (I didn't pay for the original "junk" either, I just hate to see food go to waste). I'm not worth it Fortunately, by making sugar less of my life, this has become less of a problem for me.
So then why throw it in the garbage if you are just going to take it out of the garbage and eat it?
When you go to other people's house and they throw something sugary in the garbage, do you eat their garbage to?
If you are walking down the block and you see that someone threw a donut in the garbage can will you eat it?
I'm trying to show willpower when I throw away sugar that other people have brought into my house. I mostly don't take sugar from other people's garbages, though I have at work. I try not to leave my house hungry (so I'm less vulnerable to cravings). I'm recovering, so this is something I challenge myself to do (delay before eating the sugar, throw out the sugar instead of eating it, leave the sugar in the garbage). It happens in stages.0 -
slimbettie wrote: »I do eat fruit. Fruit does not have "added" sugars.
It is only 10 days to get me back on track and away from the cakes....
oh so added sugar is worse than natural sugar…totally legit argument..
you realize your body has no way to distinguish between the two, right? Because they are all the same at the molecular level...
http://www.jci.org/articles/view/37385
Glucose and fructose are differently at a molecular level, and act differently in the body.0 -
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general observation..it is funny how the majority of the sugar addiction folks are also yo yo dieters….
Instead of restricting foods and viewing them as "evil" you could get on a long term and sustainable path to weight loss where you eat all foods moderately, enjoy them, and lose weight.
The problem is that sugar has become a "crutch" so that it can be blamed for the reason as to why X diet fails.
General observation...it is funny how the majority of sugar defenders are abusive and insulting (and recompers with a higher amount of discretionary calories). Does sugar make people mean? Too bad the OPs are asking for helpful advice, not mocking comments.
I don't see where @ndj1979 was abusive or insulting?
The forums aren't for the thin-skinned and weak-hearted. People will ask for peer-reviewed sources to back-up your claims. People will question you. People will debate with you. They do this because people don't want the forums full of incorrect information. They do this because they have been here for a long time. They know what causes people to fail and what causes people to succeed. People don't sugar coat here; they tell it like it is. If you think that is abusive and insulting, so be it…0 -
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general observation..it is funny how the majority of the sugar addiction folks are also yo yo dieters….
Instead of restricting foods and viewing them as "evil" you could get on a long term and sustainable path to weight loss where you eat all foods moderately, enjoy them, and lose weight.
The problem is that sugar has become a "crutch" so that it can be blamed for the reason as to why X diet fails.
General observation...it is funny how the majority of sugar defenders are abusive and insulting (and recompers with a higher amount of discretionary calories). Does sugar make people mean? Too bad the OPs are asking for helpful advice, not mocking comments.
you are an obvious troll who does not understand nutrition or health.
end discussion/-1 -
general observation..it is funny how the majority of the sugar addiction folks are also yo yo dieters….
Instead of restricting foods and viewing them as "evil" you could get on a long term and sustainable path to weight loss where you eat all foods moderately, enjoy them, and lose weight.
The problem is that sugar has become a "crutch" so that it can be blamed for the reason as to why X diet fails.
General observation...it is funny how the majority of sugar defenders are abusive and insulting (and recompers with a higher amount of discretionary calories). Does sugar make people mean? Too bad the OPs are asking for helpful advice, not mocking comments.
please find where I was abusive or insulting….
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slimbettie wrote: »I do eat fruit. Fruit does not have "added" sugars.
It is only 10 days to get me back on track and away from the cakes....
oh so added sugar is worse than natural sugar…totally legit argument..
you realize your body has no way to distinguish between the two, right? Because they are all the same at the molecular level...
http://www.jci.org/articles/view/37385
Glucose and fructose are differently at a molecular level, and act differently in the body.
And both glucose and fructose can be added sugar or natural sugar. The simple fact is that added glucose is digested exactly the same as naturally occurring glucose, the body doesn't recognize the source, just the chemical.
Again, rather than learn something, you insist on building a strawman to disprove a point that wasn't actually made.0 -
YOP - unless you are rummaging through a dumpster to get your sugar fix or eating spoons of sugar out of a bowl, you are not addicted to sugar. Do you have some self control issues with certain foods, perhaps...
-
My suggestion - create a calorie deficit, try to eat the foods that you like (yes, I mean some ice cream, cookies, etc), get a food scale and weigh log measure everything that you eat. Foods are not "good" or "bad" they are just food that your body uses for energy. Try to make better choices and maintain your calorie deficit.
you can lose 50 pounds and eat sugar...
This sooooo much this…I did...0 -
I thought you send the discussion had ended Captain?
I changed my mind when you rode in on your white horse0 -
Hey, there, I hear you. I am three days off sugar and it is tough but likely worth the withdrawals I am having. I am 43 as well and have had serious issues with sugar--I started my morning with hot chocolate not coffee, so there you go. I know it is controversial to say it is addictive, but I believe it absolutely is, as I am sitting here my body is in major crave mode, similar to when I quit smoking--not the same, but similar in strength. Anyway, I prepared myself mentally for a week or two reading up on the effects of sugar on ones health and it was motivating. This is a video I like that speaks to the the difference in the way one processes fructose (which is processed like alcohol in your liver and can't be used as energy, though the fiber in fruit does make a difference) and glucose which your body can use as energy:
http://youtu.be/dBnniua6-oM
The other thing I have done is replace my sugar "treat" foods with savory foods I like. Mine is sushi. When I want a cookie I get sushi, a chocolate bar I get sushi. Sometimes low-sugar fruits like raspberries and grapefruits help, but I stay away from super sweet things like bananas that I feel like will make my cravings stronger.
Good luck to you (and me)!0 -
Define "real" because I find that anytime I "crave" sugar, it is mostly psychological, there is no physical "addiction", be honest. If you feel so "addicted" then learn to eat something else when you think you have to have sugar, like a quest bar for example. Seriously, I have never seen any science that says it is a physical addiction. I quit smoking cigarettes 10 years ago, which was a physical addiction, but I even beat that in 2 weeks. Learn not to give in to your every little desire, if you really want it, make yourself work for it and earn those calories first. If you can't have some self-control, they you will stay obese your whole life. There are no shortcuts and there are no magic bullets, if you don't have the self control to eat sugar and stay within your calories for the day, don't diss the people who do.
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Try to eat protein with every meal. Especially if you are having ANY carbs/sugar. It'll help satiate you longer.0
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Oh geez here comes LOLstig to the rescue0
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Hey, there, I hear you. I am three days off sugar and it is tough but likely worth the withdrawals I am having. I am 43 as well and have had serious issues with sugar--I started my morning with hot chocolate not coffee, so there you go. I know it is controversial to say it is addictive, but I believe it absolutely is, as I am sitting here my body is in major crave mode, similar to when I quit smoking--not the same, but similar in strength. Anyway, I prepared myself mentally for a week or two reading up on the effects of sugar on ones health and it was motivating. This is a video I like that speaks to the the difference in the way one processes fructose (which is processed like alcohol in your liver and can't be used as energy, though the fiber in fruit does make a difference) and glucose which your body can use as energy:http://youtu.be/dBnniua6-oM
The other thing I have done is replace my sugar "treat" foods with savory foods I like. Mine is sushi. When I want a cookie I get sushi, a chocolate bar I get sushi. Sometimes low-sugar fruits like raspberries and grapefruits help, but I stay away from super sweet things like bananas that I feel like will make my cravings stronger.
Good luck to you (and me)!
http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/01/29/the-bitter-truth-about-fructose-alarmism/
I'm sorry if you "like" that video, but it's been pretty thoroughly debunked, many times over. It's just scare tactics, and the conclusions are false.
Oh, and sushi rice is made with sugar.0 -
I have no science to back this up, I just find natural sugars to be non-addictive and less damaging than refined sugar added to cakes,tea and certain yogurts. I've also read articles, doctors saying they don't count natural sugars like those in milk and fruit.
after eating a lot of chocolate (like xmas time) my cravings take 10-14 days to die down. If I eat just a little chocolate the cravings come back, but only for 1-2 days. I have no science to back this up, it's just me noticing it in my body.
My advice is: if there's stuff with refined sugars in it, bin it. otherwise you'll be tormenting yourself, constantly trying to resist it - then, when your will power is exhausted, you'll eat that thing and a whole lot of other stuff.
for me, treating refined sugars as an addiction was not an excuse to fail, but a breakthrough. I started looking at what strategies alcoholics & drug users use, and life got a lot easier over the few months after that.0 -
RogueinSF I wish you the best. At 63 my 40 years of abusing carbs had me in a mess. During Aug-Sept I tried to taper off but kept going back to them. By Oct I was ticked at letting sugar/carbs wreck my health and stopped 'cold turkey'.
The first two weeks was hellish in my view then the cravings started to fade and have stayed away. So have the sugar crashes mid afternoon. My main objective was to manage my arthritis pain without Rx's. After 90 days of being sugar free my pain level of 7-8+ is down into the 2-3 range on a 1-10 scale and my weight is down 16 pounds but I lost in size before the scales started slowly going down.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=ceFyF9px20Y
This is a four year update to the video you posted. There is new research effort and before and after photos of people before and after some of his treatments.
Do read the Alan Aragon blog link in a post above and you will see how much he does agree with the video link you embedded.
Sugar addiction happens over time if one does become addicted (I did become addicted but it seems many do not per some posting) and it did not go away over night in my case. My physical addiction seemed to have past but my emotional addiction is still in the back of my mind because I can remember my love for Lemon Icebox Pie like mom made.
Best of luck in SF.0 -
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I know this contributes zilch but,
Lol0 -
Can.....can we merge all the sugar threads together? I feel like the same people are having the same discussion over 4 different threads lol.0
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Fourth day without sugar, and it has been rough. Finally starting to feel better!0
This discussion has been closed.
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