The truth about sugar addiction from a former sugar addict
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Congratulations and good for you!
I cut the white brads and pastas and replaced with whole-grain alternatives and my cravings went away. I can now have a small bowl of pasta and not need more. I just love that!
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Glad you found what works for you, OP.0
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same for me currently ...looking forward to that changing soon thoughemmab852012 wrote: »sounds very similar to me except I haven't figured it out yet. I think cutting out all sugar is a bit extreme but its really hard to find that middle balance....
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Keep up the good work OP, you should be really proud of yourself. 0
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mamapeach910 wrote: »poohpoohpeapod wrote: »
Sugar has proven to light up the same areas of the brain that cocaine does. Studies were done with PET scans of the brain.mamapeach910 wrote: »kelly30mad wrote: »I also am like u.. I use to snak on sugar snacks all day!!! I wld rather snack than eat a meal.. I've currently gone cold turkey and stopped them all together.. I've had really bad headaches and the shakes... Jus shows tha it is addictive and the more u eat the more u need more
I think you missed her point. It's not addictive. It's all about behavior and choice. You can get control.
Sometimes, it is helpful to give it all up for a time and get some distance to be able to see that.
It's more a compulsion which is about BEHAVIOR, than about addiction, which is about the SUBSTANCE.
Pain triggers dopamine release too. Is pain addictive?
Actually it can be. I have known people in the S&M subculture that I would say are addicted to pain.
I think your idea that someone can only be addicted to certain substances is pretty invalidating. I kindly disagree with your opinions.
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Well done.
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happyhenglers wrote: »Suggested read: Salt, Sugar, Fat. Great book to highlight the fact that sugar has been proven to be as addictive as drugs. Some people can do moderation, and some people need stiffer boundaries. The key is to find what works for you.
Well we all need to find the right path for us, but part of the reason I posted this thread was that if you asked me even a year ago I would have been convinced moderation could not work for me. Now I've come to believe that while I am vulnerable to sugar/starch cravings if my diet is unbalanced, these can be managed through moderation. Previously, my beliefs that I could not control sugar made it even more difficult to manage.
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girlviernes wrote: »happyhenglers wrote: »Suggested read: Salt, Sugar, Fat. Great book to highlight the fact that sugar has been proven to be as addictive as drugs. Some people can do moderation, and some people need stiffer boundaries. The key is to find what works for you.
Well we all need to find the right path for us, but part of the reason I posted this thread was that if you asked me even a year ago I would have been convinced moderation could not work for me. Now I've come to believe that while I am vulnerable to sugar/starch cravings if my diet is unbalanced, these can be managed through moderation. Previously, my beliefs that I could not control sugar made it even more difficult to manage.
I was in the same place a few years go. Tonight, I took the box of See's candies from the cabinet, measured my portion out in grams, put the box away, and ate my goodies.
You have such a great attitude.
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girlviernes wrote: »Well we all need to find the right path for us, but part of the reason I posted this thread was that if you asked me even a year ago I would have been convinced moderation could not work for me. Now I've come to believe that while I am vulnerable to sugar/starch cravings if my diet is unbalanced, these can be managed through moderation. Previously, my beliefs that I could not control sugar made it even more difficult to manage.
Same here. Even six months ago, if you'd suggested to me that I could take a box of chocolate truffles out of the pantry, eat one, and put the rest away, I would've told you it was impossible.
It's not impossible.
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SLLRunner - that's so great! I hope you enjoy the heck out of your chocolate every night I am proud that I have a bunch of goodie bags to give to people full of my favorite candies from Hawaii, and I haven't broken into any of them over the past two weeks.
Segacs - exactly!0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »girlviernes wrote: »Thanks!
To be clear, I'm trying to walk the middle path. I think some of us need to be careful about sugar/starchy foods, but I don't really buy into the idea that we should cut them (or any food) out. That is often just a set up for difficulty maintaining this pattern of eating long term and makes it hard to partake in some really cool things like mochi ice cream and holiday parties
Totally agree with this.
Yep. 0 -
poohpoohpeapod wrote: »sugar is a dead end anyway, my cardiologist told me to cut off most sugar as it even damages arteries and now they think it plays a role in heart disease. It ages the skin makes us look older. There is no benefit in refined sugars other than it tastes good., and feeds our emotional needs. Sugar has no nutritional value at all. No vitamins, no minerals nothing.
False!!!
I had heart disease and now reverse it eating sugary things!! Explain that!!!!-1 -
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poohpoohpeapod wrote: »sugar is a dead end anyway, my cardiologist told me to cut off most sugar as it even damages arteries and now they think it plays a role in heart disease. It ages the skin makes us look older. There is no benefit in refined sugars other than it tastes good., and feeds our emotional needs. Sugar has no nutritional value at all. No vitamins, no minerals nothing.
False!!!
I had heart disease and now reverse it eating sugary things!! Explain that!!!!
If your Dr. is recommending that you eat sugar to reverse heart disease, I would suggest you get another Dr.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2862465/
"Recently, in the Nurses Health Study, a positive association between SSB (sugar sweetened beverages) intake and risk of CHD (nonfatal myocardial infarction or fatal CHD) was observed even after accounting for other unhealthy factors53. In over 88,000 women followed for 24 years, those who consumed ≥ 2 SSB per day had a 35% greater risk of developing CHD compared to those who consumed <1 SSB per month"
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/94/2/479.short
"The present data show potentially harmful effects of low to moderate consumption of SSBs on markers of cardiovascular risk such as LDL particles, fasting glucose, and hs-CRP within just 3 wk in healthy young men"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10946914?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000,f1000m,isrctn
Glucose increasing oxidative load.
The American Heart association states you should get no more than 100 calories for added sugars a day for a woman, and 150 added sugars a day for a man.
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Added-Sugars-Add-to-Your-Risk-of-Dying-from-Heart-Disease_UCM_460319_Article.jsp-2 -
girlviernes wrote: »SLLRunner - that's so great! I hope you enjoy the heck out of your chocolate every night I am proud that I have a bunch of goodie bags to give to people full of my favorite candies from Hawaii, and I haven't broken into any of them over the past two weeks.
Thank you.
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You are a an inspiration. I have failed many, many times at trying to rid my diet of sugar. I will keep trying. I have to. I now have insulin resistance and have every reason to clean up my act, but I continue to struggle.
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Cheerios0392 wrote: »Congratulations! The only way I've been able to overcome my own love of sugar was cutting it out completely for a few weeks at a time. I still eat it moderately but I don't feel like I "need" it the way I did before. I now feel like I have control over my sugar cravings, instead of feeling like it controls me.
That's great. I will say I did cut down substantially at first although I never attempted to eliminate it. But I was probably having something sugary once every 1-2 weeks for the first 6 weeks. I'll have to look back at my diary sometime to see. I have insulin resistance, so I'll always need to be more careful about foods that impact insulin than others.
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poohpoohpeapod wrote: »sugar is a dead end anyway, my cardiologist told me to cut off most sugar as it even damages arteries and now they think it plays a role in heart disease. It ages the skin makes us look older. There is no benefit in refined sugars other than it tastes good., and feeds our emotional needs. Sugar has no nutritional value at all. No vitamins, no minerals nothing.
False!!!
I had heart disease and now reverse it eating sugary things!! Explain that!!!!
If your Dr. is recommending that you eat sugar to reverse heart disease, I would suggest you get another Dr.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2862465/
"Recently, in the Nurses Health Study, a positive association between SSB (sugar sweetened beverages) intake and risk of CHD (nonfatal myocardial infarction or fatal CHD) was observed even after accounting for other unhealthy factors53. In over 88,000 women followed for 24 years, those who consumed ≥ 2 SSB per day had a 35% greater risk of developing CHD compared to those who consumed <1 SSB per month"
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/94/2/479.short
"The present data show potentially harmful effects of low to moderate consumption of SSBs on markers of cardiovascular risk such as LDL particles, fasting glucose, and hs-CRP within just 3 wk in healthy young men"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10946914?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000,f1000m,isrctn
Glucose increasing oxidative load.
The American Heart association states you should get no more than 100 calories for added sugars a day for a woman, and 150 added sugars a day for a man.
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Added-Sugars-Add-to-Your-Risk-of-Dying-from-Heart-Disease_UCM_460319_Article.jsp
LOL, good thing none of the studies you've posted rely on super accurate food recall data, oh wait
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You are a an inspiration. I have failed many, many times at trying to rid my diet of sugar. I will keep trying. I have to. I now have insulin resistance and have every reason to clean up my act, but I continue to struggle.
I think trying to get rid of sugar altogether is a really hard goal. It means that one slip and you are failing at the goal. To treat my insulin resistance I have a goal to limit the amount of carbohydrates from added sugars or starchy foods to 30g per eating occasion and always balancing with protein and/or fat to smooth out blood sugar levels. My general day I have about 30g of starchy carbs for breakfast (oatmeal, grits) with protein, and then for lunch and dinner about 3-4 oz of meat, half a cup of starchy food (e.g., veggie patty, quinoa, corn, rice). My snacks are generally protein bars, coconut flakes, fruit, nuts, beef jerkey (i.e., I don't have starchy or sugary foods for snacks). I mostly make my own food or eat premade things from trader joe's or mariano's, but I do go out 1-2x/week. I usually don't buy sweets for myself, but if they are there I may have a small portion (ideally balanced with other food, again to keep blood sugar even).
I developed this from reading about insulin resistance. I am certainly able to lose weight losing this way. I'll be getting my blood levels rechecked this month or next so I can report back how it has impacted my numbers.
Keep in mind exercise is really important for insulin resistance. I am very active and do strength training as well.0 -
Congrats on finding what really works for you. I *personally* find that the more sugar I have, the more I crave. It's crazy.0
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poohpoohpeapod wrote: »sugar is a dead end anyway, my cardiologist told me to cut off most sugar as it even damages arteries and now they think it plays a role in heart disease. It ages the skin makes us look older. There is no benefit in refined sugars other than it tastes good., and feeds our emotional needs. Sugar has no nutritional value at all. No vitamins, no minerals nothing.
False!!!
I had heart disease and now reverse it eating sugary things!! Explain that!!!!
If your Dr. is recommending that you eat sugar to reverse heart disease, I would suggest you get another Dr.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2862465/
"Recently, in the Nurses Health Study, a positive association between SSB (sugar sweetened beverages) intake and risk of CHD (nonfatal myocardial infarction or fatal CHD) was observed even after accounting for other unhealthy factors53. In over 88,000 women followed for 24 years, those who consumed ≥ 2 SSB per day had a 35% greater risk of developing CHD compared to those who consumed <1 SSB per month"
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/94/2/479.short
"The present data show potentially harmful effects of low to moderate consumption of SSBs on markers of cardiovascular risk such as LDL particles, fasting glucose, and hs-CRP within just 3 wk in healthy young men"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10946914?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000,f1000m,isrctn
Glucose increasing oxidative load.
The American Heart association states you should get no more than 100 calories for added sugars a day for a woman, and 150 added sugars a day for a man.
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Added-Sugars-Add-to-Your-Risk-of-Dying-from-Heart-Disease_UCM_460319_Article.jsp
LOL, good thing none of the studies you've posted rely on super accurate food recall data, oh wait
The test of glucose on oxidative load was done under laboratory conditions. Sugar absolutely does challenge the body in unhealthy ways. Recompers and those who are very active do need more carbs than others, and being active itself protects against many of the impacts of higher sugar consumption, but sugar is not a treatment for heart disease.
If you wish to ignore the recommendations of health authorities that is your priviledge. I'm just saying, when it comes to sugar and health, when there's that much smoke, there's gotta be a fire somewhere.-1 -
This content has been removed.
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poohpoohpeapod wrote: »sugar is a dead end anyway, my cardiologist told me to cut off most sugar as it even damages arteries and now they think it plays a role in heart disease. It ages the skin makes us look older. There is no benefit in refined sugars other than it tastes good., and feeds our emotional needs. Sugar has no nutritional value at all. No vitamins, no minerals nothing.
False!!!
I had heart disease and now reverse it eating sugary things!! Explain that!!!!
If your Dr. is recommending that you eat sugar to reverse heart disease, I would suggest you get another Dr.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2862465/
"Recently, in the Nurses Health Study, a positive association between SSB (sugar sweetened beverages) intake and risk of CHD (nonfatal myocardial infarction or fatal CHD) was observed even after accounting for other unhealthy factors53. In over 88,000 women followed for 24 years, those who consumed ≥ 2 SSB per day had a 35% greater risk of developing CHD compared to those who consumed <1 SSB per month"
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/94/2/479.short
"The present data show potentially harmful effects of low to moderate consumption of SSBs on markers of cardiovascular risk such as LDL particles, fasting glucose, and hs-CRP within just 3 wk in healthy young men"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10946914?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000,f1000m,isrctn
Glucose increasing oxidative load.
The American Heart association states you should get no more than 100 calories for added sugars a day for a woman, and 150 added sugars a day for a man.
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Added-Sugars-Add-to-Your-Risk-of-Dying-from-Heart-Disease_UCM_460319_Article.jsp
LOL, good thing none of the studies you've posted rely on super accurate food recall data, oh wait
The test of glucose on oxidative load was done under laboratory conditions. Sugar absolutely does challenge the body in unhealthy ways. Recompers and those who are very active do need more carbs than others, and being active itself protects against many of the impacts of higher sugar consumption, but sugar is not a treatment for heart disease.
If you wish to ignore the recommendations of health authorities that is your priviledge. I'm just saying, when it comes to sugar and health, when there's that much smoke, there's gotta be a fire somewhere.
Correlation =/= causation. The smoke in all of the things you posted wasn't from fire.
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The test of glucose on oxidative load was done under laboratory conditions. Sugar absolutely does challenge the body in unhealthy ways. Recompers and those who are very active do need more carbs than others, and being active itself protects against many of the impacts of higher sugar consumption, but sugar is not a treatment for heart disease.
If you wish to ignore the recommendations of health authorities that is your priviledge. I'm just saying, when it comes to sugar and health, when there's that much smoke, there's gotta be a fire somewhere.
Well the thing is that most people on here who are losing weight but not overly concerned with added sugar are actually not having that much of it (since they are restricting calories) and are exercising on a regular basis.
I would agree that dietary content does matter for various reasons, but I think it matters LESS than finding a way of eating that is sustainable for you in the long run and allows you to maintain a healthy weight.0 -
girlviernes wrote: »I would agree that dietary content does matter for various reasons, but I think it matters LESS than finding a way of eating that is sustainable for you in the long run and allows you to maintain a healthy weight.
Yes.0 -
mamapeach910 wrote: »poohpoohpeapod wrote: »sugar is a dead end anyway, my cardiologist told me to cut off most sugar as it even damages arteries and now they think it plays a role in heart disease. It ages the skin makes us look older. There is no benefit in refined sugars other than it tastes good., and feeds our emotional needs. Sugar has no nutritional value at all. No vitamins, no minerals nothing.
False!!!
I had heart disease and now reverse it eating sugary things!! Explain that!!!!
If your Dr. is recommending that you eat sugar to reverse heart disease, I would suggest you get another Dr.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2862465/
"Recently, in the Nurses Health Study, a positive association between SSB (sugar sweetened beverages) intake and risk of CHD (nonfatal myocardial infarction or fatal CHD) was observed even after accounting for other unhealthy factors53. In over 88,000 women followed for 24 years, those who consumed ≥ 2 SSB per day had a 35% greater risk of developing CHD compared to those who consumed <1 SSB per month"
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/94/2/479.short
"The present data show potentially harmful effects of low to moderate consumption of SSBs on markers of cardiovascular risk such as LDL particles, fasting glucose, and hs-CRP within just 3 wk in healthy young men"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10946914?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000,f1000m,isrctn
Glucose increasing oxidative load.
The American Heart association states you should get no more than 100 calories for added sugars a day for a woman, and 150 added sugars a day for a man.
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Added-Sugars-Add-to-Your-Risk-of-Dying-from-Heart-Disease_UCM_460319_Article.jsp
LOL, good thing none of the studies you've posted rely on super accurate food recall data, oh wait
The test of glucose on oxidative load was done under laboratory conditions. Sugar absolutely does challenge the body in unhealthy ways. Recompers and those who are very active do need more carbs than others, and being active itself protects against many of the impacts of higher sugar consumption, but sugar is not a treatment for heart disease.
If you wish to ignore the recommendations of health authorities that is your priviledge. I'm just saying, when it comes to sugar and health, when there's that much smoke, there's gotta be a fire somewhere.
Correlation =/= causation. The smoke in all of the things you posted wasn't from fire.
The test of glucose on oxidative load and the SSB on cardiovascular factors were both causative studies, not correlation-1 -
poohpoohpeapod wrote: »
Pain triggers dopamine release too. Is pain addictive?
Have you ever met a masochist? The answer is "yes" pain can be addictive
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This was really helpful and inspiring. Thank you. This is instinctively what I feel, trying to walk that middle ground, don't want to cut out all together but just trying to 'budget' and spend my cals wisely 80percent, with 20percent just for taste/what I fancy. Thank you, and good luck with maintaining your new found healthy middle ground xx0
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poohpoohpeapod wrote: »sugar is a dead end anyway, my cardiologist told me to cut off most sugar as it even damages arteries and now they think it plays a role in heart disease. It ages the skin makes us look older. There is no benefit in refined sugars other than it tastes good., and feeds our emotional needs. Sugar has no nutritional value at all. No vitamins, no minerals nothing.
False!!!
I had heart disease and now reverse it eating sugary things!! Explain that!!!!
If your Dr. is recommending that you eat sugar to reverse heart disease, I would suggest you get another Dr.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2862465/
"Recently, in the Nurses Health Study, a positive association between SSB (sugar sweetened beverages) intake and risk of CHD (nonfatal myocardial infarction or fatal CHD) was observed even after accounting for other unhealthy factors53. In over 88,000 women followed for 24 years, those who consumed ≥ 2 SSB per day had a 35% greater risk of developing CHD compared to those who consumed <1 SSB per month"
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/94/2/479.short
"The present data show potentially harmful effects of low to moderate consumption of SSBs on markers of cardiovascular risk such as LDL particles, fasting glucose, and hs-CRP within just 3 wk in healthy young men"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10946914?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000,f1000m,isrctn
Glucose increasing oxidative load.
Lipids and protein also increases oxidative load.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11916766
Congrats OP. Very inspiring story!
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Yes! I can totally relate to this. I have always had a "sweet tooth" and felt out of control when it came to ice cream, chocolate and other sweets. It took a diagnosis of gestational diabetes for me to start learning about my triggers and how to maintain a healthy diet. Now that my blood sugar is under better control, I don't crave sugar nearly as much. Some of it could be mental, but I really believe that my high blood sugar (then the crash that followed) had a lot to do with my "need" to binge.
Congrats on your progress and good luck!0
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