Absence of sugar makes me want to commit murder l!!!

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boatengbailey
boatengbailey Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,
A complete newbie here!
I'm currently desperately trying to lose two stone. I am currently 11.3llbs or 78kg for others.

My problem is it's not food portions I have trouble with but sugar.
I can't eat one or two chocolates, I have to have the whole box. If I buy a bag of chocolate, sweets and cakes then I will eat them ALL and not even feel sick.
I try not to buy any at all so ok not tempted but that makes it worse. If I don't get the chocolate or sweets I crave then I become an absolute moody angry utter mess and have trouble sleeping. It's crazy nightmare!

I would rather wake up and have a chocolate eclair than eat a large portion of food and it's so difficult. I've tried snacking on fruits etc but nothing works.

If I could lose this addiction, I would be a stick.

Does anybody else experience this? And has anybody found a way to curb this apparent 'addiction' to sugar ?

I can't stick to any diet because my problems pleats not to be food in general but desserts/sweets or the devil that is chocolate. :(

Replies

  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
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    Either learn how to eat them in moderation or cut them out of your diet. Those are really the only options.
  • techgal128
    techgal128 Posts: 719 Member
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    Try buying things in packages so you do not have to serve your own portion. For example, 100 calorie packs of cookies or a single ice cream bar. Also, for things that come in larger bags, sort things out ahead of time. Grab a bag, measure you food, fill it up, and label it with the calories it contains. You might be a little more hesitant to eat several bags if you see how many calories they contain.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    There's no magic potion for this. You either have to abstain altogether, or learn how manage portions. To do that, you have to want your weight loss more than you want the sweets.

    Good luck! :drinker:
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited April 2015
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    Basically, these are your choices:

    Find a way to eat less of them.

    Cut them out if it's easier (you seem to think it's not).

    Cut out other foods (that likely have more nutritional value, but perhaps not) to make room for the amounts you want to eat.

    Increase your TDEE through exercise (usually hard to do substantially right away).

    Decide you are not yet ready to lose weight, because you'd rather be able to eat what you want when you want no matter what. (It's really a matter of priorities and it may be that you just don't have enough reason to be bothered by the 28 lbs you'd like to lose. I was okay with needing to lose lots more at one point or just didn't care enough to make the necessary changes given everything else that was going on.)

    For me, on the whole I think it's easier to eat sweet things in moderation, although I go through periods where I eat very few or none of them for a while.
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
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    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    There's no magic potion for this. You either have to abstain altogether, or learn how manage portions. To do that, you have to want your weight loss more than you want the sweets.

    Good luck! :drinker:

    This. I wish there were another answer, really, I do. :(

  • booksandchocolate12
    booksandchocolate12 Posts: 1,741 Member
    edited April 2015
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    I love chocolate. I have a friend (a very slim, fit friend) who would tell me that she allowed herself one square of dark chocolate every day. Just one square.

    I scoffed at the notion, because after all, I am super special and could NEVER do that. Like you, I knew that I HAD TO have the whole bag. HAD TO.

    Until I realized that I didn't have to have the whole bag. I WANTED to have the whole bag. And when I decided that it was more important to me to lose some weight and get healthy than it was for me to eat a whole bag of chocolate, I realized that yes, I could just stop at one square. So now I do.

    I won't say it was easy. Initially I had to give the bag of chocolates to my daughter, who would dole out a square to me each day and then hide the bag. But now I've learned to appreciate and savor one square of good dark chocolate, and it's enough for me.

    You can do it....if you want to badly enough. Good luck!
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    I'm like you. The best way is to up the quality of your sweets. Instead of cheap candy bars, go for the really good quality chocolate. I used to be the person who couldn't resist eating the whole box or the whole bar, but now I can eat one square at a time and feel fine.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    You have 2 strategies, cold turkey or moderation i.e gradually reducing and fining less calorific alternatives, which give you most of the benefit, but fewer calories.

    Its as Knight says you have to want to lose weight more. Dont make yourself a victim but learn about weight loss and work out what gives you the best chance to deal with the issue. be smart.

    For instance my strategy involves no restrictions, because im not giving up chocolate and chips or anything I like, but trying to fit them into my daily allowance. I eat less of them than I used to and give priority for nutrition, but I eat them most days and lose consistently. One of my outs is that I will exercise to allow me extra calories, but considering the large amount of effort you need to expend to burn 250 calories for 1 chocolate bar (c20-40m), then that becomes self moderating. What is more importnat to me is reaching the target. However it is manageable if you really want to lose weight becayse you accept some of the sacrifices you have to make.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,538 Member
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    boatengbailey wrote: »
    Hi all,
    A complete newbie here!
    I'm currently desperately trying to lose two stone. I am currently 11.3llbs or 78kg for others.

    My problem is it's not food portions I have trouble with but sugar.
    I can't eat one or two chocolates, I have to have the whole box. If I buy a bag of chocolate, sweets and cakes then I will eat them ALL and not even feel sick.
    I try not to buy any at all so ok not tempted but that makes it worse. If I don't get the chocolate or sweets I crave then I become an absolute moody angry utter mess and have trouble sleeping. It's crazy nightmare!

    I would rather wake up and have a chocolate eclair than eat a large portion of food and it's so difficult. I've tried snacking on fruits etc but nothing works.

    If I could lose this addiction, I would be a stick.

    Does anybody else experience this? And has anybody found a way to curb this apparent 'addiction' to sugar ?

    I can't stick to any diet because my problems pleats not to be food in general but desserts/sweets or the devil that is chocolate. :(
    So in other words it IS control with portions? Sugar is paletable so it's easy to consume. But most eating habits are HABITS. You just need to focus on changing the habit. You DON'T have to have whole box of chocolates, that's just what you were used to doing. So the habit is changeable IF you really want to do it.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

  • mxmkenney
    mxmkenney Posts: 486 Member
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    I am right there with you. Sweets are my bain. I have no self control when it comes to sweets - cookies, candy, ice cream. I tend to do better if cut them out completely, but I don't want to have to give them up completely. The second I restrict sweets I can think of NOTHING ELSE and end up binging on the sweets once I have it again. But I wish there was a way to eat it in moderation thing but it just doesn't work for me. Try not to have the trigger foods in your house. FInd replacement foods to help satisfy your sweet tooth but don't destroy your whole day. Like instead of a brownie, try a brownie flavored protein bar - I like Quest bars - they have decent flavors, and they fill you up. As for the real deal, I have not found a way to have my cake and eat it too...
  • SimoneBee12
    SimoneBee12 Posts: 268 Member
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    I don't experience this, I'm good at portioning, so I can't give you personal advice, but do you live with people?

    Why don't you get them to serve as your 'sweet vendor' and give them portioned amounts of what you like, but ask them to hide them, or put them somewhere locked that you can't get into, then once a day when it fits into your calories, get them to give you something. It will force you to portion, it'll stop you from bingeing, and hopefully it will be embarrassing enough that you won't want to ask them for anything at all.

    Cold turkey isn't a good idea because it makes you desperate for that food more than ever, it's really all down to the portions.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    segacs wrote: »
    I'm like you. The best way is to up the quality of your sweets. Instead of cheap candy bars, go for the really good quality chocolate. I used to be the person who couldn't resist eating the whole box or the whole bar, but now I can eat one square at a time and feel fine.

    Great advice.

    Or perhaps think about whether there are some sweets which are easier for you to moderate. I can moderate ice cream or chocolate pretty easily, but have much more trouble with baked goods.
  • marissafit06
    marissafit06 Posts: 1,996 Member
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    Eat meals that are more filling and buy single serving candy bars/bags of gummy bears/cupcakes/cookies/whatever you need. I find that eating fatty things like avocados and protein help to moderate my urges for sweets. Eating when I am hungry rather than waiting until I am ravenous helps me too.
  • bmm4m
    bmm4m Posts: 2
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    I am the same way. I will do good for a long time, but as soon as anything sweet hits my tastebuds it's over. I have had to completely cut them out, or at least try. I have noticed that making myself log everything that I eat has helped me control myself. The sleep thing happens to me too, but I have found that after forcing myself to stay out of the kitchen at night eventually helps. It is hard, but you can do it. However for those nights that you just have to have chocolate here is what I do: I started to buy Special K chocolate ceral and almond milk. As soon as I get home from the store with it I will open thhe ceral and portion it out in ziploc bags. I watch my calories all day and try to leave room for my chocolate ceral and almond milk for dessert.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,659 Member
    edited April 2015
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    At the end of the day what Mr. Knight said.

    You either want the weight loss more than the candy or you don't. If candy is what added 28lbs to your frame either you're going to have to stop eating it, or you will keep on adding lbs! Simple.

    Here are my rules for me: i can eat anything in the world I want. As long as it fits my caloric targets.

    If i want pizza--no problem. If i want chocolate--no problem. If I want pop--no problem. Ice cream? Go right ahead! Mayo and olive oil and fresh baguettes with some brie? Why not?!

    Do I ever eat most of these things in quantity anymore? Rarely if ever!

    Since I doubt my ability to stop once I sink my teeth into some of these tasty things, and since I would rather not spend the rest of my day hungry on plain water, or, horror of horrors, blow my caloric budget, I just don't bring the stuff home!

    If I want any of these goodies, no problem. I am allowed to walk to the grocery store and pick up a small portion to have when I get back home. Or I can have some nuts, or a not so tasty chocolate like protein bar, or a glass of protein powder (tastes like a smoothie/shake), or an apple or two that are all sitting at home instead.

    And if I do walk to the grocery store and come back and eat what i bought and want more than the portion I picked up? No problem. I am welcome to another 30 minute round trip to the grocery store, or to whatever is available at the house! (And yes, I do have splenda or stevia sweatened yogurt in the house plus the protein bars plus I used to have proportioned bags of nuts)

    It is amazing how not very often I had chocolate while i was implementing all that... and how often I actually do have chocolate when visiting my mom's (she stocks a variety of chocolates at home)!

    And yes, after a while, and assuming you are not craptasticaly hungry all the time because you're cutting too many calories, you may find that you are better able to control yourself and that there are other things that are just as or even more rewarding than having a second or third chocolate bar!

    So these days if there is room at the end of the day I might add some chocolate to my last snack.... or not!
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
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    You have my sympathy. I struggle with sweets, although I'm disciplined in many other regards. When I cut them, I don't really miss them. A dessert here or there is fine. But having sweets daily becomes a slippery slope for me. I end up sliding out of control on my a**. I will say this, though. I've had better success with moderation as I have aged. So where abstinence may have been my best bet a while back, I have fewer "trigger foods" now and can genuinely enjoy some stuff in moderation.

    So I'm backing Mr. Knight. Abstinence and moderation are both reasonable choices. Start with the one that seems easiest for now.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
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    P.S. I've really got to agree with segacs, too. It's the secret to consuming less but genuinely enjoying it more. (Applies to wine as well as chocolate.)
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    P.S. I've really got to agree with segacs, too. It's the secret to consuming less but genuinely enjoying it more. (Applies to wine as well as chocolate.)

    Yep. And beer. And cookies. And cakes. And... well, pretty much most food now.

    My best advice for you is to pre-log your sweets and make them fit into your day. That way, you can look forward to them, you can plan to eat the really good stuff, and you can eat them guilt-free knowing they fit into your calorie goal. You'll be less tempted to eat tons of crap if you know that you have three squares of a really good chocolate bar planned in your day.

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