"Addicted" to sugar

If you truly have trouble moderating your intake of sugar to the point you cannot control your intake, it might be helpful for you to completely eliminate it for a while.

This will give you a chance to reset your taste buds.

It's probably best, while you're doing this, to avoid fruit as well.

After a few weeks, see if you can add back small amounts of sweet things in moderation.

I'm about to get addicted to my Ducati, again.

linsey0689 wrote: »

I love anything sweet and I can't stop. I can do this and lost weight before but gain some back with personal issues. But anyway sweet stuff throws me off with the constant craving of sweet thing. I'm sure others deal with this. Tips on what to eat and he to deal with this

What type of sweets are you referring to?

For years, I could not have cookies, cake, candy, in the house, but I always did fine with fruit (except bananas). I would not buy any type of sweet food, and would avoid it like the plague at parties. I thought I was addicted to sugar until I figured out that I was compulsively eating and sweet treats happened to be what I overate on. I also figured out that most foods contain some sugar.

Now, I eat everything in moderation, including sweets, and I have them in the house. I learned how to moderate sweets when I changed my relationship with food and came to the conclusion that sweets, or any other food, does not have power over me. I am 100% for the food choices I make.

However, you must find what works best for you.

By the way, people start a lot of "I'm addicted to sugar" threads and they usually don't go over very well.

DeguelloTex wrote: »

neanderthin wrote: »

I'm about to get addicted to my Ducati, again.

R1, IMO.

Sweet, or should I say suga sweet.

jellytot3 wrote: »

Sugar is the root of all evil.

Technically, it's "the love of sugar is the root of all evil."

Well, if it's like money, anyway.

I think one think that really helps with feelings that you are out of control with respect to specific foods is being analytical or mindful about it and figuring out what's really going on. For example, I've found that I have lots of trouble controlling my intake of sugary stuff (or really anything especially palatable, but sugary stuff is just what's usually around) at my office beginning around 5 (I tend to work late) or on the weekends. This is much worse if I'm super stressed or skip meals or have had little sleep. So what I did was basically eliminate unplanned snacks and bring any food I plan to eat for planned snacks or meals (so I won't be in a situation where I skip a meal and have had nothing to eat). I also try to be conscious that I'm going to have a harder time if tired (and also use coffee, personally). When I first started I would force myself to write about how I was feeling and why I wanted to eat before eating any snacky things, which would usually make me think better of it, and I brought a bunch of low calorie raw veggies to snack on if I felt like I was dying to eat (that part got much easier faster, so I stopped this after the first week).

Related to this, I did cut out sweets for a couple of weeks to teach myself I didn't need them as an emotional crutch (I'd been using them as such from time to time at home also, although I found controlling my eating at home much easier).

Once I got over this, I found that I can mostly eat sweets in moderation now, and often have a small dessert after dinner that fits in my calories. Work remains my more dangerous place, though, so I try to avoid starting with sweets there.

Your issues may be completely different, but it's probably going to be helpful to think through when you crave things, what, what's going on, how recently you've eaten, etc.

As for what to eat if I'm craving something, I find that there are two completely different things that can work. One is become a sweets snob and eat a little of something really high quality or tasty and just appreciate it fully. I'll buy a single serving square of fancy chocolate or have a half cup of ice cream (as noted above). The other is to eat something you like that is totally different, for me this often gets rid of any sweets craving. Pickles work for me often, or if I have calories, a piece of cheese. This is something I have experimented with when cutting out sweets for a time--other foods that I appreciate as a treat that aren't sweets. (Fruit (including avocado) and cheese are usually my go tos, although of course fruit is generally sweet.)

Before I quit smoking and my metabolism went out the window, I ate a full Snickers every afternoon. That was about the only sweet I had except for the occasional birthday celebration. I don't understand "addicted to sweets" though, just as I don't understand being addicted to drugs or alcohol. I don't even believe I was addicted to smoking, and still don't. I hated smoking even while enjoying it. Even though I smoked for nearly 35 years, when I quit, I did quit, then cried for two weeks because it was so easy once I DECIDED TO DO IT. That's all it takes. You just have to decide to do it. Once you've decided, it's easy.

linsey0689 wrote: »

I love anything sweet and I can't stop. I can do this and lost weight before but gain some back with personal issues. But anyway sweet stuff throws me off with the constant craving of sweet thing. I'm sure others deal with this. Tips on what to eat and he to deal with this

Treat refined sugar as an addiction and eliminate it. Stick to the MFP limits for carbs and sugars when eating fruit, starches, and plain dairy. It gets easier after a few months of elimination. You'll have more energy and less intense hunger.

I can sympathize...I have a real problem with sugary pastries. I just don't let myself near the doughnut section at the grocery story But seriously, I just work some kind of goodie into my calories or else I binge and end up eating way more. Half a cup of Tillamook ice cream is just over 100 calories, and so I save those for after dinner. I suppose I could cut all the sweets out of my diet but then I'd be sad why do that when I can still lose weight and have my ice cream?!