Reducing Sugar Cravings: How Long?

rosestring
rosestring Posts: 225 Member
edited November 23 in Food and Nutrition
So, after binging literally every time I *try* to eat "just a few cookies," I end up eating about twelve. This is using tonight as an example after I bought two six-packs of Oreo cookies, not to mention the two servings gummy bears and one serving Mountain Dew. I very rarely drink soda, but now I'm starting to like it again.

I have tried to just "treat myself here and there," but I cannot do moderation successfully. When I ended up falling in a deep depression months back where I hardly ate anything (not even sweets), I ended up barely craving sweets at all, even after the depression had passed. It wasn't until one day when I was out with a friend and we all got ice cream. I wasn't even craving it that much, but I thought "well, I haven't done this in awhile, so it can't hurt."

I've been having uncontrollable cravings ever since. For those of you who went cold turkey, how long did it take you to lose your cravings? I've heard some people say the first two or three days are bad, but they get over it after that. Obviously, what might work for one person might not work for me, but I would like to at least ask for advice on this.

Replies

  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    Whether you buy 2 sixpacks of Oreos, fifty, or none, you are still using self-control. You only bought two, so you know you can do it.

    You CAN do it.
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,213 Member
    I think there is something to the concept of an abstinence period for reducing cravings. I've been reading about changing gut flora when diet changes. As to length of time, I have had friends who did 10 days of virtually no added sugar (and sometimes reduced carbs in general). If your cravings subside after 3 days though, maybe that's all the time you need.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    "Cold turkey"....are you trying to give up added sugar for the rest of your life? 2 days, 1 week...what difference does it make...it's forever.

    I know I won't be be sugar free forever. So there's no point in cold turkey for me. I'm just doing lifestyle changes (yo-yo dieter here). I'm not trying to give up (added) sugar while trying to lose weight, because I need to manage sugar before I get to maintenance. Because managing sugar is what I will need to do forever.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    @rosestring when I went off carbs and grains cold turkey nearly a year ago the addiction like cravings did start fading fast after two weeks and those two weeks were hard. After 30 days the cravings were gone for the most part as well as my pain. The IBS started to clear up a few months and now has been cured about 6 months.

    I flat did not know I was a 40 year carb addict until I tried to taper off of them for two months and failed. An addiction is a bit more than just a self control problem. At least it was in my case.

    After my coffee, eggs and bacon from the Huddle House and a movie came back by the office to finish running a lot of Windows updates so I do not have to wait on them Monday. In the break room we have soft drinks, Twinkies, Ding Dongs, etc. A year ago I would have them cleaned out after being here a couple hours by myself.

    After I started eating < 50 grams of carbs daily the first of Oct 2014 I have not eaten one carb item from the break room. :) When I was a carb addict that was not possible. There was a physical craving that just is NOT there starting a month after I went off carbs cold turkey.
  • martymid
    martymid Posts: 16 Member
    " I cannot do moderation successfully. "

    Yeah, I was thinking this morning - I should eat nothing after supper, because I always eat too much.
    I thought that but I didn't do that...

    As for cravings. I used to crave chocolate every day and eat chocolate every day. Now I rarely eat chocolate, and rarely crave it. Once every couple months or so I will have a moderate amount (like 10 Hershey's kisses) and then
    the next day I will crave more. I never give in to that craving and it is gone the next day. When I first quit eating chocolate, it was probably 10 days or more before I quit thinking about it every day.

    Now when I think about eating something that is a poor choice, (like a DQ Chocolate Boston Malt) I tell myself I can have one if I want to, but....not today, maybe next week. Then I don't have to make another decision about it until next week. That works pretty well for me. (I've been to DQ only once this year.)

    I don't think I will respond to any more postings on this subject as I'm starting to crave DQ and/or Hershey's now.
  • rosestring
    rosestring Posts: 225 Member
    Thank you to everyone who replied. That "I can always have it tomorrow" strategy sounds like it may work for me.

    Even if the cravings don't go away, does saying "no" get easier the more you do it? Does that sense of self discipline strengthen the more you say no? I've always struggled with self discipline in other areas of my life, so maybe that is another reason why I have such a difficult time with moderation.
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,213 Member
    rosestring wrote: »
    Thank you to everyone who replied. That "I can always have it tomorrow" strategy sounds like it may work for me.

    Even if the cravings don't go away, does saying "no" get easier the more you do it? Does that sense of self discipline strengthen the more you say no? I've always struggled with self discipline in other areas of my life, so maybe that is another reason why I have such a difficult time with moderation.

    Yes and no. In my experience, and I have heard diet experts say that eating a lower carb diet in general tends to reduce cravings. Meaning you may not have success if you stop eating sugar but eat a lot of bread. So yes. But if you are a victim of PMS (as I have been), the cravings still rear their ugly heads one or two days a month. On those days I up my calories to maintenance and eat more, but don't succumb to cravings. In fact, my rule in general is I can have it if I don't desperately want it.

  • GhostlyGoat37
    GhostlyGoat37 Posts: 47 Member
    If you find that the self control method doesn't work, don't buy the cookies in the first place. Keep all sweets out of the house and avoid the cookie aisle when shopping for groceries. This is the only thing that works for me. If you're having trouble with cravings, make a single serving of home-made cookies (free of processed sugar) to satisfy them. Fruit (fresh or dried) always does the trick for me.
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,254 Member
    rosestring wrote: »
    Thank you to everyone who replied. That "I can always have it tomorrow" strategy sounds like it may work for me.

    Even if the cravings don't go away, does saying "no" get easier the more you do it? Does that sense of self discipline strengthen the more you say no? I've always struggled with self discipline in other areas of my life, so maybe that is another reason why I have such a difficult time with moderation.

    This strategy has worked really well for me. My sense of self discipline has strengthened not with saying no more often, but from seeing weight loss results and realizing that is more important to me than the momentary pleasure of eating above my calorie goals. Every so often I still have strong cravings. And I don't always say no. But then it's right back on the wagon.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    rosestring wrote: »
    So, after binging literally every time I *try* to eat "just a few cookies," I end up eating about twelve. This is using tonight as an example after I bought two six-packs of Oreo cookies, not to mention the two servings gummy bears and one serving Mountain Dew. I very rarely drink soda, but now I'm starting to like it again.

    I have tried to just "treat myself here and there," but I cannot do moderation successfully. When I ended up falling in a deep depression months back where I hardly ate anything (not even sweets), I ended up barely craving sweets at all, even after the depression had passed. It wasn't until one day when I was out with a friend and we all got ice cream. I wasn't even craving it that much, but I thought "well, I haven't done this in awhile, so it can't hurt."

    I've been having uncontrollable cravings ever since. For those of you who went cold turkey, how long did it take you to lose your cravings? I've heard some people say the first two or three days are bad, but they get over it after that. Obviously, what might work for one person might not work for me, but I would like to at least ask for advice on this.

    I too failed at moderation. Repeatedly. Eating low carb high fat works well for me. I'm actually very low carb and am in ketosis. I eat fewer than 30g of total carbs on most days.

    My physical cravings for carbs were gone within a week of eating LCHF, and when I started my carbs were clear to 50g per day. I would still like to eat a cookie or twelve, but it is not easy to pass on it. It is about the same difficulty as passing on a hot dog or a plate of raw veggies. Easy.

    I did feel poorly in my first week LCHF, but I have felt better than ever since then. If LCHF appeals to you, take a look into it.
    Best wishes.
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