Sugar Cravings
Replies
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Hello to Jefbro. I believe that sugar is addictive, not just the taste but also the feel good factor and for me personally, if I eat one cupcake it makes me hungry for more cupcakes, it is extremely hard to stop at one cupcake. Then after the cupcakes I have cravings all day long for other flavours like fat, salt (potato chips), carbs and "real" food as in meals and almost everything in sight! It is almost like an insatiable appetite which = overeating = Type 2 diabetes (strong family history) and I am prediabetic, I have a chance to get rid of this disease before it attacks me and the only way I can do that is to count calories, eat well, exercise, have my very occasional treat of cake to keep myself mentally happy and to not eat sugar every day as I used to. This is what helped me, hope it helps you too:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/13-ways-to-fight-sugar-cravings
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I don't understand why some people are stating that sugar isn't addictive. If I'm not addicted to it then why do I feel physically ill when I don't have it. Why does it give me so much satisfaction when I get it after I've been craving it. I feel that my reactions to it are the same as the reactions that smokers have to nicotine, or that an alcoholic has to the drink. Too much sugar can do just as much harm as a cigarette or alcohol. I believe that the reason that I'm fighting so hard to lose weight now is mainly because of my constant cravings for sugar and carbs from processed foods.
The reason we all debate sugar addiction is because there aren't any human studies that correlate sugar to being addictive. Thing of it like this, do you binge on fruit, veggies, dairy or do you eat straight cane sugar? All of those have sugar in it. The fact is, the majority of the foods that people say they are addicted to - cake, ice cream, cookies, muffins, etc... - tend to have large amounts of fat and sugar (and in some case more calories of fat than sugar). In the end, people just love hyperpalatable foods, essentially, we just love good food.
And the reason it gives you so much satisfaction, is that you absolutely love those foods. I am no different than you with steak, wings, korean bbq, or klondike bars. And it's even potential that you developed an emotion response or reward system towards these foods.
Now there are really two major ways to approaching the situation.. abstinence or moderation. For me, abstinence of foods does not work. For you, if you like very structure and you can't moderate quantity, it's possible you need to go cold turkey. Or you have the option of incorporating some of these foods on a weekly or semi frequent basis. For me, I eat 80-90% of my calories from fruits, veggies, fish, meats, whole grains (especially high in fiber) and some dairy, but I have a Klondike each night. And why not, I bust my but working out 6 days a week. I started my weight loss journey at 202 and now I sit at 175, which is my high school weight (I am 33 now).
So honestly, you need to find an approach that works for you.
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UltimateRBF wrote: »
The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories of carbohydrates.WinoGelato wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »What can I do to help alleviate sugar cravings?
Hi, @Jefbro98.
Do you have a medical reason for avoiding sugar?
If not, did you know that sugar is a vital part of a healthy diet, so it's fine to eat it in moderation.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/added-sugar/art-20045328
The science says we do not need to eat sugar or any carbs for health. Protein and fats are essential nutrients. This fundamental understanding is important to help people combat the overpromotion of carbs by the food and nutrition industries and put them in the proper place and amount in diets built for health.
A majority of obese, overweight and even skinny people with metabolic illnesses are over eating carbohydrates, please do not undermine the accurate understanding of nutritional needs that will help them address their health issues.
Yes because a diet void of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is obviously the healthiest possible diet.
There are many, many healthy carbs. If the OP wants to restrict added sugars from her diet (either permanently or forever) because she has difficulty moderating them, I have no issues with that, but I feel that extreme restriction of an entire macro group because someone has labeled carbs as junk is unnecessary and definitely not a straight pathway to health for any individual.
The bolded statement is true due to our overeating of a non-essental nutrient for a very large group of people with metabolic health issues.
It is fully possible to get all nutrients needed from a variety of meats and water.
To your body, carbohydrates are non-essential. Non-essential means you do not need to eat them to sustain your life. The reason so many so many of us are sick and overweight is we are eating HALF of our diet (or much more fore some) of a non essential nutrient that our many of our bodies cannot handle eating at that quantity.
No. The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories. Period. There are some people with medical conditions that may need to restrict carbohydrates, but that is not the majority of the population.
Reducing carbohydrates can be an effective tool to help achieve a calorie deficit, enabling people to lose weight and become healthier, but to advise that a diet of meat and water is better than a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, dairy, and healthy fats is ludicrous.
In the last 4 decades in the US consumption went up by 200c pp per day and carb consumption percent of calories went up by 20%. Results equal diabesity epidemic. It follows that we also have a pre-diabetic epidemic also since it takes years or decades of inappropriate diet to create a diabetic. This is what happens when we elevate a non-essential macronutrient (carbs) to an unnatural level in our diets.
No one said meat and water was healthier except you. Don't misread.
Our health system is strictly oriented to treating identified sickness. It is pretty useless at stopping people from getting sick by diet, that is strictly the job of the individual.
I've only read this far in the thread, but do you have any sources for what appear to be these rather far fetched claims you keep making?
Because your statement you yourself bolded is blatantly false
Here is my farfetched source - http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5304a3.htm
Here is additional data to what happens to intakes if you expand it another 7 years.
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/91/5/1530S.full
"Long-term trends indicate marked increases in availability of added oils, meat, cheese, frozen dairy products, sweeteners (particularly those used in carbonated beverages), fruit, fruit juices, and vegetables, which may have influenced the prevalence of childhood obesity. Flour and cereal availability has fallen since the early 1900s but has rebounded in recent decades. "
aka... all foods have increased. The bigger problem is... too much food, not enough exercise and very little control over ones diet. It's how most of us got into this situation.
OP, personally, i have seen much greater success when I have preplanned a treat into my diet. For some, eating more fruit works, for others its eliminating foods. You really have to determine which route works best for you.
I guess that I should have clarified in my original post that I crave carbs from the wrong sources. I crave carbs/sugar from processed foods such as candy, cookies, white bread, etc. The carbs from healthy sources dont satiate me. If I budget these into my diet then that uses up half my calories. I guess I'll just have to keep fighting and also make some hard choices until the cravings subside. The cravings have lessened somewhat over the past week or so.
Also, one tricked that has worked for me is to concentrate on calories first, then protein. Also, I prelog my calories, which has made a huge impact. If i plan my day and protein is low, I swamp my meals a bit to ensure I hit my protein.
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@psulemon I just wanted to say how refreshing it is to read a response to the "sugar addiction" issue that was written with respect and actual helpful information.
I 100% agree about psulemon's response (although I've seen numerous posts along the same lines, including from him before, so don't think they are as rare as you suggest).
Really good post, though.0 -
Pretty sure 100% fruit contains sugar. Shouldn't we stop eating fruit first then?caroldavison332 wrote: »77% of processed food contains sugar. Stop eating it. Chemically it makes your energy drop and secrete insulin which tells you body that you are hungry.
I've been on my diet for 3 weeks. Last Friday I had a chef salad with bacon, cheese and hard boiled eggs. It wasn't as good as the vegan salad (bitter greens, asparagus, beans, beets, jicima, kale salad, califlower, broccoli, mushrooms, onions, peanuts, sesame seeds) that I normally have at work.
MY TASTES CHANGED! SO CAN YOURS!0 -
I don't get the argument anyway. Let's say that we could actually determine that 77% of processed foods included added sugar (I am skeptical) and that we agreed that added sugar=Satan (I do not).
Why should that affect my decision to eat OTHER processed foods in that I can easily find out in many cases whether any added sugar is included. For example, I eat bagged steel cut oats, bagged dried pasta, canned tomatoes, cottage cheese and plain greek yogurt. I know that there's no added sugar in any of these, so choosing not to eat them because -- oooh, scary, they are processed! -- would make no sense.
There is a little bit of sugar in smoked salmon, due to the process, but why would that make it non-beneficial, especially if my overall sugar (and added sugar) are well below any reasonable limits?
I'd love a logical answer to this.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »@psulemon I just wanted to say how refreshing it is to read a response to the "sugar addiction" issue that was written with respect and actual helpful information.
I 100% agree about psulemon's response (although I've seen numerous posts along the same lines, including from him before, so don't think they are as rare as you suggest).
Really good post, though.
I wasn't actually trying to suggest anything...at least that wasn't my intention. I just really liked the way he handled his response.
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Seems like the general consensus here is just to hold on and fight the cravings. Well that's what I've been trying to do, and I'll keep fighting but I think sugar should be considered another type of drug!
Some doctors out there think it is:
http://www.thedoctorwithin.com/sugar/sugar-the-sweet-thief-of-life/0 -
Seems like the general consensus here is just to hold on and fight the cravings. Well that's what I've been trying to do, and I'll keep fighting but I think sugar should be considered another type of drug!
Some doctors out there think it is:
http://www.thedoctorwithin.com/sugar/sugar-the-sweet-thief-of-life/
I would like to point out that all of their references are from the 90's... It's like science hasn't changed in 15 or 20 years.
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Seems like the general consensus here is just to hold on and fight the cravings. Well that's what I've been trying to do, and I'll keep fighting but I think sugar should be considered another type of drug!
Some doctors out there think it is:
http://www.thedoctorwithin.com/sugar/sugar-the-sweet-thief-of-life/
I would like to point out that all of their references are from the 90's... It's like science hasn't changed in 15 or 20 years.
So what: I wasn't speaking directly to the science. I was amused by Jefbro98's comment "I think sugar should be considered another type of drug" and therefore shared my comment above because of that so that Jefbro98 knew he wasn't the only one who thought/felt that way.0 -
When my sweet tooth kicks in I have an Outshine Simply Yogurt Bar (yogurt on an ice cream stick) or I'll have 2 Oreo Thins. I'm not use too eating a lot of food (just the wrong foods). Now that I am eating healthier foods & keeping track I always seem to have left over #'s in all the categories to be able to have something sweet if the urge kicks in.0
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Seems like the general consensus here is just to hold on and fight the cravings. Well that's what I've been trying to do, and I'll keep fighting but I think sugar should be considered another type of drug!
Some doctors out there think it is:
http://www.thedoctorwithin.com/sugar/sugar-the-sweet-thief-of-life/
I would like to point out that all of their references are from the 90's... It's like science hasn't changed in 15 or 20 years.
So what: I wasn't speaking directly to the science. I was amused by Jefbro98's comment "I think sugar should be considered another type of drug" and therefore shared my comment above because of that so that Jefbro98 knew he wasn't the only one who thought/felt that way.
Do you consider sugar so much a drug that you would have it declared illegal?
If it is truly a drug then how do you explain why some of us can eat sugar and not have cravings or over consume it?
How do you feel about sodium/salt? It too is found in most foods either naturally or added. Many people...myself included would rather have a salty food over a sweet food.
I understand that someone can develop an extreme "like" for certain foods. What I don't understand is why anyone would consider them a drug.
BTW...my love for salt started as a child and continued into adulthood. I still REALLY love salty food...I just don't eat as many of those foods nor consume an overly amount of salt.
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Seems like the general consensus here is just to hold on and fight the cravings. Well that's what I've been trying to do, and I'll keep fighting but I think sugar should be considered another type of drug!
Some doctors out there think it is:
http://www.thedoctorwithin.com/sugar/sugar-the-sweet-thief-of-life/
I would like to point out that all of their references are from the 90's... It's like science hasn't changed in 15 or 20 years.
So what: I wasn't speaking directly to the science. I was amused by Jefbro98's comment "I think sugar should be considered another type of drug" and therefore shared my comment above because of that so that Jefbro98 knew he wasn't the only one who thought/felt that way.
Do you consider sugar so much a drug that you would have it declared illegal?
If it is truly a drug then how do you explain why some of us can eat sugar and not have cravings or over consume it?
How do you feel about sodium/salt? It too is found in most foods either naturally or added. Many people...myself included would rather have a salty food over a sweet food.
I understand that someone can develop an extreme "like" for certain foods. What I don't understand is why anyone would consider them a drug.
BTW...my love for salt started as a child and continued into adulthood. I still REALLY love salty food...I just don't eat as many of those foods nor consume an overly amount of salt.
*I* never said it was a drug! You, among others, are missing the point again! I do not think sugar is a drug but I do think it is addictive. What is it about MFP forums where people get attacked for making a comment more along the lines of observation even if their comment isn't their "opinion" on the matter being discussed?! Move on already. I could care less if sugar were "declared illegal." I don't particularly care about salt one way or the other. My body dumps salt because of the lifestyle I follow so I actually have to make an effort to take in a lot of it to counter the salt dumping. I do not crave salty foods like you. I like sweet foods.0 -
No one attacked you...at least I didn't.0
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Introduce more leafy greens and lean proteins. Eliminate/reduce alcohol, starchy veggies like peas and corn, refined sugar and soda pop.
Drink lots of water and add lemon juice (fresh) to it.
Want some sugar, have a lemon wedge and a waterback.0 -
And don't buy processed foods if you can help it, high fructose corn syrup, etc. Read the labels.
A lot of natural fruit are high in sugar, bad for diabetics... granny smith apples are low-sodium.
You can eat sweet and russet potatoes bc they're high in potassium even though they're starchy.
Choose wisely.
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*I* never said it was a drug! You, among others, are missing the point again! I do not think sugar is a drug but I do think it is addictive. What is it about MFP forums where people get attacked for making a comment more along the lines of observation even if their comment isn't their "opinion" on the matter being discussed?! Move on already. I could care less if sugar were "declared illegal." I don't particularly care about salt one way or the other. My body dumps salt because of the lifestyle I follow so I actually have to make an effort to take in a lot of it to counter the salt dumping. I do not crave salty foods like you. I like sweet foods.
No one is attacking you. Disagreement =/= attack. I am not sure if you read the whole thread, but I will requote myself regarding addiction:The reason we all debate sugar addiction is because there aren't any human studies that correlate sugar to being addictive. Thing of it like this, do you binge on fruit, veggies, dairy or do you eat straight cane sugar? All of those have sugar in it. The fact is, the majority of the foods that people say they are addicted to - cake, ice cream, cookies, muffins, etc... - tend to have large amounts of fat and sugar (and in some case more calories of fat than sugar). In the end, people just love hyperpalatable foods, essentially, we just love good food.
And the reason it gives you so much satisfaction, is that you absolutely love those foods. I am no different than you with steak, wings, korean bbq, or klondike bars. And it's even potential that you developed an emotion response or reward system towards these foods.
Now there are really two major ways to approaching the situation.. abstinence or moderation. For me, abstinence of foods does not work. For you, if you like very structure and you can't moderate quantity, it's possible you need to go cold turkey. Or you have the option of incorporating some of these foods on a weekly or semi frequent basis. For me, I eat 80-90% of my calories from fruits, veggies, fish, meats, whole grains (especially high in fiber) and some dairy, but I have a Klondike each night. And why not, I bust my but working out 6 days a week. I started my weight loss journey at 202 and now I sit at 175, which is my high school weight (I am 33 now).
So honestly, you need to find an approach that works for you.
Second, there are people who have all kinds of theories and opinions on the internet, but it doesn't mean they are true.0 -
This is a lifetime journey so there will be times you eat sugar, just gotta be smart and eat the right ones. For example, I use to love ice cream at night for a snack...every night lol. Now I have to switch it up. Once in awhile I'll cut a banana in half,add nuts if I have enough calories left, put fat free cool whip on it, melt ONE square of Lindt dark chocolate and drizzle it over the banana...a sundae minus the fat!1
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