Sugar addiction
Options
Replies
-
I 100% agree with the above response. I watched a great scientific documentary, The Bitter Truth by Dr Robert Lustwig. One thing that really stuck out to me is that high fructose corn syrup has a glycemic index of like 170 while an apple has like 60. You would think that because HFCS is sweeter we'd eat less but the opposite is true and it causes us to crave more and become addicted. It goes into the science of this.
I truly believe I have been an addict of sugar from early childhood. We always had Sam's club portions of fruit roll ups and ice cream sandwiches and the like and I rarely could eat enough where dessert wasn't tempting. Since starting MFP and reading about and working on my sugar addiction, I can honestly say it doesn't have a strong hold on me like it used to. It was my daughter's birthday and we got 3 cupcakes (one for her, one for me, and one for my husband) and because they didn't blow me away I threw away more than half of mine. It was honestly the first time in my life I feel I have control over the sugar in my body.
Avoiding HFCS is definitely a great first step. Rudi's organic bread is great .... most breads have HFCS. I put hummus on my sandwiches instead of mayo. I do, however, still use Heinz ketchup which has HFCS because I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, but not very often
Best of luck but know it can be tackled!!!What worked for me to kinda rewire my brain a bit, was to avoid things with high fructose corn syrup. Just avoid it 100%. But you have to look for it in labels. It's in salad dressing, bread, barbeque sauce, breading on deep fried things... just about everything in convenience stores.
When you're at the store, look at the label. If it has HFCS, put it back on the shelf and select another brand until you find one without HFCS. You can still eat brownies, cookies, etc. But eat ones with actual sugar and honey. This isn't because HFCS is somehow worse than regular sugar. It's more that it is a highly concentrated way to get calories, even more dense than straight sugar.
After about 4-6 weeks, your tastebuds will adjust to the lower sugar levels. Things like carrots and sweet potatoes will start to actually taste sweet. Your mileage may vary, but this worked for me. Now when I eat something with HFCS it tastes very chemical-y and fake and oversweet. I will eat it, of course, because it's in tons of things. But it's something I still notice when reading labels.
0 -
It's like Godzilla. She never goes away. Just stompin...0
-
I 100% agree with the above response. I watched a great scientific documentary, The Bitter Truth by Dr Robert Lustwig.
Lustig (not Lustwig) is a quack. You didn't watch a documentary, you watched a propaganda piece
http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/01/29/the-bitter-truth-about-fructose-alarmism/0 -
I 100% agree with the above response. I watched a great scientific documentary, The Bitter Truth by Dr Robert Lustwig. One thing that really stuck out to me is that high fructose corn syrup has a glycemic index of like 170 while an apple has like 60. You would think that because HFCS is sweeter we'd eat less but the opposite is true and it causes us to crave more and become addicted. It goes into the science of this.
I truly believe I have been an addict of sugar from early childhood. We always had Sam's club portions of fruit roll ups and ice cream sandwiches and the like and I rarely could eat enough where dessert wasn't tempting. Since starting MFP and reading about and working on my sugar addiction, I can honestly say it doesn't have a strong hold on me like it used to. It was my daughter's birthday and we got 3 cupcakes (one for her, one for me, and one for my husband) and because they didn't blow me away I threw away more than half of mine. It was honestly the first time in my life I feel I have control over the sugar in my body.
Avoiding HFCS is definitely a great first step. Rudi's organic bread is great .... most breads have HFCS. I put hummus on my sandwiches instead of mayo. I do, however, still use Heinz ketchup which has HFCS because I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, but not very often
Best of luck but know it can be tackled!!!What worked for me to kinda rewire my brain a bit, was to avoid things with high fructose corn syrup. Just avoid it 100%. But you have to look for it in labels. It's in salad dressing, bread, barbeque sauce, breading on deep fried things... just about everything in convenience stores.
When you're at the store, look at the label. If it has HFCS, put it back on the shelf and select another brand until you find one without HFCS. You can still eat brownies, cookies, etc. But eat ones with actual sugar and honey. This isn't because HFCS is somehow worse than regular sugar. It's more that it is a highly concentrated way to get calories, even more dense than straight sugar.
After about 4-6 weeks, your tastebuds will adjust to the lower sugar levels. Things like carrots and sweet potatoes will start to actually taste sweet. Your mileage may vary, but this worked for me. Now when I eat something with HFCS it tastes very chemical-y and fake and oversweet. I will eat it, of course, because it's in tons of things. But it's something I still notice when reading labels.
Be careful of documentaries.. they tend to cherry pick science to back up their claims.0 -
-
I 100% agree with the above response. I watched a great scientific documentary, The Bitter Truth by Dr Robert Lustwig. One thing that really stuck out to me is that high fructose corn syrup has a glycemic index of like 170 while an apple has like 60. You would think that because HFCS is sweeter we'd eat less but the opposite is true and it causes us to crave more and become addicted. It goes into the science of this.
I truly believe I have been an addict of sugar from early childhood. We always had Sam's club portions of fruit roll ups and ice cream sandwiches and the like and I rarely could eat enough where dessert wasn't tempting. Since starting MFP and reading about and working on my sugar addiction, I can honestly say it doesn't have a strong hold on me like it used to. It was my daughter's birthday and we got 3 cupcakes (one for her, one for me, and one for my husband) and because they didn't blow me away I threw away more than half of mine. It was honestly the first time in my life I feel I have control over the sugar in my body.
Avoiding HFCS is definitely a great first step. Rudi's organic bread is great .... most breads have HFCS. I put hummus on my sandwiches instead of mayo. I do, however, still use Heinz ketchup which has HFCS because I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, but not very often
Best of luck but know it can be tackled!!!What worked for me to kinda rewire my brain a bit, was to avoid things with high fructose corn syrup. Just avoid it 100%. But you have to look for it in labels. It's in salad dressing, bread, barbeque sauce, breading on deep fried things... just about everything in convenience stores.
When you're at the store, look at the label. If it has HFCS, put it back on the shelf and select another brand until you find one without HFCS. You can still eat brownies, cookies, etc. But eat ones with actual sugar and honey. This isn't because HFCS is somehow worse than regular sugar. It's more that it is a highly concentrated way to get calories, even more dense than straight sugar.
After about 4-6 weeks, your tastebuds will adjust to the lower sugar levels. Things like carrots and sweet potatoes will start to actually taste sweet. Your mileage may vary, but this worked for me. Now when I eat something with HFCS it tastes very chemical-y and fake and oversweet. I will eat it, of course, because it's in tons of things. But it's something I still notice when reading labels.
Lustig is a fairly reputable endocrinologist specializing in treating (I believe) child metabolic disorders. Unfortunately, I think that's lead him to golden hammer thinking (when you have a golden hammer, all problems are nails), and over stretching his expertise.
He wants to criticize calories, but he thinks the laws of thermodynamics were written by Issac Newton.
He's in such a rush to vilify sugar, he's got people to try to drudge up statistics to show it as environmentally harmful to grow sugar.0 -
I haven't fully kicked sugar, but I do log it whenever I have it, and because it's calorically "expensive" to have a cookie versus a few slices of turkey with some cheese, plus I feel hungrier after, and there's very little nutritional value to most high sugar things I would eat, my desire for sugar has been abating. I'm not a huge paleo proponent but I would recommend trying out some good paleo meals (egg, sausage and guacamole breakfast sandwich, protein pancakes, chicken and vegetables) due to the level of satiety and how it blunts the thirst for carbs/sugar. Also the sweetness of dark berries can be an excellent substitute: blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries. A handful of those make me feel like I'm eating candy but without the negative aftereffects and high calories.0
-
How to give up sugar? Where do you get the will power? I know what I need to do. It sounds so simple but I haven't been successful yet. Help
I found that after three days... Three GRUELING days of cutting all refined sugar, meaning bread, pasta, sugar, anything sweet... And sticking to a ketogenic diet... Has totally lifted my sugar cravings. Been on it for 14 days now. Not a craving in site. And I was totally addicted to sugar.0 -
Lustig isn't a quack and your article didn't prove that he is. To the original poster, there is support and science behind sugar addiction and I recommend you find something that hits a nerve with you. The Bitter Truth was a documentary that helped me cut sugar from my diet and I'm thankful for that.juggernaut1974 wrote: »I 100% agree with the above response. I watched a great scientific documentary, The Bitter Truth by Dr Robert Lustig.
Lustig (not Lustwig) is a quack. You didn't watch a documentary, you watched a propaganda piece
http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/01/29/the-bitter-truth-about-fructose-alarmism/
0 -
Sweeteners. I love sugar so I can not live without it, moderation + cheating (sweeteners) works for me.
I have a new daily goal of 65g since I changed my weight loss goal on MFP from 85g.
With exercise or physical activity, you get an extra allowance (bonus).
Life without sugar is not worth living??0 -
What has helped me is not only to eat a very low sugar and carb diet is eat foods that help me regulate sugar. I find when I drink my green drink (kale, carrot, apples, cucumbers, ginger) in the morning, I have less of a craving for sweets. Also I eat beans for lunch which further lessens my cravings for sweets.
I find that even if I have sweets in the house, it is easier for me to resist them (i.e., my husband brings home my favorite ice cream and he ended up eating it all. In the past, when I used will power along, it would stay for a couple of days, then one day I would eat the whole thing at once!)
However, when I am with friends and everyone is eating cakes, that is where I am weak. In the past week I broke down and had cake and another time ice-cream because the people I was with were eating it after dinner.0 -
Sweeteners. I love sugar so I can not live without it, moderation + cheating (sweeteners) works for me.
I have a new daily goal of 65g since I changed my weight loss goal on MFP from 85g.
With exercise or physical activity, you get an extra allowance (bonus).
Life without sugar is not worth living??
Better put me way!! A world I would not want to live in either!! LOL
0 -
If there's science behind it, can you link to the science rather than mentioning documentaries?Lustig isn't a quack and your article didn't prove that he is. To the original poster, there is support and science behind sugar addiction and I recommend you find something that hits a nerve with you. The Bitter Truth was a documentary that helped me cut sugar from my diet and I'm thankful for that.juggernaut1974 wrote: »I 100% agree with the above response. I watched a great scientific documentary, The Bitter Truth by Dr Robert Lustig.
Lustig (not Lustwig) is a quack. You didn't watch a documentary, you watched a propaganda piece
http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/01/29/the-bitter-truth-about-fructose-alarmism/
0 -
goldthistime wrote: »I have another link for you
http://www.moderation.org/faq/coping.shtml
Here is the intro:
Habits and urges go hand in hand. In fact, many people in the throes of an addictive behavior problem, whether it is overeating, drug use or alcohol abuse, claim that they derive no pleasure from their habit--that it is nothing but the relentless craving that fuels ongoing addictive behavior. What is usually most difficult for people when changing a bad habit is coping with the sometimes relentless urges. The initial days of a habit kicking plan can be exhausting as urges dominate thinking and interfere with daily routine. Many people give up change efforts because they feel that there is no way they can function without their habit as the urges interfere too much with quality of life.
It is important to remember that urges, in and of themselves, are normal. We experience craving in varying degrees every day. And because your habit has been important to you for a long time, it may be unreasonable to expect urges to vanish completely. What is hoped is that you will come to experience urges with less frequency and that when they are experienced you will be able to react in a way that avoids relapse.
The "three Ds" can be helpful in coping with urges and craving, 'whether these urges are related to alcohol or drug use, overeating, tobacco use or any habit you are attempting to change. The Ds stand for Decatastrophizing, Disputing expectancies and Distracting.
I would say this is good advice if you truly feel as if it's an addiction. If it's just a habit, you might be able to add sugar back in0 -
NM. Already responded.0
-
Sweeteners. I love sugar so I can not live without it, moderation + cheating (sweeteners) works for me...
...Life without sugar is not worth living??
Really?
You're exaggerating, right? Thinking like that is the reason many with insulin resistance and CAD get sicker and die prematurely. Yes sugar is tasty, but your reason for living? 0 -
Sugar felt something like what i imagine a mild addiction is like to me. I treated it like one and removed sugar from my diet, as well as most carbs, to treat my insulin resistance, autoimmune issues, sugar cravings and weight. The ketogenic diet worked for me. My health improved and my cravings left.
But! I made myself a crustless, sugar free cheese cake for canadian thanksgiving. Not because I craved it but because I thought I would treat myself. It awoke my cravings even though it had almost no carbs. The cravings aren't super strong, like it used to be, but it is noticeable and I've been having "carb creep" lately. I am hungrier and looking for sweet things. I am cutting sweet things again in an effort to nip this in the bud.... Until Christmas.
For me, moderation didn't work. I just had to fight cravings wen i did that. Removing sugar worked better. I just had to fight cravings for a few days rather than ongoing.0 -
Lustig isn't a quack and your article didn't prove that he is. To the original poster, there is support and science behind sugar addiction and I recommend you find something that hits a nerve with you. The Bitter Truth was a documentary that helped me cut sugar from my diet and I'm thankful for that.juggernaut1974 wrote: »I 100% agree with the above response. I watched a great scientific documentary, The Bitter Truth by Dr Robert Lustig.
Lustig (not Lustwig) is a quack. You didn't watch a documentary, you watched a propaganda piece
http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/01/29/the-bitter-truth-about-fructose-alarmism/
The link shows his choice of data is cherry-picked for suspicious reasons.
The reasons he's a quack is because he's pushing past his domain. He's not a quack when it comes to endocrinology, but he is when it comes to his epidemiological opining. As I said before, he wants to argue a calorie isn't a calorie, but doesn't even know enough about thermodynamics to know there are no Newton's laws of thermodynamics.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.5K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 392 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 926 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions