Sugar Addiction, Anxiety And Weight Loss

caseykatw · August 2015

Whew, that thread title really focuses on the negatives, huh?

Well, I'm Casey. I'm 20 years old. I live in Minnesota with my boyfriend and four guinea pigs. I am currently on break from school, but going back to a local university in January. I like reading, writing, drawing, music (I have been singing/playing instruments my whole life), playing magic the gathering and many other things.

Oh, and I'm obese. 5' 8" and 230 lbs. My goal weight is 140. It's going to take a long time to get there but I would rather it be a way of life than just end at my goal.

I want to lose weight primarily to be healthier. I have IBS, Fibromyalgia, and severe anxiety (that is getting a lot better- yay!). Many of these conditions can be great alleviated by losing weight by exercising and eating.

Currently, I'm trying to detox from sugar. Today was my first day. I went "cold turkey" on blatant sugary things like ice cream, candy, cookies, cakes, pop (soda), and other treats. I consumed these things daily to a pretty high degree. I would binge on these things and feel awful afterwards- both physically and emotionally. Today was met with extreme mood swings, very irritable, upset, constant headache, feeling ill, and now I can't sleep. These are all very typical of sugar withdrawal, especially for someone who consumed sugar at such a high amount.

I have struggled with food my whole life, using it as a security blanket in anxious times, rewarding myself with it, hiding food & binging (no purging), and not eating in front of others. I've told myself that until I can have a healthy relationship with "treats," I wasn't going to have them. Now that doesn't mean i can't find alternatives. And the state fair is coming up so that is two days I will be eating more unhealthy type foods. But it's all about not going overboard. Special occasions are for eating special. Not rewarding weight loss and fitness goals with food.

Sorry to ramble on- I love to talk about my goals and listen to others. So if anyone wants to be email penpals (preferably a female around my age- early twenties), please don't be shy!

Happy to be back (again) on MFP!

mjgrin · August 2015

I'll be adding you in a moment.

I struggle with anxiety too. I used food to self-medicate to make myself feel better temporarily. It worked, but never long enough. It's a struggle, but well worth it.

Welcome back to MFP

BarbieQLoo · October 2015

Hi Casey. I am Barbie and I am trying to kick my "sugar addiction". I was wondering how long it took for you to feel normal. I am honestly having a rough time today.

elisablondie · October 2015

I feel your pain guys, I am addicted to sugar as well

I am trying to substitute sweets with fruits...

Lilyfortner · October 2015

Hi Hopefully you all will quit the addiction before it is to late. Now that I have diabetes its a do or die situation. I spent my whole life thinking that it would not happen to me but I was wrong. I have quit pop and now I am working on not eating bread. Good luck!

OhMsDiva · October 2015

I am not in my 20, or even close, but I suffer from anxiety daily. I don't know that I am a sugar addict, but before starting my program I had to have something sweet with every meal and a dessert before bed. I don't actually think I met a dessert that I didn't like. On my specific program I still have a dessert everynight but I do not feel the need to eat sweets all day long anymore.

PinkPixiexox · October 2015

Hi - good to see you here

First of all, cutting out sugar from your diet is totally, totally not needed. You can still enjoy the food you love and lose weight, you just need to eat those sugar-filled foods in moderation. This doesn't need to be a punishment. I've lost over 30lbs and I haven't cut out anything that I enjoy because that would make this whole process unrealistic and unsustainable for me. Moderation is key.

It's good to see you wanting to make a go of things and I wish you the very best of luck.

caseykatw · October 2015

Hello! I'm back. It's easy to ignore places like this and continue your bad habits. Nice to see I'm not the only one!

It seems like it's never possible for me to eat something in moderation. Well, i guess it depends. I chose a mini blizzard instead of a full size? That is a start, right?

I love baking and I want to learn to cook quite well, too! Honestly, I just love good food. But here I am working at a gas station and chowing down on gross sweets, snacks and treats every night!

I was doing very well with dieting and walking when I got into a bad car accident that halted my exercise and somehow ended my eating healthy, too? Now the scale is climbing back up and I can't deal with it. I know this journey is long, but I want it to be done.

That isn't the attitude to have, though. I'm working on attitudes, trying to see myself in a better way, treat myself better. I wouldn't be friends with a person who treated me like I treat myself. And that's eye opening. It's a start. It's a beginning to not putting so much of my time and effort into eating- what and when and where I eat next. There is more to life. Eating is essential, but it doesn't have to be so time consuming or thought consuming.

Just some thoughts.

emmargest · October 2015

Choosing a different size blizzard is TOTALLY a great start. I have been on a very similar journey, and it has had lots of ups and downs, but I have to say that I'm thankful for each of them. Overall I've learned a lot about myself and I have had the opportunity to work on my emotional health because of how it manifests in my eating habits. I think one thing that helps me is taking time for gratitude every day. It may seem unrelated, but it helps me shift my mindset slightly and when my emotions dip or anxiety takes over, it helps me stay in a more positive mindset (or at the very least, allows me to be mindful and aware of my emotions). Congratulations on your journey!!!

Sugar Addiction, Anxiety And Weight Loss

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