Any tips on overcoming sugar addiction? I'm going crazy

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  • kbeaman206
    kbeaman206 Posts: 6 Member
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    My guide to success where carbs is concerned is ...
    AVOID carbs in the morning ! According to South Beach Diet .. If a person consumes carbs in the morning, the sugar triggers your brain to desire sugar all day. I can attest to this, in my situation, it is fact.
    I do not consume fresh fruit in the morning...I generally have 2 egg whites, 1 yolk, scrambled with spinach and brocolli with feta. I change it up with green chili with the eggs. The key is protein, not carbs.
    Stay away from white carbs. To begin the SB Diet...the plan eliminates carbs for 5 days. Once you have wiened yourself from carbs...your cravings fall off. I DO eat dark chocolate Kisses & Werthers...but, in small controlled amounts. Read the package label..and stick to the recomendation...dont over do it ! But, kickstart your Carb program first.
    Cookies....OMG !! I cannot eat just one...so they are off limit. I have lost 33 lbs since July using FitnessPal and my tracking device. Several years ago my family did a challenge...I lost 60 lbs...then, gained back 30!! this time it is stayng off...my challenge to myself...I cannot go back there...I gave away all my BIG clothes !!
    When I am dead on, on my eating program, I enjoy many of my favorite foods...
    that coupled with my exercise program...WORKS !
    YOU CAN DO IT...YOU MUST MAKE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO CHANGE !
  • sllm1
    sllm1 Posts: 2,114 Member
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    I love to have a serving of ice cream with salted almonds after my workout at the end of the day. I look forward to it immensely. Maybe don't cut sugar out completely so that you feel the need to binge, but cut down to a more reasonable amount. You can hold on through the day knowing you'll have a sweet treat if you're on track. :)
  • sllm1
    sllm1 Posts: 2,114 Member
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    I will also add - know your triggers and steer clear. If I eat a sugar cookie, I'm DONE. Twelve more will follow. I just don't buy them, because I know what will happen.
  • alp_19
    alp_19 Posts: 54 Member
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    I can't thank all of you enough. I woke up this morning feeling awful about yesterday and I was nervous about today going the same way. I reached out on here pretty desperate but I wasn't expecting to get such incredible advice and support. This was just what I needed. I'm so excited to use this advice and remind myself to keep moving forward. I'm determined to make today a good day and stay on track. I don't want to let everyone down when they're taking their time to help me. The MFP community is amazing. Thank you all again. <3
  • d_thomas02
    d_thomas02 Posts: 9,049 Member
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    d_thomas02 wrote: »
    angelalp19 wrote: »

    As for crack and heroin, that's a solid back-up plan. :wink: Don't knock it til you try it, right? What's the worst that could happen?

    [Tries to post ASCII art of grim reaper] [epic fail]
    3mgv0btxwa6t.jpg

    (Take THAT, ASCII art!) (Two and a half hour late start at work. Way too much time on my hands this morning, sorry)

  • vnessievaz91
    vnessievaz91 Posts: 1 Member
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    A spoon full of coconut oil each day will curve ur sugar cravings and help you burn fat!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    vnessievaz91 wrote: »
    A spoon full of coconut oil each day will curve ur sugar cravings and help you burn fat!
    Curb not curve.

    I don't think it changes fat burning, but yes, fat helps with satiety.
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
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    I save 200 or so calories so that I can have a snack after dinner. It's usually something sweet, but it depends on what I feel like that day. Sometimes it'll be chips or popcorn instead.

    Knowing that I can have something awesome at the end of the day if I'm "good" (meaning I stay in my calorie goal and do well with my macros through the day) makes it easier to deal with cravings. I don't deny my cravings, I just delay them until my snack time.
  • deangekas
    deangekas Posts: 2 Member
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    Try masking your sweet tooth. I was a sweet binger after dinner. I started premaking healthy options and kept them available in the fridge. Two of my favorites 1. Rice Pudding: 1/2c brown rice, 1/2c 1%cottage cheese no added salt, with cinnamon and splenda. 2. 1c 0%fat greek yogurt, 2tbsp natural peanut butter, 1tsp honey mix and eat both take away sweet craving and are great ratio of protein fat and carb. Good luck
  • staticsplit
    staticsplit Posts: 538 Member
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    1. Make sure you're eating enough on the days you're not having as much sugar. Good balance of fats/protein/fiber/carbs
    2. Try replacing your sweet things with more nutrient dense sweets. Stewed or baked apples with cinnamon and eat with some yogurt like a cream. Slice a banana most of the way through and stuff with a bit of dark chocolate and pecans, then wrap in tinfoil and bake until mushy and delicious. Caramel rice cake topped with peanut butter or cashew butter sprinkled with cinnamon. I sometimes make homemade frappucinos with chilled coffee and some of the following: frozen raspberries or cherries, chocolate protein powder, banana, almond milk, etc.
    3. Bigmansworld.com has lots of recipes for single serving mug cakes and sweet things that are less refined/a bit healthier. They take a bit more time to make, so I find that by the time I've made it, cooked it, and eaten it, I'm satisfied.
    4. Budget for occasional indulgences. If you really want that oreo cookie, then own it and incorporate it into the meal plan. Put it in your calorie allowance. You could lose weight eating 3 oreos a day if you wanted, as long as you plan the rest of your meals accordingly.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    angelalp19 wrote: »
    I've had a sweet tooth for as long as I can remember and when I was younger my family always had ice cream and soda and cookies around the house. In high school and the beginning of college, I realized how bad it all was and started trying to eat healthier/lose weight. Now it's all turned into healthy eating alternating with binging which is testing my sanity and making me gain weight.

    I'll have a super successful day with low sugar and fresh food and feel great. Then the next day I end up binging on chocolate, cereal, anything I can get my hands on. Any time I'm sad or nervous it's become an instant reaction. It feels like a genuine addiction. I know that it'll make me feel sick and shaky when the sugar crash comes, but I do it over and over again. I tried a sugar cleanse once and after 3 days felt miserable and ended up binging all day. If I thought it would work I might try again but it makes me nervous. Has anyone had any success with a cleanse? Gradual decreasing? I just don't know what to do.

    It sounds like you are in a binge and restrict cycle. Focusing on black and white thinking -- being "good" and avoiding "bad" stuff vs. being "bad" (and once you are "bad" might as well go nuts and start over later) is really counterproductive when that's the case (or at all, IMO).

    Maybe focus on positive things, instead of avoiding foods. For example, think about what a good overall diet would be, getting enough protein and vegetables and all that, what eating pattern you want to try (3 meals, mixture of meals and snacks, whatever), and how many calories are appropriate (without assuming that lower is always better). Within that healthy diet, including some sweets that you enjoy but are perhaps less likely to binge on (or eat them in a context where you will not, and remind yourself you can have more tomorrow).

    What I found when I changed my diet (I cut out snacking) is that at first I missed eating when I was used to eating and would combat my desire to just eat something by eat raw veg or the like, but after not too long the habit was gone. Eating plenty of foods kept me from feeling out of control. I was mindful of why I wanted to eat when it was for reasons other than hunger (I journaled about what was going on and reminded myself of how soon my next meal was or went and worked out). It got much easier.

    I find that if I let myself eat sweet stuff to self-sooth or in snacking throughout the day I will likely overeat easily (I don't binge and I don't do the good/bad food thing, but focus on a healthy overall diet). But if I eat a little something after a meal (I prefer after dinner), I am not tempted to overeat at all.
  • Nerakhate
    Nerakhate Posts: 11 Member
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    IMO it's an addiction, and as you taper off of it, the cravings will fade. Your brain gets rewards when you eat certain foods, in this case, sweets. And yes, the brain wants that reward. Also, manufacturers will intentionally put chemicals into the food (MSG, anyone?) to make you crave it. For me, desire for a bottle of real sugar "Mexican Coke" will be the strongest the day after I've had a bottle. It's hard for me to have this as my weekly reward, because it really comes back in a huge craving. And when I want it, I am badly distracted by the want of it. So, I have to cut it out entirely. It's not worth it. I watched the movie That Sugar Film on Netflix. I recommend it. Full disclosure, for 20+ years I've thought lowfat is a shill, being as the nice folks in western Europe eat a balance of foods (i.e. you can't buy milk in Germany that is less than 6% and yogurt has fat in it and delicious and doesn't leave you starving an hour later) and have far healthier weights than we do.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    jgnatca wrote: »
    I'm going to recommend a book, "The Power of Habit" by Duhigg, to give you some ideas on how to dig deeper in understanding why you love sweets so much. I think you can find a way to make peace with the foods you love.

    http://charlesduhigg.com/the-power-of-habit/

    I will second the recommendation for this book.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    angelalp19 wrote: »
    I can't thank all of you enough. I woke up this morning feeling awful about yesterday and I was nervous about today going the same way. I reached out on here pretty desperate but I wasn't expecting to get such incredible advice and support. This was just what I needed. I'm so excited to use this advice and remind myself to keep moving forward. I'm determined to make today a good day and stay on track. I don't want to let everyone down when they're taking their time to help me. The MFP community is amazing. Thank you all again. <3

    OP I'm glad you found some helpful hints. I think there were a lot of good suggestions offered here, including pre-planning your day, trying to include more filling foods over all, not demonizing a particular food thus giving it power over you, looking for alternatives to some of the sweets you crave, etc.

    I also find it refreshing that an OP had an open mind to the advice offered instead of just wanting validation. Good luck - keep posting!
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
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    jgnatca wrote: »
    I'm going to recommend a book, "The Power of Habit" by Duhigg, to give you some ideas on how to dig deeper in understanding why you love sweets so much. I think you can find a way to make peace with the foods you love.

    http://charlesduhigg.com/the-power-of-habit/

    +1 great book
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    vnessievaz91 wrote: »
    A spoon full of coconut oil each day will curve ur sugar cravings and help you burn fat!
    Curb not curve.

    I don't think it changes fat burning, but yes, fat helps with satiety.

    For some. It doesn't help me one bit, and a spoonful of oil (or even oil on veg, although I do that for taste) is particularly unlikely to be calories that help me feel satisfied (except to the extent it makes the meal more tasty, of course -- a spoonful of oil seems extremely unpleasant to me).

    On the other hand, protein does help me with satiety, as does fiber and volume (i.e., lots of veg).

    People are different, so if satiety is actually the issue, then experimenting is always good.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    jgnatca wrote: »
    I'm going to recommend a book, "The Power of Habit" by Duhigg, to give you some ideas on how to dig deeper in understanding why you love sweets so much. I think you can find a way to make peace with the foods you love.

    http://charlesduhigg.com/the-power-of-habit/

    I will second the recommendation for this book.

    I third it!
  • youngmomtaz
    youngmomtaz Posts: 1,075 Member
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    I know sugar addiction is not a real thing. I am with you on the fact that it feels real though.

    I was the kid who was constantly caught in the pantry literally licking my hands and dipping them into the sugar bag. When I was a kid it was cheap. We were poor and sugar filled our diets. Oatmeal topped with tons of brown sugar for breakfast, hommemade cookies for snacks, biscuits and sausage or fried bread and baked beans or macaroni and cheese for lunch, supper often contained our servings of veg and lean protein but fruit was scarce, and baked goods were way cheaper to make ourselves. I have had a challenging few years getting away from all the added sugars because once I start, I am a goner. Recently figuring out gluten is the cause of my migraines has helped. I truly cannot have much in the way of added sugars unless I make/bake/drive out of our small community to find it on the shelves elsewhere.

    Anyway, I have found that there are substitutions for me. I am very satisfied now with a higher fat diet. I add coconut oil to a lot of things I eat, make the higher fat dairy choices, and generally make a concious effort to choose fats and protein over sugar. I still eat carbs, I am talking about added sugar here, but an average day for me has approx 100 carb grams and 50-60gm sugar now. If those numbers go any higher I have cravings through the roof that result in a binge. Feel free to add me and check out my diary. It may help give you some ideas. I eat a lot of eggs, cottage cheese, veggies, canned tuna, roasted meats, etc. but I make sure there is fat and protein in every meal and I have helped myself tremendously. Far from the woman who would have given anything for slices of white bread spread with marshmallow fluff and Nutella.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited January 2016
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    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    vnessievaz91 wrote: »
    A spoon full of coconut oil each day will curve ur sugar cravings and help you burn fat!
    Curb not curve.

    I don't think it changes fat burning, but yes, fat helps with satiety.

    For some. It doesn't help me one bit, and a spoonful of oil (or even oil on veg, although I do that for taste) is particularly unlikely to be calories that help me feel satisfied (except to the extent it makes the meal more tasty, of course -- a spoonful of oil seems extremely unpleasant to me).

    On the other hand, protein does help me with satiety, as does fiber and volume (i.e., lots of veg).

    People are different, so if satiety is actually the issue, then experimenting is always good.
    Yep good points. FIBER is a big one for me. Low fiber carbs leaving me wanting more. High fiber carbs satisfy.
  • SteveMoto
    SteveMoto Posts: 41 Member
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    angelalp19 wrote: »
    ...Any time I'm sad or nervous it's become an instant reaction. It feels like a genuine addiction.

    Try a therapist, this sounds like you're beating yourself up a lot or that you're using food to mask anxiety - whatever the case it sounds to me as if you're needlessly setting yourself up to fail over and over again and that's a whole separate problem. Good luck!

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