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

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.

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.

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 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!

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.

The first step in overcoming sugar addiction is admitting there is no such thing as sugar addiction....

I'm the opposite of you in that I crave salt, not sugar.
Typically I used to eat a lot of very fatty salty foods (fries, potato chips, salami etc). My worst habit was a large bag of chips every evening before bed. Because the chips had become such a habit, I don't buy them anymore.
Now I still eat lots of salty foods but I'll do things like add a couple of chopped olives to my scrambled eggs or tuna. Or have some popcorn for a snack. After a couple of weeks without my bedtime chips, I stopped craving them.
I think if you incorporate sweets into your diet, but in lower calorie ways (2 squares of dark chocolate or even try some sugar-free treats like chocolate pudding) and completely avoid the trigger foods that become bad habits, you will do just fine.

Sugar addiction is a thing.

Back in 2002, after a family member was diagnosed as hypoglycemic, I realized that sugar was really making me sick, too. I would crave a sweet, eat it, and crash. When I was a teenager my doctor thought that I had some sort of immune deficiency because I would get complications from diseases/problems that normal people shake easily. That cleared up the instant I laid off the sugar.

Getting off sugar took about a month. It was hard, hard, hard. I quit cold turkey and had horrible cravings. I started reading labels and learned to really cook. I learned to balance protein, fat and carbs. A happy result was that I got away from all of the nasty processed stuff that was popular in the 80s, like margarine, and started cooking with butter, fresh herbs, good spices, etc. I made friends with the cute old guy at the butcher shop and he helped me find nice, lean cuts of meat that fit into my student budget, so I could have nice dinners that felt special even without dessert.

After all these years, I STILL have a hard time with sugar. I want it every hour of every day. You've heard the stereotype about alcoholics: Once they start drinking, they can't stop? That's me with sweets. Once I start, I won't stop unless I want to puke, or it is gone. I do better since I got married and have someone in the house with me for reality checks. If my husband and I decide that we want ice cream, we go out for it, or buy a pint to split. We buy single cookies at the grocery store, so I can't eat a whole bag. It is more expensive per serving, but this way I get an occasional, reasonable treat. I'm up to the point where I can have something marginally sweet, like granola, for breakfast, but only because it also has fat, protein and fiber, I weigh it first, and my husband is eating the same, reasonable portion. It's all about having that portion control built right in.

Good luck!

You don't have to totally cut sweets. You just have to make room for it. I find that if I tell myself I can't have something I think about it all the time and that is all I want. I will not give up my sweet coffee in the mornings, and I try to have something else sweet everyday. Some of my favorites are the Fiber One brownies. The chocolate brownies are good and the lemon bar and coffee cake flavors are something I always keep in my house and at my office. I also love the Chobani Flips. Key lime is my favorite. There are a few things I can not have in my house. Ice cream is one. I can go out for ice cream, but I cannot buy it to store in the freezer. The same with cookies. I can have an occasional cookie, but I can't keep a bag of cookies or a dozen homemade cookies in the pantry. I just started on mfp the last week of September and so far I am 1/3 of the way to my goal of loosing 60 pounds even with eating the occasional sweet. I find that as I loose weight it gets easier to resist some things because I don't want to waste calories on things that don't fill me up (like soda), but I don't deny myself anything that I really want. There are certain times of the month that I am going to eat chocolate and that is ok.

titianknitter wrote: »

Sugar addiction is a thing.

Back in 2002, after a family member was diagnosed as hypoglycemic, I realized that sugar was really making me sick, too. I would crave a sweet, eat it, and crash. When I was a teenager my doctor thought that I had some sort of immune deficiency because I would get complications from diseases/problems that normal people shake easily. That cleared up the instant I laid off the sugar.

Getting off sugar took about a month. It was hard, hard, hard. I quit cold turkey and had horrible cravings. I started reading labels and learned to really cook. I learned to balance protein, fat and carbs. A happy result was that I got away from all of the nasty processed stuff that was popular in the 80s, like margarine, and started cooking with butter, fresh herbs, good spices, etc. I made friends with the cute old guy at the butcher shop and he helped me find nice, lean cuts of meat that fit into my student budget, so I could have nice dinners that felt special even without dessert.

After all these years, I STILL have a hard time with sugar. I want it every hour of every day. You've heard the stereotype about alcoholics: Once they start drinking, they can't stop? That's me with sweets. Once I start, I won't stop unless I want to puke, or it is gone. I do better since I got married and have someone in the house with me for reality checks. If my husband and I decide that we want ice cream, we go out for it, or buy a pint to split. We buy single cookies at the grocery store, so I can't eat a whole bag. It is more expensive per serving, but this way I get an occasional, reasonable treat. I'm up to the point where I can have something marginally sweet, like granola, for breakfast, but only because it also has fat, protein and fiber, I weigh it first, and my husband is eating the same, reasonable portion. It's all about having that portion control built right in.

Good luck!

The plausability of sugar addiction is still highly debated but we do have a good discussion on the topic in this thread

Regardless of the scientific outcome, we all have to find a solution to address the problem. Some people prefer elimination (low carb/keto diets) or reduction and some prefer moderation (IIFYM). Personally, i crave salty and meats more than I do sugar. That could be because I incorporate treats into my diet quite regularly. But ultimately before I eat my treats I ensure I address my nutritional needs. Meaning, I tend to eat a higher protein diet (my goal is ~.8g per lb of body weight), 30-50g of fiber, and get most of my calories from nutrient dense sources (fruits, veggies, whole grain, nuts, unsaturated fats (oils/fish), and proteins). This, in combination with exercise, is helping me work towards my goal.

If you do find that including a treat is beneficial, I would personally recommend keeping calories to around 10% of the total to leave enough room for other nutrients.

edit: because English is hard.

Another thing you could try: My cravings for excessive amounts of ultra-sweet snacks dropped significantly after I consciously started trying to eat at least 3 whole fruit servings every day.

I *am* a believer in fitting any food one likes into one's calorie goal, but because mainstream sweets (candy, cake, cookies, etc.) aren't very nutrient dense, it is helpful to one's overall nutrition to eat less of them. That's where the whole fruit comes in: Good fiber, good nutrition, and some satisfying sweet flavor.

I put berries on my oatmeal in the morning, and often have an apple with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter for a light lunch or heavy snack. Grapefruit is tasty & filling, too, for me. Tangerines are good. There are lots of options!

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Another thing you could try: My cravings for excessive amounts of ultra-sweet snacks dropped significantly after I consciously started trying to eat at least 3 whole fruit servings every day.

I *am* a believer in fitting any food one likes into one's calorie goal, but because mainstream sweets (candy, cake, cookies, etc.) aren't very nutrient dense, it is helpful to one's overall nutrition to eat less of them. That's where the whole fruit comes in: Good fiber, good nutrition, and some satisfying sweet flavor.

I put berries on my oatmeal in the morning, and often have an apple with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter for a light lunch or heavy snack. Grapefruit is tasty & filling, too, for me. Tangerines are good. There are lots of options!

I like this idea. For me it was similar just focusing on filling my diet with what I needed (protein, vegetables, some fruit). I tend to eat fruit more seasonally, although at least one serving a day even in winter, but focusing on positive steps (not simply not doing something) and creating satisfying meals made me less likely to want to eat other things in a non-moderate way.

My sister takes fruit out and sets it on the counter or brings it to work with her (berries, usually, or clementines currently). I used to think this was just because she loved fruit, but she told me that it's because if she felt like eating something she'd eat it instead of something else. (She's never been overweight, not for this specific reason, but she tends to have lots of sensible habits.)

I have three squares of milk chocolate every day, throughout the day when i am feeling that craving.... rather than just munching them down in an instant, i like to nibble at them and let them melt, and really focus on enjoying what i've got rather than binging on larger amounts of it.

If you take 5 min to eat a whole chocolate bar and i take 5 min to eat one square, who tasted the chocolate for longer?

I'd also look at increasing carb intake if your current intake is very low, since some of what you're actually craving is energy rather than sugar, and look at replacing simple carbs like those provided by refined flours etc, with more complex carbs, that will take time to digest and keep you full for longer. Barley is one of my favorites.

psulemon wrote: »

One treat that I love, is fruit topped with coolwhip. Something you might enjoy too.