I am bingeing on sweets and I don't know how to stop it...

Bring alternatives to work with you. Dark Dark Chocolate. Nuts.

Bring snacks with you, do you bring a lunch? If so than leave your bank/credit cards at home and only take a small amount of cash with you. If not than start bringing your own food. If you feel like to need to have these things than leave room in your calories for them. If it is something sweet you are after, ripe bananas, strawberries, mango, etc. very good for you and very sweet.

You just need to make them unavailable. Don't bring them to work, and leave your cards/cash at home if you are using a vending machine. Bring some fruit to work instead. I don't recommend nuts or dark chocolate personally. They have a very high energy density, and it's easy to eat too much for your energy budget.

I found that chewing gum really helped me. I discovered that I was always chewing, either a pen or my nails and food. I found if I used gum (sugar free) then I could swap out the chewing on sweets for chewing gum.
I'm not sure when it happened but I don't chew gum anymore so its not like you are swapping one habit for another. But you are breaking the habit, you have to ween yourself off the sweet stuff.
Not sure that helps but it worked for me.
If you are into the food logging thing, then when you feel like that doughnut, log it and see how many of your allotted calories disappear in one hit. It made me choose healthier, more filling options that would see me through until dinner time. Bananas and mango's are your friend
Stay strong, you can do this if you really want to do this.

Are the chocolates and biscuits things you took in or are they there for the residents? If you have taken them in, then simply don't. If they are in the cupboards for the residents then think of them that way (even if you are allowed to eat them too, just change the rules in your head! ). They are NOT yours, you wouldn't go into a friend's house, have lunch with them and then rummage in their cupboards and start eating their chocolate now would you? And if you would, think of someone else, like an Aunt or someone whose house you wouldn't... But in the end, it really does just come down to willpower, which do you want more, to feel satisfied when you look in the mirror or to feel satisfied for the two minutes it takes you to snarf that chocolate...? Go chat to a resident when you feel the urge. Good luck.

I will usually chew sugarfree gum and keep a bottle of water with me. I will drink the water usually with some lemon or lime juice in it. If I get tempted to snack I'll just chew gum so it feels like eating without getting the calories or guilt.

I know EXACTLY how you feel. I bring healthy foods to work and even pre log it but my breakroom and work place in general is full of candy, pastries, cookies, etc... it sucks! It's funny because half of the people that I work worth complain about it, but people keep supplying it so we keep eating it. One woman said she has gained 100 pounds over the last 10 years working there. 100 pounds!!! I need to get my will power back. Reading some of these posts has helped.

Accept that you'll eat at least a few sweets. Because, realistically you're not going cold turkey.

Do an experiment for 2 weeks:

1- Commit to logging ALL sweets into mfp, BEFORE you eat it. No matter how small. Promise.
The act of logging will encourage less consumption. But the experiment doesn't end just yet:

2- Make notes of your triggers in mfp. ie more likely eat sweets at mid-afternoon slump, when frustrated with someone, or right before tackling a negative task.

After 2 weeks:
3 - Review your consumption & triggers. look for patterns.
4- Find alternative behavior, ie stepping outside for some fresh air & flowers, visiting the resident cat, walking & chatting with someone (instead of snacking & chatting with someone)
5- Bounce some ideas around with a friend/coworker. They might suggest some creative alternative behavior that you didn't think of.

******************************
The key is to document what is ACTUALLY happening for 2 weeks. and be honest.
Then replacing the snacking behavior with positive alternative behavior.


Let us know how it goes. you can do it !!
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freesoul wrote: »

I ate an entire family size chocolate bar today, 3 squares a time....chocolate chip cookies yesterday, donut the day before....this happens at work since I don't buy such things for the house.

Any tips? I know I shouldn't, how do you stop? Sugar is addictive!

Try not to take money to work then u can't buy anything try an repace we fruit determination is what u need

Delay gratification. Take the snack, but tell yourself to wait an hour before eating it. After the hour, reevaluate whether you want the snack after all. Delay again, if possible. Repeat as necessary.

Good luck!

Come on, now. Take the power back. Sugar is not forcing you to do anything, it does not hold a magical sway over you.

As you've been advised, change your behavior. Keep the trouble-foods out of reach until you master some control around them. Substitute gum or fruit. Interrupt the habit by physically getting up and taking a walk, even if it's just down a hall way and back.

Alternatively, plan for your indulgences and log them. You can examine if you think your calorie goal is too restrictive, lose weight at a slower pace and fit in the treats. There are always options. It's not black or white.

vivmom2014 wrote: »

Come on, now. Take the power back. Sugar is not forcing you to do anything, it does not hold a magical sway over you.

As you've been advised, change your behavior. Keep the trouble-foods out of reach until you master some control around them. Substitute gum or fruit. Interrupt the habit by physically getting up and taking a walk, even if it's just down a hall way and back.

Alternatively, plan for your indulgences and log them. You can examine if you think your calorie goal is too restrictive, lose weight at a slower pace and fit in the treats. There are always options. It's not black or white.

I'm in on these recommendations!!

A cookie, a doughnut, a piece of chocolate (not the entire King size...) per day is NOT a binge. Work the calories for a treat in to your day. OR stay away for them.

Drink flavored water or chew gum - constantly - keep something in your mouth so you don't put the other stuff in it. Stay away from where they stash the goodies in the office. Keep your food with you at your desk so you don't have to go near the sweets.

Considering your foods are all loaded with fat and salt as well I'm not so sure it's sugar that's the only issue -- just an observation because the foods for most really crave and cheat with include all three. I think you might be running too high of a deficit and having snack foods within easy reach aren't good either. Have you considered adding in more volume with foods of low calorie density such as leafy green vegitables to help keep you full? Also, lack of opportunity always beats will power, keep your trigger foods out of the house and the cravings will often be gone by the time you feel like going out to get them. If you always feel that you need snacks that aren't planned you might want to ease up on your calorie deficit as well so you aren't feeling so deprived all the time.