Sugar addicts?
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I decreased the amount of sugar in my body. 20-30% of calories were from sugar. I get my sugar mostly from veggies and a little fruit. Still have some added sugar in my bread. I don't count the sugar from veggies but otherwise keep it to 25-30 g of sugar. Plus I still have complex carbs which the body converts to sugar.0
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lsmathteacher wrote: »I decreased the amount of sugar in my body. 20-30% of calories were from sugar. I get my sugar mostly from veggies and a little fruit. Still have some added sugar in my bread. I don't count the sugar from veggies but otherwise keep it to 25-30 g of sugar. Plus I still have complex carbs which the body converts to sugar.
Yes, most of us have a decent understand what carbs are but now you say you just don't count sugar coming from a particular source, but the fact is that your body doesn't care one bit where the sugar is coming from. I'm hardly impressed by the "nutrition" background because that's way to generic and can be a simple few hours to get a cert or years to get a degree. Also, if you trainer isn't an RD he or she might be breaking your state law by prescribing a diet.
You can do what you like but you probably aren't addicted to anything. However, I wish you good luck going forward on your persuit of health and congratulate you on your current success. You seem to be doing many things right, just don't get mired down in the baseless, quasi-religious dogma of blaming one macro or the other because ALL macros have been considered bad and good at one time or another.0 -
lsmathteacher wrote: »Yes my trainer has a nutrition background and I know I was addicted and I know the difference it has made in my life. I had been working with him for awhile and with other trainers before and weight was not dropping like after I detoxed and started watching my sugar intake. Also I was not craving food and sweets. Science is now showing how bad added sugar is for our bodies. For me getting watching my daily intake of sugar is better for me. Not saying you have to do what I did. Just saying this is what I did and how it helped me.
Science is not doing what you claim. If you are/were truly addicted to sugar, why isn't it sugar from all sources?0 -
Some people are more sensitive to sugar. If this applies to you, the work of Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. might be helpful.0
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Yall are all ganging up on her. That's not being supportive... our bodies process natural sugars and processed sugars differently. Yes sugar is sugar but they do not do the exact same thing in our bodies. Cocaine comes from a flower the flower itself is not addictive or harmful what makes it so is the man processing done to it. We do the same thing with sugar. We take raw sugar from a plant and process it and process it. It changes it and it can be addictive. Not everyone reacts the same way. Some may actually be physically addicted some just emotionally and some never become addicted. It's just like cigarettes. Most people are emotionally addicted and just go through mood swings and maybe put on some weight. The there are a small number that get physically ill when they try to stop smoking. If our bodies were all the exact same and did the exact same thing then we wouldn't have diseases that are different for everyone like most autoimmune diseases are.0
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Some people are more sensitive to sugar. If this applies to you, the work of Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. might be helpful.
It seems that she got her PhD from here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Institute_&_University makes you wonder...0 -
Yall are all ganging up on her. That's not being supportive... our bodies process natural sugars and processed sugars differently. Yes sugar is sugar but they do not do the exact same thing in our bodies. Cocaine comes from a flower the flower itself is not addictive or harmful what makes it so is the man processing done to it. We do the same thing with sugar. We take raw sugar from a plant and process it and process it. It changes it and it can be addictive. Not everyone reacts the same way. Some may actually be physically addicted some just emotionally and some never become addicted. It's just like cigarettes. Most people are emotionally addicted and just go through mood swings and maybe put on some weight. The there are a small number that get physically ill when they try to stop smoking. If our bodies were all the exact same and did the exact same thing then we wouldn't have diseases that are different for everyone like most autoimmune diseases are.
This topic has been hashed over many times on these forums. Sugar is not a physically addictive substance. Saying it is always feels like dismissal of people trying to quit smoking or drinking or doing drugs.
However, I also notice that OP didn't say they were addicted to sugar, just that they have trouble overcoming sweet cravings.
@arsgomez If you're having trouble eating some things in moderation, you may be better off cutting them out. Find your trigger foods and don't allow them in the house. Period. Yes, you'll crave them, but one method that worked for me is to find a hobby of some kind that requires my hands and brain. I habit snack. If I'm hyperfocused on something and start munching, I will finish a full bag before I even realize it! So for me, I don't keep food in my office. I also find something to do to distract myself. It's usually arts of some kind, but it can be anything that engages your brain and hands. Next time you crave something sweet that you know you'll want to just keep eating, do that hobby. Give it an hour. If you're still hungry after that, then go down to the gas station and grab a small/single serving bag of whatever it is, and log it into your day. That way, you still get the treat, but since you only have a set amount, that's all you'll eat. Does that make sense?0 -
I didn't say it always feels trying to quit smoking or doing drugs. I eat way too much sugar but I know I'm not addicted and I know my cravings are really craving for nutrition. But I'm now going to tell someone that it's completely inconceivable that they were addicted to sugar. Like I said everyone's body is different and instead of everyone beating her down everyone could be telling her how great she's doing.0
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I have huge craving for sweets as well. I gave it up for Lent to help a friend out who is trying to give up candy and it was so hard at first. Now, I just realized I haven't had any candy, cookies or overly sweet stuff for about 5 days and didn't even realize it! If I'm craving something sweet, I'll make a hot cup of peppermint tea and I find by the time I'm finished, my cravings are gone.0
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Hey everyone! I'm new to the app, I installed to track my food intake and exercise. I realise that my biggest problem is sugar cravings and sugary food consumption. Does anyone has the same problem? How do you deal with it?
I re-watched supersize me over the weekend and he talked about having massive cravings after eating all the Mc Donalds, so yeah sugar/carb cravings are real and a big deal for any naysayers out there. I am a pre-diabetic and sugar has a huge impact on me. If others don't have these cravings it doesn't mean yours aren't real or aren't legitimate cravings and they shouldn't be minimizing your question or issue.
Anyway to answer your question - I had to restrict all sugars for a few weeks to sort of get my body to slow down sugar/carb cravings. if I have a sugar craving now I drink water with a little crystal light/sugar free sweetener or eat one sugar free candy. If you're not doing low carb you can eat fruit/berries with something like oatmeal or cottage cheese to satisfy your craving. I used to also freeze grapes and snack on them, like little mini popsicles.
I mainly stick to water, really dark chocolate (90%), celery sticks with peanut butter and sugar free candy. I hope this helps
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I didn't say it always feels trying to quit smoking or doing drugs. I eat way too much sugar but I know I'm not addicted and I know my cravings are really craving for nutrition. But I'm now going to tell someone that it's completely inconceivable that they were addicted to sugar. Like I said everyone's body is different and instead of everyone beating her down everyone could be telling her how great she's doing.
No one is beating down OP or anyone else who posted claims in this thread that sugar is an addictive substance. I commend anyone for wanting to make changes that lead to a healthier lifestyle, however, that doesn't change the fact that sugar itself is not an addictive substance. That said, many people have a lot of strong emotional connections to certain foods which can make the cravings for those foods feel as strong as a physical addiction. But for many people, understanding a bit of the science behind this, that regardless of the source of sugar, our body processes it the same, so it is impossible to be addicted to sugar in cookies or M&Ms and not in fruit, can empower them to address the emotional connection they have to those trigger foods. Many people do find success in cutting out certain foods, either temporarily or permanently, in order to achieve their goals. For some people that change is sustainable, but for others, it gives the food power and makes them feel helpless to control their urges, often setting off binges or giving up because it feels too difficult to moderate these foods. That's why for many of us, learning to identify the emotional triggers and address why we felt compelled to eat a certain sweet food at a certain time, has enabled us to learn to moderate all foods.
If you are interested in a deeper dive into this discussion, I suggest reading this thread which includes a lot of links to the scientific studies about sugar and food addiction, as well as great suggestions regarding strategies for addressing the type of question that the OP is initially asking, how to deal with cravings for sugary foods.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10226257/food-addiction-a-different-perspective/p10 -
Yall are all ganging up on her. That's not being supportive... our bodies process natural sugars and processed sugars differently. Yes sugar is sugar but they do not do the exact same thing in our bodies. Cocaine comes from a flower the flower itself is not addictive or harmful what makes it so is the man processing done to it. We do the same thing with sugar. We take raw sugar from a plant and process it and process it. It changes it and it can be addictive. Not everyone reacts the same way. Some may actually be physically addicted some just emotionally and some never become addicted. It's just like cigarettes. Most people are emotionally addicted and just go through mood swings and maybe put on some weight. The there are a small number that get physically ill when they try to stop smoking. If our bodies were all the exact same and did the exact same thing then we wouldn't have diseases that are different for everyone like most autoimmune diseases are.
Who was ganing up on the OP?0 -
Yay! A Mean People thread on a Monday!0
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Hey everyone! I'm new to the app, I installed to track my food intake and exercise. I realise that my biggest problem is sugar cravings and sugary food consumption. Does anyone has the same problem? How do you deal with it?
I re-watched supersize me over the weekend and he talked about having massive cravings after eating all the Mc Donalds, so yeah sugar/carb cravings are real and a big deal for any naysayers out there. I am a pre-diabetic and sugar has a huge impact on me. If others don't have these cravings it doesn't mean yours aren't real or aren't legitimate cravings and they shouldn't be minimizing your question or issue.
Anyway to answer your question - I had to restrict all sugars for a few weeks to sort of get my body to slow down sugar/carb cravings. if I have a sugar craving now I drink water with a little crystal light/sugar free sweetener or eat one sugar free candy. If you're not doing low carb you can eat fruit/berries with something like oatmeal or cottage cheese to satisfy your craving. I used to also freeze grapes and snack on them, like little mini popsicles.
I mainly stick to water, really dark chocolate (90%), celery sticks with peanut butter and sugar free candy. I hope this helps
Matt was carving fat and salt too but those always seem to slide by. He was craving hamburgers and fries so that's not the same thing and what he was craving was likely related to serotonin, which is the neurotransmitter that makes us feel good and reenforces behaviours that trigger it's release. It has been shown that a cheeseburger releases almost as much serotonin as sex btw. Everytime I post that it gets a response lol.0 -
Yall are all ganging up on her. That's not being supportive... our bodies process natural sugars and processed sugars differently. Yes sugar is sugar but they do not do the exact same thing in our bodies. Cocaine comes from a flower the flower itself is not addictive or harmful what makes it so is the man processing done to it. We do the same thing with sugar. We take raw sugar from a plant and process it and process it. It changes it and it can be addictive. Not everyone reacts the same way. Some may actually be physically addicted some just emotionally and some never become addicted. It's just like cigarettes. Most people are emotionally addicted and just go through mood swings and maybe put on some weight. The there are a small number that get physically ill when they try to stop smoking. If our bodies were all the exact same and did the exact same thing then we wouldn't have diseases that are different for everyone like most autoimmune diseases are.
Our body processing the same chemical differently (outside of some kind of temperature or pressure difference) based on origin would fly in the face of all that is known of chemistry.
Cocaine inside of the coca leaf is bound and does not survive the stomach acid, and thus isn't really digested as is. If one were to snort enough coca leaf, eventually the same effects would happen, it is matter of refinement and concentration. Both inherent and added sugar survive digestion - that's the only way they are usable by the body for energy. There are plenty of whole foods that will provide more sugar in a serving than a processed food will.0 -
I have an issue with sugar and have cut out processed foods and sweets. This helps. I also have increased my fat intake which makes me feel more satisfied. Best of luck to you as you try to get this issue in check.0
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snickerscharlie wrote: »Yay! A Mean People thread on a Monday!
Yes but it's Leap Day. Maybe we can get only one every four years, I'd be down with that!0 -
Yall are all ganging up on her. That's not being supportive... our bodies process natural sugars and processed sugars differently. Yes sugar is sugar but they do not do the exact same thing in our bodies. Cocaine comes from a flower the flower itself is not addictive or harmful what makes it so is the man processing done to it. We do the same thing with sugar. We take raw sugar from a plant and process it and process it. It changes it and it can be addictive. Not everyone reacts the same way. Some may actually be physically addicted some just emotionally and some never become addicted. It's just like cigarettes. Most people are emotionally addicted and just go through mood swings and maybe put on some weight. The there are a small number that get physically ill when they try to stop smoking. If our bodies were all the exact same and did the exact same thing then we wouldn't have diseases that are different for everyone like most autoimmune diseases are.
The part in bold is incorrect. How is spreading mistruths in anyway supportive?0 -
OMG I love sugar!!! Says my brain who loves SUGAR no matter where he gets it from! I personally enjoy the taste of Oreos. I also believe that most of you are describing sugar incorrectly. I also realize that when I see an Oreo Dopamine is released in my brain and my brain wants that form of sugar right then and there however I am in control of my body and my emotions and can have the will power and self discipline not to have that Oreo or if I do have one I will only have ONE not an entire row. lol Also these so called trainers that some of you are seeing is a scam did you know you can become a certified trainer and nutritionist in a little over a week and that's because it takes a few days to mail your certs to you. Also remember if your personal trainer got his or her cert online that you can Google the answers............. scary stuff when you think about it. Most people trust their trainer and trust that he or she wont hurt or steer them in the wrong direction when most of them cant even do a proper deadlift or even tell you the entire mechanics of a deadlift. Next time you see your trainer ask him or her what a calorie is then ask what is energy and how does my body produce energy. I bet he wont know.0
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