How to beat sugar addiction?

2

Replies

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,027 Member
    edited August 2016
    Lol, my opinion would be getting a job bagging refined sugar. When you're around something ALL the time, you tend not to want it or have disdain for it. Couldn't hurt. ;)

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    Clementines are sweet.

    And delicious.
  • This content has been removed.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Waitressing cured me of eating out in restaurants. Eating sugar right out of sack would do it for me too!
  • ellenrose750
    ellenrose750 Posts: 20 Member
    I'm having the same struggle, but I've started eating frozen fruit helps alot. X
  • AnabolicMind2011
    AnabolicMind2011 Posts: 211 Member
    Maybe ask your doctor boyfriend about your addiction to sugar. Ask him if it's in the dsm and see what methods he knows of to cure your addiction?
    If all else fails, have you heard of yoga? @kshama2001 claims her brother was cured of his heroin addiction just by doing yoga! So maybe give it a shot.
  • tanny684
    tanny684 Posts: 196 Member
    Hey,

    Again sorry can't reply to each post but thankyou everyone for the replies xxx

    I often dieting don't eat meals so I can eat sweets. For example one day I had whole meal toast with organic honey, a snickers bar, half a bit chocolate bar which was like 600 calories together and then for dinner I had soup so I could eat the rest of my calories in ice cream. I've quit smoking and found that easy but quitting sweets is super hard!

    I will try frozen fruit though thankyou

    Also for anyone that is struggling I watched a vid just now on healthy ice cream.....frozen bananas honey and buttermilk...not tried it but it sounds lush!
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    tanny684 wrote: »
    I often dieting don't eat meals so I can eat sweets.

    If you want to stop overeating sweets/feeling out of control around them, I'd start by stopping this. Plan out your day with balanced healthy meals. Leave a little room for something sweet, but make sure most of the day is more satiating kinds of foods. Getting in filling and satisfying foods make it a lot easier not to overdo. If I just ate sweets all day, I'd definitely overdo, since I'd be consistently hungry/unsatisfied. Main time when I used to overdo sweets is when I was stuck at work (where there are lots of sweets and chips and microwave popcorn, not much else) and would skip dinner and know I'd be stuck there until late and then just go overboard since I was hungry and kind of down.

    Fruit is a great idea if you are craving that sweet taste between meals (or have some with meals), but I really think this is the answer from what you've said.
  • lodro
    lodro Posts: 982 Member
    the only thing that helped me break the cycle of eating sugars, having insulin spikes, feeling of hunger, which I stilled by eating sugar, which led to insulin spikes etc, etc, was to go on a ketogenic diet.

    instead of only checking for glucose, establish insulin levels as well.

    in my case, moderation, so often touted by people who are not in the situation I was in, doesn't help. and a lot of people forget that so called "good carbs" (haha) are processed the same as the "bad carbs" and cause the same insulin spikes.

    "fruit" doesn't solve the issue for me.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Calories in Kirkland Signature (Costco) Vanilla Ice Cream

    Nutrition Facts
    Kirkland Signature (Costco) - Vanilla Ice Cream
    Servings:
    1

    Calories 280 Sodium 90 mg
    Total Fat 19 g Potassium 0 mg
    Saturated 11 g Total Carbs 23 g
    Polyunsaturated 0 g Dietary Fiber 0 g
    Monounsaturated 0 g Sugars 21 g
    Trans 0 g Protein 5 g
    Cholesterol 125 mg
    Vitamin A 10% Calcium 15%
    Vitamin C 0% Iron 0%
    *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
    Search our food database by name:






    Banana Frozen Yogurt

    From the EatingWell Kitchen
    Frozen bananas need to be whirled with just a bit of yogurt to transform into a sweet frozen delight.


    3 large bananas
    1/2 cup sugar, preferably instant-dissolving1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt, or buttermilk
    The Greek Gods Greek Yogurt Plain2 For $7.00Thru 08/21
    1 tablespoon lemon juice
    Preparation
    Active
    10 m
    Ready In
    2 h
    Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Peel and slice bananas into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Spread the rounds on the baking sheet, cover with more wax paper and freeze until solid, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Combine the frozen bananas, sugar and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Combine yogurt (or buttermilk) and lemon juice; with the machine running, gradually pour the mixture through the feed tube. Process until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the workbowl once or twice. (The frozen yogurt should be firm enough to be served directly from the food processor, but if it is a little soft, let it harden in the freezer for about 30 minutes.)




    Nutrition information
    Per serving: 207 calories; 0 g fat(0 g sat); 3 g fiber; 51 g carbohydrates; 3 g protein; 25 mcg folate; 1 mg cholesterol; 40 g sugars; 0 g added sugars; 69 IU vitamin A; 11 mg vitamin C; 70 mg calcium; 0 mg iron; 25 mg sodium; 449 mg potassium
    Carbohydrate Servings: 3 1/2
    Exchanges: 1 1/2 fruit, 2 other carbohydrate
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,027 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    elphie754 wrote: »
    Addiction is about mental associations.
    A lot of drug users relapse when they're near the place they started or frequently did drugs. Alcoholics find bars very tempting.

    So I think the thing to do is find a place you don't like and eat as much sugary foods there as possible. You'll associate it with that, and since you don't like that place, you won't go there to fulful your cravings.

    Uh no. You clearly have no knowledge of actual addictions.

    So drug users avoid relapse by hanging out where they did drugs?
    Lol, lots of drug users do drugs at home. Yes even one's with kids. So I guess they should never go home?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

    Yes. There is actually research and treatment suggestions that moving, perhaps to entirely different cities, might help drug users avoid relapse.
    Lol, well it would make sense if the drug isn't available there or too costly to buy. That's logical.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    edited August 2016
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    elphie754 wrote: »
    Addiction is about mental associations.
    A lot of drug users relapse when they're near the place they started or frequently did drugs. Alcoholics find bars very tempting.

    So I think the thing to do is find a place you don't like and eat as much sugary foods there as possible. You'll associate it with that, and since you don't like that place, you won't go there to fulful your cravings.

    Uh no. You clearly have no knowledge of actual addictions.

    So drug users avoid relapse by hanging out where they did drugs?
    Lol, lots of drug users do drugs at home. Yes even one's with kids. So I guess they should never go home?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

    Yes. There is actually research and treatment suggestions that moving, perhaps to entirely different cities, might help drug users avoid relapse.

    Pro tip. It doesn't.
    They'll just hit up another dealer, or have a grand new selection of fresh pharmacies to hop to and from.
  • hanwatts2016
    hanwatts2016 Posts: 32 Member
    i struggle with this cause love chocolate and sweets guilty pleasure. i managed cut back by having something like this on cheat day and also cut back on it in hot drinks too :) but everyone has something they crave it may just be different
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    tanny684 wrote: »
    I often dieting don't eat meals so I can eat sweets.

    If you want to stop overeating sweets/feeling out of control around them, I'd start by stopping this. Plan out your day with balanced healthy meals. Leave a little room for something sweet, but make sure most of the day is more satiating kinds of foods. Getting in filling and satisfying foods make it a lot easier not to overdo. If I just ate sweets all day, I'd definitely overdo, since I'd be consistently hungry/unsatisfied. Main time when I used to overdo sweets is when I was stuck at work (where there are lots of sweets and chips and microwave popcorn, not much else) and would skip dinner and know I'd be stuck there until late and then just go overboard since I was hungry and kind of down.

    Fruit is a great idea if you are craving that sweet taste between meals (or have some with meals), but I really think this is the answer from what you've said.

    I was going to suggest this as well. If you are full from eating a balanced meal, it is less likely that you are going to eat all the chocolate.

    You can make some amazing low calorie meals that can fill you up. I usually adapt recipes by doubling the amount of vegetables, and then freeze into serving sizes. That way I have no excuses. The freezer has a pile of grab-and-go meals that I know the exact calories for each.
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  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,213 Member
    tanny684 wrote: »
    You're not addicted to it, you just like how it tastes. Just like everyone.

    Is eating a reasonable amount of sugar and staying within your calorie goals off the table at this point? Unless there is some medical reason you shouldn't worry about getting "off sugar."
    You're not addicted to it, you just like how it tastes. Just like everyone.

    Is eating a reasonable amount of sugar and staying within your calorie goals off the table at this point? Unless there is some medical reason you shouldn't worry about getting "off sugar."

    Thankyou for all the replies. I'm sorry I can't reply to each comment personally as typing this quickly on my phone. I wanted to add.... I feel like sugar is an addiction. I start the day with candy or chocolate and then eat tons of it throughout the rest of the day. My blood sugar is usually around 3.5-4. I know this is normal. I've been to my doctor for query an insulinoma but my doctor seems to think my blood sugar is just low baseline as I'm asymptomatic. I only started checking my blood glucose out of curiosity. One time for example it was 2.9mmol. I don't know what that is in dl. But in the UK in hospitals at least a BM of less than 4mmol is classed as hypoglycaemia. When my bm was 2.9 I ate a banana and drank some tea with milk and three sugars. Half an hour later it rose to 3.8.

    It's a chicken and egg situation, I don't know if I eat sugar because my blood glucose is low or if my high sugar intake is causing rebound hypoglycaemia from the huge insulin spikes when I eat so much crap.


    I've no idea how to wean off it

    I've never tested my blood glucose levels but it used to frequently feel to me as though I had low blood sugar. If a meal was delayed, I was often shaky and even frenzied feeling. I consumed sweets often at that time. I don't feel that way anymore. I credit getting enough protein every day (I was getting very little back then), and keeping my sugar levels close to the recommended daily limit.

    I read once that pre-diabetes can start with mild hypoglycaemia, due to overproducing insulin. I don't know if this is an accepted notion or not, and haven't bothered checking given that my problems are gone now.

  • tanny684
    tanny684 Posts: 196 Member
    tanny684 wrote: »
    You're not addicted to it, you just like how it tastes. Just like everyone.

    Is eating a reasonable amount of sugar and staying within your calorie goals off the table at this point? Unless there is some medical reason you shouldn't worry about getting "off sugar."
    You're not addicted to it, you just like how it tastes. Just like everyone.

    Is eating a reasonable amount of sugar and staying within your calorie goals off the table at this point? Unless there is some medical reason you shouldn't worry about getting "off sugar."

    Thankyou for all the replies. I'm sorry I can't reply to each comment personally as typing this quickly on my phone. I wanted to add.... I feel like sugar is an addiction. I start the day with candy or chocolate and then eat tons of it throughout the rest of the day. My blood sugar is usually around 3.5-4. I know this is normal. I've been to my doctor for query an insulinoma but my doctor seems to think my blood sugar is just low baseline as I'm asymptomatic. I only started checking my blood glucose out of curiosity. One time for example it was 2.9mmol. I don't know what that is in dl. But in the UK in hospitals at least a BM of less than 4mmol is classed as hypoglycaemia. When my bm was 2.9 I ate a banana and drank some tea with milk and three sugars. Half an hour later it rose to 3.8.

    It's a chicken and egg situation, I don't know if I eat sugar because my blood glucose is low or if my high sugar intake is causing rebound hypoglycaemia from the huge insulin spikes when I eat so much crap.


    I've no idea how to wean off it

    I've never tested my blood glucose levels but it used to frequently feel to me as though I had low blood sugar. If a meal was delayed, I was often shaky and even frenzied feeling. I consumed sweets often at that time. I don't feel that way anymore. I credit getting enough protein every day (I was getting very little back then), and keeping my sugar levels close to the recommended daily limit.

    I read once that pre-diabetes can start with mild hypoglycaemia, due to overproducing insulin. I don't know if this is an accepted notion or not, and haven't bothered checking given that my problems are gone now.


    Argh, thanks that has scared me enough to not want chocolate for breakfast :p. Both sides of my family suffer with type 2 diabetes so with my risks I really shouldn't be living on sugar. Gonna try and fill up on proper food first and then leave the cravings till last!

    Thankyou again for your advice everyone you guys are amazing x
  • Shadowmf023
    Shadowmf023 Posts: 812 Member
    I'll share my personal experience with you OP. Doing keto for 2 months seems to have really helped with sugar cravings. I'm reintroducing carbs currently. And suddenly everything I used to find not sweet enough (like bananas) are now suddenly too sweet.

    Perhaps try doing keto or very low carb for a month, and then slowly reintroduce carbs and sugar in moderation. I still can't keep candy in the house. But I find that if I buy myself a single serving, I'm satisfied with it now, where I didn't use to be pre-keto.
  • This content has been removed.
  • CorneliusPhoton
    CorneliusPhoton Posts: 965 Member
    tanny684 wrote: »
    tanny684 wrote: »
    You're not addicted to it, you just like how it tastes. Just like everyone.

    Is eating a reasonable amount of sugar and staying within your calorie goals off the table at this point? Unless there is some medical reason you shouldn't worry about getting "off sugar."
    You're not addicted to it, you just like how it tastes. Just like everyone.

    Is eating a reasonable amount of sugar and staying within your calorie goals off the table at this point? Unless there is some medical reason you shouldn't worry about getting "off sugar."

    Thankyou for all the replies. I'm sorry I can't reply to each comment personally as typing this quickly on my phone. I wanted to add.... I feel like sugar is an addiction. I start the day with candy or chocolate and then eat tons of it throughout the rest of the day. My blood sugar is usually around 3.5-4. I know this is normal. I've been to my doctor for query an insulinoma but my doctor seems to think my blood sugar is just low baseline as I'm asymptomatic. I only started checking my blood glucose out of curiosity. One time for example it was 2.9mmol. I don't know what that is in dl. But in the UK in hospitals at least a BM of less than 4mmol is classed as hypoglycaemia. When my bm was 2.9 I ate a banana and drank some tea with milk and three sugars. Half an hour later it rose to 3.8.

    It's a chicken and egg situation, I don't know if I eat sugar because my blood glucose is low or if my high sugar intake is causing rebound hypoglycaemia from the huge insulin spikes when I eat so much crap.


    I've no idea how to wean off it

    I've never tested my blood glucose levels but it used to frequently feel to me as though I had low blood sugar. If a meal was delayed, I was often shaky and even frenzied feeling. I consumed sweets often at that time. I don't feel that way anymore. I credit getting enough protein every day (I was getting very little back then), and keeping my sugar levels close to the recommended daily limit.

    I read once that pre-diabetes can start with mild hypoglycaemia, due to overproducing insulin. I don't know if this is an accepted notion or not, and haven't bothered checking given that my problems are gone now.


    Argh, thanks that has scared me enough to not want chocolate for breakfast :p. Both sides of my family suffer with type 2 diabetes so with my risks I really shouldn't be living on sugar. Gonna try and fill up on proper food first and then leave the cravings till last!

    Thankyou again for your advice everyone you guys are amazing x

    I've read that losing 10% of your body weight is all but guaranteed to reverse early diabetes and insulin resistance.
    Since you're not diabetic now, you should gain 15-20% now, and then when you start developing it, losing 10% would just require you to eat how you do now, which will be easy.

    Thank you for your tireless service to these boards.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    tanny684 wrote: »
    tanny684 wrote: »
    You're not addicted to it, you just like how it tastes. Just like everyone.

    Is eating a reasonable amount of sugar and staying within your calorie goals off the table at this point? Unless there is some medical reason you shouldn't worry about getting "off sugar."
    You're not addicted to it, you just like how it tastes. Just like everyone.

    Is eating a reasonable amount of sugar and staying within your calorie goals off the table at this point? Unless there is some medical reason you shouldn't worry about getting "off sugar."

    Thankyou for all the replies. I'm sorry I can't reply to each comment personally as typing this quickly on my phone. I wanted to add.... I feel like sugar is an addiction. I start the day with candy or chocolate and then eat tons of it throughout the rest of the day. My blood sugar is usually around 3.5-4. I know this is normal. I've been to my doctor for query an insulinoma but my doctor seems to think my blood sugar is just low baseline as I'm asymptomatic. I only started checking my blood glucose out of curiosity. One time for example it was 2.9mmol. I don't know what that is in dl. But in the UK in hospitals at least a BM of less than 4mmol is classed as hypoglycaemia. When my bm was 2.9 I ate a banana and drank some tea with milk and three sugars. Half an hour later it rose to 3.8.

    It's a chicken and egg situation, I don't know if I eat sugar because my blood glucose is low or if my high sugar intake is causing rebound hypoglycaemia from the huge insulin spikes when I eat so much crap.


    I've no idea how to wean off it

    I've never tested my blood glucose levels but it used to frequently feel to me as though I had low blood sugar. If a meal was delayed, I was often shaky and even frenzied feeling. I consumed sweets often at that time. I don't feel that way anymore. I credit getting enough protein every day (I was getting very little back then), and keeping my sugar levels close to the recommended daily limit.

    I read once that pre-diabetes can start with mild hypoglycaemia, due to overproducing insulin. I don't know if this is an accepted notion or not, and haven't bothered checking given that my problems are gone now.


    Argh, thanks that has scared me enough to not want chocolate for breakfast :p. Both sides of my family suffer with type 2 diabetes so with my risks I really shouldn't be living on sugar. Gonna try and fill up on proper food first and then leave the cravings till last!

    Thankyou again for your advice everyone you guys are amazing x

    I've read that losing 10% of your body weight is all but guaranteed to reverse early diabetes and insulin resistance.
    Since you're not diabetic now, you should gain 15-20% now, and then when you start developing it, losing 10% would just require you to eat how you do now, which will be easy.

    0111_dodc.gif
  • ouryve
    ouryve Posts: 572 Member
    ouryve wrote: »
    elphie754 wrote: »
    Addiction is about mental associations.
    A lot of drug users relapse when they're near the place they started or frequently did drugs. Alcoholics find bars very tempting.

    So I think the thing to do is find a place you don't like and eat as much sugary foods there as possible. You'll associate it with that, and since you don't like that place, you won't go there to fulful your cravings.

    Uh no. You clearly have no knowledge of actual addictions.

    So drug users avoid relapse by hanging out where they did drugs?

    They usually do drugs where they can get hold of them. Nothing like minimising the very real pain of overcoming a physical addiction.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21132088
    Most relapse isn't about withdrawal.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2889613/

    Never said it was. Hard not to relapse when you go hang out the same place as your still addicted friends, though.
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  • zointhesky
    zointhesky Posts: 2 Member
    Just count your calories AND work out. When you have to do 30 minutes of extra cardio everyday only because you decided to have a small portion of dessert(because you want to remain within the recommended calorie limit), you eventually realise that the taste is not worth it.
  • markrgeary1
    markrgeary1 Posts: 853 Member
    My nephew is an addict, he's in state prison for commiting crimes to supply drugs for his disease. How many sugar addicts are incarcerated?
  • ByrdBarajas
    ByrdBarajas Posts: 26 Member
    I beat it by reading a book that my grandpa gave me... it's kind of expensive though ($50). It's called "Eat this, lose that" by Dr. Kota Reddy and it has a lot of helpful pictures and diagrams and explains the science behind nutrition and the effects of sugar and starch on our bodies in a simple way. I knew some of it but after reading how much better I would feel after stopping the sugar consumption I felt more willpower when making the choice to eat something healthy and nutrient dense instead of a dessert etc. Before I started my new lifestyle I was eating half gallons of ice cream, whole bags of Reese's cups, etc you get the picture. I would stop by convenience stores and buy chocolate bars and bags of donuts and eat them in the car so my boyfriend, roommates, and family wouldn't see me doing it. I can tell you it was really hard the first week and I wasn't sure how I'd be able to eat "healthy" but now that I'm seeing and feeling the results it keeps getting easier.

    I want to add I know people like TeaBea who can successfully manage sugar consumption with small treats. Unfortunately I'm not to that point yet so I'm opting to avoid all sugars, including fruit. I ate a bite of a cupcake one day and the cravings for sugar were too bad the rest of the day
    :(

    I also have Dr. Reddy's book and actually made an appointment with him. DEF recommend. He changes your thought processes and thoroughly educates you.
  • not_my_first_rodeo
    not_my_first_rodeo Posts: 311 Member
    I personally feel there is something in the concept of food addiction.

    But rather than wading into those waters, let me just say that what has helped me is to cook more of my own food, to get my sugar in fruits and vegetables whenever possible, and that when I do indulge, I do it with something really really good.
  • ivygirl1937
    ivygirl1937 Posts: 899 Member
    edited October 2016
    tanny684 wrote: »
    You're not addicted to it, you just like how it tastes. Just like everyone.

    Is eating a reasonable amount of sugar and staying within your calorie goals off the table at this point? Unless there is some medical reason you shouldn't worry about getting "off sugar."
    You're not addicted to it, you just like how it tastes. Just like everyone.

    Is eating a reasonable amount of sugar and staying within your calorie goals off the table at this point? Unless there is some medical reason you shouldn't worry about getting "off sugar."

    Thankyou for all the replies. I'm sorry I can't reply to each comment personally as typing this quickly on my phone. I wanted to add.... I feel like sugar is an addiction. I start the day with candy or chocolate and then eat tons of it throughout the rest of the day. My blood sugar is usually around 3.5-4. I know this is normal. I've been to my doctor for query an insulinoma but my doctor seems to think my blood sugar is just low baseline as I'm asymptomatic. I only started checking my blood glucose out of curiosity. One time for example it was 2.9mmol. I don't know what that is in dl. But in the UK in hospitals at least a BM of less than 4mmol is classed as hypoglycaemia. When my bm was 2.9 I ate a banana and drank some tea with milk and three sugars. Half an hour later it rose to 3.8.

    It's a chicken and egg situation, I don't know if I eat sugar because my blood glucose is low or if my high sugar intake is causing rebound hypoglycaemia from the huge insulin spikes when I eat so much crap.


    I've no idea how to wean off it

    I've never tested my blood glucose levels but it used to frequently feel to me as though I had low blood sugar. If a meal was delayed, I was often shaky and even frenzied feeling. I consumed sweets often at that time. I don't feel that way anymore. I credit getting enough protein every day (I was getting very little back then), and keeping my sugar levels close to the recommended daily limit.

    I had this problem as well, I was actually mildly hypoglycemic in symptoms (as in, if I got shaky and didn't eat anything, I WOULD pass out) for a long time but I think it was because my diet was awful in general. Definitely not enough protein and rarely vegetables or fruit or anything. I did eat a lot of candy and chocolate and I know that didn't help at all. I did register pre-diabetic at my checkup at the doctor that year and that definitely scared me into eating better.

    But like you, once I cleaned up my diet some, added in a lot more protein and veggies, and started eating more balanced meals, I rarely have a problem with it anymore. And this year at the checkup, I was in completely normal range, not pre-diabetic anymore.



    OP, also I would say, don't start the morning off with a ton of chocolate, that won't help anything and will probably leave you feeling a lot more hungry later. Find something balanced and satisfying that you like to eat that has plenty of protein and fiber to keep you full.


    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    tanny684 wrote: »
    I often dieting don't eat meals so I can eat sweets.

    If you want to stop overeating sweets/feeling out of control around them, I'd start by stopping this. Plan out your day with balanced healthy meals. Leave a little room for something sweet, but make sure most of the day is more satiating kinds of foods. Getting in filling and satisfying foods make it a lot easier not to overdo. If I just ate sweets all day, I'd definitely overdo, since I'd be consistently hungry/unsatisfied. Main time when I used to overdo sweets is when I was stuck at work (where there are lots of sweets and chips and microwave popcorn, not much else) and would skip dinner and know I'd be stuck there until late and then just go overboard since I was hungry and kind of down.

    Fruit is a great idea if you are craving that sweet taste between meals (or have some with meals), but I really think this is the answer from what you've said.

    Definitely agree!! When I switched to more filling and satisfying foods with pre-planned balanced healthy meals (and quit skipping meals as much), I didn't want to eat all the chocolate anymore (or at least, it's rare), because I just wasn't hungry and it didn't sound good. Also in a pinch if I just want something sweet at the end of a meal or between them and there isn't fruit around, I chew a piece of gum. Satisfies the craving without adding a ton of calories.


    Edited to try to clarify who I was addressing with what.
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,301 Member
    If you have used antibiotics at any time in your life, along with the microbes you were trying to eliminate bacteria which helps you digest your food and support your immune system become collateral damage. The least helpful bacteria become dominant making it more difficult for the more helpful ones to survive. The things the least helpful bacteria like most is sugar. This can drive your sweet tooth.

    In some people their endocrine system is less able to deal with all the 21st Century foods we, many are compelled to eat. With the help of a nutritionist, I am regaining my health. One of the things I have needed to do is eliminate foods with added sugar from my diet. Doing this has reduced pressure on my endocrine system and I have lost my sweet tooth and many many lbs. It may not suit everyone. 30 and more years ago I'd have found it difficult, back then sugar was good and all fat was bad, science is now disproving that one.

    I found and use a range of prebiotics which help replace the microbes I'd lost to many courses of antibiotics, and microbes my 20th century diet cost me, as well as those which its just helpful to have. Immunologists are realising just how much microbes do to to keep our immune system working. My immune system was so very compromised that I could not enjoy life: because of others perfumes and laundry residues. I'd double up in coughing fits so I could not go shopping, to concerts, sometimes go in the garden without being ill, sometimes I'd need to sleep it all off, it was frightful. In a year so very much has changed. I have started to enjoy life again.

    Do what is right for you, we are all different, but make sure you are not kidding yourself, my body took years to go wrong getting it back is taking time too.
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