Uh, help me with sugar!

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wellthenwhat
wellthenwhat Posts: 526 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am a sugar addict. Today I had 2 KitKat and 3 chocolate chip cookies, as well a generously sweetened mint tea for breakfast.This was pretty moderate for me. I love sugar, candy, cookies, cake, ice cream, kids cereal, pop, I love it all. I've gotten away from pop a little bit. (Finally bought myself a 12 pack of soda for the first time in a year, and it's been setting untouched in my car, I've only had one
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  • TheCupcakeCounter
    TheCupcakeCounter Posts: 606 Member
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    Been there, done that (my name is cupcake for a reason).
    I've been added sugar-less for about 7 weeks now. The first week was very rough but it has gotten a lot easier and I have found my tastes changed a bit. I followed David Zinczenko's zero sugar diet (well the sugar part not the whole thing) for a start. The basis is a two-week total purge and then going forward you can have it as long as the fiber is higher than the added sugar. He also gives a bunch of recipes and a huge list of foods that meet the guidelines.
    Feel free to friend me or ask any questions.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    OP, what have you tried?

    I think having a plan helps. If you have foods and a schedule you plan to live by, you don't just end up eating candy unless you choose to. You can then decide how much sugary things you want to be part of your plan--if you love it, I'd think some, at least, but if you want to try to change your palate it might be easier to try taking a break from most of it for a while (but don't beat yourself up about it if you have some).

    I tend to think it's easier to change your diet if you have concrete goals (a calorie goal is good, maybe a nutritious diet and some idea of what that means -- hitting protein goals or vegetables or both, for example). Although sugar wasn't my specific issue, I did cut out added sugar for a while and then added back in my favorites in moderation. What helped me was focusing on these kinds of goals, what I did eat and structure, having a plan for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and no snacking (for me) or (if you prefer) maybe planned snacking. Stuff like that.

    It might also help to think about what more nutrient dense foods you really enjoy and focus on that. One thing that cutting stuff out for a bit helps me with (in addition to cutting out added sugar I sometimes cut out other things, like meat) is in expanding my horizons and getting out of a rut. Are their savory meals you enjoy, especially for breakfast, protein-rich snacks, maybe sources of sweetness like fruit that would be enjoyable for options instead of candy, etc.
  • bee11mct
    bee11mct Posts: 18 Member
    edited February 2017
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    Oh my, this is exactly my issue. I find that on day when I eat a lot of sugar, I'm craving sugar all the time. It's like smoking. A smoker craves a cigaret all the time, as sonn as you're done one another craving begins.
    So I try to limit my sugar intake to my coffee (honey) and I find it better than just trying to eat a little bit of sugar. But it's an ongoing battle. Try to focus on the benefits and notice them : feeling better, losing weight, better skin, extra money , esting healthier...
  • wellthenwhat
    wellthenwhat Posts: 526 Member
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    I haven't really tried anything. I'm just now acknowledging it as a problem. My typical mindset is that I only have a few calories, so I have desert instead of a full meal. Or I'll sneak a piece of candy throughout that day, and it adds up to a lot. I do have other foods that I love, but I don't feel content until I've had something sweet to top it off. A piece of candy feels so much smaller due to it's size than an equal amout of vegetables would be. I've eaten less, so I feel like it's less. But I know it's not good for me and it makes me feel sick at the end of the day.
  • bee11mct
    bee11mct Posts: 18 Member
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    I also wanted to add: when I started using MFP I found that sugar was the sole reason why I can't reach my goal but will be very soon because I have finally admitted to myself that it does affect me and the way I feel. I have decided to try limiting deserts and unecessary sweets.
  • bee11mct
    bee11mct Posts: 18 Member
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    Wow I am reading your last post and I swear I could have wrote this. I also skip meals to eat sweats.
  • wellthenwhat
    wellthenwhat Posts: 526 Member
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    It's similar to the way I used to crave soda. I still crave soda sometimes, but not like I used to. And when I finally get one, it doesn't taste as good as I thought, and gives me a stomach ache. So I'm thinking maybe I need to reduce/eliminate other things the same way?
  • lisazurosky
    lisazurosky Posts: 3 Member
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    Me too!!! Ughhh I'm the biggest sugar addict!! I literally get headaches and physically sick if I don't have it. I am trying so hard to cut down and eat healthier. It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do! I'm hoping once I detox I won't crave it as much. The only thing that works for me is to chew gum or I eat some fruit. Good luck! I'm right there with ya! :/
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,521 Member
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    Two words: sugar detox. No candy, juice, soda, honey, sugar. Fruit in moderation. The craving goes away after about a week.

    Substitute non sweet snacks: nuts, cheese, crackers, within calorie limits.
  • sarahbetherck
    sarahbetherck Posts: 270 Member
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    I cut all added sugar a while back and it's amazing how my tastes have changed. I can honestly happily easy berries for dessert and bananas taste so sweet to me now I can barely eat a whole one. Cut it completely for at least a month and see what happens. It'll suck in the beginning but it's worth it.
  • wellthenwhat
    wellthenwhat Posts: 526 Member
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    I don't buy a lot of sweets, right now I have some chocolate drops and nutty bars, as well as some chocolate chip cookies, but normally I don't. But then I usually binge when I get to my mom's place.
  • Wtn_Gurl
    Wtn_Gurl Posts: 396 Member
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    Go the the doctor for a physical exam, have him/her check your blood sugars and see how close you are to diabetes. It might make you not want that sugar if you consider the alternative - going into diabetes and HAVING TO stick yourself with a needle everyday to test your sugar and also you MUST moderate your eating. That's what worked for me this time. I don't want to get diabetes but im heading there very shortly unless I change immediately. A health scare might cause you to change for realz.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
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    Wtn_Gurl wrote: »
    Go the the doctor for a physical exam, have him/her check your blood sugars and see how close you are to diabetes. It might make you not want that sugar if you consider the alternative - going into diabetes and HAVING TO stick yourself with a needle everyday to test your sugar and also you MUST moderate your eating. That's what worked for me this time. I don't want to get diabetes but im heading there very shortly unless I change immediately. A health scare might cause you to change for realz.

    I reversed the progression of my prediabetes while still eating sugary foods-I just started eating at the correct calorie deficit for my weight goals and lost around 50lbs. Losing the extra poundage stabilized my glucose number, which is now in the 80s and 90s. My daily carb intake is usually between 150g-200g+ a day, and as long as I'm hitting my calorie targets and maintaining my weight, my glucose numbers are stable :)

  • Monroe121
    Monroe121 Posts: 358 Member
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    I agree with the other posts. Make a plan for yourself. Also please be careful with your sugar intake; it really can cause some health issue in the long run. Best of luck to and for you dear.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,521 Member
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    I want to add that once you've detoxed, measured sweets are fine. I have a small amount of dark chocolate every day. Also, I sometimes have a teaspoon of honey in my tea if I'm particularly hungry. Finally, eating sugar during endurance activities (more than an hour, typically) makes sense. Sugar is not a poison, but it is habit forming.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,752 Member
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    wellthenwhat wrote: »
    I am a sugar addict. Today I had 2 KitKat and 3 chocolate chip cookies, as well a generously sweetened mint tea for breakfast.This was pretty moderate for me. I love sugar, candy, cookies, cake, ice cream, kids cereal, pop, I love it all. I've gotten away from pop a little bit. (Finally bought myself a 12 pack of soda for the first time in a year, and it's been setting untouched in my car, I've only had one

    What about help with fat.... Lots of those foods have significant amounts of fat too.

    Have you ever sat down to a bag of sugar and munched through it?
  • wellthenwhat
    wellthenwhat Posts: 526 Member
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    Wtn_Gurl wrote: »
    Go the the doctor for a physical exam, have him/her check your blood sugars and see how close you are to diabetes. It might make you not want that sugar if you consider the alternative - going into diabetes and HAVING TO stick yourself with a needle everyday to test your sugar and also you MUST moderate your eating. That's what worked for me this time. I don't want to get diabetes but im heading there very shortly unless I change immediately. A health scare might cause you to change for realz.

    All my blood levels look good, and I only weigh 130, with plenty of muscle. But I know it's still not healthy
  • wellthenwhat
    wellthenwhat Posts: 526 Member
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    So far this morning I have only had some grapes and my tea. Then pot pie and a biscuit for lunch. Now the hardest part of the day starts, because I want desert. I think I will have a cookie when I get home, but am trying not to steal any of the ice cream in the work fridge

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