Sugar addicted?
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cstehansen
Posts: 1,984 Member
http://sweetfreedomsummit.com/?idev_id=22&idev_username=hto
I keep seeing posts about people struggling to avoid sugar so I thought I would post a link to this summit that is aimed at breaking sugar addiction. Having seen what I have seen over the years, I do believe sugar addiction is a real thing and for those it affects, it can be quite damaging.
I keep seeing posts about people struggling to avoid sugar so I thought I would post a link to this summit that is aimed at breaking sugar addiction. Having seen what I have seen over the years, I do believe sugar addiction is a real thing and for those it affects, it can be quite damaging.
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Looks interesting. A bunch of people I'm not familiar with. Might be some new info or ideas and strategies here.
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Looks fabulous - and interesting. Shared it out on my wall!1
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cstehansen wrote: »http://sweetfreedomsummit.com/?idev_id=22&idev_username=hto
I keep seeing posts about people struggling to avoid sugar so I thought I would post a link to this summit that is aimed at breaking sugar addiction. Having seen what I have seen over the years, I do believe sugar addiction is a real thing and for those it affects, it can be quite damaging.
Man, thank you. It's a real thing, swear.3 -
I don't recognize any of the presenters either1
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This is interesting...part of my job is to educate patients on their prescribed diet. Limited concentrated sweets has to be the hardest thing to gain compliance with.2
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tinachris14 wrote: »This is interesting...part of my job is to educate patients on their prescribed diet. Limited concentrated sweets has to be the hardest thing to gain compliance with.
Do you have any go-to methods for trying to get various types of patients on board?0 -
tinachris14 wrote: »This is interesting...part of my job is to educate patients on their prescribed diet. Limited concentrated sweets has to be the hardest thing to gain compliance with.
Do you have any go-to methods for trying to get various types of patients on board?
Quite honestly, nothing special. I teach them to read food labels. For my diabetics I educate on the short term and long term risks of having high BG. I have had experiences that make me lean toward believing "sugar is addictive". I've had a patient look me in the eye and deny eating any sweets after their BG was 500, they "didn't know why" it was so high. Only to have the patients family tell me they were downing a 1lb bag of m&ms prior to my arrival. That type of denial looks a lot like what is seen in other types of addicts.8 -
It's real. At least for me, it is real. I have intense sugar cravings, unless I am eating very low carb. For me, I also believe hormones play a huge role in my sugar addiction.4
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It is definitely real! It's the only thing I am addicted too! I did a modified whole30 with the main emphasis being to have no sugar or artificial sugar for 30 days. I just finished but still feel nervous about sugar so I'll have to be careful I don't fall into it's grip!2
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When I quit drinking I turned to sugar and that wasn't helpful. I wasn't able to kick it till I started keto with great results.7
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Like Mark Twain said when his doctor told him to cut back on his smoking. He said he could quit, but he couldn't cut back.
Sugar, or anything that is addictive, needs to just be quit. You don't tell an alcoholic to drink less. You tell them to quit completely and forever. There is no benefit to added sugar. None. Zero. Nada.9 -
When I quit drinking I turned to sugar and that wasn't helpful. I wasn't able to kick it till I started keto with great results.
That was me exactly. I quit alcohol in 2013 when I started dieting seriously and haven't drank since but in 2015 I started bingeing on sugar and even said to my husband one evening, "It seems to be my new alcohol". Fortunately I seem to be over sugar too...Today.
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I remember when I was taking an opioid (Tramadol) during 2 years and I had exactly the same withdrawal symptoms as getting of that drug as I have getting of carbs (took a lot less time though) - body aches, flu-symptoms, etc etc. i.e. I am pretty sure that carbs have a similar drug-like effect...
Sometimes when I have a cheat meal or snack I get this rush when I eat e.g. chocolate, or new baked bread, pasta and I cannot simply stop eating...so better to avoid...:-)
nice article
https://authoritynutrition.com/10-similarities-between-junk-foods-and-drugs/6 -
Sugar... not good with it. Thanks for posting this.1
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Sugar addiction is real for me and it's definitely my drug of choice! I've never done drugs and rarely drink alcohol, but sugar sends me into a downward spiral that I can only assume is comparable to what drug or alcohol addicts go through. I had not had any significant sugar last year from January 10 until the middle of October. I gave in and allowed myself a sugary treat and proceeded to go on a 2 1/2 month binge and gained 30 lbs! The worst part was when I tried several times to get back on track I had significant physical withdrawal symptoms. I was shocked! My symptoms were similar to what I've seen described by heroin addicts! I had a headache, body aches, sweating, nausea and trembling. It was awful! It was so awful that I swore I would NEVER go through it again. I clearly can't control my sugar addiction any more than a drug addict can control their addiction. What I can do is make sure I never make the choice to start again. I'm back on track and have been sugar free since the beginning of January. I haven't gotten all of the 30 lbs back off, but am well on my way. The most important thing isn't the weight loss, it's being in control of my eating habits. Thanks for sharing the link. It looks interesting!4
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llbreuer2006 wrote: »Sugar addiction is real for me and it's definitely my drug of choice! I've never done drugs and rarely drink alcohol, but sugar sends me into a downward spiral that I can only assume is comparable to what drug or alcohol addicts go through. I had not had any significant sugar last year from January 10 until the middle of October. I gave in and allowed myself a sugary treat and proceeded to go on a 2 1/2 month binge and gained 30 lbs! The worst part was when I tried several times to get back on track I had significant physical withdrawal symptoms. I was shocked! My symptoms were similar to what I've seen described by heroin addicts! I had a headache, body aches, sweating, nausea and trembling. It was awful! It was so awful that I swore I would NEVER go through it again. I clearly can't control my sugar addiction any more than a drug addict can control their addiction. What I can do is make sure I never make the choice to start again. I'm back on track and have been sugar free since the beginning of January. I haven't gotten all of the 30 lbs back off, but am well on my way. The most important thing isn't the weight loss, it's being in control of my eating habits. Thanks for sharing the link. It looks interesting!
Almost 20 years ago, I had a woman working for me who was all of 5'1 maybe and, because I had to order her uniforms, I knew she was a size 34, and continually getting bigger. She was diabetic, but she would bring in a full bag of those Hostess Donettes, a 2 liter of Coke, and several other sugar filled foods to eat during her shift each day.
At the time, I just couldn't understand how she could do this to herself. She knew this was bad for her. It wasn't until I understood the addiction power of sugar that it clicked. In hindsight, I wanted to beat myself upside the head for not realizing it sooner because my BA is in psychology. I understand addiction, and she showed every classic symptom.
She needed an intervention every bit as much as a heroin addict does or a crack addict. I have since moved multiple times for work and have no idea what happened with her. I will say, that unless she did have that intervention, I am certain she is now dead. I am also certain that addiction killed her.
These are the types of people and experiences which make me so vocal about the topic of health. I know I can't change everyone. I can make sure I do my part to make sure others who want to do what is right have the right information and the right options to make the right choices.
In the end, I believe in free will. Many will make bad choices. However, I choose to do what I can to help who I can when I can.10 -
llbreuer2006 wrote: »The most important thing isn't the weight loss, it's being in control of my eating habits.
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SuperCarLori wrote: »Trust me, sugar withdrawal is nothing, and I repeat NOTHING like heroin withdrawal. It's not even close. Just stop.
It's more like crack withdrawal, which is more psychological and sneaky.
Good to know. I wasn't aware that headaches, body aches, sweating and trembling were just sneaky psychological symptoms. Thanks for validating my personal experience.1 -
SuperCarLori wrote: »llbreuer2006 wrote: »SuperCarLori wrote: »Trust me, sugar withdrawal is nothing, and I repeat NOTHING like heroin withdrawal. It's not even close. Just stop.
It's more like crack withdrawal, which is more psychological and sneaky.
Good to know. I wasn't aware that headaches, body aches, sweating and trembling were just sneaky psychological symptoms. Thanks for validating my personal experience.
You're welcome. It's nothing like heroin withdrawal. Thanks for minimizing my experience, and thousands of others.
I don't think anyone intended to minimize your experience. There are many types of addiction. Most have similar characteristics, but for some crazy reason we are not all prone to all of them. I am fortunate that I do not seem to possess the gene(s) or whatever it is to make me prone to much in the way of addiction. Given the things I tried, much of it in great excess, during my youth and what I saw happen to many of my friends, I truly do know how blessed I am in this regard. Well over half of my friends from those years did not survive to see 30 yo.
My comments were intended to show there are addictive properties to sugar, at least for some. As such, telling someone with this addiction to just cut back will never work. It goes much deeper than just a matter of simple will power.4 -
cstehansen wrote: »SuperCarLori wrote: »llbreuer2006 wrote: »SuperCarLori wrote: »Trust me, sugar withdrawal is nothing, and I repeat NOTHING like heroin withdrawal. It's not even close. Just stop.
It's more like crack withdrawal, which is more psychological and sneaky.
Good to know. I wasn't aware that headaches, body aches, sweating and trembling were just sneaky psychological symptoms. Thanks for validating my personal experience.
You're welcome. It's nothing like heroin withdrawal. Thanks for minimizing my experience, and thousands of others.
I don't think anyone intended to minimize your experience. There are many types of addiction. Most have similar characteristics, but for some crazy reason we are not all prone to all of them. I am fortunate that I do not seem to possess the gene(s) or whatever it is to make me prone to much in the way of addiction. Given the things I tried, much of it in great excess, during my youth and what I saw happen to many of my friends, I truly do know how blessed I am in this regard. Well over half of my friends from those years did not survive to see 30 yo.
My comments were intended to show there are addictive properties to sugar, at least for some. As such, telling someone with this addiction to just cut back will never work. It goes much deeper than just a matter of simple will power.
I agree. Cutting back doesn't work. At least for me.
It's not a biggie, it just bothers me a bit when people who haven't been through heroin withdrawal compare it to food withdrawal. It's taking away from survivors and it's *kitten*. It's not even relative, c.
Thank you for caring enough to soothe my ruffled feathers. 4
