Trying to break my sugar addiction.

I empathise. Sugar is my down fall too. I find if I'm eating enough protein I don't feel hungry and haven't binged for ages. If I open a block of chocolate though it's gone soon after so I only do that once a week. At least now though I share it with the family rather than hide it all for myself. The cravings can take weeks to subside. Progress not perfection. How about weaning yourself down to one sugar free chocolate bar a day and go from there.

Check out the book "I Quit Sugar." Very humane and tasty. And some good science to read about.

SarahMorganP wrote: »

I'm having a very hard time. It's all mental, I feel like I NEED it so bad. I'm SO depressed. I can't do moderation either. If I allow myself any I will go right back to tons of it. Please tell me this will end? It's way harder than quitting smoking and caffeine!

I think a lot of the time the issue is breaking the habit of being able to eat whenever, of not having that as a crutch. Sugar was never my particular thing (I like plenty of sugary items, but don't pretend it's all about the sugar, and for snacking non sweet would be fine), but I forced myself to stick to a planned eating schedule because I am more likely to eat well at planned meals (3 meals works for me), and yes it was tough getting out of the habit of being able to go get something whenever the thought crossed my mind or if something tempting appeared, BUT I remembered why it was important to me and pushed through it (I did let myself have raw veg between meals at first) and the difficulty went away. Now, mostly, I don't think about food between meals except in the context of planning for a meal, and am not so likely to notice whatever tempting thing has been added to the break room, and this is totally worth it.

I did not cut out sugary treats, I just realized that for me I need structure and allowed myself to have them only as a post-dinner dessert to the extent (and in the amount) it fit in my calories. Right now I'm not really eating added sugar for other reasons (low carbing, doesn't fit my macros), and still keep this pattern but with other indulgences -- cheese, for example.

I really, really think that for many of us structure and habit are really important and people just assume, wrongly, that if they initially resist changing habits or don't do well without structure that that means they are abnormal or have extra problems others don't have in some way. I don't think this is true, I just think sometimes it takes a little effort and time to set a new structure/habit.

Edit to add: one of my big reasons for cutting out between meal eating and (for a while) sugary treats was that I tend to be an emotional eater and was relying on food for that. Noticing the extent to which you are using food to stuff/deal with feelings -- if you are, and the depression thing makes me think maybe it's this -- then having another strategy is important. Write a bit, listen to a song, go for a quick walk, plan a workout, go get coffee, stuff like that seems small but can help, just a go-to coping mechanism and being aware.

Also, OFTEN sugar and quick carb craving relates to sleep issues. Be aware of that if you are tired. May not prevent the craving, but again being aware can be helpful.

Yeah, someone else going through the exact same thing!! I also stopped sugar on Monday. So far so good. I've had headaches and have been super tired, but when I need to take a nap, I do. I made a killer broccoli cheese soup that is very filling and really good that I'll have if I'm feeling sorry for myself. Actually, I already have been less hungry than normal. I think the worst part for me is I've had to give up my morning coffee. I get up and have a big glass of cold water and then cook some eggs. It's not going to be easy, but I keep telling myself how much better I am going to feel. Nice to know I'm not alone in my endeavor. Keep up the good work, I'm sure it will get easier as each day passes.

Just hang in there. I gave up all processed sugars (I ate high fiber fruit and anything that was lower than 3 grams of sugar per serving) a couple years ago. The first day was okay, the second day was the worst. The third day was better and by the 4th day it was so much easier.

I ate this way for a couple of years, now I occasionally have sweets. But, I can no longer eat anything that is super sugary and I rarely eat a lot of it.

Just wanted to mention a book I'm using to help me with my sugar intake.......called Sugar Impact Diet. Day 5 for me with much reduced sugar in my eating plan and feeling pretty good. I also have very little control with sugar (or bread, cereal, etc) and find moderation difficult. Am hoping this new resource helps me long term. Good luck with making healthy changes!

CynthiasChoice wrote: »

lemurcat12 wrote: »

CynthiasChoice wrote: »

In my experience, people who suffer from an exasperating lack of self control around sweets aren't particularly interested in a debate about WHY moderation is difficult.

I think there are lots of factors that lead to someone having trouble and lots of differences. Someone who tends to buy ice cream and binge after a bad day may not be having the same issue as someone who grazes all day as someone who has told herself time and time again that cookies are bad and when she has one decides she's ruined the day (and is a screw up) so might as well go nuts as after tomorrow no more cookies EVER. Understanding what's going on when you struggle (emotional issue, eating without a plan or structure, getting too hungry, unbalanced diet with inadequate protein, no sleep, super tempting item, item seen as off limits and sinful, what?) is really important to understanding what the issue is and solving it. Claiming that everyone who overeats sweets (no matter what sweets) is the same, and doing it for the same reason "sugar addiction" and thus must cut out sugar (but not really) is not particularly helpful. Better to encourage the person to understand their issues and what is going on when they struggle.

Studies have shown that the pleasure center of the brain lights up in remarkably similar ways when exposed to sugar or cocaine. The debate over whether that's a psychological or biological reaction is best left to the researchers to sort out.

You say that the addiction discussion is not useful (which I agree with) but then try to distort the facts to get into it again. Yes, the brain "lights up," and it also "lights up" when experiencing other things that are perceived as pleasurable, including eating FAT (and things that have nothing to do with food or drugs, of course). This is normal, that we like to eat calorie dense foods is pretty much evolutionarily beneficial (same with liking sex, something else that causes our brains to "light up").

Many of us have struggled with control around food (probably most of us), why try to eliminate as irrelevant those who have used strategies that wouldn't work with the addiction model (for example, I think cutting out sugar makes no sense as it's in many healthful foods and to your body is the same, essentially, as starch anyway -- would you claim the ONLY solution for having control issues around SOME sweet foods, often ones with fat too, is going hardcore, super low carb? That might BE the solution for a few people, but hardly the one main or only one.

Thank you for a very thoughtful post with excellent points. As I understand it, you're saying that it's a mistake to believe you have a sugar addiction and then react by abstaining from sugary foods....that doing so will distract you from discovering your true problem. Please correct me if I misunderstood.

That's an overgeneralization. I'm saying that if someone struggles with control around sugary foods, it's important not to just assume addiction model (whether one "feels like" it is an addiction or not) and cut out "sugar" (which again is in fruits and veg and dairy), but -- whether one gets off on calling it addiction or not -- to do some work on identifying the specifics of when one has control issues. I do think that cutting out sugary treats (if that's the issue) at least for a while might help (I did this), but I also think it's really important to consider whether you have binging tendencies and whether you are doing all or nothing things and whether you tend to see foods as bad/good and beat yourself up, all things that can mean that the cutting things out strategy may make things worse if you are not careful.

The main thing, though, is that I think it's important to realize that depending on the specifics of the issue different approaches may work, so assuming that the OP should do exactly what you did because she used the word "addiction" without asking more questions strikes me as not responsible, as overgeneralization.

This very well may be helpful for some people, but not for me and many others who have shared their stories with me.

I don't see why considering the specifics of when you struggle with control and trying other ways of asserting control would be harmful. I'm not claiming a one solution fits all -- you are.

Also, you are ignoring the fact that if SUGAR is the issue, it would be all sugar (and starches become sugar in the body), and 100% cutting it out, basically. That's the addiction model you seem to be preaching. Yet if someone struggles with specific sugary treats, that seems like huge overkill.

When I have excess sugar in my diet, I behave in most of the ways you listed...

Sure, but then the question is what is "excess sugar"? That's different than claiming that if you have issues with control around some sugary treats you must treat sugar as an addiction and cut it out.

Eliminating sweets (which I think can be a sensible solution -- I also think low carbing can be a sensible solution for some and that for many it works better to keep in some sweet treats but add structure, point is you can't assume what will work for OP without knowing more and ultimately SHE has to think about it and try things) is totally not the same thing as what you said before: "sugar is addictive so cut it out." Again, the addiction model would not seem to distinguish between sugar in one source vs. that in another.

Also, an important part of this is that cutting it out isn't so easy for everyone (it was for me, but if I'd intended it as a permanent change maybe it wouldn't have been) and many struggle with cutting it out and then eating it and feeling bad. Is the solution then to say "it's addictive, you must redouble your efforts?!" or perhaps to mention that other ways of imposing structure can be helpful. Also, so many people say "get it out of your home," but for many of us it's not in our homes where we are tempted by it, but other places we do not control (like a work place). This doesn't mean you can't deal with that -- of course you can -- but removing temptation doesn't work in the same way.

Sugar in my diet makes me a big fat failure. It robs me of my brain and good intentions. All the scientists in the world can tell me I'm mistaken, but I trust my experience and my own personal wisdom more than what scientists are concluding from their studies. It's a brain chemistry thing they just haven't figured out yet.

I find it very unlikely that you have eliminated sugar in your diet. I'm quite low carb at the moment and still get a decent amount of sugar from dairy, vegetables, and probably will have some strawberries tonight. Also, again, starches convert to sugar. You mean sugary treats, probably, and that's again not a strategy I think is wrong -- I think it works for some, not others, and is preferred by some, not others, but is hardly the One True Solution. But if you are claiming it's "addiction" and that that's important to this discussion and WHY your way is the best -- which is what you claimed, at least for those who felt out of control -- then I think it's important to address that.

If you want to back up and say "hey, this worked for me, and other things worked for others, cool," as you seem to be doing, we have no argument and the debate about whether it's really an addiction is irrelevant (which is my personal view).

@Christine_72 That's really nice of you! Thanks for the suggestions. I do use protein powder sweetened with stevia and I enjoy adding cacao powder to smoothies sometimes. I'll look up Flavdrops, Quest bars and the other things you mentioned.

Motorsheen wrote: »

I quit eating sugar by not eating sugar.

A diet without fruits and vegetables doesn't sound very healthy.