Addicted to sugar

Sisepuede422 · September 2017

Any advice on cutting sugar. I've tried going cold turkey and failed. The worst part is the physical withdrawal symptoms. They feel like I have the flu. Ugh. Any advice is welcomed.

livingleanlivingclean · September 2017

Don't cut sugar? You limit yourself to meat and oil/fat. doesnt sound very healthy to me!

Sisepuede422 · September 2017

It feels like an addiction. I feel physically and psychologically sick if I don't eat something loaded with sugar. I'm like a junkie.

belleflop · September 2017

Going to extremes very rarely results in lasting change and usually results in a rebound as you discovered. Just limit intake and take control of your eating habits. Slow changes over time and your own conscience decisions are key.

cmriverside · September 2017

Well, some of the responses you will get to this statement are that sugar is not addictive. This has been debated hundreds if not thousands of times on this site, and there just is no scientific proof that it is addictive. I say the jury is out on that, but it's a point of high contentious argument on this site.

Do we love it? Yup. Is it difficult to stop once we start (for some people)? Yes.

What worked for me was to add more vegetables, more protein, and more fats. I now treat sugary things as a special treat - so once a week instead of with every meal. Fruit is a good substitute for cookies and candy etc., so try having that as your dessert. Also if you can stop snacking between meals, that helped me.

It isn't easy, but you can stop overeating sugary treats. How about cutting back to one small treat per day? Start there, and work on getting good nutrition by logging all your food and then studying your Food page and learning about nutrition.

ndj1979 · September 2017

are you eating foods with 100% sugar in them, or do they also contain fats, and protein? I assume it is the later so how do you know that is not the fat or the protein causing the problem?

Sugar is not physically addictive and there is no evidence that it is.

Perhaps, you have an un-diagnosed food allergy that makes you not feel good when eating sugar? Have you been to a dr?

Sisepuede422 · September 2017

Oops sorry. I'm a newby and didn't know it was such a contentious issue.

amusedmonkey · September 2017

To help OP and away from the addiction debate:

Sugar is not physically addictive so there could be a couple of things going on:
Have you cut way back on soda? You may be having caffeine withdrawal. Adding more coffee may help.
Have you cut way back on carbs? You may be experiencing "keto flu". Adding electrolytes and waiting it out may help, or alternatively, adding other sources of carbs.
Does cutting sugar make you feel very stressed? High stress could manifest physically in many ways. Do you know any ways that successfully help you manage stress?

What is your goal from cutting sugar:
Do you believe you won't lose weight unless you cut sugar? That's not true.
Do you wish to lose weight and feel sweet foods are easy to overeat? Have you tried cutting down gradually? Have you tried replacing one form of sugary food you tend to overeat with another you don't usually overeat? Like fruits, sweet tea, another kind of candy you like but can easily moderate? How about single serving packages?
Are you cutting out added sugar because you want to add more nutrient dense foods to your diet? It can be done while enjoying sugary things in moderation.
Do you feel cutting sugar out would make dieting easier for you? Then you will have to white knuckle it for a couple of weeks, just like it is with any habit. No way around that.

Edit:
Are people Woowing for the sake of woowing? This post was meant to be helpful regardless of stance on sugar addiction.

Lois_1989 · September 2017

Welcome to the MFP Forum! Full of vigorous debates and sarcasm.

lemurcat12 · September 2017

Eat fruit. If it's a physical addiction that would satisfy it without it derailing your nutrition plan or diet, probably.

Focusing on the "how to eat a better diet" part of the question, it really helps to figure out (even write down!) what seems to be the difficulties, as well as to log what you are eating, to see what things you want to change.

I happen to agree that eating can be kind of like an addiction (I'm not convinced it really is, for the vast majority of people, although the super morbidly obese, probably), but the precise terminology does not matter. However, if we are not talking about a physical addiction to sugar (which it can't be, all sugar and carbs, really, are going to satisfy that demand by your body), we are talking about something like emotional or comfort eating or perhaps a bingeing disorder, which I agree can be difficult (I struggle with it), but from what you'd said I can't tell if that's what you are talking about.

My suggestions would be to have a plan, make sure you are eating satisfying and tasty food and don't feel deprived, and get enough carbs (try starchy carbs with some fiber and fruit), as well as protein and fat. Don't cut calories super low. Try eating only at planned times, and not grazing or snacking throughout the day and feeling like you should just be able to eat the right amount. And realize that changing habits can be really tough at first, so that it's hard doesn't mean there is something wrong with you.

Focus on what you are eating. (Which is what? Telling us what you want to be eating might help.)

Many people find it's easier to fit in a little something sweet (besides fruit, I mean) regularly, as they know they will get it and don't get the "last time ever must eat and eat!" reaction. Others find it easier to cut it out or take a break from it. For me, since I wanted to get out of the habit of snacking and to deal with emotional eating, I cut out added sugar for a while and found it not as hard as expected and I was able to incorporate it (with some rules) moderately later. But you will have to pay attention to yourself to figure this out.

Need2Exerc1se · September 2017

Then don't go cold turkey. Cut back a little at a time. Buy single servings or limited amounts. Look for other carb sources that you don't find quite so addicting.

amyepdx · September 2017

I think the responses you've received (mine included) are because of the nature of your post - kind of a hit & run without any context. For instance, have you done the guided set-up and determined your deficit and calorie goal? Have you started weighing and logging your food? Once you get those things down, you might find sugar isn't as big as problem as you think it is. We're mostly advising you to look at the big picture and not get hung up on one aspect of calorie counting. Make sense?

RedSierra · September 2017

I have a medical problem and cut way, way back on added sugar. The problem for me was to cut out trigger foods -- foods I couldn't stop eating and that took the place of food with better nutrition. I couldn't control eating these foods in moderation. More power to the people who have achieved moderation.

Sugar is in almost everything, from sweets to fruit and vegetables to dairy. The baked sweets and candy were my trigger foods, not the other stuff.

I replaced most added sugar sweets with fruit, which is not a trigger food for me and which has bulk and more nutrition. I also had physical withdrawal symptoms and cravings that were similar to when I quit smoking many years ago, only not as bad -- they only lasted about two weeks. Editing to add that sugarless gum helped a lot (I bought Orbit brand).

Taper off the sweets or whatever you're eating that's a problem food and replace it with other treats -- fruit and something with fat that is not a trigger. Either that, or learn to eat the sweets in moderation, whatever works for you.

atactic · September 2017

It looks like several posters are getting hung up on the word addiction.... whatever...

MFP will warn you if you are getting close to your sugar limit.... In my system it's under Settings, Diary Settings, Show Diary Food Insights - Checkbox. This helps me say no to a food with lots of sugar...

Also, when I want to limit Fat or Sugar, I add the 'foods I cannot live without' or 'food rewards' at the start of the day. I like to reward myself with a little ice cream every day. Then I add the foods I'm about to eat before eating them, so you can see if you are getting close to your sugar limit [Diary -- Nutrition (pie chart) - Nutrients]
Mine is set at 67g. Just tracking like this inspires me to put half the sugar in my coffee, or skip the cupcakes that someone brought to work....

Best of Luck,
Atactic

Sisepuede422 · September 2017

The physical symptoms are likely due to an electrolyte balance which is quite common when an individual drastically reduces carb intake.

Yessssss. This definitely a possibility. Thank you.

kimny72 · September 2017

I'm going to try to avoid the "addiction" debate, other than to say I do not believe you (or anyone) are physically addicted to sugar. Having said that, it doesn't mean you don't have good reasons for wanting to make a change to your diet. So I think it would be really helpful to know why you decided to make a change? What are you trying to avoid? What foods are you overeating that are causing the issue? That way you can get some helpful advice along with the argument that I'm sure will continue on for pages

It is literally impossible to quit sugar, as it's in pretty much everything except meat and eggs, so I'm thinking some more info will be helpful.

cwolfman13 · September 2017

My guess is that you've drastically reduced carbohydrates in addition to trying to cut out sugar. The symptoms you're feeling aren't withdrawal...the symptoms are called keto flu as a result of your body transitioning from it's preferred, default source of energy (glucose) to the body's evolutionary backup plan, ketones when there isn't enough available glucose.

Sugar in and of itself isn't a physically addictive substance. It is highly palatable, particularly when combined with fat...which is why cake and cookies and whatnot are delicious...a highly palatable combination of sugar and fat. I do believe there are eating behavioral addictions, but no physical addiction to anyone particular food.

mathjulz · September 2017

I'm quoting this because it is good advice and great things to consider and it deserves to be repeated.

OP, read through amusedmonkey's advice a couple of times. Really consider your goals and what you are trying to achieve, and try the things she suggests. See how it helps you.

And this:

Eaglesfanintn · September 2017

Let me tell you about my Peanut M&M habit. When I say I was eating a crap ton of them, it's not exaggeration. I would go out of my way to go to the store in order to also buy a big "family size" bag of them. Family of one, right here. That would last me about a day or so. I was literally eating them everyday in quantities too large to believe.
When I decided to get serious again about losing weight, I cut them out completely. I didn't go through withdrawal, I didn't get the shakes or the sweats and certainly didn't have to go into rehab.
For me, it was a habit, not an addiction. My wife quit smoking and nicotine aside, she talked about the habit of smoking, the actual physical act of it. I think it was that way for me as well. It was the act of eating those things that I had made into a habit. The actual act of reaching into that bag, grabbing a handful and munching on them (and repeat).
I still eat stuff with sugar - but not those because I don't want to fall back into that habit and not if it doesn't fit into my calories for the day.
My apologies to anyone who has stock in M&M/Mars, their profits this quarter are going to be way down.

Christine_72 · September 2017

OP do you have these same "addiction" symptoms/behaviours when faced with a bowl of fruit, milk, flavoured yogurts etc etc Or do you only have trouble moderating the usual suspects, such as chocolate, candy, cookies, ice cream, pastries etc

GemstoneofHeart · September 2017

I'm chiming in to say that I too believe you can be addicted to sugar. You can woo me all you want.
It's just like anything else you can get addicted to, take anything, let's say alcohol, for example. There is nothing wrong with alcohol in moderation. A drink here and there is tasty and fun. It's when it starts controlling you, you drink it in secret, you make decisions in favor of drinking more to the detriment of something else more productive, or you drink too much. People do all of this with sugar.

My advice is to not cut it out completely. Learn to eat sugar in moderation and not let it control you. Slowly decrease either the grams you consume or the number of times per day or week you allow yourself a sugary treat.

Addicted to sugar

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