sugar my problem

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dadsafrantic
dadsafrantic Posts: 183 Member
edited September 2017 in Food and Nutrition
i'm an addict. please help me stop.

i'm just about unable to go grocery shopping without coming home with sugary cr@p. ice cream and cookies are the 2 most common items. i find myself thinking about it on the way home even.

what have you done to quit?

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,015 Member
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    Yeah, I'm with kommodevaran - I have to make the decision in the store. I have a compulsion when it comes to sugar, too. If it's in the house, I'm going to eat the whole thing. It's a problem!

    So the thing that works for me is not to buy it. I'm many years into trying to learn moderation if the stuff is in my house, and it just doesn't work for me. I still have treats occasionally when I'm out, and now and then I'll still buy something if I've really been thinking about it - but I know that if I buy it, whatever size I buy is one serving for me.

    If I'm at someone's house, I pretty much just pass on dessert or I'll be thinking and obsessing over having more. At work, I don't eat things other people bring in so that solves that.
  • dadsafrantic
    dadsafrantic Posts: 183 Member
    edited September 2017
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    this is all good advice. i was really good a few months ago about planning and prepping meals. time is always a factor. i agree that it's the way to go.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    I try not to buy it too. When I shop, I make sure I'm not hungry. It helps me a bit.

    I also limit my carbohydrates. I know which foods cause me to want more - sugars and starches mainly. If I avoid those, I control my appetite better.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    dadsafrantic wrote: »
    i'm just about unable to go grocery shopping without coming home with sugary cr@p. ice cream and cookies are the 2 most common items. i find myself thinking about it on the way home even.

    what have you done to quit?

    You can. Just don't buy it.

    Have a strict plan when you go to the grocery store, if you need to. Skip the aisles with ice cream. A good part of the time when I go to the grocery store I hit a very small portion of it because I know what I want: produce, maybe dairy, maybe pop in and pick up some oats (I know where they are), go grab a can of beans and some pepperoncini and then hit the paper towels or whatever. I don't even know half the things in the grocery store, probably, because I never go to those sections.

    Also, make sure you don't go when hungry. Have a plan already for what you are eating that evening if you must go after work. Remind yourself of why you are doing this, what the positive goals are, and have them in mind.

    I think one thing that makes losing weight tough is that it really easy to think "one more day doesn't matter, it will be months (or whatever) until I get thin anyway" and you need to work through that kind of thinking, perhaps. Today does matter, and months is not that long and you can believe in and visualize that you will get there, it's not just some vague time in the future. Plus, think of daily goals, not just long in the future ones: eating healthfully has positive benefits TODAY, hitting my goals today (buy only the food on my list, eat according to my plan) is a positive thing that should be considered important too.
  • dadsafrantic
    dadsafrantic Posts: 183 Member
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    thanks everybody.
  • Sp1tfire
    Sp1tfire Posts: 1,120 Member
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    I try to view it from a financial standpoint. Questions like:
    1. Does this actually serve a nutritional purpose?
    2. Does it actually fill me up?
    3. Could this money be spent more wisely?
    4. Is there something else I could try that's cheaper and 'healther'?

    I often put sugary stuff back because it's just extra calories in my day that does nothing to fill me up, so i find it to be a pointless use of my money. I still buy some now and then, but these questions make it easier to put back.
  • sofchak
    sofchak Posts: 862 Member
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    You got it spot on that this starts at the grocery store or other point of sale, not at home. With that said, I know this is going to sound like total woo, but it works for me - try chewing the most minty gum you can find while grocery shopping. I started doing this a few months ago and it doesn't stop all my impulse purchases but it has helped a lot - I find myself standing in front of the cookies trying to imagine tasting one right now, but then thinking of how disgusting it would taste with the aftertaste of my minty gum. For some reason, it's been enough to keep me from making some poor choices at the grocery store. Give it a shot - can't hurt!
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    dadsafrantic wrote: »
    i'm an addict. please help me stop.

    i'm just about unable to go grocery shopping without coming home with sugary cr@p. ice cream and cookies are the 2 most common items. i find myself thinking about it on the way home even.

    what have you done to quit?

    Luckily I can moderate sweets just fine, my problem is cheese and nuts. I am miserable when I try to give them up, so I either buy them in single serving packs or I portion them into servings as soon as I get home from the store. I also have certain types that I am more likely to hoover down multiple servings, so I try to buy versions i like but don't "OMG drooling LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKE". I can't say this has a 100% success rate, but it helps.

    If you can't moderate at all, then yeah, you have to draw that line in the sand at the store. Go with a full tummy and an organized list!

    And when I want something sweet and don't have the calories left, I'll have a square or two of dark chocolate and some mint tea. I find mint tastes a bit sweet without having any sort of sugar. Maybe mint tea, or gum, or... well... mints will help you deal better with cravings? Sorry you're struggling - Good luck!
  • dadsafrantic
    dadsafrantic Posts: 183 Member
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    katadx wrote: »
    I try to view it from a financial standpoint. Questions like:
    1. Does this actually serve a nutritional purpose?
    2. Does it actually fill me up?
    3. Could this money be spent more wisely?
    4. Is there something else I could try that's cheaper and 'healther'?

    I often put sugary stuff back because it's just extra calories in my day that does nothing to fill me up, so i find it to be a pointless use of my money. I still buy some now and then, but these questions make it easier to put back.

    aha! i'm the king of cheap. sort of. i like this way of looking at it. bad health is a pretty good motivator but add in bad financial sense and it just got a little easier.
  • artbyrachelh
    artbyrachelh Posts: 338 Member
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    Oh, and I wanted to add two ideas: replace sweet dessert items after dinner with something savory. A slice of strong fancy cheese? (I think that's very French, to have cheese for dessert), or a decaf espresso.

    Finally personally I find it helpful to avoid foods high in sodium. The reason is that I like to chase salty foods with sweet. So not eating the salty sometimes helps me not get started on that route?

  • emailmehere1122
    emailmehere1122 Posts: 140 Member
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    dadsafrantic wrote: »
    i'm an addict. please help me stop.

    i'm just about unable to go grocery shopping without coming home with sugary cr@p. ice cream and cookies are the 2 most common items. i find myself thinking about it on the way home even.

    what have you done to quit?


    It can be tough...it's almost as if the food companies have chemist creating these sugary/salty foods to get us hooked

    There are a lot of good ideas on here Don't go to the grocery hungry,don't buy it, make a list and plan on a treat later that you can look forward to.

    At the end of the day it's going to take will power to implement any of these ideas...you can do it and until you truly believe that you'll keep on doing what you're doing.
  • justnjoyable
    justnjoyable Posts: 22 Member
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    dadsafrantic Member
    September 20, 2017 7:42AM edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
    i'm an addict. please help me stop.

    i'm just about unable to go grocery shopping without coming home with sugary cr@p. ice cream and cookies are the 2 most common items. i find myself thinking about it on the way home even.

    what have you done to quit?

    See my thread Off the Sugar Train! I was where you were once....so understand. Read the book Blood Sugar Solution.....it will help you see and understand the addictive cycle you are in. I can share with you that I feel great!!! Good luck to you!

  • xvolution
    xvolution Posts: 721 Member
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    If you're not allergic to chocolate, you can try what I did. Go out and buy the lowest percentage dark chocolate you can find and have it as a treat until it starts to taste sweet. Once that happens move on to the next percentage up (the higher the percentage, the less sugar is in it). Once I was comfortable with the 90% dark chocolate, most sweets had become way too sweet and rich for me to enjoy regularly.

    It's easier to get off the sugar train if you slowly reduce how much you consume daily rather than hopping off cold turkey.
  • LiftandSkate
    LiftandSkate Posts: 148 Member
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    I struggle with going overboard on sugar/carbs, too. I keep my protein up and my carbs down, which really help with the cravings. I don't bring certain foods home. So much easier to leave them in the store and walk away! I keep a bar of really good, really dark chocolate around, and have 1-2 squares if I'm craving sweets.
  • dadsafrantic
    dadsafrantic Posts: 183 Member
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    thanks everyone.

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