Menopause and sugar cravings are the reason I am here :(

saggynaggy65
saggynaggy65 Posts: 68 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Good morning everyone! :smile: I am here (again) :wink: because I have a huge problem with my sugar and food intake and I need to get a handle on it before it destroys my health and mental well being! I am 54 years old and hit the big "M" last year so things have been slowly going downhill for me. I crave sugar like nobody's business and have been unable to successfully control it on my own. I have heard that some women gain a tremendous amount of weight during this transition in their lives and I don't want to be one of them! I would love to have some friends that are experiencing this dreaded life change that nobody talks about so that we can support each other along the way. If anyone is fighting the menopause battle and has won, please let me know your secret! :wink: TIA!

Replies

  • PackerFanInGB
    PackerFanInGB Posts: 3,334 Member
    @dmkumhyr I am fighting this battle too. I've been losing the fight for 8 years now. I had treatment for breast cancer, which threw me into the big "M" in 2012 and have been struggling ever since! When I'm able to stop the sugar intake for a week or so, it becomes much easier to resist. However, if I fall off the wagon, which I manage to do every single time it seems, then it seems even harder to eliminate it again.

    I have about 45 lbs I'd like to lose. I need to cut the sugar out for health reasons also....I'm headed toward prediabetes, my cholesterol is getting wonky because of it and I certainly don't want the cancer to come back.

    I'd love to follow this thread and learn ideas on how to fight those horrible cravings. I know it should be simple and I should "just stop eating it" or "just stop having it in the house" but I'm not the only person in my house and for me it is not just that easy. :)

    One day at a time...
  • AlexandraFindsHerself1971
    AlexandraFindsHerself1971 Posts: 3,106 Member
    I haven't quite hit the M yet, but given that at 40, the cycle changed drastically, I'm on the way. Used to be I had an orderly progression of symptoms....ah, water rentention, 5 days out. Emotional changes, tomorrow morning or so. Now... Every month they put them in a bag and they shake them up and dump them out in no particular order.
  • saggynaggy65
    saggynaggy65 Posts: 68 Member
    PackerFaniGB thanks for sharing! I agree whole heartily when you said " It should be simple", but its crazy how these cravings can take a hold on you! Its like you become possessed or something! :smiley: I am hoping that more women will share their stories so that other women can be informed about the changes that occur during the perimenopause/menopause transition and will be prepared when it happens! :)
  • saggynaggy65
    saggynaggy65 Posts: 68 Member
    theleadmare thank you for sharing! Sounds like your are in perimenopause. I went through that for only about a year with the crazy menstrual cycles and because I was on an antidepressant at the time I didn't suffer much with the emotional changes. Wishing you all the best! <3
  • marganit1
    marganit1 Posts: 13 Member
    I am 50 years old in the waiting for that one year to pass. I stopped putting sugar in my coffee. That is huge because I like to drink too many mugs of Nescafe with milk a day. That was a lot of sugar. I still don't hunt for added sugar in processed food but since on a diet I don't really eat or drink obviously sugary stuff like cake, Coke etc.
  • saggynaggy65
    saggynaggy65 Posts: 68 Member
    marganit1 Thank you for sharing. I haven't had sugar in my coffee for probably 30 years or so. I got used to drinking it black a long time ago! My problem is with chocolate. I try to buy the 70% or more dark chocolate and limit it to a few pieces here and there but sometimes I lose control and find myself eating the whole darn bar! I find it works best when I don't have treats in the house but I have a 13 year old and that is hard to do!
  • ageorge3366
    ageorge3366 Posts: 1 Member
    Oh my gosh..sounds like I am reading my own story! I just turned 55 and I cant stop eating sugar. I have struggled with my weight most my adult life and was losing it slowly, but I finally hit menopause and all of a sudden I just couldnt stop eating and now Ive put nearly 20lbs on in 6 months..horrible! I started tracking every thing I eat last Monday and it has been so hard to stay away...I am constantly trying to picture anything sweet as something really bad...ha! I Have a 17 yr old so I also have all his snacks taunting me so understand completely. I bought grapes and that has helped as my snack to curb the sweet tooth and they are filling too. Ill be watching this thread for success stories and support!
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    edited January 2020
    Type 2 diabetic, had to cut out most refined carbs for the sake of my blood glucose levels. The thing about sweet cravings is that if you cut high sugar foods cold turkey the cravings go away after about two weeks. Your taste buds readjust and your blood glucose stops bouncing around in response to big doses of sugar.

    This isn’t necessary for most people. But if you feel you can’t simply cope with cravings by just not eating the food, it’s something that does work. Low sugar berries, dark chocolate, and cinnamon may help you through the adjustment period. In my case I also cut out refined carbs for a while, then added small portions back in when I felt able to control my portions.

    Cutting way back on carbs enabled me to bring my glucose levels down to normal and helped me control calories to lose 125 lbs. I think it’s worth pointing out that there is nothing magic about sugar as far as weight loss is concerned - you can eat a diet made entirely of Twinkies if you want, and still lose weight if you stay within your calorie goal. And menopause doesn’t change that basic truth about physics.

    One other thing, I crave carbs most when tired. So sleep enough, and make sure your bloodwork (iron levels, thyroid, etc., all the little things that tend to get off around menopause) are in range.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    The key to not eating an entire bar of 70% dark chocolate I’ve found is first to break it into the size pieces you want, when you buy it, and store it in a container. Then go get one piece and don’t touch it until you are out of the kitchen. Don’t stand there over the open container and stuff it in your mouth. If you find you want more, go make yourself an appropriate meal. Or eat the entire bar instead of dinner if you want - but remind yourself, 600 calories of chocolate is now your dinner. You don’t get a meal AND the whole bar. Generally reminding yourself that you can eat some of the things you want but not all of them leads to better choices.

  • saggynaggy65
    saggynaggy65 Posts: 68 Member
    rheddmobile wrote: »
    The key to not eating an entire bar of 70% dark chocolate I’ve found is first to break it into the size pieces you want, when you buy it, and store it in a container. Then go get one piece and don’t touch it until you are out of the kitchen. Don’t stand there over the open container and stuff it in your mouth. If you find you want more, go make yourself an appropriate meal. Or eat the entire bar instead of dinner if you want - but remind yourself, 600 calories of chocolate is now your dinner. You don’t get a meal AND the whole bar. Generally reminding yourself that you can eat some of the things you want but not all of them leads to better choices.

    It is usually after dinner that I get the sugar cravings. I have tried just having one piece, sometimes I stop at one, sometimes I say "kitten" it and stuff the whole darn bar in my mouth. Afterwards I feel so guilty that I couldn't control myself!
  • saggynaggy65
    saggynaggy65 Posts: 68 Member
    rheddmobile wrote: »
    Type 2 diabetic, had to cut out most refined carbs for the sake of my blood glucose levels. The thing about sweet cravings is that if you cut high sugar foods cold turkey the cravings go away after about two weeks. Your taste buds readjust and your blood glucose stops bouncing around in response to big doses of sugar.

    This isn’t necessary for most people. But if you feel you can’t simply cope with cravings by just not eating the food, it’s something that does work. Low sugar berries, dark chocolate, and cinnamon may help you through the adjustment period. In my case I also cut out refined carbs for a while, then added small portions back in when I felt able to control my portions.

    Cutting way back on carbs enabled me to bring my glucose levels down to normal and helped me control calories to lose 125 lbs. I think it’s worth pointing out that there is nothing magic about sugar as far as weight loss is concerned - you can eat a diet made entirely of Twinkies if you want, and still lose weight if you stay within your calorie goal. And menopause doesn’t change that basic truth about physics.

    One other thing, I crave carbs most when tired. So sleep enough, and make sure your bloodwork (iron levels, thyroid, etc., all the little things that tend to get off around menopause) are in range.

    Thank you for your sharing! I think in this case everyone is different when it comes to self control, especially when it comes to eliminating sugar. I did a sugar cleanse for an entire month in November and after that was over I binged on sugar like there was no tomorrow! Other than that my health is great, my labs are fine, doctor says I have the blood pressure of a teenager! The only thing that was off was very low estrogen.
    Sleep? That doesn't happen much anymore with these hot flashes and night sweats. I think that may be causing me the problem!
  • dbanks80
    dbanks80 Posts: 3,685 Member
    edited January 2020
    When I was 40 my periods stopped for 7yrs. I thought it was menopause but it turned out to be a benign tumor on my pituitary gland. I was on meds and my periods came back. I've been off meds for 2 yrs successfully having periods.

    I am 52 and i haven't had a period in the last two months. I don't know if it is the tumor or menopause now. I do have Dr. appt to get an MRI and check my hormones.

    I was having serious hot flashes but I take Estroven (over the counter) and it works great!! NO MORE HOT FLASHES.

    I do exercise 6 days a week and significantly cut down on alcohol and that has tremendously helped. I am not a sugar person so I cannot offer much help in that area sorry.

    Good luck on your journey!
  • saggynaggy65
    saggynaggy65 Posts: 68 Member
    ageorge3366 wrote: »
    Oh my gosh..sounds like I am reading my own story! I just turned 55 and I cant stop eating sugar. I have struggled with my weight most my adult life and was losing it slowly, but I finally hit menopause and all of a sudden I just couldnt stop eating and now Ive put nearly 20lbs on in 6 months..horrible! I started tracking every thing I eat last Monday and it has been so hard to stay away...I am constantly trying to picture anything sweet as something really bad...ha! I Have a 17 yr old so I also have all his snacks taunting me so understand completely. I bought grapes and that has helped as my snack to curb the sweet tooth and they are filling too. Ill be watching this thread for success stories and support!

    Hey we are menopause twins! Thanks for sharing your story! Wishing you all the best! :)
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    saggynaggy65 wrote: »
    rheddmobile wrote: »
    The key to not eating an entire bar of 70% dark chocolate I’ve found is first to break it into the size pieces you want, when you buy it, and store it in a container. Then go get one piece and don’t touch it until you are out of the kitchen. Don’t stand there over the open container and stuff it in your mouth. If you find you want more, go make yourself an appropriate meal. Or eat the entire bar instead of dinner if you want - but remind yourself, 600 calories of chocolate is now your dinner. You don’t get a meal AND the whole bar. Generally reminding yourself that you can eat some of the things you want but not all of them leads to better choices.

    It is usually after dinner that I get the sugar cravings. I have tried just having one piece, sometimes I stop at one, sometimes I say "kitten" it and stuff the whole darn bar in my mouth. Afterwards I feel so guilty that I couldn't control myself!

    Well, there are a handful of things you can try. The only bad option is to keep doing the same thing expecting different results.

    I think my first choice in the situation you’re describing would be to ask someone else to please bring me one piece. That way the portion isn’t up to you and you never have to look at the whole thing.

    Failing that, some other options would be leaving calories set aside by the end of dinner for a whole bar, trying 85% chocolate and finding out if you can moderate that more easily, or deciding that you don’t need to be eating chocolate after dinner at all until you learn to moderate. Maybe eat a small piece earlier in the day when you aren’t hungry and at day’s end of your self-control. This works better if you aren’t sitting at the dinner table across from other people eating dessert. Either plan ahead to be eating something you enjoy which fits within your calorie budget, or get up and let them eat dessert without you!

    One of my favorite options when nothing else works is to treat my brain like a whiny child - say to yourself, “Oh, you have a craving for a five minute workout video right now, do you? I’ll just get right on that!” Jump right up and instead of heading into the kitchen do a short dance video (or whatever pleases you) on YouTube. Meanwhile your brain is wailing away, “But I said I wanted chocolate not exercise!” Ignore this. It’s not possible to stuff your face while also dancing. You don’t need to do anything long or hard, the idea isn’t to punish yourself so much as it is to rewire your habits, so that your brain learns that when it begs for chocolate it gets pushups instead. It’s basically the same technique as telling a whiny kid who complains about being bored that you notice his room needs cleaned.

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