HOOKED on sugar

jtongen1 · January 2020

I am having trouble decreasing/eliminating my sugar intake. I crave it like crazy. If I have one cookie or one piece of cake my mind begins to focus on that and I can’t get it off of it. It’s like an addiction. How do I get off sugar?

Onedaywriter · January 2020

I wish I knew how to kill cravings. I cut my sugar consumption down a lot and I really don’t crave it as much anymore. I did It by cutting a little here and there to eventually consuming relatively little. I first went after sugar I could see - like in coffee. Then I went after candy and so on. Most of my sugar now comes from fruit with some from packaged foods that I’m trying to avoid. Almost everything in the supermarket has some so be careful.

I find that lately I’m craving nuts in any form. Often. Like all the time. I have plenty of fat in my diet so I don’t know why. Peanut butter please!!!

lemurcat2 · January 2020

Whatever some may say, the answer to this is going to be individual. Consider questions like:

What else are you eating?

How are you sleeping?

Are you eating enough overall?

What time of day are you experiencing cravings?

What specifically is going on when you find yourself wanting sweet treats?

If having one triggers a craving, have you tried taking a break from it entirely or putting rules around it (such as only one day a week after dinner or only when going out to a favorite place)?

Many foods are sweet/contain sugar and aren't high cal (and have lots of micros too) -- if you really are just craving "sugar" have you tried having some fruit? I personally find many fruits as sweet or sweeter than I would like baked goods or ice cream to be (it's okay with the fruit because it is still balanced). Examples I'm into currently are pears and clementines, but pineapple is super sweet and berries are sweet and low cal.

Some find that having something very different in taste than a sweet food can address a desire to have something (that might manifest as sweet if that's your habit). Personally if just craving an evening snack I used to have a pickle or some salted radishes. Sounds weird, but it was satisfying.

ReenieHJ · January 2020

I understand. It feels like sugar controls my mind and thoughts much of the time. And I'm the type that cannot have just one of something to be satisfied. Nope, Even one taste sets me into automatic overdrive and I wantwantwant more.

I don't allow all the stuff I can't say no to, into the house. Well, unless my dh requests it then I'm in temptation trouble.

I do chew a lot of gum and have mints. Sometimes that's just enough to stave off temptation.
The only thing I can suggest is leave some calories for a snack at night, like a 40 cal. fudge pop or diet jello spritzed with ff cool whip, something like that.
Good luck!! Oh and whatever you do, do NOT visit the thread called 'if it didn't have calories, right now I would eat....' I swear my cravings have increased 110% just by drooling over all the food pics posted. Lol

angelsja · January 2020

Iam a all or nothing girl so although lots of people say have what you enjoy in moderation I find abstinence alot easier because like yourself if I have one that's it, it leads to another & another

kshama2001 · February 2020

When I do the following, I don't have cravings:

1. Get sufficient sleep
2. Exercise regularly - when I get the happy hormones from exercise, I'm not prone to seeking them from food. Additionally, mild to moderate exercise appears to work as a mild appetite suppressant for me.
3. Get sufficient protein in relationship to carbs. I'm not low carb, but reducing carbs and upping protein worked for cravings for me. See also http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/fuller/understanding-satiety-feeling-full-after-a-meal.html
4. Eat moderate amounts of fruit. This makes me less interested in higher calorie sweets.
5. Take a magnesium supplement. This can be especially helpful for women premenstrually.
6. Save foods like chocolate for after dinner, in small amounts
7. Stay hydrated
8. Have a calorie deficit that is appropriate for the amount of weight I need to lose. An overly aggressive goal can definitely lead to cravings.
9. Eat at maintenance when my appetite goes up premenstrually.

earlnabby · February 2020

When I crave high calorie foods I allow myself a portion. I cannot control myself so I go to the store and buy a candy bar, a cookie, a slice of cake, etc. If it isn't in the house, I am less likely to crave it.

There is a place for allowing any foods in a food plan. Each person needs to "know thyself" and determine the best way to control it.

vggb · February 2020

I'm a lot like you so I don't have it in the house. If it's in the house I will eat it and not just one. Recently if I plan to have a treat, I buy just one treat. If I plan a dessert after dinner, I throw out the dessert that hasn't been eaten the next morning. This works for me, I consider it a reward and I don't do it weekly.

I will say that if I do eat "treats" the craving desire seems to skyrocket. The longer I go without, the less I think about it or desire it.

mullanphylane · February 2020

I have to be motivated. And ready to do it. Smoking, losing weight, watching nutrients, and changing.

I quit smoking 20 years ago. Couldn't have done it if I hadn't been motivated and ready to do it.

A recent diagnosis of diabetes scared the bejesus out of me (motivation) and I'm ready to do something besides take pills and stick needles in me. In a little over a month I've reduced my sugar intake by close to 80% by reading labels and saying no to added sugars. MFP also helps me plan my eating.

My mantra is Eat Less, Eat Better, Move More. Try it - you'll like it. 👍

bathsheba_c · February 2020

Do you pair proteins with carbs when you eat? The protein slows down how quickly your body absorbs the carbs, whereas if you eat a meal or snack that is almost all carbs, your blood sugar will skyrocket then plummet, which can trigger a craving for more sugar to get your energy up.

I’d also recommend patience. Our bodies get used to a certain level of saltiness or sweetness and it can take some time for our brains to readjust. Afterwards, it can be hard to eat too much sugar because desserts taste too sweet.

KevinWH87 · February 2020

Will substituting other products help reduce your cravings? For example, when I crave a beer, sometimes all I really need is some club soda to get that fizzy sensation.

Can you find something sweet that doesn't have a ton of sugar? An apple? Diet soda? Gum?

vampirequeen1959 · February 2020

I love sugar in all its forms and totally understand where you're coming from. I try to avoid having sweet things in the house. I used to buy Magnums for my stepson every weekend but of course I ate them too so now I buy him plain chocolate because he likes it and I don't. I also changed my breakfast. Instead of cornflakes which I covered in sugar I now make milk and water porridge with sweetener to get the taste hit. I also sprinkle a little sugar on the top to get the sweet crunch but that's my added sugar for the day. The rest of the time I try to avoid sugary and refined products. I eat a lot of fruit though which gives me a sugar hit in a different form. I found that the less I ate refined sugar the sweeter naturally sweet foods tasted.

HOOKED on sugar

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