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Starting over yet again.

Bookaddict87
Bookaddict87 Posts: 83 Member
in Getting Started

I've gained 44 pounds in the last 12 years making me my highest ever weight. I got a mini stepper and Pilates bar. I figured I could workout while reading. My issue is my sugar addiction. If anyone could give me tips on how to cut out the snacking and sugar i would love it. I'm struggling with high blood sugar and sugar cravings.

Replies

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,467 Member
    edited March 5

    Yeah, sugar is a tough one for a lot of people. On a scale from 1 to 10, sugar is a 9 for me, I basically have to stay away from it, so I found a very low carb diet work best, the cravings are gone most of the time.

  • wm3796
    wm3796 Posts: 107 Member

    I agree that sugar cravings can be tough. I find that having a small piece of sugary food leads me to wanting me while others find that having a small piece allotted in their calorie daily goal satisfied them. See what fits your personality best. I try to avoid it but do chew sugar free gum a lot

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,467 Member
    edited March 5
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48514238#Comment_48514238

    I use to drink diet pepsi as my sweet alternative but I kept seeing research that seemed to say that even the sweet taste can drive cravings, which is predicated on the fact it does activated dopamine a neurotransmitter in the brain. Anyway I've stopped all diet drinks and the cravings have diminished to pretty much 0.

  • briscogun
    briscogun Posts: 1,158 Member

    Sugar is tough. Here's a few things that work for me:

    -Keep it out of the house!

    -Eat fruit instead (still sweet just natural)

    -When the cravings are REALLY bad go for a quick walk they subside pretty quick for me

    After a while (they say it takes 3 weeks to form or break a habit) it gets better. Good luck!

  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,760 Member

    How about changing the narrative: you have a sugar habit and not an addiction. As the above poster mentioned, habits can be broken, changed, and replaced with new ones.

    Every time you want something sweet to eat, drink a glass of water, talk a walk, or use your mini stepper for 10 min. Be consistent. Once you stop eating sweets constantly, fruit tastes much sweeter and can be your replacement.

  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 10,164 Member

    What I do: I have one piece of candy every day. It's usually a waver bar of sorts. Fits into my calories, I usually have it after dinner thus I have something to look forward to, and thereafter I go jogging and then don't feel like eating anything sweet anymore other than fruit. I really crave grapefruit after running for some reason.

  • patriciafoley1
    patriciafoley1 Posts: 263 Member

    I try to stay away from sugar. A little bit of jelly on a pbj half sandwich on a slice of whole wheat (I.e., eaten with other things) is about all I allow myself of sugar. I do often eat a couple of Russell Stover sugar free chocolates as part of my diet plan. It satisfies the "I want a treat" fix, without triggering sugar cravings. It can take several days to a week of near abstinence to wean yourself off sugar, then the cravings largely disappear and you can look at sugary things and not want them.

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 35,486 Member

    It doesn't work for everyone, but I'm one of the people for whom making it a point to eat several servings of whole fruit daily greatly reduced my cravings for less nutrient-dense sweets like baked goods and candy. I'm also not the only one - I've seen others here say the same. It might be worth a try.

    I started with three servings of fruit daily, every day. It took willpower for a short time, maybe small number of weeks, to resist the baked goods/candy, but it worked and was worth it.

    Another thing to consider might be whether your cravings tend to be more frequent in the evening. As we get further from our last sleep, fatigue begins to creep in. Our body seeks energy, sugar is quick energy . . . voilà, cravings. If your sleep quality/quantity can be improved, that may help a bit. Substituting some brief activity - energizing, not exhausting - could help at times. Reducing or better managing stress can also reduce fatigue.

    In one sense, these are small things, but can be part of building a solution through new, better habits.

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