Help_Am I alone

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masonjessica11162007
masonjessica11162007 Posts: 41
in Motivation and Support
Hi my name is Jessica and I am addicted to unhealthy sugar snacks... Whose stronger you or the cookie? I work 12 hours shifts in Afghanistan and when I get off work, after a workout, and breakfast, I still snack in my bed before I fall asleep. Can someone give me advice on this it is getting out of control? I have convinced myself if I workout more I can continue with this but honestly I think I am doing more harm then good.
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  • Therdigh
    Therdigh Posts: 28 Member
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    Do you like grapefruit? I have found that it stabalizes my bloodsugar and helps with the cravings. Try it next time you want to crab the cookies :)
  • masonjessica11162007
    masonjessica11162007 Posts: 41
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    I have a half a grapefruit every morning with my breakfast, getting fruit is hard where I am in Afghanistan because you can only have one fruit per meal and I am only awake for two of the four meals provided. So one of the meals I don't get fruit at all and for breakfast I always get grapefruit. Love it great food for thought when I return home.
  • jbella99
    jbella99 Posts: 596 Member
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    I have the same addiction and it`s like a crack addiction. I feel like I need it and I can`t leave a store without something sugary. I have had this as long as I can remember. I have started Clean Eating and the trick I have found to help is to eat every two hours. When the craving gets out of control I have something but only one bag of m&ms instead of two or the family jumbo size. So far just simpley eating every two hours has helped keep my hunger under control.
  • Determined523
    Determined523 Posts: 49
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    I don't know what you have access to, but chocolate rice chips are really good and they hit the spot.
  • mathjulz
    mathjulz Posts: 5,514 Member
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    Bell peppers and prunes. Seriously! (not together...)
    The red, orange, and yellow bell peppers are so sweet, they really hit the spot.
    And prunes are so sweet and chewy, it feels like I'm eating candy. Have to be a bit careful with them, though, too many can cause a bit of a problem :blushing: :laugh: They do have a pretty good shelf life, though.

    And when you just GOTTA have something, go for dark 60% cacao chocolate. Eat it slowly and savor it. That way you enjoy it for longer while eating less.

    By the way, I am really bad when it comes to sweets. Made cookies for the kids today ... guess who ate the most. Me.
  • Famzav8
    Famzav8 Posts: 97 Member
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    You're not alone! I don't have any great advice.... what I've found withmyself is that if it's in my house not only will I eat it........ I'll eat ALL of it. The ice cream that was meant for the FAMILY, went to me. The chocolate chips that were meant for baking...... never lasted until the baking, etc. So I don't allow it in my house. If I buy things, I buy them in single servings, so that if I am having some it's limited. It's more expensive..... but better for me in the long run.
  • mathjulz
    mathjulz Posts: 5,514 Member
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    I have the same addiction and it`s like a crack addiction. I feel like I need it and I can`t leave a store without something sugary. I have had this as long as I can remember.

    If you can, stash a candy bar in your sock drawer or something. Then when you want to buy something in the checkout line, you can remind yourself you already have one at home, so there's no need to buy it. By the time you get home, you might have changed your mind and decided you don't really need it. It's worked for me!
  • masonjessica11162007
    masonjessica11162007 Posts: 41
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    Thank you mathjulz, great food for thought back home, @ Determined I can probably get those off Amazon so thanks, and to jbella yes it is hard and I am trying to divide the calories now trying to figure in a 90 calories Special K bar maybe once a twice a day. I have to get a handle on this my aunt told me my four year old has two cavities, mommy's sugar addiction.
  • Ericacea
    Ericacea Posts: 45
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    I don't know what you can get in Afghanistan, but a couple of brands do chocolate flavored almonds, which pretty much aren't perishable. They make you feel more full, and have healthy things in them (though they are still kinda high calorie). Honestly, the only way I beat sweets is not having them around, and I'm not always so good at that. But hey, admitting you have a problem is half the battle, right?
  • Gargwin82
    Gargwin82 Posts: 152 Member
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    What company are you working for or are you with the armed forces? Really it seems wrong you only get 1 meal a day, even if that's the case they should at least have fruit or healthy snack options provided instead of packaged junk foods. I completely agree with the early post that a square of really good dark chocolate savoured slowly as it melts is far more satisfying than a whole junk brand chocolate bar that is more wax and filler than cocoa.
  • vestarocks
    vestarocks Posts: 449 Member
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    I'm finding increasing my protein significantly has almost eliminated my craving from sugar. I'm not sure of your access to additional, high quality protein but I'd give it a try.
  • sappyoldlady
    sappyoldlady Posts: 49 Member
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    Perhaps you could try some of Dr. Atkins bars....they may not be the best but low in sugar....and high in protein...may help...I plan on trying these this week...or sugar free jello!
  • vestarocks
    vestarocks Posts: 449 Member
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    I'm finding increasing my protein significantly has almost eliminated my craving from sugar. I'm not sure of your access to additional, high quality protein but I'd give it a try.

    Sorry I meant access to extra servings or snack size portions of protein. I keep a cooked chicken in the fridge for nibbling and my favourite (maybe when you get home) is apples & peanut butter. I cut the apple in half, scoop out the core and scoop in a tbsp of peanut butter.
  • sar04tamu
    sar04tamu Posts: 27
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    Have you tried going cold turkey? It's the mental addiction you need to break, not a physiological one. Whatever you normally do right before you eat your snack, do something different. Maybe brush your teeth with really strong minty toothpaste or chew some gum. You are stronger than a cookie!
  • MarySunshine70
    MarySunshine70 Posts: 118
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    You are not alone. I know I'm addicted to sugar and when I get "off" of it - there's a serious fight not to eat it. The things I find that work for me are...
    1. Don't mistake a sugar craving for actual thirst - - when your brain says "sugar" you drink H2O - (Never juice or sweet anything) - a lot of water
    2. When you know a certain time of day (evenings) are dangerous... fill them with something else to break the pattern: plan in a massage during those hours that are late... go play ping-pong ( I know, lame - but I have been really serious about quitting)... get your hands busy doing something - knitting.... Again, some things I've done are just not typical for me, but it is such a serious addiction that I HAD to stop.
    3. Put the reasons you want to quit on some post-its and put those post-its on the food you know you will crave. For example, this sounds crazy but, sugar makes me have mood swings and I HATE who I am when I eat it... it has even made me feel paranoid depending on where I am in my cycle..... so I'll write "You HATE who you are 2 minutes after you eat this... you are destroying yourself!"

    I'm like the lady who feels that it is like being addicted to crack... or even alcohol... but it is worse because it is not illegal and it is EVERYWHERE.
    Good Luck
  • apeecaleb
    apeecaleb Posts: 58 Member
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    I used to eat most of my cals in the evening and I did loose a lot of weight in the beginning but now it has slowed down and I have had to change of my routine. I love eating my sweets after dinner and before bed but I had to give that up and eat them earlier in the day. If I do get a sugar craving at night I usually drink something hot and sweet like a chai tea or hot chocolate. It fills me up and seems to calm the craving. My hot chocolate runs about 60-70 cals and the chai or pumpkin spice tea with creamer runs about 35cals, with is great compared to a cooke or a piece of cake and so on.....I do this quite a bit during the day also if I really have a sweet craving or want to eat from boredom. I do treat myself to sweets a couple times a week;-)
  • rob_base
    rob_base Posts: 97
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    where are you in Afghanistan?

    when I was there you could pretty much take what you wanted and take a to-go plate too

    many o' times I left the dining facility with apples and stuff in a carry out or in my pocket

    I would take cottage cheese out and put in the work fridge and eat it later as a snack too....
  • masonjessica11162007
    masonjessica11162007 Posts: 41
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    I am in the Navy doing a 1 year deployment with the Army and I want to thank all of you for being supportive and I wish the people back home would listen when I say no care packages or only healthy care packages. They think its a joke and I don't want to throw their money away but honestly for now since I know I can't do the right thing I think I need to clean out my locker. Don't want to bring it in to work because others are struggling with weight to and I don't want to be their down fall. I get two meals a day because I work 12 hour shifts 7 days a week. Yes fruit and other healthy things should be available at whatever quantity but for 7 days straight there was no lettuce. Don't mean to complain I just want to do the right thing.
  • carwashman06
    carwashman06 Posts: 3
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    I have had the same cravings that I battle. some sugar free chewing gum can usually get me through it. Very low calorie fix too with only 5 per 2 pieces. Fruit too is good but considering where you are, I can see where that is not always available. Best wishes and thank you for serving our country.
  • masonjessica11162007
    masonjessica11162007 Posts: 41
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    Alright MFP friends I did it Day One of not eating in bed, I was in a little pain, dillusion, and restless but I believe it was all in my head. When I woke up for good, I was proud of myself and I had two cookies on my walk to work. I am up for two and a half hours before the dinning facility opens so that is why I had the cookies and not to mention when they are all gone hopefully no one will send me anymore. I so hate being wasteful.

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