Help_Am I alone
masonjessica11162007
Posts: 41
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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Replies
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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 cookies0
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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.0
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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.0
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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.0
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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.0 -
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.0
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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!0 -
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.0
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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?0
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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.0
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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.0
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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!0
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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.0 -
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!0
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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 Luck0 -
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;-)0
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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....0 -
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.0
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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.0
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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.0
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where are you in Afghanistan? I was in Bagram, Kandahar, and Kabul and the DFAC was pretty accessible at all those places......why are you stuck at your desk for 12 hours str8? what do you do if you have to go to the bathroom or if you have co-workers that smoke how do they take a smoke break? from my experience I find it hard to believe you are literally stuck your desk / work place for 12 hours straight but I guess I have to take you at your word
Do you not have a refrigerator of some kind in your work place? Every work section I visited had a small refrigerator and microwave of some sort....this way you can refrigerate and cooks some smaller food / DFAC leftovers
as to your un healthy care packages...why not leave them in the USO office or MWR office for others that may want them?
if you can only go to the DFAC 2 times a day, and literally can not leave your desk, why not have a co-worker / friend, bring you a healthy-ish meal from the DFAC in a to-go box?
ask your stateside friends to send you healthier snacks like canned tuna, protein bars, raisins, nutrigrain bars, instant oatmeal and things like that? ...Also usually the PX on the FOB sells some things like that.....also I am sure worst case you can order some of that stuff on the internet.0 -
also if you can only go to the DFAC 2 times a day, take a healthy-ish to go box for yourself to eat later0
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Day twe of no eating in my rack that is in a tent ROB. Never said I am stuck to my desk for 12 hours straight, I said I work 12 hours shifts which means the DFAC is only open twice on my shift (2200-1000). If you get a to go box you can't get a plate at the base I am on but thank you and if I am trying to avoid eating in bed why would I take a to go box for later did you read my post ROB? I am in Kabul and you of course know I cannot put on here what I do thanks though. Any who things are not that liberal at NKAIA but hey I guess people forget situations change, maybe you heard about that cross border incident in November that causes us not to get supplies but whatever I am not here to explain my situation was looking for encouragement. If you can not be positive about weight loss you have more than a fat issue.0
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sorry you misunderstood where I was coming from, I will cease and desist.
best of luck.
Hopefully you can stay on KAIA.... I hated the convoys to the other places like ISAF Hqs, NKC, Eggers, etc.
Stay safe0 -
I chew gum when I get the craving and drink a few glasses of water! It really helps!0
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Sorry after re-reading I realized I did. Hopefully I can stay here too its been four months already and no unnecessary movements yet. I have 7 and half more months and I just want to fix this addiction permanently because eating in bed is also a problem I face state side too only there its Taco Bell and Krystals at 0200. Thank you for all your help and will take heed to your advice. You take care of yourself and keep speaking your mind.0
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Hi! I too am addicted to sugar. Thin people say oh, this cake is too rich for me to eat, not me, bring it on! I found out the more I eat, the more I'd want so I try my best to leave it alone. Eventually things get a little better. Eat something more healthy.0
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Thank you Beth someone actually sent me packs of sugar free gum so I may try a piece before and spit out before I find myself dozing off but the cold turkey is really working and I enjoy the two cookies on my walk in to work.0
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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!0
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I am used to eating around $5 in candies daily...
Read something that inspired me to stop the sugar: your teeth are the strongest part of your body, along with your bones. If sugar can deteriorate the strongest part of your body, what is it doing to stuff such as your organs?
Also, it causes premature aging.
Im using the grapefruit idea...as well as upping protein...on day ~3 now ^^0
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