Addiction to sugar?

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aaddair
aaddair Posts: 9
in Health and Weight Loss
I really think I have a problem! I simply cannot resist the urge of sweets. I'm sure there are other people with this problem, but I just am unsure how to handle it. Can anyone tell me what you do to curb that sugary craving?
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Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,108 Member
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    I just can't have any. It's the only thing that works for me. Once I start, it's really hard to stop.
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    I wish I could tell you that I fought the good fight, and sugar let me be. I wish I could tell you that, but dieting is no fairy-tale world. I never said who did it, but they all knew. Things went on like that for awhile - diet life consists of routine, and then more routine...
  • bsinno
    bsinno Posts: 358 Member
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    i have a *sweet spot* for sugar, too. :/ not just chocolate and candies but sugars in general - like in carbs too. I don't want to push a diet on anyone, but I found that the first 2 week phase of south beach helped reboot my eating habits. You cut out pretty much all sugars for 2 weeks (so no fruit, alcohol, pasta, ketchup, etc.) and then reintroduce them in moderation. After 2 weeks, a sweet pear or apple was enough to satisfy my sugar cravings and i realized just how much sugar i was consuming daily, without even realizing it!

    good luck!
  • aaddair
    aaddair Posts: 9
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    I just gotta be self-controlled.... Any ideas for how to do that? lol
  • J9Pratt
    J9Pratt Posts: 4
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    I recently decided that I was possibly addicted to sweets and cut them out entirely with the exception of fruit with natural sugars. The first day I had a horrible headache all day....I am on day three and the urges are slowly leaving me and the headache is gone. I have made other adjustments to my diet, ie-no butter or added fat like mayonnaise and I have lost an incredible 7 lbs. I don't think that is typical, but I am sure it is water weight and detoxifying my body of the unnecessary sugar and fat. I would get some fresh and frozen fruit and nibble on that when you get the urge. I hope this helps.
  • drmattski
    drmattski Posts: 124 Member
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    I love candy too and used to eat until my tummy hurt. I found it takes about three weeks to cleanse the body. After that, you can "reward" yourself with natural sugar (grapes, strawberries, melon) in healthy seervings. My cravings are pretty much gone, but you can't just deprive yourself of any "treats" - we have to relearn how to eat "normal" portions and not to use food as a crutch for some other issue (e.g., bored, stressed etc). I now have 1 ounce of dark chocolate with some almonds several times a week. It is very satisfying and I don't get the urge to eat a whol bag like I did with gum drops, Swedish fish or Reeses PB cups!

    Hope that helps. :smile:

    Cheers,
    Matt
  • ackkk
    ackkk Posts: 16
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    I can relate to this. I gained my weight due to eating lots of processed sugary foods. I began by substituting warm, cinnamony apples (quickly baked in the microwave), for when I got the sugar craving. I also realized lots of times I reached for the cookies was when I was actually thirsty, so I forced myself to have a cup of herbal tea instead or a cup of cold water with a lemon slice. Another time the sugar cravings hit me was in front of the TV late at night. Once I realized I just needed to go to bed it got alot better :) It took about 4 days of completely avoiding the processed sugar for the cravings to go away and I realized I was able to pass them up. That first month I still ate all the fruit I wanted, knowing it was a better alternative. Now I watch how many apples & oranges I eat cause they are packed with sugar, even though they are not making me crave sugary treats like I used to. Good luck! I hope this helps a bit...:smile:
  • gatorginger
    gatorginger Posts: 947 Member
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    I'm a big snack eater but every since I started this I have been basically only eating sweets on the weekends. I do have yogurt and protein bars and they seem to keep me from feeling deprived. I do allow myself more snacks on the weekend but in monderation that way I don't feel like I'm doing without
  • aaddair
    aaddair Posts: 9
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    I recently decided that I was possibly addicted to sweets and cut them out entirely with the exception of fruit with natural sugars. The first day I had a horrible headache all day....I am on day three and the urges are slowly leaving me and the headache is gone. I have made other adjustments to my diet, ie-no butter or added fat like mayonnaise and I have lost an incredible 7 lbs. I don't think that is typical, but I am sure it is water weight and detoxifying my body of the unnecessary sugar and fat. I would get some fresh and frozen fruit and nibble on that when you get the urge. I hope this helps.

    Thank you so much :) I will definately try it, and good luck with keeping them cut out, I hope I am able do that as well
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I don't think a sugar addiction is really an issue.

    I mean, it's all about moderation.

    Plus, sugar is not the evil thing people make it out to be (if you eat clean, and eat whole foods).

    Fake sugar is the evil thing. In fact, did you know that Truvia is made using 40 chemical compounds? I always say that if pregnant women can't have fake sugar how is it good for the rest of us.
  • chrystee
    chrystee Posts: 295 Member
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    I have to stay away from sugar and wheat. Any little bit, and I start craving it and its a totally downward spiral.

    I'd start by cutting breads/pastas/sodas/sweets and see how you feel after a week.
  • newness4life
    newness4life Posts: 20 Member
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    I also am addicted to sugar. I've been in denial for so long and I'm coming to the conclusion that I can't have it. It destroys my eating and sends me into a frenzy every single time. Then it takes me several days to get back on track. The longer I'm off of it, the easier it is to stay away from it. I eat fresh fruit that tastes sweet to take that desire away. Sometimes I crave sugar after I eat a meal, so now I eat a date afterwards and it helps take the desire away. I also have 1/4 cup of raw almonds with 1/2 grapes when I feel like I want to eat sugar. It really has helped me. I just know that this drug called sugar is NOT my friend and it destroys my healthy eating.
    Good luck to you!
  • JJNette76
    JJNette76 Posts: 11
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    I have a weakness for hollow chocolate bunnies so I feel your pain especially this time of year. What works for me is to allow myself to have some sugary items every once and a while, not frequently but a few times a month as long as it fits in my calories for that day. It helps because I don't say I can never have it, I just can't have it today...maybe tomorrow or the next day. I also don't buy candies and have them available around the house so that I'm not tempted to scarf them all in one sitting. I'll buy my sugary item the week I plan to fit it in my calories. If I REALLY need a fix, I'll drink a diet coke to curb the urge.
  • Danielle_2013
    Danielle_2013 Posts: 806 Member
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    Honestly... everyone here is right. You gotta cut it all out cold turkey, even if the detox days hurt. I was totally addicted to carbs and sugar even though I thought I was eating pretty healthy.
    Now I only eat fruit (as a sugar) and feel so much better. When I do cheat, I feel sick.
    My one exception is plain non-fat Greek yogurt with some sugar free jam mixed in. I have found that "sugar-free" or "diet" products hinder my weight loss and make me want MORE sugar.. so I don't eat any of those other than the jam once in a while. When you cut out all the bad stuff you'll probably want to start eating more protein.. or it will help at any rate.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    I tend to have issues with sweets cravings. The only way I can handle this is to eliminate them altogether for about 3 weeks which breaks the cycle and causes the cravings to cease. Then, I can very very occaisionally have a little something but I have to be very vigilant or once I start down the path, I'm right back where I started. I have read information about sugar stimulating the area of the brain that relates to addiction and for me it happens that way if my dosage gets too high.
  • aaddair
    aaddair Posts: 9
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    Thanks everyone! I am going to try resisting the urges for a few weeks until the cravings subside and use fruits as a replacement. After a few weeks maybe I can start looking for a better alternative like dark chocolate and eat it in better moderation. Thank you all very much for your support and ideas!
  • jamiesadler
    jamiesadler Posts: 634 Member
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    Try to find something to sub for sugar and when you get a craving eat that instead. I used sobe life water its so sickly sweet I could only drink half the bottle eventually I wanted nothing to do with it. Good luck
  • J9Pratt
    J9Pratt Posts: 4
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    Honestly... everyone here is right. You gotta cut it all out cold turkey, even if the detox days hurt. I was totally addicted to carbs and sugar even though I thought I was eating pretty healthy.
    Now I only eat fruit (as a sugar) and feel so much better. When I do cheat, I feel sick.
    My one exception is plain non-fat Greek yogurt with some sugar free jam mixed in. I have found that "sugar-free" or "diet" products hinder my weight loss and make me want MORE sugar.. so I don't eat any of those other than the jam once in a while. When you cut out all the bad stuff you'll probably want to start eating more protein.. or it will help at any rate.

    I agree, the "diet" sugar substitutes do not help braking the sugar cravings and make me want more sugar as well.
  • jenluvsushi
    jenluvsushi Posts: 933 Member
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    I just gotta be self-controlled.... Any ideas for how to do that? lol

    I have this issue too....what works for me is going on a low carb diet for about 3 days to get the sugar out of my system (I AM NOT A LOW CARBER EITHER). It is brutal but after about three days, my cravings are gone. I really try to stay away from sweets (except dark chocolate) because once I start, I can't stop. Easter was really hard for me....I literally stole candy from my baby.....how bad is that? LOL!

    ANother tip that works for me....hot tea with stevia or splenda. It really helps me if I am jonesing for candy.
  • Merideth1
    Merideth1 Posts: 19
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    Not to be negative, this is just an observation that I have noticed as I have been logging my daily food. I am over on suger everyday. I can't believe how much sugar is in a pear, an apple, etc. I know that these are natural sugars but it still alarms me because I hate to go over on anything except excersize! Good luck, read lables and log everything. The more you log, you can use this as a referrence to look back on and then sometimes you need to make choices on how much sugar your willing to take in.

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