help addicted to sugar

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toothfairy79
toothfairy79 Posts: 70 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I feel like I am truly hooked to sugar (the bad kind) and was wondering if anyone ever experienced this and gotten over this bad habit..I honestly think that I cannot eat chocolate of any kind because once I start I feel like I lose control completly..How can I stop this?? I wonder if I should cut all the complex sugar all together since it is sabottaging my weigh loss progress.. please help me find some explanation/solution.. I am discouraged

So tonight I got rid of all the junk in my kitchen especially the cookies (100 cal bags) and dark chocolate and chips and all the sweets.. thank god my hubby is understanding because he will have to go into his garage to eat the bad stuff... LOL at least until I get control of myself hahah

Replies

  • julslea
    julslea Posts: 436 Member
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    You did an awesome thing by throwing out all the junk food. Now you need to replace it with some fresh fruit and veggies. You are very lucky that your husband is helping you through this.
  • toothfairy79
    toothfairy79 Posts: 70 Member
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    Thanks!! I think that that is gonna be my mantra..eat fruits and veggies when I feel the urge of sugars.. and slowly wheen myself off of it.. (not sure if wheen is spelled right ..I am french haha)
  • spngebobmyhero
    spngebobmyhero Posts: 823 Member
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    yeah, sugar can be a tough one. Salty things do it to me, especially tortilla chips. I would check out the 21 Day Sugar Detox. It might be nice to have a guide to getting yourself to kick the sugar habit.

    http://the21daysugardetox.com/
  • Kooraloo
    Kooraloo Posts: 362 Member
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    Dark Chocolate (like 99%) I've discovered helps me keep my cravings under control. The high percentage chocolate isn't sugary sweet but it's sugary enough to kill my cravings AND its filling enough so that only one square is filling.
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,143 Member
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    Thats a great start! Takes a lot of will power. We dont have a garage so the b/f has to eat his stuff in here. I just know what I can and cant eat. There is candy in the fridge....not touching it.

    I tried the 85% cacao chocolate....it was too bitter for me. But its ok....I dont need it anyway. I am off the sugar and the starchy carbs. Day 8 and still going strong. :)
  • TanyaCurtis
    TanyaCurtis Posts: 630
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    I'm a complete sugar addict, I had to completely cut out the junk, cause I to can't quit once I start, last night's a prime example! I do very well when I don't even start.
  • jrwatson87
    jrwatson87 Posts: 66
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    I thought I could never go without sugar until I started with this site. My mom even hid all the sweets at her house when I visited her because she thought I'd be too tempted. Fruits usually provide enough of a sugar satisfaction for me now. If not, fudgesicles have 40 calories per bar, creamsicles are 100, dark chocolate isn't too bad. I sometimes drink flavored 0 cal waters or use crystal light if regular water isn't cutting it. 0 cal sodas taste verry sugary if that helps. One bite of something sugary can cure the craving. It will get easier believe me!
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
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    I honestly believe part of this is mental and avoiding the word "addiction". For me, at least, the word addiction inspired this idea of cravings and actions that I have no control over. Things that I cannot control. You CAN control your sugar intake, but I feel like people tossing around the word addiction diminishes that point.

    I have a really bad sweet tooth too. The biggest way I stopped myself from eating cookies after dinner every night is I switched to fruit. If I had a sugar craving I would have a banana, an apple, some grapes, etc. This got my palette more used to natural sugars as opposed to processed ones. I would also buy bags of individually wrapped dark chocolate and allow myself one when I have a chocolate craving.

    I still have a bad sweet tooth, but I feel much more in control of what I'm eating, and it's much easier for me to stop instead of stuffing my face. I also prefer fruit more these days to super rich desserts, and small amount of something like ice cream satisfies me these days. Worse case scenario, I make myself a nice cup of tea, since it seems to cleanse my palette.
  • RonSwanson66
    RonSwanson66 Posts: 1,150 Member
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  • andraealynne
    andraealynne Posts: 2
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    I have a similar problem (but with sodium... I've dealt with the sugar cravings in the past and am employing the same methodology for salts)...

    Make sure that you're drinking enough water. If I start getting the urge to grab a bag of chips (or a chocolate bar or whatever), I usually drink a glass of water first and wait fifteen to twenty minutes. My body loves to trick me into eating when in fact I'm just thirsty.

    Fruit water is a great option as well! I like to put chopped-up cucumbers in my water bottle, but have done the same with kiwi, strawberries, etc etc etc.

    Keep lots of fruits and veggies on-hand to munch on throughout the day-- prepare them in advance and store them in Ziploc baggies or in snack-sized containers in the fridge so you have no excuse to munch on junk food-- which you won't be buying, hopefully, right? :tongue: )

    When eating, eat slowly. Chew your food thoroughly.

    You're definitely not alone in this, I think it's something that many of us struggle with. You can beat this!! It's all about replacing the simple, processed sugars with healthier ones. It's summertime... pick up some nectarines, peaches, cherries, etc!
  • jennifermartinez1112
    jennifermartinez1112 Posts: 120
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    i had the same problem i cut it all out at one time i was hard and i went through sugar withdraw but what got me through it was eating a bit or two of the chocolate covered protein bars. it took away the craving of sweets.
  • mom2mozart
    mom2mozart Posts: 307 Member
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    I agree with the last post, I've gotten the Ghiradelli 86% cocoa and it doesn't taste sweet at all and it definitely curbs my chocolate cravings. However, that said, I've always been the type of person who can stop at one or two pieces of candy. I often have candy sitting around for months and just nibble when I get the urge. I love chocolate and sweets, but I try to make sure they are more nutritious varieties. I eat Luna bars now (the chocolate peppermint stick flavor is fantastic). It also has a good balance of fiber and vitamins so I don't have to feel guilty.
  • toothfairy79
    toothfairy79 Posts: 70 Member
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    Thanks everyone for your input... I will definitively try your recommendations. I know I can do this and a lot of it is psychological too..probably should read the book the secret again lol
  • happypath101
    happypath101 Posts: 534
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    I can totally relate. In fact, one of the main reasons I got on MFP was because I was going crazy with sugar cravings. Here are things that have worked for me. I hope it works for you. (I'm also curious to see what has worked for others.)

    * Eat protein. Every time you eat, get some protein in there. Here's my general routine: PB on my high fiber toast in the morning, hummous with my afternoon carrot sticks, low fat babybel cheese with my morning fruit.

    * Reduce your carbs. Sugar and carbs are like Batman and Robin. If you reduce your carbs - especially your white flour/white sugar kind, you'll find your sugar cravings going down.

    * Find something you can have that satsifies the sugar cravings without leaving you wanting more. Lots of folk have suggested good, dark chocolate. That works for me. The desserts gums also work for me. I also let myself indulge fairly regularly in a treat. But, I have to exercise for it, log it, and make sure that I really, truly enjoy every second of it. (I'm LOVING the chocolate covered frozen banana sticks at M&M meats).

    * Get enough sleep! If you are sleep-deprived, you will crave sugar.

    * Get rid of the 100 calorie snack packs (I see you've done that). Whether it's the refined sugars, the chemicals, or psychological, those babies just made me want more and more and more.

    Good luck! You can do it!
  • kimmieMcF
    kimmieMcF Posts: 13 Member
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    I find the sensation of sweet in any form can make me crave more. Diet sodas for certain mess up my diet, and even some fruits, although I eat them and they are healthy. I am right there with you, I think I am addicted. The thing that really helped me, was no sugar at all, not in food, not in anything. no Aquave nectar, no honey, no artificial sweetners of any kind or sugar. . I do eat bananas, which are pretty sweet, and oranges and apples are awesome they don't make me crave more sweets. But diet sodas and sweetners , seem to make me crave more sweets and they had to go. The thing I did notice is other foods start to taste better, and tomatos taste amazing! Sugar seems to be added to EVERYTHING, but if you eliminate it, the weight just seems to melt away, and that makes you feel great. good luck. A while back I posted a shake that really helped me, one ripe banana (very sweet one if you can) good quality cocoa powder, ice and unsweetened almond milk oh and some vanilla. it tastes like a dark chocolate shake and ends up around 130 calories - pretty good for a treat. I lost 13 lbs eating those frequently.
  • lvpthemvp
    lvpthemvp Posts: 266 Member
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    Thanks for all the good tips!

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