addicted to sugar

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

I think maybe just finish up November and go from there. But let me ask you: How have you felt without sweets? Is it better than how you feel with them?

Sweets I can avoid, but salty, spicy or fried stuff is my problem. A whole nuther thing entirely!

[Angela]

Originally Posted by {aspiring_to_clarity}

I think maybe just finish up November and go from there. But let me ask you: How have you felt without sweets? Is it better than how you feel with them?

Pretty good, and pretty strong, without sugary treats. Much better than with. I seem to have a more consistent energy level throughout the day.

And I can see my triggers: when I'm feeling blue, and when Jan shows up with homemade treats. I must be ready for them.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

That's the key. I've seen the difference between a day with soda and a day without. I imagine it to be very similar. Maybe you could let Jan know about your commitment and ask her to refrain from offering you sweets until the 30 days are up at which time you will let her know if you are planning to continue or go back to the sugar.

[Angela]

It's a problem -- it's how she shows her love. I need to find a way to have her feel like I am fully receiving and accepting her love, and eliminate the middle man (the brownies).

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

I get that. My bf likes to cook for me...a lot. My waistline shows it. He likes big, hearty (read fattening) meals. Of course they are delicious, but now my pants don't fit! If I decline a big meal, he feels rejected. But it's not him I'm rejecting...it's having to shop for ever increasing sizes of clothing!

[eblight]

Have you considered using a sugar substitute, but not the chemicals ones that wreck havoc with your insulin output? There is one on the market called Stevia that is derived from the plant of the same name and what I've read about it is that it is also beneficial for pancreatic functioning.

[Amadeus]

You may be addicted to gluten (oat, barley, rye, wheat), and not sugar. Sugar has a temporary effect on your body, but gluten, for a lot of people, is a life long addiction because they don't realize it is what they are addicted to. A lot of the foods that we see as sugary contain hundreds of grams of gluten. A lot of people's body can't properly digest it and you'll literally have built up yeast infestation in your body giving some people austistic like symptoms (lack of focus, short attention span, poor eye contact, porn addiction, poor sleeping habits, etc.) I use to have a extreme addiction to gluten and dairy and have cut it completely out of my diet. I'll sometimes drink regular soda, Skittles, and other foods with high sugar content (but no gluten) and find that I'm not addicted to sugar at all or crave it afterwards. Keep in mind, you'll have to take out all breads, pastries, pizza, and a lot of so called yummy foods, but you'll notice that you'll start eating a lot more fruits and vegetables. It is worth a try. We are are not meant to be fat and it doesn't suppose to be this damn hard to keep fat off. We have been engineered by the large food corporations to eat this cheap junk that cost them nothing, but cost us everything (health, motivation, drive, looks).

[Angela]

You may be right -- the idea of giving up things like pasta and pizza is more painful to me than giving up sugary treats. Perhaps I do have a problem with gluten. I'll look into that, thanks.

[NotesMaeve]

Originally Posted by Angela

Today is Day 13 of 30 of no sugary treats and I totally blew it. My coworker Jan who is the Best Baker In The World, this side of OldSoul anyway, and she tied me down and forced me at gunpoint to eat a bunch of her orange brownies. I am filled with remorse. I now have a sugar crash to look forward to. Angela, you nincompoop.

I hereby forgive myself and am beginning fresh from this moment.

You better forgive yourself or I'll be forced to drive to LA and twist your ears off!

[cela]

Just wanted to add my support to this thread! Congratulations to those who have tamed the beast, and much love and support to those in the process (myself included)!

It's funny how we (or maybe just I) can rationalize our vices: I don't smoke, rarely drink, eat fairly healthily (other than the sugary treats) and exercise regularly. The little voice says "Well ya gotta have one vice, don't ya?"

Even when we know how much better we feel without something, we still crave it. Silly humans!

[Bruce Achterberg]

Originally Posted by Level1

I'm addicted to sugar. It's my last vice.

Any suggestions?

Move to Australia and go vegan. You'll have such trouble finding vegan candy that you'll either be forced to get it from healthy sources (ie. fruit), or go without it. Either that or you'll collapse in exhaustion (from lack of sugar/energy) in your search for sugar/candy.



(Ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it's still pretty damn hard to get vegan stuff in Australia. If you know otherwise, feel free to prove me wrong and give me links/sources!)

[Rose of Cairo]

oohhh, I have to move to Australia! Do you accept cat immigrants??

There is so much vegan stuff full of sugar here. And gluten triggers the sugar cravings too.

I keep on trying and failing... on-off-on-off...

[Lisa McGregor]

I'm reading this thread with great interest because I also struggle with sugar cravings. I can quite easily polish off a whole bag of jelly babies in one go and then move on to a chocolate bar.

What I'm wondering is, would it be possible to brainwash oneself into believing that you don't like sugar. I'm going to try it.

Yuk, sugar is so gross. I hate sugar. I really dislike sweet things. Chocolate cake is disgusting.

What a mantra!
L

[NotesMaeve]

Originally Posted by Angela

It's a problem -- it's how she shows her love. I need to find a way to have her feel like I am fully receiving and accepting her love, and eliminate the middle man (the brownies).

Originally Posted by {aspiring_to_clarity}

I get that. My bf likes to cook for me...a lot. My waistline shows it. He likes big, hearty (read fattening) meals. Of course they are delicious, but now my pants don't fit! If I decline a big meal, he feels rejected. But it's not him I'm rejecting...it's having to shop for ever increasing sizes of clothing!

I am utterly guilty of cooking to show love! First thing I do when Slamhot isn't feeling well is go over and cook something that will last for a few days so he doesn't have to mess with cooking!!! He also has to watch his weight because of medical conditions, and for the most part I respect that and cook pretty light.

Now, when I made him that cake for his birthday, I first asked if he wanted something healthy or wanted a full fat/full sugar cake. He wanted the latter. Made the cake, and he loved it. Now, I am guilty of pressuring people to eat. I cut him a large slice. He ate what he wanted, then covered it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge. He ended up giving away some of the cake, and freezing some more of it.

Early in our relationship, I'd send him home with my leftovers after eating out. The first few times he turned me down and said, "It goes with you or it stays here on the table," it hurt my feelings, but I got over it. He has every right to protect his health, and his desire to do that has nothing to do with me.

So I guess what it boils down to with me accepting it (and what might work for the people in your life):

1) Tell them why you're doing it.

2) Understand they might be hurt, but they will come around.

Come on! I got over it, and I'm incorrigible!

[Tayrak]

Holy Crap. Never realized it was such a big problem. I'm big on learn from your mistakes and keep going.

Just as an aside has anyone tried hypnosis?

[carenkh]

I have a slightly different take on this, which flies in the face of all the research about how addicting sugar is...

I am a radical unschooler, which means I support my kids wholeheartedly in what they choose to do. Part of this, for me, means no limits as well. No limits on TV, no limits on sweets, no limits on video game or other screen time. I really resisted all this at first! But TV! TV is SO harmful, and it sucks the life out of you! All that screen time means they'll be fat and unhealthy! And candy! Wont' they *just* eat candy all the time?! But I trusted the voices of people who had gone before me...

In terms of sugar, I decided to test myself. I would set no limits on myself. When I ate sugar, I wouldn't listen to that nagging voice that told me I was wrong, I would just enjoy it! So, for months, I had as much sugar as I wanted, any time I wanted it. Even... *gasp* right before dinner! I did NOT feel guilty. I did NOT feel like I was sneaking, or getting away with anything. Guess what? After a short time, my desire for sugar nearly evaporated! Keep in mind - this was never my goal. If it had been, I would have not felt good eating the sugar, and this would have created more of the "must have it now, since it'll be taken away" mentality.

Now if I have a brownie (and I'd love to have the recipe for orange brownies! ), I am very likely to have a very, very small piece. That's enough. Because I know that any time I want more, I can have more.

And the boys are responding in kind. They got huge bags of Halloween candy... and over 80% of the candy is still here. This year, I had to empty last year's candy out of the bags before they went trick-or-treating again. They know they can have it any time they want it. It doesn't create a false desire for it, as limiting so often does.

I love this way of life.

[Dan.Linehan]

I'm with ya carenkh, I think thats a great way of doing things. Very true to yourself.

[NotesMaeve]

Caren, my mother raised my brothers and I that way, and despite having a father who struggled with an eating disorder, I can assure you this attitude pans out in the long run!

[jaminben]

Level1,

I was first shocked reading your post. I thought I had typed it up and forgot.. You have the exact problem I do.
My two weeknesses in the world are weed and sugar.. The munchies make it hard to give up the sugar.

I am too a sugar addict. Five months now clean The longest I've gone since being born I imagine. I'm 33 and have battled the sugar monster tooth and nail since about 13. I tried Potatoes not Prozac. It is a great book desribing how the sugar addict’s brain works almost identical to an alcoholic’s. Have also read Sugar Busters. They give good common since advice on what foods effect us and why. They tell what are acceptable foods to eat and not to eat.. BUT,,,,, there is always the occasion of free snacks in your face or a million other reasons that beat us into submission. I tried cold turkey which works for about 24 hours if I'm lucky. I tried just giving into sweets, gained 25 pounds and felt horrible/suicidal.
Also tried therapy, self punishment or reward, works for awhile and then I just conveniently forget my system...
And many more.

The good news.. 5 months clean and I feel better and look better then I ever have. Table sugar cravings are almost totally gone, it's still kind of hard to walk past the free donuts in the morning at work. Actually I eat about 1 a week or every other week and sometimes a cookie after dinner. And that’s about it for sweets.
.
I finally found a book that made the most since and was the easiest to stick to that used my cravings for sugar as an advantage.. It's an older book called "Fit for Life".. I don’t think it's soul purpose was to help people like us it but it does.. It says to eat all fruit/fruit juices in the morning until noon, then salads and greens and more fruit after that and maybe some lean meat "on the side" not as the main course with dinner. I highly recommend reading it. There is tons of good info in it..
Basically fruits and vegies are high energy foods that also contain lots of water which is key for our digestion system. I thought it sounds good but I probably wont be able to stick to it but I will give it my best, I thought..
I went out and bought tons of fruit and salads stuff after reading the book. I found my self gorging on fruit at first to beat the sugar cravings.. And eating a salad about once a day just because I'm supposed too...
The first week was hard but not as hard as I thought it would be. The second week I found myself craving fruit and not even thinking of the usual demon snacks. By the 3rd week I slowed eating on the fruit but still enjoying it more and more each week now. Also it is easier to find salad bars for lunch then preparing one in the morning or at nights..
Now I am a fruit sugar addict in the morning, about 5 - 7 fruits. A good size salad for lunch ( I crave a good salad for lunch now too over the cooked and processed food I ate before, AMAZING !! ) and more fruit in the afternoon. For dinner I eat with my wife who follows the Standard American Diet = SAD. I'll eat about half the portion I used to along with something healthy..

That’s it... Basically fruit is the key.. Tons of good sugar spread out over the day makes a wonderful feeling day.. Before I was lethargic with a horrible memory, headaches, and anxiety, etc.. Now my face and eyes are clear, my allergies are completely gone and I continue to lose about 1 to 2 pounds a week... I feel terrific..
I am totally in love with fruit and loving greens and veggies more and more every day. Right now my wife is preparing pork chops and I'm preparing a grapefruit,, ahhhh greatfruit, I mean grapefruit.
The first couple of weeks the table sugar cravings were there and I ate tons of fruit to calm the cravings and it worked. Now I go down the fruit and veg isle wide eyed at the grocery story like I used to go down the cookie isle. All the different fruits. And no cooking or preparing. The easiest best lifestyle change I have ever made.
Fruit is the key and lots of it.
As a nice bonus,.

And as a side note, smoking weed causes the munchies which does not help us sugar junkies.. But getting the munchies now has me eating more fruit and vegies:P

Here are a couple of sites that have helped me along the way.

Fruitarian Site
Raw Food Talk – The Raw Food Diet Forum

And read FIT FOR LIFE....

[Rose of Cairo]

Originally Posted by carenkh

I have a slightly different take on this, which flies in the face of all the research about how addicting sugar is...

Some people smoke one cigarette from time to time or drink a glass of alcohol from time to time and are not addicted, which flies in the face of all the research about how addicting nicotine and alcohol are...

I tried this method too. I set no limits at all, thinking that it was just psychological and that I had these cravings because of forbidding sugar to myself. So I decided to allow just everything and happily ate sweets and cakes... After one month, I had not only gained over 10lbs, I also was still as addicted as before and had to eat sugar all the time. I couldn't stop, or I would get terrible headaches. I felt depressed and foggy and couldn't concentrate.

I'm happy this works for you and for others. For me it doesn't. In theory that's a great approach, I'm a fan of letting go of control. But when a substance is physically addictive, well then, for some people it works, for others it doesn't. I guess it depends on how sensitive you react to that substance.

What's helping me right now is raw food. I'm on a 30 days trial on raw food, but I don't do it 100%. I noticed this: basically, when I eat fruit, vegetables, and nuts, I have no sugar cravings. When I eat gluten or cooked things, they come back. I need a bit of time now to get used to this new diet, I have such a light feeling in the stomach! But I'm not hungry. It's great.