Any Sugar Addicts Out There?

[rkeegan]

Just looking for support from other sugar addicts.  What do you do to get past the triggers?  OA has helped me on and off but time/schedule prevents me from going as I should.  I've been working out really good for the last 5 or 6 weeks but just can't get a grip on my eating.  Especially sugar....and mindless eating.

[Dominique]

Like most people, I have a sweet tooth, though I don’t believe sugar is an addictive substance the way nicotine, alcohol, cocaine etc. are. When I feel like eating something sweet, I eat a fruit (bananas, apples, grapefruits etc., there are plenty to choose from). So I make sure I always have some of these around.

[rkeegan]

Sugar is most certainly an addictive substance like those others.  I too try to have the fruits around but....the other stuff gets me every time.  Thank you for your reply 🙂  

[Dominique]

On the alleged addictivity of sugar, you may want to check this post by Dr. Spencer Nadolsky. It points to a study titled "Eating dependence and weight gain; no human evidence for a ‘sugar-addiction’ model of overweight".

I think the key is when you mention mindless eating: it’s not specific to sugar. I know I can mindlessly eat things like salted peanuts that don’t contain any sugar. It’s more a psychological / behavioral thing than something strictly physiological.

[Strawb3rry]

Hello,

I struggle with the same issue. I love love love chocolates and cakes. This past week I have been bringing peanut butter with me to work and having a small scoop when I have a craving. 2 tablespoons is about 150 calories and better than having a candy bar. It has helped me so far.

[rkeegan]

Thank you for sharing.  I've been trying to limit my snacks but if I do I try to bring carrots or nuts or a banana.  I do great during the week but the weekends are really hard.  Out of routine I guess. 

[rkeegan]

yes, mindless eating is huge.  Thank you for the reference.  I'll check it out.

[Whyshoshoni · Accepted solution]

I’ve started to eat a ‘lower’ carb diet recently, not ‘low carb’ or Keto, but to try to stay in the range of 50 - 100 carbs per day.  Meaning I try to avoid or at least minimize white bread and rolls, pasta, rice and potatoes.  I still try to keep fat grams under 50 per day, and eat lean poultry, pork and beef.  I also eat plenty of vegs, and a couple pieces of fruit, and avoid most processed food such as crackers, baked goods, and such.

Sorry for the book, but one of the pleasant side benefits I’ve noticed is that I no longer crave chocolate or ice cream, my two fave sweets!  Maybe cutting back a bit on carbs will be helpful for you too.  

[Whyshoshoni]

Or try my other sweet secret weapon - dancing when you have a craving!  Lol I know that’s a bit difficult when out in public (you’ll get plenty of strange looks!), but my cravings usually come late at night when I’m putting the dinner dishes away.  So I tell myself okay, I can have that ice cream, but have to dance for 20 - 30 minutes first, or whatever number you are comfortable with.  95% of the time I find that my craving has passed, but if not, at least I got some exercise in to help neutralize the treat.

[rkeegan]

That is awesome!  I love to dance AND I just started belly dancing.  I love it.  That will surely give me many more opportunities to practice 🙂  Thank you!

[SteveL1964]

That sounds a great idea. I don't eat peanut butter a lot, but I do like to use it in cooking, especially to make satay sauce. However, I was a bit shocked to see how much sugar was in a jar of peanut butter, well the type that my local village shop stocks at any rate. 

Then I discovered how easy it is to make your own peanut butter. The recipe I found uses:

500 grams unsalted peanuts

1 teaspoon honey

1.5 tablespoons of peanut oil

a pinch of salt is optional, I didn't use it.

Just toast the peanuts in the oven on a tray for 10 minutes (coating tray with oil first)

Then put everything in a blender and there you have it. Delicious and very low in sugar. 

[rkeegan]

oh nice...I can't wait to try that. Sounds so easy.  Thank you!

[SteveL1964]

Hi, sorry I should have said: oven temperature is 200C. 

[rkeegan]

No worries.  I figured it would have been a lower heat like that.  I hope to try it this weekend.  Thank you.

[Clsteele11]

Whyshoshonie's and other's, replies to this sugar addict posting was just what I needed and was looking for when I logged in today. I am such a sugar addict that if I don't have any snacks on hand I day dream about them. I thought last year that I could just put off my healthy diet and the weight would stay the same till I was ready, then I would loose weight. I just keep getting bigger. At 64 I am gaining like my mom did, and if I keep going I will just keep growing, I finally realized that I will only get bigger, or smaller, but I won't stay the same. So now I am getting serious about loosing weight finally. My immediate solution is to stop listening to the messages my brain is getting from my bad gut bacteria, and get more probiotics and prebiotics in there. It is not easy, but then I am addicted. I have been seriously fatigued for years since my thyroid gland was removed, and now I have learned that it is probably due to a bad balance in my microbiodome. I had to learn this by myself, none of the doctors told me about this, although one did tell me to get probiotics. For me, knowing the science has helped my frame of mind, every time I think I want ice cream, I remind myself that I can't eat just one and it's the bad microflora talking to me. It has gotten serious here. I am 5' and weight 166 lbs or so. It might not sound like much, but Reflux, GERD, the occassional IBS-C, and constantly being exhausted, really is starting to get me down.  

[rkeegan]

I hear you about getting discouraged.  I really hit rock bottom a few years ago.  That's when I started going to Overeaters Anonymous.  I really learned a lot there.  I haven't been in a while but what I learned has really stuck.  Just need to put it all in practice!  LOL!  I've learned to just take it one day at a time...more like one meal at a time....or even better, one CHOICE at a time.  This is my 4th day without sugar so I'm excited about that.  Just need to get over the hump I guess.  I went 60 days one time without sugar and it was amazing.  I stopped snoring.  My asthma and wheezing stopped.  I felt so 'clean'. It was so great.  

I'm up for some accountability if you are.  Not sure how to do it via fitbit but baby steps and challenges are what help me.  Let me know if there is anything I can do to help you.  

One choice at a time 🙂

Thank you for your post.

[Clsteele11]

I hear you rk, and congratulations on the 4 days. Thanks for your reply. I wonder if there is an oa here. I have noticed I get allergy symptoms more now than ever before. I have not had any snacks since Sunday at my brothers house. I have non dairy coffee creamer in my coffee. That one will take awhile ;-).  I really have a hard time with ice cream, cookies and chocolate. I think I should just keep looking in the mirror, keep putting lotion on my big legs to remind me my bod is not what it once was. like you said, one choice at a time. I want to get back into my smaller sized clothes, and I want to feel better, this stuff interferes with my sleep even. My re-flux is getting a little better, especially since I quit the ranitadine my doctor proscribed. The med actually made the re-flux worse. I look forward to talking with you and helping each other leave these goodies but baddies alone. lol, and yes it is good to laugh a little, a shows we have confidence in our endever.

[tingletangle]

just my two cents. It is so problematic that there is contradicting advice for people who are overweight! Many people fiercely advocate either keto or the exact opposite. I decided some time ago that bodies probably are all different and I need to find a way to keep control that suits MY body and MY mind.

For me this is eating as a nutritarian, basically (McDougall). This means piling up on the veggies, and on the carbs - and eat (very) low fat, and vegan. I lost a fair portion of weight eating like this, but as I told myself, I cannot ALSO give up sugary things, as they are the only thing I have left.

Turns out that was a mistake, so my weight has crept up to almost where it was before, slowly, over the course of 2 years despite eating vegan and keeping an eye on the fat.

This time I thought I try to shake the sugar habit. The way I do it is by allowing myself a little more fat per day than before (about 20%). Basically I do that by eating eggs and cheese in small amounts. I love cheese, and a couple of slices of really quality cheese  a day gives me joy. But what helped me most is to go off the 'fast' sugars alltogether. I stopped eating fruits almost totally, and I stay away from white bread, white pasta, white rice etc. In stead I eat tomatoes (basically a fruit, but without so much sugar) and other veggies, only dark bread, legumes, oats, brown rice etc, It amazes me how this helps me not craving sugary stuff.

Probably the explanation for this is the amount of 'fast sugars' in foods - they make your insulin level go up which makes your craving for the next sugary feed go up as well.

Anyway for me it is a solution, maybe too for others.

[Clsteele11]

Thank you for your reply. I was wondering if I would have to give up all bread and oats. It is good to know that dark bread might be ok, and oats. I love steel cut oats, but usually get the old fashioned. And I know I will have to give up sweets. Whenever I have quit in the past, I would tell myself a little every now and then is ok, then before long I am eating too much again. I usually thaw frozen fruit and put in oatmeal and cottage cheese dishes with some flax seed, but I think I will give it up and just add a little bit of apples instead. I am definatlely going to remember what you said about the healthy fats and cheese, I love cheese but wasn't sure. I am going to be eating with Dr Foruman's (sp) menu's soon, with lots of good healthy foods, and sometimes I get the Sunbasket meals, you know where they send all the ingredients and you cook. They are healthy and delicious for a change up. So now I feel like I am armed with information. You all are giving me confidence I need. Thanks 

[rkeegan]

Sorry for the delay in replying.  Yes, I swear by OA.  I've learned a lot about myself and foods and behaviors.  I just have to keep putting it into practice.  Here's to a new week.