How do you overcome sugar addiction?

sunnyside

I think I'm addicted to sugar (self-diagnosed) but my bad diet that I really need to change consists of a lot of processed foods. I eat chocolate or biscuits literally every few hours:o

Despite this I'm not overweight but I want to improve my diet. I know what I should be eating, drinking water instead of coffee,etc. I know the healthy eating information is in other threads here but if anyone can advise on how beat the sugar cravings I'd appreciate it.

Thanks.

StormWarrior

I was also addicted to junk food (I think it's more than just a sugar addiction, junk food has so much salt, additives and other garbage, I think you're probably addicted to that too.)

For me, the only was was to go cold turkey. After about 24 hours without eating any processed food, I developed the most excruciating headache that no painkillers would get rid of. After a day of that, I caved in and ate some junk. The headache disappeared almost instantly. When I next attempted to give up junk food, again the headache returned within 24 hours. It got worse and worse and I got a stomach upset too. For about a week I was bedridden in agony but it gradually subsided within a week, as did the cravings after about 3 weeks. Previously to that I had been eating pretty much nothing but junk food, which is probably why the withdrawal symptoms were so bad.

mikemac

As said go cold turkey. Though that's not how I did it

I wouldn't have a problem with junk foot but I was mad into minerals.
And the more you drink the more you crave. You wouldn't believe the amount of calories in a 2 litre bottle of lucozade!

Cut down and then transferred over to diet drinks and eventually kicked it altogether.
Though the odd can or two of 7up free a week is grand

Khannie

sunnyside wrote: »

drinking water instead of coffee,etc.

Don't cut out all the things you like. I drink 3 mugs of coffee a day. NYOM!

Anyway, I'd advise making small, sustainable changes over time. Switch your frosties for breakfast with museli one week. The week after that, only buy one packet of biscuits in the supermarket (but get more fruit), and so on and so on.

Lastly, don't cut out all the nice things in life. You need to enjoy what you eat or you wont keep eating it.

Good luck.

catch88

Hey great question!

For me it literally takes days....sometimes over a week for my cravings to subside.

i decided not to go cold turkey because it just meant that if i did cheat and eat something with sugar id end up going overboard!

Now i eat a square or 2 of dark chocolate (dairy/egg free kind) or have some splenda with my decalf tea which kicks my sugar craving. Or some raisins which are sweet work too. I think you'll find that the more you exercise the more your body will crave healthy food.

sunnyside

StormWarrior wrote: »

(I think it's more than just a sugar addiction, junk food has so much salt, additives and other garbage, I think you're probably addicted to that too.) .

Great:mad: You're very likely correct though. The cold turkey thing sounds very unpleasant.

I don't really over-eat, it's just that most of the things I eat aren't good. (white toast, chocolate, biscuits, cappuccinos....every day)

I only have 1 takeaway a week, don't eat fried food much, don't smoke, drink very little, so the situation should in theory be easy enough to change but what's ever easy.

I'm happy to eat fruit and vegetables but I always want chocolate after even if I'm not hungry. I've tried not having chocolate, biscuits in the house but I live so near the local Spar it's not that effective.

My main motivation for wanting to change my diet is that I look tired and unhealthy all the time. My skin is dull. When people see me without my make-up they ask if I'm ok or if I have a hangover (I drink very rarely and when I do it wouldn't be more than a few glasses of wine)

So if I attempt the cold turkey approach how long would it take to notice a difference? And what should I eat during this cold turkey phase? I'm thinking things like smoothies and soup.

*Lees*

I find that the more sugar you eat the more you crave!! So like everyone else has said, cold turkey is probably best!!! This will probably sound wierd but if i get a sugar craving i find brushing my teeth helps!! I think it's the sweetness of the toothpaste but it really does work!! But of course you can't deny yourself of the good things all of the time!!!

fast74

I recently cut out sugar, I had a major addication to Coke and sugar in my tea, as well as chocolate.

For me, the trick was to phase it out slowly, like any addiction a large component of it was habit so I reduced the sugar from 2 spoons to 1 for about a month, then cut it completely during the weekdays but allowed myself a spoon at the weekends. Eventually I didn't like the taste with sugar at all!

Same with fizzy drinks, go from every day to every other day for a few weeks, then only at weekends, then only as a treat.

I had the occasional cravings while doing this but nothing like the pain of going cold turkey!

StormWarrior

It took 3 weeks for all of my cravings to go away completely, after that time I did not desire junk food at all. I later read that science has shown that 3 weeks is the average time for junk food cravings to disappear. Only if you go cold turkey though, if you're still eating it, you'll still want it. The severity of withdrawal symptoms will probably depend on how much junk you were eating before. The withdrawal was horrible, but definitely worth it in the long run.

During the cold turkey phase, just eat whatever you intend to eat afterwards! Chicken, fish, wholegrain carbs, natural yoghurt, nuts, fruit, veg, anything you want as long as it is not processed. You don't need to stick to "detox food" or anything like that, just fresh, natural stuff.

Sowra

I have the same addiction to sugar, its horrible. When im eating it im narky, bloated, dull skin and no energy. Its never a question of 'just having one biscuit' or having one small sugary thing everyday because then its still in my system and im thinking about 'just one more'. Sounds neurotic I know but its a genuine addiction! For someone who is really sensitive to sugar, its easier to just cut it out completely than to try and limit your intake but still have it at the back of your mind all the time.

Im afraid cold turkey is the only thing that works for me. This mean avoiding all sugar, it is hidden in lots of foods. The first few days are really horrible, with huge cravings and you need a lot of will power!
But after that it gets so much easier until after a couple of weeks you really dont think about it at all. I have more energy, no mood swings and my face is no longer puffy and tired looking. It feels very liberating to be free of cravings for 'non-foods'.
Everytime the are sweets/chocolate/biscuits around and I want some, I just think back to when I would finish off a load of sugary cr*p and be at the mercy of the insulin rollercoaster for hours after. Then I find it easy to resist.

So basically OP, cold turkey might be hard but if you are really having a problem with sugar, it works. good luck!

danieltooop

According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, per capita consumption of added sugars has risen by 28% since 1983. The average American consumes at least 64 pounds of sugar per year, and the average teenage boy at least 109 pounds.

Consuming the typical amount of white sugar makes most people moody or hyper or cranky or nasty or just plain sick.

Scientific studies funded by the sugar industry "prove" that white sugar won't hurt us one lick and is supposedly good for us.

Baloney.

Be your own scientific study and try this simple experiment...

Remove all white sugar from your diet for seven days and amaze yourself at how much better you'll feel at the end of that period. Be sure to check with your doctor before trying this if you are diabetic or have any kind of health problems related to sugar intake.

More disturbing sugar facts from the CSPI:

• The typical American gets 16% of his or her calories from added sugars.
• Children aged 6 to 11 get 18% of their calories from added sugars.
• Teenagers (12 to 19) get 20% of their calories from added sugars.
• USDA projects that if consumption trends continue, added-sugars intake will increase almost 20% between 1996 and 2005.
• People who consume diets high in added sugars consume lower levels of fiber; vitamins A, C, E, and folate; magnesium; calcium; and other nutrients. By displacing protective nutrients and foods in the diet, added sugars may increase the risk of osteoporosis, cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease and other health problems.
• Calorie-dense foods, which are typically high in sugar and/or fat, contribute to obesity. Between 1976-80 and 1988-94, overweight rates in teenage boys rose from 5% to 12%, in teenage girls from 7% to 11%, and in adults from 25% to 35%. If you think the obesity trend hasn't continued, stop and look at the people around you when you're outside today.

I repeat the point of today's blog entry...

Remove all refined sugar (read the labels on everything you eat and purchase) out of your diet for one week and see how much better you feel and act without the stuff in your body.

With Regards,
Daniel.
drug rehab

BostonB

Is removing all sugars realistic, this would mean no fruit etc.

StormWarrior

I think we're talking about refined sugar here, of course one should eat fruit. The point is junk food has no nutritional value, fruit of course does and anyway the fruit in sugar is a bit different to the sugar in junk food, it doesn't give those highs and crashes.

Roper

There's a sugar clinic in Wicklow where they dry people out. It's hard man, I went through it. 3 sessions a day of group and some of the stories you hear in those talks are heartbreaking. One guy lost his whole family to sugar. He was just so hyper all the time they couldn't stand it. Another guy got so deep in sugar that he spent thousands on dentistry over the years. he lost his house because of it.

It's not pleasant and a lot of people end up coming out and walking straight into the next shop in search of some sugar, or fizz as it's called on the street. Some try to get off it by visiting the sacharinne clinics. Friends are no help they just don't understand and think nothing of eating a cake in front of you. Getting off sugar was almost as hard as the time I had to break the habit of sitting too close to the TV. My eyes didn't return to being spherical for months.

Or... wait for it... get some willpower...

MagicMarker

It can be tough, like all ''addictions''. But really, a few days without and it's plain sailing.

JUST. SAY. NO!

I know a guy who has chocolate for breakfast.

TinCool

I used to take 3 spoons of sugar in my coffee (this is about 15 years ago). I slowly reduced the sugars to 2.5, 2, 2.5, 1, then switched the last one to a hermasitas (spelling ?). After a few months of that I cut that out too. I've been drinking coffee since then with just a drop of milk. I physically couldn't finish a cup of coffee with sugar in it these days. So, I guess from my experience you can say that you can change your tastes over time. Cut things and reduce things slowly and introduce other things to replace those "treats" that are more healthy and you will probably find it won't be all that bad.

You need to remain positive and motivated though. If you have a day of weakness and end up eating a bar or whatever than don't punish yourself over it else you'll end up in the spiralling circle of eating junk to keep you happy which ultimately it won't.

Just my two cents.

angelfalling

The easiest thing you can do is replace.

If you are eating something white (bread, pasta, rice), start buying the brown/wheat alternative.

Chocolate? Chocolate CAN be healthy. Try picking up some dark chocolate. Eat a square at a time, its so rich it will probably satisfy your craving.

Drink water, don't drink any sugar/calories for a while. Tea/Coffee without sugar, etc.

Snacking helps because it'll keep your blood sugar more even, and you won't crash so hard. Just make sure they are good snacks, like nuts or fruit.

corkcomp

angelfalling wrote: »

The easiest thing you can do is replace.

If you are eating something white (bread, pasta, rice), start buying the brown/wheat alternative.

Chocolate? Chocolate CAN be healthy. Try picking up some dark chocolate. Eat a square at a time, its so rich it will probably satisfy your craving.

Drink water, don't drink any sugar/calories for a while. Tea/Coffee without sugar, etc.

Snacking helps because it'll keep your blood sugar more even, and you won't crash so hard. Just make sure they are good snacks, like nuts or fruit.

+1 thats good advice, its better to substitute the bad stuff with the good alternatives where possible so you can still have what you like but with better health benefits.. wholegrain vs refined crap etc ...

BostonB

TinCool wrote: »

I used to take 3 spoons of sugar in my coffee (this is about 15 years ago). I slowly reduced the sugars to 2.5, 2, 2.5, 1, then switched the last one to a hermasitas (spelling ?). After a few months of that I cut that out too. I've been drinking coffee since then with just a drop of milk. I physically couldn't finish a cup of coffee with sugar in it these days. So, I guess from my experience you can say that you can change your tastes over time. Cut things and reduce things slowly and introduce other things to replace those "treats" that are more healthy and you will probably find it won't be all that bad.....

That worked for me with other things, salt, butter, crisps etc. Can't eat salt and vinegar crisps anymore. Tastes woeful now. Sugar I'm finding harder to do the same. I guess some habits are harder to break. Getting more sleep actually makes me want less sugar.