Sugar Addict!!!

OK, I have been exercising faithfully for a long time now. I have lost about 25 pounds and have kept it off. I have another 15 to go. My problem is, I am literally ADDICTED to sugar. I get such strong cravings for sugar (I've even been known to eat plain brown sugar-- how gross is that?) I feel out of control- if I try not to think about it I go nuts ONLY thinking about what I shouldn't have. Anyway, any suggestions? No wonder I am not losing any more weight-- the sugar is calling to me.....

I love sugar as well, and I'm a fan of 100-calorie packs..so I can get my fill of sugar. My favorite are chocolate covered pretzels and chocolate mint sticks.. but there are so many options out there with the 100 calorie packs you can find lots to cure your sweet tooth. Also, fudgisles are yummy too (and low cal).  

I've read some research that says if you go 3 weeks (I think that's the right time) without sugar, your body will stop craving it. It really is like an addiction. I actually just went 6 weeks without chocolate (feel free to applaud :)), and I really did stop craving it.

I'm also addicted to sugar; it's just something I have to factor into my daily calories.  When we go out for brunch on weekends, I order a porridge (oatmeal) with a side of strawberries, which comes with one of those dressing containers full of brown sugar (about 2 tbsp I figure).  Some of the sugar goes on the porridge, but most gets eaten with a spoon after the porridge and strawberries are finished *blush*.  It all gets accounted for.

My husband just rolls his eyes when I do that :) 

I am also a sugar addict.  I mean I crave anything with sugar in it.  I love sugary cereals, snack bars, ice cream, anythin with sugar in it!

If you can go the 2-4 weeks it takes to kick the habit- you will lose weight much quicker!  But do take a good look at your diet- maybe your eating too little or too much.  You could also up your protein- helps when your kicking the sugar habit~

sorry- totally random question- but you don't live in UT do you?

Same here. When I had to go on this diet due to a pre-diabetes diagnosis just before Thanksgivng the first thing I did was stop sugar. No refined sugar, white bread or regular pasta. When I want cereal I put 20 kg of dried fruit on it. I do eat yogurt once a day but choose the brand with lowest sugar/carb content. I have learned this before in my life. I am truly a sugar addict and the only way I can successfully diet and lose weight is to totally abstain from refined sugar. I also have to avoid artificial sweeteners because they tend to bring on the sugar cravings. I can drink diet sodas though without issue. This time I'm going to have to learn how to incorporate a little sugar into my life to maintain my goal weight or just live without it. I can attest to the fact that elaine and cmama stated, if you just cut yourself off of it the cravings stop, but I'll warn you, if someone two offices away opens a chocolate bar you'll smell it.

Thank you all for your replies!  I did make cupcakes for a church activity today and did NOT even eat one, or even taste the batter! (That is a first for me!!)  And, YES!  I live in UTAH!! (and VERY ready for Spring )

elainemiller - you said that cutting out sugar for 3 or 4 weeks will stop the cravings...but if you start eating it again after that, will the cravings come back? And if they do, is it full-force or weakened? I'm asking because I too am addicted to sugary foods and would like this insanity to stop! Also, do you have to cut out ALL sugar - like ANYTHING with a bit of sugar in it (ex: fruits) or just those with too much sugar like cookies, ice cream, chocolate, etc?

What you have to cut out, millyo, is refined sugar and refined carbohydrates. Neither were EVER meant for human consumption.

Complex carbohydrates do convert to sugar in the blood stream, but they contain many other things that facilitate this process and the same goes for fruit. Fruit has fiber in it to slow down the fructose absorption, as well as specific enzymes and vitimans needed for their particular digestion.

I myself have quit sugar several times. The only reason I started again is because I'd have just a taste of something...and that would set me off. Now I realize that I have to just not start. It takes a LOT of getting used to, especially in a world so accepting and encouraging of sugar consumption and addiction, but with time, it gets easier.

I hear you!  Try adding Splenda - 0 calories but still the taste of sweetness - comparable to sugar but definately significantly less calories.  Dip some strawberries in Splenda for a sweet treat.

i have tried many time. keep eating fruits and natural sugars. and with artificial sweetners use very sparingly they are not good for you in the long term if you are craving sugar have the real thing is my suggestion.

millyo, I don't know the official answer to that question, but last weekend, I mindlessly popped a chocolate pretzel into my mouth, and before I knew it, I'd had about 10 of the darn things.

I have been fine since, so hopefully it was just temporary :)

Thanks. I guess I just want to substantially LOWER my cravings but I don't want to NEVER have the cravings because part of the fun of eating is getting that high from chocolate & desserts, you know? Well at least for me. I just don't want to wake up in the morning & the first thing I think of is cake or a brownie. But I want to be able to enjoy it just as much (as I do now) once in awhile without falling back into feeling like I NEED it.

Its SO ironic that just as I finished posting that previous post, a guy from work lays out a huge pan of white choc/double fudge squares. GREAT. My mouth is watering and its allll i can think about!!! HELP

Go figure Milly! LOL!

We have brownies here in the office, which I don't really care for, so no biggie!

Haha, good for you! Wish i felt the same way. Well its taken all my willpower this afternoon to NOT reach for one of those fudge squares! I've been trying to distract myself & went for a healther snack (I had pre-packed some non-fat yogurt with cut-up fruit slices) but go figure again - I'd left this in our department fridge, which is RIGHT NEXT to the table where the fudge squares are! BUT, I'm proud to say I did not grab one and shove it down my throat. My mouth is a little disappointed (can't stop salivating! LOL) but mentally, i feel good about it. :)

ahh im addicted to candy and chocolate!! after every meal I have the craving to eat chocolate or candy...and many days i give in to that craving. my new goal is to go 3 weeks without so the cravings stop!

i have really bad sugar cravings too. I start slim fast monday and have done really well, until i came home last night and my mom was making CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!! Those are my most favorite food in the world! If i could eat 1 thing the rest of my life and not get fat, it would be those COOKIES!! Needless to say, i ate 9!!! I was STARVING and i just couldn't resist.

My mom and i actually tried South Beach about a month ago. I didn't last very long. It's supposed to stop those sugar/carb cravings. But as I've heard - if you go back to eating even just a little bit, you start craving it again!! So what's the point?! My goal is just to try and cut back. I used to be able to only eat a dessert 1-2 times a week. The past few months it's been EVERYDAY!! So this way i can still get in my cravings 1-2 times a week, but make good choices the rest of the time. 

Hey all,

This calorie-count thing is awesome! I just joined yesterday and it is totally going to motivate me. I am trying to lose about 10 pounds in a few months, and eat healthier. I am a small frame and in high school was about 115 and now I am about 130. Eek..

Anyways.....Im totally a sugar addict. But i wanted to offer one piece of advice someone gave me which I didnt listen to until now...I had one coworker who was really thin  and ate everything organic. She said "I just tell myself that it won't  taste any better if I eat more of it."whether it is sweets, a meal, anything. It will still taste the same if i eat 3 bites or 10. " She is right! 

And another thing, instead of adding refined sugars to sweeten things, try honey. It is natural!

 

Hey sugar addicts!

I just posted a little vignette on sugar addiction and some stuff that helped me get over the worst part of sugar withdrawls in the Foods forum, just so y'all know. I would post it here too but that would be redudant~