Sugar addiction - Page 6

[Greenlea]

Hello, my name is Greenlea, and I'm a sugar addict. LOL.

I just found this thread and I'm hoping it helps me.  I can't.stop.eating.sugar!  Especially candy and ice cream.  Well ice cream has gotten better because I just stopped buying it.  If I do buy it, I'll eat a whole carton in a matter of days.  I bought some girl scout cookies and one box, gone, in ONE day!  Ugh.  I never feel satisfied when it comes to sugar.  I'm a vegetarian, so I'm going to try to up my protein intake, as I've read on some posts that it could be causing my sugar cravings.  I'm not trying to cut out all sugar, just candy, cookies, cake, & refined sugars. 

Not sure if it has been mentioned, but I've read in the past that sugar cravings can indicate an overgrowth of yeast as well.  I justknow I need to cut out this sugar for my stomach's sake too.  I'll eat till I'm nauseas, and sugar is bad for belly fat.

[perezia]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Stevia???? Stevia is a natural sweetner, made from Stevia plants, also known as sweet leaves. It is so sweet, I am growing some myself! It is a very healthy alternative to sugar. I love it. Check it out for reciepes, info and stuff at www.stevia.com

I grew up a sweet tooth, I can't believe how much sugar I have consumed. Here's what I learned to manage, use food that has natural sweets. For example, coconut rice for breakfast. Simply mix cooked jasmine rice, soy milk, and coconut flakes. Coconut flakes is naturally sweetened.

For zucchini breads, I use frozen apple juice  concentrate (replace sugar), and raisins. After baking it, it is absolutely sweet! If you have a terrible sugar crave, eat the whole bread if you have to. Sometime being full helps forget the sugar craving.

I know we all have our PMS chocolate craving days, I buy a bag of semi-sweet, milk, or dark chocolate chips. I try pop a handful of chips in my mouth a day, or when needed. Stay in control!! Heh

It is sugar we are craving and nothing can replace it. But it's all in our heads, we have to overcome that craving. I am overcoming it slowly and it seems to be very successefully.

[LionessMom]

Originally Posted by Greenlea 

Hello, my name is Greenlea, and I'm a sugar addict. LOL.

Not sure if it has been mentioned, but I've read in the past that sugar cravings can indicate an overgrowth of yeast as well.  I justknow I need to cut out this sugar for my stomach's sake too.  I'll eat till I'm nauseas, and sugar is bad for belly fat.

it is also a sign of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and fructose intolernance. esp if you get bloating and cramps from it.

i thnk a great place to start is eliminating cakes, cookies, pop, candy etc.

[WinterPrego]

Hello, My name is WinterPrego and...I'M A SUGAR ADDICT!! haha, no joke. I have eaten enough sugar to sink the Titanic three times, in my short life of 20 yrs! And you ladies have no idea how many times I have gone from "weaning", to cold turkey. And you know the crappy thing? I always feel SO good when I don't eat sugar. I know how disastrous it is for our bodies,and can tell the effect in my life, especially since I've "quit" it so many times, and then go running right back to it. It's like those abusive relationships you hear about. You think,"I would NEVER stay with that man if that's how he treated me!". Yet in a way, we are doing the same thing with sugar. Well, anyway, you ladies have made me laugh so many times going through this thread, because it reminds me of ME!  But you guys have been very inspiring - I'm going cold turkey today - RIGHT NOW! I will post updates periodically to tell of my failures and such. I won't promise to post every day, but at least once a week on my progress.  :) Good luck ladies!

[ButtonGirl]

Originally Posted by wendyland 

My problem is being consistant.  I have yet to make it past a week without sugar.  There's something about that 1 week mark where I start feeling really deprived and my will weakens. 

That is exactly my problem :(

I get SO inspired to improve and then about a week goes by and it all goes down the drain - generally going back to being even worse than before!

What an inspiring thread though - I will be trying a lot of these ideas - especially the one about drinking a cleansing tea before consuming...it seems like a great way to pause and think without just stuffing it down...

[puffingirl]

Once I ended my 3 week elimination diet, I lost all control again.  My intention was to add foods in slowly, with sugar at the very end.  Yeah, not so much.  My sugar issues are back full force everyday again.  I ate 2 donuts just this morning.   What I can't stand the most is the self-loathing part of the cycle that comes after getting stuck in sugar spiral.  For Lent I am giving up after-dinner snacking (and working on practicing "right speech"--not criticizing and judging).   Feeling frustrated again....  Glad to see everyone still fighting the good fight. 

[AFWife]

I've been off of sugar for 3 weeks....and last night I had a dream I was eating donuts! DH was saying, "I thought you gave up sugar!" and I replied, "I DON'T CARE!!!!" and stuffed my face full of donut.

[akmeg]

I'm on day 6!  Yay!  I've been doing good so far, I'm focusing on making satisfying meals so I don't feel hungry and snacky.  As I type this thought I realize I haven't really had lunch and I'm feeling snacky!  Hmmmm, off to eat a string cheese.  :)

One night this weekend Dh had a hankering for "treats," so he headed to the store for a soda, and even though I don't even like soda, I just really wanted something from the treat run!  So I told him to get me some really good grape juice.  Oh my goodness, it was fabulous!  I don't remember what kind, but it was 100% grape, and so dark and tart and delicious!  I know it still has sugar, but I figure if I indulge in a delicious 100% fruit juice every once in awhile, it's not the end of the world, and probably better than a whole pan of brownies!  :)

[puffingirl]

Originally Posted by AFWife 

I've been off of sugar for 3 weeks....and last night I had a dream I was eating donuts! DH was saying, "I thought you gave up sugar!" and I replied, "I DON'T CARE!!!!" and stuffed my face full of donut.

Ha!  I think you dreamed my morning today!  Was it a chocolate cake donut by any chance? 

I really need a clean start tomorrow.... 

[Annie Mac]

I've been lurking for a while. So understand the sugar addiction! Except for a brief period in my teens, I never really had problems with sugar, but during my pregnancy and especially afterwards, omg, the cravings! Anyway, just wanted to come out hiding and join you all in my attempt to go sugar free :) (Again)

[WinterPrego]

Sugar free update: I did very good this afternoon, except one time, when I forgot the jam I was eating had refined sugar....darn! But hey, at least it was the last of it! haha, now I don't have it to tempt me. But unfortunately I am at my family's tonight, and guess what? My sisters are making sugar cookies!!! OF COURSE.

[sleeveless]

Wow! This is an amazing thread!. It sounds like there should be a yahoo group for sugar addiction. I'm so addicted, I've often felt there should be a 12 step group for sugar addicts. But I feel I'd be laughed at for suggesting it. Glad to see I'm not alone in my addiction. I went to a very smart nutritionist a few years ago who told me sugar is "a true addiction," just like alcohol, caffeine and illegal drugs. The difference is that it does not cause the severe behavior problems of the other addictions. If you HAVE to have sugar every day, you are addicted. Plus sugar is in EVERYTHING, so sugar addicts are created every day (your kids and mine??).

I truly do not know how to kick this addiction. I've cleaned up my diet so much it's nearly pristine - locally grown, organic fruits, veggies, meats, etc. No chemicals, no gluten, no dairy. I've even managed to kick chocolate for the most part, but I CANNOT kick sugar. I skip it for a few days or a week, and then I crave it so much I'll get in the car at 11 p.m. and drive to the supermarket to buy a bag of gluten-free cookies. Then I will eat them all up. And it is relaxing! I do feel better when my sugar cravings are met! I'm an addict.

One problem is that sugar is in so many products you don't expect to find it in. For example, I've been trying to avoid sugar, so I ate a gluten-free bagel with sunbutter. Yum, that was a nice snack. Then I read the labels. Yes, you guessed it: Sugar (sneakily called "evaporated cane juice") was an ingredient in both the bagels and the sunbutter. No wonder they tasted so good!

I also exhibit addict behaviors: I hide the cookies in my purse and eat them in the car so my kids won't see me eating them. I stole Halloween candy from my kids' trick-or-treat bags (after I told them they could only have a few pieces and daddy was going to take the rest to work). I even kept a secret stash in the glove compartment. And I know Halloween candy is full of chemicals, but I ate it anyway.

One thing I've been trying is having DH do the shopping so I stay away from temptation at Whole Foods. This does help. If I don't have the hard stuff, I'll eat some fruit or make some cookies with agave or honey. And I make "hot chocolate" with carob, rice milk and Trader Joe's hemp milk, which helps quell my sugar cravings.

I have these cravings in the afternoon when I'm tired. I start feeling exhausted around 5 p.m. when I have to start dinner, so I have a little pick-me-up (cookies, mostly), and I feel better. I've been trying to eat something with fat in it (coconut milk or TJ's hemp milk, which is pretty fatty), and lying down for a few minutes, and that's helped a bit (not enough, though).

Thanks to whomever started this thread. It helps to share!

[AFWife]

So, I've been 3 weeks without sugar, right? My mom stopped by and brought homemade banana bread. I didn't think about it and had a few slices (it was GOOD). I realized, all too late, that is was made with white sugar.....Is it a coincidence that my scalp started itching that night and the next day? Like, to the point that I scratched until it bled?

[treehugz]

I LOVE sweets.  My 3yo dd isn't allowed any refined sugar... only honey, molasses, maple syrup, fruit.  I read somewhere that having sugar in the first few years of life can really impact your taste buds and give you a sweet tooth for life.  My sweet tooth is H.U.G.E. and I hope dd won't be like me.  As she gets older and wants to have what other people are eating, I'm really finding that I'm going to have to change my sweet tooth ways or else just be a big ol' hypocrite.   Others imply all the time that I'll give dd food issues or an eating disorder by not letting her eat "normal" food (i.e. sugar constantly... oh and meat, since we're vegetarian too).  I also have yeast problems (tinea versicolor that comes and goes).  So, I'm on the no sugar plan and... subbin'!! 

[DoulaReese]

 

Originally Posted by sleeveless 

Wow! This is an amazing thread!. It sounds like there should be a yahoo group for sugar addiction. I'm so addicted, I've often felt there should be a 12 step group for sugar addicts. But I feel I'd be laughed at for suggesting it. Glad to see I'm not alone in my addiction. I went to a very smart nutritionist a few years ago who told me sugar is "a true addiction," just like alcohol, caffeine and illegal drugs. The difference is that it does not cause the severe behavior problems of the other addictions. If you HAVE to have sugar every day, you are addicted. Plus sugar is in EVERYTHING, so sugar addicts are created every day (your kids and mine??).

I would NEVER laugh at anyone for suggesting there should be formal support for sugar addicts, it is TRULY an addiction, and I would contest that it doesn't cause behavior problems - I get mean!  It totally works off the same receptors in the brain as other drugs.  I quit smoking 12 years ago, and that SUCKED, I still dream about that once in a while... TOTALLY agree that since it's in everything, basically everyone's addicted but most don't know it.  Trying to keep my kids from it as much as possible, but...  feel a little concerned about going extreme, especially since their dad isn't totally on board.

Originally Posted by AFWife 

So, I've been 3 weeks without sugar, right? My mom stopped by and brought homemade banana bread. I didn't think about it and had a few slices (it was GOOD). I realized, all too late, that is was made with white sugar.....Is it a coincidence that my scalp started itching that night and the next day? Like, to the point that I scratched until it bled?

Yucky!!  I totally know what you mean!  Did we agree this was a yeast issue?    Don't like yeast but it likes me.

Originally Posted by treehugz 

  Others imply all the time that I'll give dd food issues or an eating disorder by not letting her eat "normal" food (i.e. sugar constantly... oh and meat, since we're vegetarian too).  I also have yeast problems (tinea versicolor that comes and goes).  So, I'm on the no sugar plan and... subbin'!! 

I TOTALLY get this!  People just don't get it so they think you're screwing up your kid for doing things differently.  I let it affect me more than I should - I need to let it go I think.

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by treehugz 

I LOVE sweets.  My 3yo dd isn't allowed any refined sugar... only honey, molasses, maple syrup, fruit.  I read somewhere that having sugar in the first few years of life can really impact your taste buds and give you a sweet tooth for life.  My sweet tooth is H.U.G.E. and I hope dd won't be like me.  As she gets older and wants to have what other people are eating, I'm really finding that I'm going to have to change my sweet tooth ways or else just be a big ol' hypocrite.   Others imply all the time that I'll give dd food issues or an eating disorder by not letting her eat "normal" food (i.e. sugar constantly... oh and meat, since we're vegetarian too).  I also have yeast problems (tinea versicolor that comes and goes).  So, I'm on the no sugar plan and... subbin'!! 

Yeah. I've had to shoot dirty looks at The Grandparents (both sides) for giving DS1 soda...I'll suck it up for a sip of Sprite, but a couple of times they've given him sips of Coke. Seriously? He's not even 2!! "But he likes it" Yeah, he might like cocaine too but that doesn't make it okay. Grrr..... He's also allergic to pasteurized dairy (he handles raw fine) and FIL has said that I need to let him be normal and give him dairy. What? HE'S ALLERGIC. His tummy gets really upset and his behavior nose-dives. No.

[LionessMom]

Originally Posted by AFWife 

So, I've been 3 weeks without sugar, right? My mom stopped by and brought homemade banana bread. I didn't think about it and had a few slices (it was GOOD). I realized, all too late, that is was made with white sugar.....Is it a coincidence that my scalp started itching that night and the next day? Like, to the point that I scratched until it bled?

my scalp does that too. it could be yeast, or bacteria, or just psoriasis or dermatitis. an immune response.

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by LionessMom 

my scalp does that too. it could be yeast, or bacteria, or just psoriasis or dermatitis. an immune response.

Dh got some medicated shampoo from his doctor (it's an anti fungal) and I used some the other night...it didn't help so I have NO idea what the deal is. I tried a new conditioner so it could be that....but my scalp also tends to itch when I get stressed out.

[LionessMom]

Originally Posted by AFWife 

Dh got some medicated shampoo from his doctor (it's an anti fungal) and I used some the other night...it didn't help so I have NO idea what the deal is. I tried a new conditioner so it could be that....but my scalp also tends to itch when I get stressed out.

i actually tried using fungus cream and anitbacterial cream. and nada. the only thing that makes it feel better is not eating certain foods. i had just dandruff for years and now it is getting so bad they called it psoriasis and want to give me special shampoos and a special oil treatment. i am hoping that my elimination diet will help. i just gotta quit eating all the stupid sugar. and stick to the darn diet. sigh.

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by LionessMom 

i actually tried using fungus cream and anitbacterial cream. and nada. the only thing that makes it feel better is not eating certain foods. i had just dandruff for years and now it is getting so bad they called it psoriasis and want to give me special shampoos and a special oil treatment. i am hoping that my elimination diet will help. i just gotta quit eating all the stupid sugar. and stick to the darn diet. sigh.

Maybe DH needs an elimination diet. His scalp can get so bad that his skin peels off. His younger brother (horrible horrible SAD diet) has it the worst. It gets yellow and scaly