There is no question I am addicted to sugar. I fought for a long time whether it’s physical, mental, or both, but the fact is I can’t seem to stop eating it. I don’t drink soda or like hard candy. My drug of choice comes in the form of chocolate, ice cream, chocolate ice cream, cupcakes, and generally just about any dessert or chocolate candy. I kept trying to tell myself I could HTFU and stop eating it when I needed to cut weight or hit a hard training cycle. After ridiculous amounts of failures I am pretty sure that’s not going to happen. Kind of like trying to wake up at 4:45AM for masters swim. I don’t think like I can limit the amount of sugar I eat. It feels like it needs to be an all or nothing scenario. I can’t eat just one bowl of ice cream or just a few cookies. It’s the entire quart/half gallon or entire box. Basically whatever is in the house. It is rare that I go more than a day without an epic meltdown. This has been going on for as long as I can remember, but has increased over the last year and I am finally getting quite a bit down on myself. If I didn’t exercise so much I would no doubt be at least 100 lbs heavier with a bad case of diabetes.
I just read “Suicide by Sugar” and although there was a ton of good info, the author was kind of a sugar nazi and she was securely in the almost no sugar at all camp. That’s probably where I need to be, but I am not sure that is even possible after reading what it would take.
Anyone have suggestions on how to go about getting a leg up on this?
This might seem simple, but stop buying it. I have the same problem that you do (although I love sodas and all kinds of candy,) and if it’s not in your house, you can’t eat it. You get the jitters for a while, but it eventually goes away and you stop craving the sugar. It also saves you some money too. Good luck.
What are you trying to do? I’m also a big sugar eater in the form of chocolate, cereal, and ice cream. I eat mostly salads, veggies and fruit (another form of sugar) so that I can eat more chocolate. I don’t drink any calories except when biking. Most of my protein comes from seafood, though I still eat other meats once or twice a week. So basically, I’ve cut in other areas so that my love of sweets doesn’t plump me up too much. I also train a good deal.
Switch to fruit and granola and powerbars without added sugar. You’ll still get your sugar fix from those. Stop buying candy-type foods. Or anything else with added refined sugar.
What are you trying to do? I’m also a big sugar eater in the form of chocolate, cereal, and ice cream. I eat mostly salads, veggies and fruit (another form of sugar) so that I can eat more chocolate. I don’t drink any calories except when biking. Most of my protein comes from seafood, though I still eat other meats once or twice a week. So basically, I’ve cut in other areas so that my love of sweets doesn’t plump me up too much. I also train a good deal.
Don’t know if this helps or not…
Brutal idea. I think the beer suggestion is better as you can at least get drunk. Get off the crack pipe for 8-10 weeks and the cravings will subside.
My advice would be to not buy ice cream and start spending your dessert dollars on expensive chocolate. Start dark, then get darker. At first 60% tastes bitter, but you get acclimated. Then go to 70% and up to 80%. It’s amazing how sweet the stuff marketed as “dark” chocolate tastes.
Check the ingredients, and if sugar is first, skip it and go darker. Generally anything over 60% is good. After a month, Hershey’s or any other milk chocolate will taste like sweet chemicals.
I have also substituted fat for sugar when I want an indulgence. As I’m naturally a sugar-craver, I don’t tend to overeat bacon as I would with a bag of m&ms.
I know your pain, but I do have a little will power and can skip the sweets sometimes. My excuse is I don’t want my weight to drop below 150lbs so I need the calories to maintain my race weight!
Ok I can totally relate and I have lots of suggestions. I recently did this myself, as a new years resolution. I realized after taking the yeast quiz on bodyecology.com just how much it was messing up my body. Cold all the time, hormonal problems, numbness and tingling in legs, irritable when hungry and the list goes on. Came to suspect that I had candida overgrowth, which is very common actually. So the first step was the no added sugar cleanse. Meaning you can eat as much naturally occurring sugar as you want (you won’t be able to overdo it). No added sugar or any kind, not even honey or artificial sugars because basically you are retraining your taste buds to not NEED the sugar. It took 2 weeks for my taste buds to change and 6 weeks to lose the urge to eat sugar completely which recon formed to me that candida was present because just like that the switch was turned off. I went from eating a box of cookies at a sitting to not having any sugar at all. If I can do it, you can do it, because I was a hardcore sugar addict. My saving grace during the first rough days and weeks were raisins and bolthouse juice (the no added sugar kind). But after a week or so they even start being too sweet (amazing!).
Thirdly, there is a great documentary on Netflix called “food matters” which will give you the courage and background information to feel confident in your decision to quit if that is the decision you come to. Good luck!
This might seem simple, but stop buying it. I have the same problem that you do (although I love sodas and all kinds of candy,) and if it’s not in your house, you can’t eat it. You get the jitters for a while, but it eventually goes away and you stop craving the sugar. It also saves you some money too. Good luck.
Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn’t. There is a CVS within walking distance and I think I am known as the ice cream and mint m&m’s guy. The bigger problem is my wife is the opposite as me. She can have sweets laying around the house for months and not eat them. She’s a salt fiend. She buys a lot of the sugar, I eat it almost all of it. I can’t tell you how many trips I have made to replace items of hers that I have eaten.
My drug of choice comes in the form of chocolate It’s the entire quart/half gallon or entire box. If I didn’t exercise so much I would no doubt be at least 100 lbs heavier with a bad case of diabetes.
I feel for you. As stated above, if it’s not in the house then it’s easier. Easier, not easy. I still will go to the grocery store every so often getting groceries and pick up 2/3 chocolate bars depending on the sale, 2 for $1 or 3 for $2. Then eat them on the walk to the car. Not even having chocolate milk as my post exercise drink staves off the cravings though.
Edit: Oh yea, one time I bought a box of Oreos and told myself after each session I could have 2 or 3 as a reward. Not the best way to see gains but thought it might help. Ended up eating all the Oreos after 1 session. Made it into a meal, threw a handful of them in some milk and called it soup.
seems like more high quality fat in my diet…used to be high carb person…works better for me and don’t have near the cravings. occasionally splurge. jimmy moore, dave asprey and others are worth listening to. worth a shot anyway. good luck.
My advice would be to not buy ice cream and start spending your dessert dollars on expensive chocolate. Start dark, then get darker. At first 60% tastes bitter, but you get acclimated. Then go to 70% and up to 80%. It’s amazing how sweet the stuff marketed as “dark” chocolate tastes.
Check the ingredients, and if sugar is first, skip it and go darker. Generally anything over 60% is good. After a month, Hershey’s or any other milk chocolate will taste like sweet chemicals.
I have also substituted fat for sugar when I want an indulgence. As I’m naturally a sugar-craver, I don’t tend to overeat bacon as I would with a bag of m&ms.
This was in that book as well. She talked about the dark chocolate studies and how what they don’t tell you is that those studies were done with tribes who eat pure cocoa. In that form it has health benefits, but basically nothing you can buy in the grocery store comes close. I love me some dark chocolate. My mouth is salivating right now.
My drug of choice comes in the form of chocolate It’s the entire quart/half gallon or entire box. If I didn’t exercise so much I would no doubt be at least 100 lbs heavier with a bad case of diabetes.
I feel for you. As stated above, if it’s not in the house then it’s easier. Easier, not easy. I still will go to the grocery store every so often getting groceries and pick up 2/3 chocolate bars depending on the sale, 2 for $1 or 3 for $2. Then eat them on the walk to the car. Not even having chocolate milk as my post exercise drink staves off the cravings though.
Edit: Oh yea, one time I bought a box of Oreos and told myself after each session I could have 2 or 3 as a reward. Not the best way to see gains but thought it might help. Ended up eating all the Oreos after 1 session. Made it into a meal, threw a handful of them in some milk and called it soup.
I switched from R4 to chocolate milk last year. Great point.
Also what should help curb the cravings is getting adequate protein. My nutritionist told me 70g a day and I find when I get that or exceed it, the cravings are nil. The days I skimp, the body starts craving carbs bad.
