Author Topic: I'm highly addicted to sugar and carbs HELP ME  (Read 159 times)

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Offline Queefer Sutherland

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I'm highly addicted to sugar and carbs HELP ME
« on: February 07, 2017, 07:47:01 pm »
True story though.  I can't get enough sugar and carbs.  I actually have had a decent amount of cavities over the years because of it.  And oh yeah and I'm a bit overweight too.

But like whenever I go into Dollarama, and I see those cheaply priced candies and chocolate bars, I gotta buy a few and chow down.  Sugar is god.  I could easily live without salt.  They say sugar does similar things to your brain that recreational drugs do.  It gives you that "hit" and that pleasurable high, and it's addictive.

Anyone else have the same "disease"?
"Nipples is one of the great minds of our time!" - Bubbermiley

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guest7

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Re: I'm highly addicted to sugar and carbs HELP ME
« Reply #1 on: February 07, 2017, 08:05:11 pm »
I fight it, thanks mainly to my wife.  Left to my druthers, I would eat terribly and drink beer all the time.

As it is I do neither, most of the time. (an occasional craft brew or combination C doesn't count)

Have you tried high quality dark chocolates to wean off the sugar?  Like a nicotine patch, it really isn't the same, but it can help if you're determined.

Offline JMT

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Re: I'm highly addicted to sugar and carbs HELP ME
« Reply #2 on: February 07, 2017, 08:07:39 pm »
God do I feel you...

guest4

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Re: I'm highly addicted to sugar and carbs HELP ME
« Reply #3 on: February 07, 2017, 08:07:54 pm »
My SO.  His favorite item is ice cream and he can eat a lot!  If he can't get ice cream, than almost anything else.   His metabolism seems to be able to handle it, he's still pretty slim although not quite as slim as when I met him 7 or 8 years ago.  But if I ate candy and ice cream like he does, I'd weigh 400 lbs by now.

Offline ?Impact

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Re: I'm highly addicted to sugar and carbs HELP ME
« Reply #4 on: February 07, 2017, 10:56:50 pm »
Certainly sugar and other carbs are addictive, the good news is the withdrawal symptoms only last a few days. The bad news is that you can pick up the habit again fairly easily.

To kick them, go on a very low carb diet. For the first few days make it very simple, and don't skip any meals. In fact you might want to add a meal just to help you cope. Keep the meals small, and focus on protein and green leafy vegetables. The portion of protein should be small (ie. one egg, small piece of lean chicken, white fish, etc.). If you want something on your green leafy vegetables then use a little bit of oil&vinegar and some herbs or pepper (ie. Italian dressing). Stick to this religiously for about a week. You will feel like **** for the first 3-4 days but then your body will adapt and most of the symptoms will go away. Yes you will still want other things, but at least you will not have the physical symptoms like headache, lack of energy, etc. that accompany those first few days. After the week is over it is time to start eating properly, lots of options there depending on how aggressive you want to lose weight or just maintain it but at least you can start enjoying some food again. Don't go into Dollarama, and if you find yourself on auto-pilot and going down that aisle then look for some alternatives like sunflower seeds, chestnuts, apricots, mangos, almonds (no not chocolate covered), etc. - note they are all still junk food, so don't go crazy with them, but they can be your substitute for candy, chips, etc. The two junk food items to keep around home I found helpful are almonds and grapes. Never have more than about 3-5 at a time, and don't keep going to them, but they will help when you really have that craving and break down.

Now the secret, don't tell anyone this because it is highly classified top secret. Physical activity, and a good nights sleep. Sitting in front of the television feeling hungry? Put on your jacket and go for a walk. Take the television (and laptop, cell phone, etc.) out of the bedroom. When you find yourself in front of the vending machine at work, turn around and walk up those 3 flight of stairs to accounting and talk to the cute new girl. You know when you are about to take a step backward, the point is as soon as you recognize it don't deny yourself but substitute something else for it. We keep hearing the stupid debate if exercise or diet is more important, the point is they work together and reinforce each other. Alone either one of them will doom you to failure. Neither one needs to be over the top (except for that first week of diet).

I agree however that salt is much easier to give up, and stay away from. When I was young, we alway had a salt shaker on the table and automatically put it on everything. When I moved out on my own I recognized that was a dumb habit and decided to try and avoid salt as much as possible (e.g. unsold butter, no added salt to most dishes, etc.). I didn't eliminate it because it is around in so many foods we eat, but whenever I had the choice I simply didn't select it. I found that there was more variety in food taste without salt masking it. There are only three food items that I generally add salt to: a little bit to any bread I bake (usually half what the recipe calls for), and then a course salt on top of pretzels (I only make them at home, and about once or maybe twice a year) and about half the time I cook a roast beef which itself is only once every 6 weeks or so.

Offline BC_cheque

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Re: I'm highly addicted to sugar and carbs HELP ME
« Reply #5 on: February 07, 2017, 11:53:49 pm »
As my weakness I would take a bag of chips over a chocolate bar any day but yes, sugar is very addicting.  If for some reason I eat something sweet, I do find myself craving sweets for a few days after.  It's remarkable, actually, how powerful of a drug it is.

?Impact is right though, it's an easy cycle to break.  My husband was such a bad eater when I met him I couldn't even consider him seriously as a partner, but at least he was open to change and I started feeding him right and now he eats pretty healthy.  Well, as far as I know, he probably sneaks some in when he's at work, but at home he eats fruit if he wants something sweet.

A few of his immediate family are overweight and they're dealing with diabetes and other health issues that go along with being overweight and loving sugar.   :(

Going cold turkey is tough but once the insulin levels adjust, it totally wears off.

As for me, my blood pressure is very low so I'm not worried about my love of salt but if it starts getting high, I know I need to cut it out.  I'm dreading that day because although I've cut back a lot, I find food tastes so bland without it.

Offline msj

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Re: I'm highly addicted to sugar and carbs HELP ME
« Reply #6 on: February 08, 2017, 12:31:19 am »
I am finding substituting fruit for candy is one way to prevent the weight gain while still enjoying sugar.

Too bad all that wine I drink will turn me into a fat diabetic.... Grapes just don't substitute for the fermented kind.
I've gotta have more cow bell! -Bruce Dickinson

Offline ?Impact

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Re: I'm highly addicted to sugar and carbs HELP ME
« Reply #7 on: February 08, 2017, 01:07:12 am »
A few of his immediate family are overweight and they're dealing with diabetes and other health issues

Social interaction has a lot to do with eating (and drinking). The act of eating can be central to family, friends, and co-worker groups. It is amazing how quickly your good intentions can go off rail once you sit down with a group. There are other groups where the opposite is true, but they are in the minority. Even those groups where there are other very good intentions seem to have a food component (e.g. I've been part of many hiking/paddling groups, and almost without fail you take a break and someone pulls out those fresh baked cookies, etc.; of course the next time you are out someone else has to try and outdo them and brings out something even more tempting).

Offline TimG

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Re: I'm highly addicted to sugar and carbs HELP ME
« Reply #8 on: February 12, 2017, 12:08:03 pm »
They say sugar does similar things to your brain that recreational drugs do.  It gives you that "hit" and that pleasurable high, and it's addictive.
In my experience is an the best way to reduce cravings it put yourself on a low carb diet. You can still eat enough protein and fat to maintain your weight.  Two or three weeks off the sugar and the cravings should be gone. There are a few sites with databases of food that give you a good way to track carbs without being on a "diet" per se.