Sugar Addiction Struggles after 1 year Sugar Free

TOOMUCHWORRY

Bingeing is basically emotional eating. Lots of people do it to varying degrees. We use food to squash down our feelings to stop them overspiling. Then we feel bad and beat ourselves up some more , then eat to quell these feelings.
Bingeing is a secondary problem . It is the result of not addressing the primary problem(s).
Just my view xx

Moneysaverme

Hi Frogga,

Hypnosis might be worth a shot. I had it years ago for something I had to get through and it really worked. I used an actual therapist rather than a set of cds.

If you have had success with SW before, why don't you try the SW thread in this section. I've recently joined it (am just finishing my second week) and they are very supportive and lovely. Might help keep you on track.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do x

Anoneemoose

http://peacefuleating.co.uk/?s=Sugar+addiction


http://peacefuleating.co.uk/how-not-to-be-a-slave-to-sugar/?utm_source=PE_FB&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=how-not-to-be-a-slave-to-sugar

Slinky

I do think that high fat, low carbing may help you. Carbs are basically complex forms of sugar, so although you're cutting out what looks like sugar, if you're eating a lot of carbs you're still getting the sugars.

I eat chocolate most days. Only its 74% or 85% dark chocolate (Tesco own brand £1), and as it's very strong a small amount, 2-4 squares, is enough to give me a bit of sweetness without too much sugar.

fireblade28

If i have stuff in the house I will eat it. Its just me. I actually have poor self control but I have a system that works for me.
I have learned not to buy stuff that i don't want to eat. If you don't buy it you don't eat it.

You also need to fill up on appropriate healthy food. Protein is particularly satiating and also thermic which requires a lot of calories to just digest. Vegetables have a lot of volume which makes you feel full as well.

You are allowed to treat yourself to something for sure but it must be small and only once a week or so. Again if you buy it and eat it all in one go then you won't get anymore for the week.

Then the rest is just taking personal responsibility its up to you to decide what you value more. Health or sugary sweets. You have to find your own motivation that will work for yourself.

flissh

I try not to eat sugar and find I can't just have a slice/nibble/one need to eat all of it, until I feel sick.
I'm finding sugar a hard habit to kick, and know I eat too much fruit to try to satisfy the longing I have for sweet stuff.
I think I probably have an addictive personality, I used to smoke and gave up loads of times for varying lengths of time (once for about 8 years) but always went back. I finally had hypnosis and gave up for good about 14 years ago.
Sugar for me feels a bit like my smoking habit, always kidding myself that I
can just have one when I'm out and then no more, but for me it didn't work like that.
A year is probably not long enough to be over a habit, and I know I could not have 'just one fag' now and again, even after a year, I would be back to smoking, I think if sugar is an addiction, it's probably the same with that (for me any way).

frogga

Thank you once again for your sensible and non-judgemental replies.

I loath dark chocolate so that would not be for me. My favourite is Milky Bar or White Buttons so it's the really childish taste that I have.

I've booked in for a free consultation with a Hypnotist next week. Will be interested to see what they say.

You are right of course, it's all about taking responsibility and doing the right thing, which is why I hate myself when I binge. Because it's so out of control, and greedy, and irresponsible, and so embarrassingly unintelligent.

I'm still eating badly. Had a week of 'being good' but have been a pig today. Bought Binge Food on the way home from work. SO tomorrow I will try again. I guess as long as I keep trying again, I'm not too horrendous

margaretclare

frogga wrote: »

Good Morning My Lovely Chums,

I woke at 4.45 this morning and all I could do was think about food. So I think it's safe to say, that 1 year on from quitting sugar, I'm still really struggling

As those of you who remember me from the weight loss threads may recall, I've been a bit of a greedy pig for years. I've been as heavy as 21st, and lost it all several times, than put it all back on again.

This time last year, under the guidance of a weight loss / lifestyle coach, I decided to quit sugar totally. I went from 17st down to 12st by August and I was really happy with that. Although I've had no sugar since then, I am back up to 15st with constant over eating. Mainly bread and butter, but also crisps which I didn't even eat before I gave up sugar.

I got through the whole of Christmas with no 'treats' at all. NO mince pies, no ice cream, no Christmas pudding, no chocolate or sweets or cheesecake, or scones or cakes ~ Nothing! Except some fruit cake that I made with no fat or sugar just dried fruit, albran and some black tea (which by the way was SO yummy I ate it all in 2 days and ended up on the loo for hours!)

One year on I feel deprived and miserable. I am not 'free' and happy with it. I still feel like a slave to it. I crave cake, chocolate, Haribo strawberries, ice cream, cheesecake, shortbread, and crunchy nut cornflakes.... Oh I could go on and on...

I've thought long and hard about giving up the giving up. I hear people telling me to 'just go easy and have one bit'. but I just know if I had something, oh my goodness, I would not stop. The life coach (who was from NHS Livewell Suffolk) told me she would not normally advocate giving up sugar totally, but in my case it was clear I was 'addicted', and like an alcoholic or a smoker, she thought I should quit altogether. I felt happy and proud of myself for the first 6 months, then I felt resentful and cheesed off. I'm not proud of myself for what I have achieved, I'm angry and deprived, and craving the biggest sugar binge in the world. I know if I have something now, it will be game over and I'll be right back up to 21st before Easter.

I had constant headaches before, I felt rough, I looked rough, I don't want to go backwards do I?

Arghh!!! The not knowing what to do is a nightmare :mad: I had some chat time with a dietician once, and she said 'everything in moderation / no food should be banned etc' just like Slimming World. I lost 10 stone once with SW so I know I can do it. And I had a little bit of chocolate every evening, and a 'blow out' once a month. Maybe I could do that again? The thought of being able to eat like normal people again is / would be fantastic. I even remember the dietician telling me to plan a binge. Maybe once a month, to satisfy my need to do it. Being given permission to binge was fantastic. I wasn't naughty anymore. I was ok. It was ok. But I still couldn't 'cure' my need to overeat too much and I went right back up to 21st again. I just want to be normal, and happy, and eat sugar, but not be fat. I am so desperate I could cry. I am crying.

Mr Frog and the tadpoles say I should have some. They can see how sad I am with out it. They say they will help me not to 'overdo it' but I am a well practised sneaky binge eater so I know I could do it without their knowledge. Addiction makes you a liar and a thief. I have stolen and lied several times to get sugary treats.

Sorry, to moan on. I thought maybe talking to some of you on here may clear my head and help me figure out what to do. I have two choices. Do I carry on with the sugar free, and try hard to get back on track with not bingeing, or do I try to eat a little treat everyday and get back to not bingeing. I can see disaster lurking with either option

As always your opinions are of huge interest. Any sensible people want to tell a fat frog what to do please? :beer:

I completely and utterly disagree with those who have advised you to 'have a little bit, have a treat every day' etc etc. You have correctly identified this as an addiction. Like a recovering alcoholic, you must not have any of the addictive substance, none, not at all!

You are eating crisps in lieu of chocolate and cake - what do you think crisps are? They're carbohydrate! All right, they're not sweet, but they are just carbs in another form.

I think there are much deeper issues here. Why do you feel the need to 'have a treat every day'? Is it because life is so awful that looking forward to a 'treat' is the only way you get through day to day?

Hypnosis may not be the way forward for you. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy may be more to the point.

It IS possible to kick sugar addiction - and by the way, it is well known that sugar is an addictive substance. Why do you think the food manufacturers sneakily include some form of sugar in all processed foods? It is possible to kick any addiction, and there are people out there who can help you do it. The NHS is too cash-strapped, but there are reputable people in the private sector. Or, an increasing number of self-help books and groups.

PS: If you're an atheist as you say, why are you bothered about Christmas and Easter?

FBaby

Hi frog, only read your thread and what came to mind is whether you are looking at this the wrong way, ie. thinking that giving up the sugar is making you miserable and crave other foods and that's why you've put on weight again, or whether it's a case that you've put on weight which has not only triggered your body wanting more and hit the 'more sugar' bottom, but also is affecting you psychologically as you are disappointed with yourself for putting the weight on and this triggered the sugar comfort button?

Maybe you only a bit of lapsing which resulted in your weight gain, and getting back into your old habits would naturally take away that sugar craving without focusing on it?

You say that your issues has been bread. It made me smile because my two sins are like you it seems sugar and bread! Indeed, if I go into craving mode, it is the two that I will want, so maybe the two are interlinked in our mind and overloading on one can trigger the other craving.

You say you are a binger, so it is a case that what you need to do is work on managing the quantity, either by somehow finding ways to help you reduce the want to eat a lot, or ensuring that you only have very healthy things to eat a lot of?

I am not overweight but have to apply many rules to not become so. I have tested many over the years, and what works for me is to eat as late in the day as possible because I rarely have craving in the morning once my body gets used to only have food after 11am or so. I might be fortunate that not eating in the morning has no impact at all on my blood sugar levels and I actually feel much better physically, even to the point of being able to run 10k better on an empty stomach.

This means that even when I binge later in the day, I can still manage to remain within normal calorie intake range, but also eel no guilt. I also have some little tricks that work for me. If I have a really bad sugar craving, I will have a lolly because it's still few calories and at least takes a few minutes rather than second to give me pleasure! I also snack on dry wheat flakes because that takes longer to eat, and the dryness means I have enough sooner, but still got my sugar fix whilst getting plenty of fibre!

Don't give up your sugar free life, as you've said, you'll only feel worse going back on it. Get rid of that bread, or buy bread you don't love as much, ie. one very brown with tons of seeds rather than lovely fresh white bread and replace butter with low fat cheese. Or maybe you can replace with healthier crackers that takes longer to eat than soft bread.

vodkawitch1

Hi Frogga
Another binge eater here and I am desperately trying to cut the sugar habit.
You are very hard on yourself and sound a bit depressed. Maybe seeing your doctor should be your next step.

Good luck