needhealing777
03-30-2005, 06:45 PM
I have exercised for 25 years and at times excessively...I am now very overweight (to me anyway) and I can't lose with all the exercise I do..I know that all diets work if you stick with them, but it's the actual doing it I can't get..and I am so addicted to sweets I could just eat them all day...I don't know how to break this habit. I want to cry every nite and make a promise that tomorrow will be different..well, it never is! Has anyone kicked the sugar addiction and how?
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rach12
03-30-2005, 08:41 PM
Well first of all you have to WANT to loose weight and be healthy more than sweets. We can not have our cake and eat it too and stay slim and healthy. haha Second why are you eating them??? Sounds to me like you may have emotional link with food. Before you chow down the cake or whatever you are reaching for ask yourself why you want it?? Are you just bored? Go outside and go for a walk then. We eat to give fuel to our bodies. Do you think that cookie is fuel for your body? NOPE. WHATEVER YOU DO do not "just eat the low fat kind" yes the fat is less but there is still crap carbs and processed junk in it. Try lowfat yougert. Fruit, etc.
Do not think " I want to loose weight" Think I want to be healthy and give my body what it needs. Good luck!
Do not think " I want to loose weight" Think I want to be healthy and give my body what it needs. Good luck!
bluehen94
03-30-2005, 10:24 PM
I think that you need to replace the habit, not kill it, like the other poster said try fruit, yogurt an occasional sugar free ice pop or a piece of sugar free gum sometimes kills my craving.
Annee
03-31-2005, 12:06 AM
I've found that brushing my teeth often, and eating pickles (zero calories!) works to curb my sweet tooth. You might also try to wean yourself from the good stuff with chocolate graham crackers and sugarless gum. Also, remember, you only have to have self-control when you're at the grocery store. If you don't have it, you can't eat it. :)
white dove
03-31-2005, 04:26 AM
1) Don't buy sweets or sugar, as annee says. You make hard choices when shopping, not all the time. -->If I wanted dessert, I had to go get it. I'd eat enough for the moment, not bring any back home.
2) Xylitol: tastes like sugar, fewer calories, good for teeth. Some health stores have it. You can read the wonders of xylitol & buy it on the web. Xylipro is one place. It slows growth of plaque, that smelly coating on teeth. Gum helps me too. We buy Smart Smile xylitol gum and mints from Xylipro on the web. Koolerz is a delicious gum. Have you tried it?
It took a few years on XYLITOL + Splenda, to get my body off sugar.(+Splenda because eating more than 1-2 ounces xylitol a day causes the runs. Like sorbitol.) I hope your household cooperates with keeping sugar out. That was key for me for years. Still helps.
3) Yogurt, as other posters said. Unsweetened Greek yogurt (at Trader Joe's) is luscious & creamy, NOT like the gelatinized stuff in cups. It's yummy just plain. For sweetness, I mix in xylitol and fruit.
4) I brush my teeth (like another poster), then massage my tongue with fresh toothpaste. With clean fingers, of course, and don't swallow. That's possible because of my wonderful soothing toothpaste, SQUIGLE Enamel Saver. It tastes & feels like food. (Other toothpastes hurt.) I've often recommended squigle for other purposes.
I'm going to get pickles tomorrow. I can tell by how my mouth feels, thinking about it, it's a good idea. Thanks!
2) Xylitol: tastes like sugar, fewer calories, good for teeth. Some health stores have it. You can read the wonders of xylitol & buy it on the web. Xylipro is one place. It slows growth of plaque, that smelly coating on teeth. Gum helps me too. We buy Smart Smile xylitol gum and mints from Xylipro on the web. Koolerz is a delicious gum. Have you tried it?
It took a few years on XYLITOL + Splenda, to get my body off sugar.(+Splenda because eating more than 1-2 ounces xylitol a day causes the runs. Like sorbitol.) I hope your household cooperates with keeping sugar out. That was key for me for years. Still helps.
3) Yogurt, as other posters said. Unsweetened Greek yogurt (at Trader Joe's) is luscious & creamy, NOT like the gelatinized stuff in cups. It's yummy just plain. For sweetness, I mix in xylitol and fruit.
4) I brush my teeth (like another poster), then massage my tongue with fresh toothpaste. With clean fingers, of course, and don't swallow. That's possible because of my wonderful soothing toothpaste, SQUIGLE Enamel Saver. It tastes & feels like food. (Other toothpastes hurt.) I've often recommended squigle for other purposes.
I'm going to get pickles tomorrow. I can tell by how my mouth feels, thinking about it, it's a good idea. Thanks!
auntjudyg
03-31-2005, 10:52 AM
The plans that look at carbohydrates are the ones I see sited most often as helping break the sugar habit. And, of course, everyone is different in terms of what works/what they can stick with. Some say the extreme carb cutting on the initial stages of Atkins was what they needed (didn't work for me, personally); some have succeeded on one of the plans that allows more carbohydrates (Carbohydrate Addicts [this is what worked for me], Protein Power, etc.); some found that Kathleen DesMaisons' program (The Last Diet You Will Ever Need, or something like that) did the trick.
Many public libraries have or can get books on the subject. It might be helpful to read up and see whether what these plans say about carbohydrates sounds like what you experience. I found they all had some useful information in terms of my problems with food/sweets.
Many public libraries have or can get books on the subject. It might be helpful to read up and see whether what these plans say about carbohydrates sounds like what you experience. I found they all had some useful information in terms of my problems with food/sweets.
poohbearspal
03-31-2005, 03:20 PM
Didn't read the other replies so I apologize if this is redundant. I too was completely addicted to sweets. By trying (and failing) on various diets over the years, I had found out that if I could manage to stay off of them for three days, it was much, much, easier to stay off of them. So, what I would do was allow myself to eat pretty much anything I wanted other than sweets for those three days. I happen to love fruit, so I loaded up on fruit during that time period. Sometimes I craved them so badly, but I would just distract myself and keep telling myself it would only be three days. Seriously, to me it felt like coming off an addictive drug or something.
Anyway, another thing I did was tell myself that I was choosing the lifestyle that I wanted and that meant that I wanted to eat fewer sweets. I didnt' tell myself I could never eat sweets again, and in fact, when I really, really, really, wanted some, I ate. But I made a very honest effort to limit them and not allow myself to get completely out of control.
Anyway, I've lost 70 plus pounds by exercising and making an effort to eat healthy. I'm not following a diet, just trying to make wise selections. It has worked so far.
I hope this offers some hope to those of you out there who feel (as I once did) convinced that there is no hope for you. There IS hope .. but it requires persistence and a lot of work. I exercise a couple of hours a day now. But my life has changed so much for the better, I wouldn't ever want to go back.
Anyway, another thing I did was tell myself that I was choosing the lifestyle that I wanted and that meant that I wanted to eat fewer sweets. I didnt' tell myself I could never eat sweets again, and in fact, when I really, really, really, wanted some, I ate. But I made a very honest effort to limit them and not allow myself to get completely out of control.
Anyway, I've lost 70 plus pounds by exercising and making an effort to eat healthy. I'm not following a diet, just trying to make wise selections. It has worked so far.
I hope this offers some hope to those of you out there who feel (as I once did) convinced that there is no hope for you. There IS hope .. but it requires persistence and a lot of work. I exercise a couple of hours a day now. But my life has changed so much for the better, I wouldn't ever want to go back.
needhealing777
03-31-2005, 03:51 PM
I do agree that telling myself that I want to be healthier is what I need to do..and have done it a few times..it is sooooooooooooooooo hard to get out of bad habits and start new healthy ones. And also those initial first days are horrendous..if I could just remember that I don't want to start over when I go for the junk may help too.
HelpHelpHelp
03-31-2005, 09:56 PM
I'm gonna do it. I can do those three days. Where I live, tomorrow is friday so that basically means i just don't eat any sweets this weekend, which shouldn't be too bad. Yes, i will have more free time but i will be under less stress:).
I'm gonna do it. YOu have motivated me. I have had this sweet problem forever and i know what it's like to have self-hatred because of it.
Yes it bothers me because of my weight, but it also bothers me because i know that the large quantities i consume are damaging my body:( and making life harder for me---making me sick, tired, etc. It is an addiction, and it keeps me from doing the things i love in life---including sex! Now you KNOW it's a problem!
Just for my information, what do you do after the three days? See how much longer you can do?
I realize i can't eliminate sweets from my life completely. That's just unrealistic.
I'm gonna do it. YOu have motivated me. I have had this sweet problem forever and i know what it's like to have self-hatred because of it.
Yes it bothers me because of my weight, but it also bothers me because i know that the large quantities i consume are damaging my body:( and making life harder for me---making me sick, tired, etc. It is an addiction, and it keeps me from doing the things i love in life---including sex! Now you KNOW it's a problem!
Just for my information, what do you do after the three days? See how much longer you can do?
I realize i can't eliminate sweets from my life completely. That's just unrealistic.
poohbearspal
03-31-2005, 11:38 PM
Hi HelpHelpHelp. I assume you are addressing me since you mentioned the three days. I should have clarified .. I found the three days was sort of the magic number for me. For you it may be different .. maybe even fewer (hopefully) but maybe longer. I just know that somehow the cravings lessened dramatically after three days .. which made the whole ordeal much more manageable.
Also, I mentioned eating fruit .. but if there is something else you particularly like, I'd suggest that you go ahead and treat yourself so that you don't feel deprived. For me, shellfish is a treat, so I would buy shrimp and scallops and I felt like I was eating like a gourmet.
After the three days, as I said, it was easier to make it one more day, then one more. See, I was really addicted and ate junk all through the day. I just grabbed a cupcake or candy bar or whatever, whenever I wanted it. I had given up, so I just ate and ate and fed the addiction. That three day marker was somehow magical for me. And if on the fifth day I found I really wanted something, I had it. But I just had one. For instance, one cupcake instead of the whole box. And I was very, very, surprised to find that it usually satisfied me. Now I will admit that during "that time of the month" when my cravings were particularly bad, I would sometimes over eat on the sweets .. but even still, it wasn't as bad as what my daily habit had been. And I was usually able to stop after a few days of overindulging and get back on track. I made a real effort to not let it get out of hand again. AND miracle of miracles, there was even a month or two when I was able to get through pms and my period with no sweets whatsover. It was like, by then, the cravings were under control and I was like a "normal" person.
I hope this helps. Feel free to pm me if you have other questions. And best wishes. I KNOW you can do it. :)
Also, I mentioned eating fruit .. but if there is something else you particularly like, I'd suggest that you go ahead and treat yourself so that you don't feel deprived. For me, shellfish is a treat, so I would buy shrimp and scallops and I felt like I was eating like a gourmet.
After the three days, as I said, it was easier to make it one more day, then one more. See, I was really addicted and ate junk all through the day. I just grabbed a cupcake or candy bar or whatever, whenever I wanted it. I had given up, so I just ate and ate and fed the addiction. That three day marker was somehow magical for me. And if on the fifth day I found I really wanted something, I had it. But I just had one. For instance, one cupcake instead of the whole box. And I was very, very, surprised to find that it usually satisfied me. Now I will admit that during "that time of the month" when my cravings were particularly bad, I would sometimes over eat on the sweets .. but even still, it wasn't as bad as what my daily habit had been. And I was usually able to stop after a few days of overindulging and get back on track. I made a real effort to not let it get out of hand again. AND miracle of miracles, there was even a month or two when I was able to get through pms and my period with no sweets whatsover. It was like, by then, the cravings were under control and I was like a "normal" person.
I hope this helps. Feel free to pm me if you have other questions. And best wishes. I KNOW you can do it. :)
needhealing777
04-01-2005, 11:25 AM
OK, I'm going to try AGAIN too...I have self-hatred also and can't stand that feeling..even if I weighed 110lbs.(I wish)...I know I shouldn't be eating sugar for health reasons...I could eat sweets all day long and when I go off of them for awhile, I feel strong and think I can just have "just one" and then within a day, it turns into all day long...don't know how to remember that...I think it takes me more than 3 days..but I have to admit the 3 days are the hardest, especially that FIRST day..UGH!!!!
dreamer40
04-03-2005, 04:02 PM
if you want to lose your cravings desires and even thoughts of pleasure foods like ice cream or whatever here is what you do, eat more real foods, you have to eat enough real foods (such as leaner meats dairy soups, fruits vegies and whole grains cereals and nuts and seed etc.) if you are craving pleasures especially every day in large quantities your on what is termed the famine feast cycle which is what gets you over fat (not overweight) and keeps you there
here are the symptoms of this cycle.
excessive cravings for pleasures foods
eating without real hunger,
lack of desire to exercise,
frequent binges
special occassion overeating
food obessessions
you can get more info by reading the book how to be naturally thin by eating more by jean antenello, or the book break out of food jail by the same author or the book bodyfueling by robyn landis.
RR
here are the symptoms of this cycle.
excessive cravings for pleasures foods
eating without real hunger,
lack of desire to exercise,
frequent binges
special occassion overeating
food obessessions
you can get more info by reading the book how to be naturally thin by eating more by jean antenello, or the book break out of food jail by the same author or the book bodyfueling by robyn landis.
RR
Sonflower1116
04-04-2005, 04:39 PM
Some times, cravings for sugar can mean you have a yeast overgrowth. Have you ever been on any anitobitics? There are products to help curb this yeast overgrowth, I'm currently taking one called Y-C Cleanse (A and B) as mentioned in the book "The Fat Flush Plan" by Ann Louise Gittleman.
Another suggestion is that you try steviaplus, with FOS,as your sweetener. It is all natural, comes from a plant, and will not affect your blood sugar levels, thus negating that insulin spike you get from eating something sweet.
And, yes, you do need to stop eating sweets as previously suggested, to get your insulin levels straightened out. Also, taking a probiotic such as Acidolphilus, can help balance out the good bacteria in your digestive system.
Incorporating high-lignon flax oil (2tbsp a day) or flaxseeds (6tbsp a day) into your diet will help curb the appetite and cravings for sweets.
If you want a great, healthy treat, get a good quality whey protein powder with stevia (watch out for chemical sweeteners like aspartame, equal, etc) and make a smoothie. Use a few ice cubes, crushed, 1 scoop of whey protein, a cup of frozen fruit, 1 tbsp flax oil, and up to 1 cup of cold water or cranwater and blend. It's like a milkshake. If you're totally vegan, you can try Naturade Pea Protein Powder. I personally use only the Fat Flush Whey Protein powder (vanilla or chocolate flavor) as it's sweetened with the stevia plus.
Hope this information will be of benefit to you.
Another suggestion is that you try steviaplus, with FOS,as your sweetener. It is all natural, comes from a plant, and will not affect your blood sugar levels, thus negating that insulin spike you get from eating something sweet.
And, yes, you do need to stop eating sweets as previously suggested, to get your insulin levels straightened out. Also, taking a probiotic such as Acidolphilus, can help balance out the good bacteria in your digestive system.
Incorporating high-lignon flax oil (2tbsp a day) or flaxseeds (6tbsp a day) into your diet will help curb the appetite and cravings for sweets.
If you want a great, healthy treat, get a good quality whey protein powder with stevia (watch out for chemical sweeteners like aspartame, equal, etc) and make a smoothie. Use a few ice cubes, crushed, 1 scoop of whey protein, a cup of frozen fruit, 1 tbsp flax oil, and up to 1 cup of cold water or cranwater and blend. It's like a milkshake. If you're totally vegan, you can try Naturade Pea Protein Powder. I personally use only the Fat Flush Whey Protein powder (vanilla or chocolate flavor) as it's sweetened with the stevia plus.
Hope this information will be of benefit to you.
kyethra
04-10-2005, 12:50 PM
I also have a horrible time with sweets. I find myself doing ok, but then I hit a trigger and its all I can do to not constantly eat.
I saw a stress counselor once- I should probably go back. I eat when I am tired or upset or happy, etc. Or stressed. But then it causes me stress. So I have to think of other more constructive ways to manage.
In the past the gum as helped me, esp grocery shopping. And I have to weight myself regularily too. I also need to have frequent visits to the diettician and so forth, I need that accountability.
And then I try to keep telling myself why I am doing this- mostly for my health. And then because I woiuld like to fit into some of my old clothes again. My boyfriend (the sweetest guy in the world) didn't really care when I gained twenty pounds or so (I was already over 220). But he does sometimes point out that my shirt or whatever doesn't really fit. I mean I know it doesn't really fit, but I only have so much clothes that do...
I just went out and bought a few more bigger clothes. Now I feel guilty about that. I'm afraid to go back to the nutritionist because I don't know how to explain that I gained five pounds and have to eat sugar.
Fudgsicles instead of icecream also help me. And so does getting all my regular veggies in. When I really need to, I can have my roomates hide my junkfood from more, or If I get a care package they will only let me have thing from it every day. That helps.
I saw a stress counselor once- I should probably go back. I eat when I am tired or upset or happy, etc. Or stressed. But then it causes me stress. So I have to think of other more constructive ways to manage.
In the past the gum as helped me, esp grocery shopping. And I have to weight myself regularily too. I also need to have frequent visits to the diettician and so forth, I need that accountability.
And then I try to keep telling myself why I am doing this- mostly for my health. And then because I woiuld like to fit into some of my old clothes again. My boyfriend (the sweetest guy in the world) didn't really care when I gained twenty pounds or so (I was already over 220). But he does sometimes point out that my shirt or whatever doesn't really fit. I mean I know it doesn't really fit, but I only have so much clothes that do...
I just went out and bought a few more bigger clothes. Now I feel guilty about that. I'm afraid to go back to the nutritionist because I don't know how to explain that I gained five pounds and have to eat sugar.
Fudgsicles instead of icecream also help me. And so does getting all my regular veggies in. When I really need to, I can have my roomates hide my junkfood from more, or If I get a care package they will only let me have thing from it every day. That helps.
HelpHelpHelp
04-11-2005, 12:22 AM
What is helping me, (i am improving, slowly but surely) is to not think about the sweets so much, but to focus on getting in enough fruits and veggies. I let myself eat whatever I want as long as i'm getting my fruits and veggies in.
It helps! And i don't feel like sweets are ruling my life!
Eat to live, not live to eat!
It helps! And i don't feel like sweets are ruling my life!
Eat to live, not live to eat!