Cannot get control of my eating sugar!

Julias Table

I have such a bad junk food habit.  In my late 20's I tried and failed every diet possible.  Over the last two years I have come to realize that a diet wont work and that I need to eat in modertaion. But I just cant do it. Its feast or famine for me. I am a sugar addict.  I try giving up suagr completely and tell myself I can eat anything else... but no sugar. And some stupid holiday comes around with cute color wrapped chocolates and i go nuts.

I have no ability to eat in moderation, I go way over the limit. But I also have trouble going cold turkey.

I am so sick of myself. I just ate so much icecream and sweets today I am sick to my stomach.

Tomorow, I will either be mad enough that I spend the day eating super healthy fresh natural foods (this will last a day or two and I am triggered by something I see on TV or a family memeber or whatever), or I will be depressed and feel like crap and keep up the sugar fest.

I just dont know how to rid myself of junk.

(Also....its not  processed crap i indulge in. I will bake homemade things, or buy organic icecream.  Not that its any "healthier" in terms of weight loss, but just wanted to point it out...... because its not like I can tell myself to stop because it is so artificial or processed.)

 

One more.....I also equate sweets with memories and special events and family. I enjoy baking, always have. I get excited about holidays and treats and love food network, etc. So, I think sugar has an emotional part in my life that I dont know how to break the connection.

SpruceGrouse

I have the same issue.  I too love to bake and that is where the sugar source comes from.  I have stopped buying sweets but the baking needs to stop.  I have made a promise to myself to only allow myself one baking project per week.  I am starting with that and then I will eventually go every other week, then once a  month.  I am having very good success so far.  This week I made a chocolate cream pie and I found that when I had a piece I didn't even finish it.

I make my own smoothes everyday with low fat milk, a banana, some vanilla or plain yoghurt, cinnamon and frozen berries.  I don't add any sweetener but I don't miss the sweet, the cinnamon takes care of it.  This helps satisfy my sweet tooth.

It is hard sometimes but I have found that after a few weeks, I don't crave the sugar as much.  When my sister came to visit she brought cake and I indulged too much and got really shaky and had a hard time sleeping that night.  My body is not use to that much sugar any more.

I really think it is the smoothes that have made this possible, just don't add sugar to the smoothes, berries are sweet enough. I think cinnamon helps regulate blood sugar also and it adds a nice flavour to the smoothes.

missycrissy3

You cant give up sugar completely its impossible. The way to win the urge is allow yourself a certain amount during the week. Then slowly take it out of your system. Quitting cold turkey is not the answer! Good luck!

Julias Table

Thanks everyone!   I will try the smoothies too!

meg211

Like pp said - try and go more balanced, less extreme "all sugar" or "all healthy".  It'll be much easier to keep it up.  Only have a sweet or two after you've eaten a good balanced meal (and sometimes, you might not be hungry for the sweet anymore). 

Another thing you could try for your sweet tooth - dried fruit.  I had an insane sweet tooth a little earlier in my pregnancy and all I wanted was candy.  I subbed in dried fruit instead for awhile until I could step down to regular fruit. 

And don't forget with spring/summer coming up - there's a ton of delicious fruit coming into season.  Berries, watermelon, grapes, pears, nectarines...they are all pretty sweet and delicious!

Good luck!

ChristieRose16

Maybe youre having a issue going too extreme on both ends.  It's ok to have sugar every day.  But not THAT MUCH sugar.  I love big meals, too.  But I plan all my meals in advance each week and dont buy sweets because if it's not in the house, I cant eat it.  But it's ok if you want to have 3 cookies after dinner each night.  Try eating them very slowly to curve the craving.

Also things like zero calorie sugar subsitutes are good.  You can bake your own cookies and make them less fatty or high calorie.

I'm sorry I know that can be such a struggle. 

ChristieRose16

ooo also frozen yogurt can be SOOOOO good especially with fruit on top.  or just vanilla yogurt with fruit.  Try those kinds of options. yum!

Karmalife

Whoa! Fist of all, your attitude says it all. If you know anything about the Law of Attraction, you would know that we attract what we focus on. Thinking and saying out loud that you "cannot" do this or "can't stop" that will simply not allow your body or mind to change. It sounds to me like you have to change your way of thinking and you have a few options:

 

1) See a therapist. Therapy can help you reset the way you think, understand your patterns and start seeing things from a different perspective.

 2) Get some books on the Law of Attraction. An easy read is "Ordering From the Cosmic Kitchen". Another good one is "Ask and You are Given". Do some research on the Law of Attraction so you understand how it works. The bottom liine is this: "thoughts become things". If you are focused on the fact that you can't stop eating and if you have convinced yourself of this, you will not be able to change. If you ask yourself questions like "why can't I stop" or "why do I keep doing this" you will not get answers that will help you change. 

 

I know this may sound like a different answer than what you were looking for but the truth is, we hold inside ourselves the answers and the power to be whatever we want. Food does not control you- you have the power to control your thoughts, your actions, your point of view and your CHOICES! 

 Good luck..

sixlette

I'm a sugar freak, too.  If I brush my teeth after eating, I don't want a sweet treat.  I craved chocolate during my pregnancy and the craving has never gone away.  I always want chocolate.  But if I brush my teeth, the craving subsides a bit.  Baby steps.  Good luck.