Breaking Sugar Addiction
Title sums it up. Realized I'm addicted to carbs/bread/sugar, and I can't quit. Muffins, cake, bread, pasta, pizza: stuff is addicting. I eat some type of this stuff everyday: crossaint, sandwich bread, etc. It's been wreaking havoc on my gut health (SIBO), and I'm about 10 days into eating only protein/eggs. Absolutely no carbs. Breaking the addiction is harder than I thought. Studies show sugar is 8x more addicting than coke. 8x!
I'm doing fine without it, but put a cake infront of me and I would have no control. I know a lot of guys out there inadvertently couldn't quit either, so wanted to see if anyone had general tips to fighting it. I went cold turkey, but the cravings are still coming strong 10+ days in. Thank you.
I just stop buying these things at the grocery store. won't take my credit card to the gym or when I go for a walk/run.
online shopping also helps inhibit impulse buys like chips, chocolate, cakes,..
Yup - don’t buy it. I don’t go hike to my parents much anymore because their house is literally filled with junk. Pizza will be there 90% of the time I go home. If you put food in front of me, I devour it.
My apartment is filled with healthy stuff only. Now when I’m bored at night I don’t eat junk because nobody wants to eat healthy food
Yeah it's bloody difficult man. During the week it's harder at the office to never touch any sort of carbs (bread on the sandwich at most). But lot of sweetgreen/protein when I can. Weekends being strict with meat/eggs only.
I don’t train on sundays and have begun fasting all day and it helps. Hardest for me is Monday morning because that’s when I train legs, and I’m lightheaded af for the first hour or so of the workout
Diet Coke
Coke Zero. Diet Coke is trash. Can’t believe I turned into that guy but there is a difference
What the hell is in Coke Zero. Has to be just a basket of things terrible for you. I've done just water for 4 years and I'm fine with it.
What’s wrong with Diet Coke?
I was researching diet drinks and there is a big suspicion that sweeteners are unhealthy. so if you're trying to be healthy, ideally shouldn't drink (much of) it. but conclusions are indecisive. what do you all think about it?
People who hate on artificial sweeteners haven't read the studies. In every randomized control trial where they give artificial sweeteners, it is either weight gain neutral or helps weight loss. So to everyone who claims it will make you fat, that is 100% false. And this is coming from someone who hasn't touched soda in I don't know how long.
Probably bad advice, but something that would help with cravings is doing nicotine pouches like zyn or rogue
I think I should do coke if I wanna cut my weed usage
You should be able to eat anything you want with portion control imo. Completely cutting it off will likely lead to binge eating.
One step at a time and good luck!
Yep, carbs aren't evil and natural sugars in moderation is okay. (Natural sugar moderation is easy because who the fuck binges on fruit? No one - you are satisfied rather quickly).
30/30/40 - 30% of your day from carbs, 30 from fats, 40 from protein works for most. If you DO want to cut evil carbs, cut processed junk like white bread, cereals, cakes, chips, anything in a bag really. Sweet potatoes, fresh corn on the cob, and squash are all carb centric vegetables that are great for you with many needed micronutrients. If you do any type of training and to ever see results long term - your body needs carbs to perform. Track your food and you'll be okay having a little bit of everything. Limit yourself to a normal portioned cheat meal once a week: cheeseburger and fries, or go to the bakery and have 2 pieces of your favorite cake or have 3 cookies or knock down a bag of Doritos. We're human, meant to enjoy our lives - you can make room for a little of the crap if you aren't trying to compete in bodybuilding or something
please provide the study that says this, because there’s absolutely no way this is true
prolly buzzfeed
Stop being a beta eating seed oils, soy and processed sugars. Adopt a carnivore diet instead
Carnivore is moronic, you’re much better off eating a balanced diet of lean meat, healthy carbs and fats, and fruits and vegetables
carnivore diet is for betas. real alphas eat only human flesh.
Read dr Atkins new diet revolution. Cutting sugar out and ending those cravings takes about 2 weeks. Almost there.
https://biolayne.com/articles/nutrition/why-sugar-did-not-cause-the-obe…
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Cut out the processed sugars and replace it with sugar from fruit. I just went through this myself, I was eating ~10+ pieces of candy along with bars, cookies, etc. everyday. Its tough being around all the candy the office keeps stocked but I just asked our EA to buy fruit on grocery runs as well.
While you’re still consuming a lot of sugar by eating the fruit, there really aren’t any major negatives to consuming natural vs processed sugar. This has seemed to curve my cravings for the most part, but then I also buy 100% pure cacao chocolate (which has zero sugar and is very healthy) as a sub in case fruit doesn’t do the trick. Its actually crazy the difference in energy levels and physique I’ve had since doing this.
How are your stress levels and are you exercising regularly? I've noticed I tend to binge eat sweets when I am stressed.
I have a really bad sweet tooth at night, used to down a pint of ice cream no problem. I found a lot of success with replacing the sugary desserts with a less evil alternative vs. cutting the sweets out altogether. They make most desserts now with natural healthy sweeteners like Stevia or Monk Fruit. Some of my go-to brands are High Key cookies, Smart Sweet candy, Halo Top ice cream, etc.
I'm with you 100%, definitely found myself addicted to sugar. Going back to the snack closet multiple times in the afternoon as I get more tired, picking up that extra candy bar in the checkout lane, buying that 4-pack of muffins because "I deserve something nice in the morning", etc. I have a few tricks/tips to get me off the processed sugar wagon, and while I'm not perfect (had 4 cookies at work yesterday...) it keeps me on the level for the most part.
1. Don't try to go cold turkey. This may work for some people, but I don't think it works for most and can lead to terrible cycles of binging and then cutting, without solving any issues long term. In this stage I would typically reserve a small sweet thing for after lunch like a small chocolate or single cookie, and then maybe another after dinner. It was enough to give me some satisfaction without going overboard. What you'll notice is after some time you will start to appreciate the flavors in other foods more, as your tongue will be more sensitive to non-sugary flavors and it isn't be overwhelmed by shots of glucose all the time. Once you really get down to a limited amount of sugar, going back to a candy bar can be revolting.
2. Eat more fruit. As others have mentioned, the sugar in fruit isn't as bad for you as simplified sugars and processed carbs, that's mostly because of the fiber in fruit that slows the uptake of the sugar into your bloodstream. I'm not saying turn into Steve Jobs and try to cure your cancer by only eating fruit, but a few tangerines, some grapes or an apply can satisfy those sweet cravings without spiking your blood sugar levels and messing with your insulin (which will mess with your cravings over time).
3. Drink tea. I know Isaiah will back me up here, there are so many positive benefits to tea, and if you get something that has a fruity flavor it can seriously cut down on sugar cravings. The caffeine content will suppress some of your appetite and the rich flavors will help with the sugar craving. I'd go for a fruity herbal tea, hibiscus tea, or flavored green teas (I'm not a huge fan of straight green tea, and I love black tea, but it doesn't help me with sugar cravings).
2. Keep any sugar consumption small. When I do feel like I need a bit of sugar and cave, I try to keep it small. A single Dove chocolate bite, a two-pack of Oreos, a single Life-Saver sucking candy, anything that is individually portioned so you don't just keep reaching into the box/bag. The worst thing I can do is buy a family pack of Oreos thinking I'll be able to ration it, it works for two days and then on the third I just finish the whole thing off. Of the examples above, the first two supplied by my work snack closet, but the life-savers are at home. I can keep them in the house because they are a bit too sweet and I'd never think of having two.
Keep fighting the good fight, brother.
Florida's Natural Zero Sugar Lemonade tastes EXACTLY like the real thing. So much so that I often have to double check the label when I drink it. It's sweetened w/ Stevia which doesn't have that chemical aftertaste.
I also drink energy drinks that are sweetened with Erithrytol (as opposed to sucralose or aspartame, which taste disgusting).
The carb smart Ice cream bars from Breyers are delicious
And the Quest protein cookies taste like the real thing
I'm 3 months into beating a sugar addiction with these products (and of course I workout) and my abs are more defined at 40 than they were at 30!
It takes a few weeks to get the body used to running on fat instead of carbs. So you've got a bit of a ways to go. Switch out soda for seltzer if you like the bubbles. And look at Keto recipes for foods that satisfy the sweet craving but are low carb in nature.
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