It all started the first weekend of this month (Feb) when my dd had her birthday party. I ate some cake.......and we had leftover cake and it was so good that I had some more......
I usually avoid sugar.
Well now....3 weeks later, I realize I have put on 5 pounds (all on my stomach) and my asthma is acting up really bad and I feel like I have no energy and am depressed.
Last night, it finally dawned on me that I have been eating a lot (compared to what I usually eat) of sugar and this is the culprit behind how horrible I feel.
So, today I am back to cutting the sugar strictly but I know I'm in a addiction phase right now since I have consumed so much of it since my dd's birthday and I'm not looking forward to withdrawl.
At least I now know that sugar is my one thing that sets off horrible eating patterns and bad feelings, weight gain, no energy etc....
Why it took me three weeks to realize this? Kind of disgusted at myself right now.
Anyway, any tips for surviving (for the second time) sugar withdrawl?
Anyone else here have the same problems with sugar????? If so, how about advice for me since it has only been a year since I cut it out and this is my first setback and I'm just so angry and upset about it.
The next few days are going to be really difficult.
The second link had information I needed.....it said that it takes about five days (sugar withdrawl) and the fourth day is usually the worst. That will help me get through the next five days.
The site also talks (in step 7) about how one cookie will not make me spiral into sugar again, but it primes my body to crave more. That is EXACTLY what happened to me when I let my guard down and had that first piece of cake at my dd birthday after I had been off sugar for nearly a year.
This site is fascinating and while I don't feel the program is what I need, the tips I have read there in the past few minutes are so helpful and I am going to have this site as my homepage for the next few weeks until I get back on my normal eating again.
Banish it from your house. When I'm in a sugar-addiction cycle as you describe (and it always happens after a birthday here) I will scour the cupboards looking for sugar.
I find that filling my sweets "need" with things like fruit smoothies or baby carrots or apples early in the day helps me not crave it later. My favorite "sweet" smoothies are strawberry or cherry with vanilla added to either. I make mine with frozen bananas, frozen berries, soymilk, fresh apple or pear, and flax oil.
I also limit my grocery shopping to once a week and make a strict list so I don't pick up a "treat" - or if I do, at least it's only once a week. I am serious when I say, get the sugar out of the house! If you have to box it up and truck it to a friend's, do that, or just throw it out. I can't even keep baking sugar in the house or I will whip something sweet up for myself.
Drink a ton of water, eat plenty of protein and other healthy foods, and hang in there. It takes me a few weeks to come down off a sugar run, usually. FWIW I figured this out about five years ago and have been struggling with it ever since then. I can go months without trouble but then a birthday will set it off. Argh.
Originally posted by amyamanda Banish it from your house. When I'm in a sugar-addiction cycle as you describe (and it always happens after a birthday here) I will scour the cupboards looking for sugar.
I find that filling my sweets "need" with things like fruit smoothies or baby carrots or apples early in the day helps me not crave it later. My favorite "sweet" smoothies are strawberry or cherry with vanilla added to either. I make mine with frozen bananas, frozen berries, soymilk, fresh apple or pear, and flax oil.
I also limit my grocery shopping to once a week and make a strict list so I don't pick up a "treat" - or if I do, at least it's only once a week. I am serious when I say, get the sugar out of the house! If you have to box it up and truck it to a friend's, do that, or just throw it out. I can't even keep baking sugar in the house or I will whip something sweet up for myself.
Drink a ton of water, eat plenty of protein and other healthy foods, and hang in there. It takes me a few weeks to come down off a sugar run, usually. FWIW I figured this out about five years ago and have been struggling with it ever since then. I can go months without trouble but then a birthday will set it off. Argh.
Good luck.
Thank you thank you for your response!!!
I may come back here over the next week or two to this thread/board and ask for support.....I know I've done it once (cut the sugar) and went nearly a year w/out a setback so I need tell myself that I can do this again.
I really hate how I am feeling lately.....and now know it is the sugar.
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arrggg! I am SO with you!
When I was put on the TPN and taken off all food it was the forst time in my life I didn't crave sugar.. So what do I do when I start eating again???? Yeah I start right back up! I was FORCED to do it but thrilled because I was having such a hard time with it! I have only been eating for a couple weeks now and I am back where I started *sigh*
I am so glad you started this thread (even if I was of no help lol) because I need to face it and stop it now... I am off to check that link out!
GOOD LUCK MAMA!!
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KD
newly single mom to three awesome kids
Boy, yesterday was rough, especially when dh and I went out to a movie.
Today is day two.
It amazes me how this all seemed to "sneak" up on me, KWIM? I think the medical traveling we had to do this past month did not help since we were eating out a lot.
We are off to state science fair (our dd is in it) and I am going to pack a cooler with foods for me to eat for most of the two days we'll be gone. This thrills dh and the children becuase this means they can get dollar menue items from Wendy's for their food.
I still can't believe how much sugar really wreaked total havoc on me and how it took me three weeks to realize what was happening.
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I am a true sugar addict. I was for my entire childhood. I did not experince the ups and downs of sugar like my friends, but I NEEDED it. No kidding, I was like Claudia in The Babysitters Club, I would hollow out books and hide candy all over my room. I would spend all my extra money and allowence on candy and sugar. My mom started having me take vit's when I started my period. And right around that time I stopped being a slave to sugar.
I was fasinated by the reaction my body was having and I studied it in high school and then I minored in Nutrition in college.
I find that only time I have a lot of trouble getting sugar out of my diet if I am low in B vitamins. Taking a multi B supplement may take the edge off of your cravings. I know it does for me... also, if it is chocolate you are craving you need iron. The reason that this works is that in natural foods that are the sweetest are often the things that have the most B vitamins. So your body craves the sugar... apricots for example. Tons of B vitamins and some iron to boot. But the quick trip to the Brachs candy section of the grocer can seem like it is filling that place that is asking for apricots to your taste buds... but the glory of science has taken all of the actual food out of your candy food treat.
I spent years studying nutritional intuitiveness. These were just two of the amazing things I found out. But both I have seen many times in my life since. If you crave Chocolate have a steak. If you crave strait sugar (like jellies, hard candies, or sweet sodas) have a spinach salad, and then have the sugar. In my experience, if you cut out sugar all together you are not getting to the root of the trouble (the deficiency in the other things your body needs) you are just covering it up.
HTH
Love Val
PS a hand full of dried fruit sometimes gives that sugar craving a kick too... I use dried organic apricots a LOT when I crave sugar.
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Wow. I learned a lot by reading this thread. Did you know that my dh's anxiety attacks went away completely when he started taking a B supplement?
My dd is a total sugar addict. It waxes and wanes. I am somewhat too. I am going to look into the B vitamins...wow. I was just reading about how for Jake I really need to give him B's, Mg and omega-3 fats every day...so maybe B vitamins for the whole family.
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{{{{{Hugs}}}}} Hello,my name is Elizabeth and I am a sugar addict. I am currently off sugar because I am on the anti-candida diet. Sugar is EVIL!!! It is calling me at this very moment! HELP! I fell off the diet for almost a month. Luckily I was SKINNY because I put on 15 lbs! Now I am normal,lol. But man,once I started,I could not stop! Now I am back on and MISERABLE. I ate so many baby carrots today that my belly hurts. I will say that it is definatley true that the cravings go away. I have done this before and I know it is true. That is the only thing that keeps me going right now! {{{{Hugs}}}}
Another thing I remembered...Chromium Piccolinate is supposed to help curb sugar cravings. It's a supplement you can get at the HFS. I have taken it before and it seems to work. Good luck.
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This is all facinating.
I have been thinking a lot about sugar adddiction recently so this post is well timed. When you all give up sugar, are you talking about refined sugar or all forms? Honey, maple syrup, rice syrup for example?
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heather
soulmate to simon, mama to liam, maeve and wee lad, finnian.
"now I see the secret of the making of the best persons. it is to grow in open air, and to eat and sleep with the earth." - walt whitman
Darn Blasted SUGAR!! #*$%&^@!!
I will scour the cupboards looking for sugar. 
I am currently off sugar because I am on the anti-candida diet. Sugar is EVIL!!! It is calling me at this very moment! HELP! I fell off the diet for almost a month. Luckily I was SKINNY because I put on 15 lbs! 
Now I am normal,lol. But man,once I started,I could not stop! 
Now I am back on and MISERABLE. I ate so many baby carrots today that my belly hurts. I will say that it is definatley true that the cravings go away. I have done this before and I know it is true. That is the only thing that keeps me going right now! {{{{Hugs}}}}
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