How did you break your sugar addiction?!

[El2El]

I've got a horrid sugar addiction. I'm so fed up of it! Cravings take hold in the afternoon and just last until I go to bed. If there is anything sweet in the house I spend ages thinking about it, will eat it before I even have breakfast, can't just have a bit of something, need the whole thing.

Has anyone cracked this kind of addiction? How did you do it? I've managed to quit smoking but this is unreal!

Have a look at doing Keto. You cut out sugars and reduce carb intake drastically. In conjunction, you eat healthy fats in abundance. It's by no means a starvation diet, it's a way of eating designed to reduce your insulin triggers, which is what causes your sweet cravings. Follow it and you will crave sweets much much less, believe me !

I find Stevia quite helpful. It is sweet but not in the same way as sugar. Not the same issues as aspartame etc.

I'm trying the LCHF bootcamp and think that's similar to keto. It's just so difficult with these mad sugar cravings. It's cookies in particular. Any idea how long it will last?

My DH broke his incredibly intense sugar craving with chromium supplements. He says they kill the urge to eat candy and were very effective! He only needed ot take them for a month or two and now does very well without them. Doesn't touch sugary things anymore.

I second the Keto diet!
I've only been doing it for 3 weeks, but I've noticed a huge change in my sugar cravings!
As in, I actually don't have any!

Before I went on the Keto diet, I'd say my diet was 80% bad carbs. If I woke up in the morning and knew we had any chocolate in the house I'd crave it until I'd eaten it all. Same with anything sweet.
My OH loves chocolate but he's the kinda person who can just have one or two squares occasionally when he fancies it! So he liked to have chocolate in the house, and I didn't want it in the house cos I'd eat it all! Haha.

Anyway, in the last 3 weeks I've had no chocolate (although you can have dark chocolate on this diet!) and I've had no cravings for it, or any other shit food.

I feel fuller for longer, and although I am having bacon and eggs etc , I also eat lots of fish and avocados and nuts.

I just had to make myself eat something now as I hadn't eaten since 8am.

Oh, and I've lost 4 kilos :).

Try it!

Make sweet treats with stevia or Xylitol. I make a decent chocolate tofu pudding, or I have whipped cream with sugar free jello.

Chromium supplements or apple cider vinegar gummies every morning

I went low sugar a few years ago. Inspired by another thread on here I only ate food if it had less than 5g of sugar per 100g. No sweeteners either. That immediately knocked out all the obvious foods but made me look more closely at what else I was eating. (Sauces, spreads etc). I didn’t worry about fruit and veg though (but I wasn’t a big fruit eater anyway). If I fancied chocolate I ate 90% dark chocolate- it’s an acquired taste but I got used to it. It was hard - I could easily inhale a packet of biscuits before - I found myself grinding my teeth a lot. I found eating an oatcake (with butter) helped when I got a biscuit craving (same crunch sensation) and I ate nuts too. Eventually I got used to it and felt so in control - almost like I had the power to say no! I lost weight too which was a bonus. Unfortunately I slipped up over Christmas (the lure of shortbread proved too much) but I am more sugar conscious now. Good luck!

I've been thinking the same
I have had quite a lot of chocolate lately and couldn't do one pair of jeans up today

Thank you! I'll have to look into chromium. Never heard of it but sounds interesting. I've been monitoring cravings today and not had any unbearable cravings. Tried to stay full all day. I think when I get hungry it's much worse. They're again for all the tips.

Cold turkey over here!! Cerys and Indias idiot proof diet is worth a read!
I did feel great after the first few days of hell. I need to do it again as my sugar intake has crept up again.

Neris!!

Chromium is a mineral that would naturally occur in root veg but has become depleted.

It helps regulate sugar intake and the supplements are very helpful.

I found the menopause a huge trigger for me.

I found going cold turkey turned he into an anti Christ with terrible headaches.

Sugar is hugely addictive.

But if you do persevere, you will find it easier within about 3 or 4 days.

Good luck.

I’m a huge chocoholic but find I can go cold turkey pretty easily. I too look for foods under 5% sugar if I eat anything processed (although I try not to). I still eat fresh fruit, but not dried fruit or juices. I still eat pasta, bread and rice. I avoid anything with sweetener in it, as this stimulates the desire for sugar - and most diet drinks and products have this effect. So I eat full fat products (felt weird at first but is much more filling).

I’ve only just restarted this, after seriously falling off the wagon when family members were seriously ill last year and I comfort ate. However last time when I did it for 6 months I lost 2.5stones and dropped two dress sizes (almost 3). I also found my arthritis lessened and my peri menopausal issues were less too.

I have terrible sugar cravings, drink very sweet tea/coffee, won't be satisfied with a small bar of chocolate, always needs to be a big bar and I'll eat the whole bar I'm about 5 minutes.

It's great to hear that people have success with kicking the cravings. Does anyone know where I can find keto meal plans?

Try Apple Cider Vinegar. 10ml in a glass of water with some honey a few times a day.

Keto for sure!