To think that sugar (chocolate) addiction is real?

[JustCallMeSliths]

Not necessarily up there with alcohol and drugs etc (as in harmfullness) but do you think people can be addicted to sugar, specifically chocolate?

I've gone cold turkey on chocolate. I was eating at least 2 family sized bars a day. I tried cutting down but couldn't do it. It's been 3 days and I'm struggling so much. I don't think it is just the sugar withdrawal.

Yes, I'm whinging and need to just do it.

Low carb ie high protein, high fat is the way to do it Toms

I think it's very bad advice to say eat what you want when you want, it's doing exactly that which led to me ending up at 13 stone.
I'm sure I'm not the only person who can't ignore chocolates/cakes/biscuits in the house, or just have a small portion and then leave the rest.
I went cold turkey on sweets etc and processed food, kept it up for three years, lost a lot of weight.
Then last November I was on a low residue diet prior to a colonoscopy, so ie white bread instead of brown, got through 3 bags of boiled sweets in 24 hours, my cravings were completely out of control. Then Christmas binge, Easter eggs, luckily I only gained 1/2 stone. Trying to get it all under control is so hard. Cold turkey for a week, then an ebay parcel arrived with a Twix in it as a thankyou for ordering from us FFS. I ate the Twix. Then went to shop for more chocolate. A small Galaxy and a Bounty. And a packet of crisps. And two choc ice lollies.
The next day the 3rd lolly from the box. Then hunting like a crazed beast for sweet stuff in the house.
I cannot control it once I start.

Something I find helpful, which for me doesn't kick off sweets/rubbish cravings, is to stock up on fruit and put it on the coffee table to snack on in the evenings.
If I leave it in the fridge/kitchen I'm likely to leave it there and buy chocolate instead.

@colouringinpro; I've tried that and have accepted it doesn't work for me. It's just not to my taste. I know I'll need to keep the protein up to reduce cravings, but high protein/high fat/low carb isn't feasible (though I have had friends who've tried it and loved it)

Toms099, you will find there is not much difference wrt to the effect on your body between sugar and other refined carbs, such as bread or pasta. I cooked some pasta for the kids yesterday and thought I would have some, too. I had to go for the second helping and still was hungry. I then had to go and make myself an omelette and was full after that. Now, if I had used my brain and had an omelette to start with, I would have spared myself 2 platefuls of pasta which is nutritionally empty.

I never feel hungry or crave sugar/chocolate at all when I stick with low carb.

The next day the 3rd lolly from the box. Then hunting like a crazed beast for sweet stuff in the house. I cannot control it once I start.

Cherry tree, I am exactly the same. I thought I just was a glutton with no will power. How I laughed when I read Dr Jason Fung’s Obesity Code. I am not a glutton, I am a person genetically predisposed to insulin resistance. Hence diabetes type 2 in the family and universally fat maternal relatives.

My crazy pull towards carbs of any sort had an proper biochemical explanation, my love of fruit, bread, potatoes. It was a relief to realise I am not a corrupted individual who can’t get a handle on their eating. Once I squewed my diet towards protein and fat and away from carbs, my appetite plummeted. It is education we need, not making people feel guilty for the way their bodies work.

Not necessarily up there with alcohol and drugs etc (as in harmfullness)

Erm.. I think it is RIGHT up there with alcohol and drugs in terms of harmfulness. IMHO sugar is way harder to give up than smoking, caffeine, etc. The thing is, sugar is in so many everyday foods, it's almost impossible to avoid. Also, many foods that aren't sweet turn to glucose in the system once digested, therefore causing an insulin reaction - same effect as eating sweets / chocolate.

At least with cigarettes / alcohol / caffeine you can actively avoid those ingredients. Sugar is hard to avoid. I personally think it is the hardest nut to crack of them all.

I went low sugar over a year ago. Made giving up smoking seem like a total breeze by comparison.

100%, as is caffeine. I have tried to remove both from my diet at separate times and the side effects were very similar.

Without a doubt. I eat chocolate every day, sugar in my tea, the odd cake, I really need to stop.

I vividly remember at my worst-addicted point trying to really properly diet, and wanting chocolate.
I knew the shop was open until 10 and was 5 minutes walk away, it was 8.30pm - if I could resist until 10 then the option would be off the table, should be possible, just watch TV and forget about it.

I literally physically got up from and sat back down on that sofa 5 or 6 times in the next 30 minutes fighting it, and then cracked and went, and I still remember the shocked out-of-body experience of finding myself walking there and just not being able to stop, it was almost frightening. I still remember what the chocolate bar was that I ate.

It's more than just a "fancying something nice", its more than "liking sweeties" and if you've never been addicted to it then it's not possible to understand how hard the fight can be. I really think anyone watching could have been told it was Heroin I was craving and would have believed it.

Storm I live 2 minutes away from the CoOp which shuts at 10pm.
I get a "safe" feeling at 10 because 2then can't get my fix.
But I need to get back my control.
Pleased to say that since my last binge I've not touched sweets, biscuits or cakes, also did a 10 day sugar free challenge on Facebook, so about two weeks now.
I need to crack the carbs now, but that's a different mental challenge with being organised and motivated to cook instead of microwave/ ready made meals.

I'm off the wagon this week, i am on holiday and found a tiny little chocolate factory, I was too weak to resist! Back on the wagon next week