AIBU to tell you I’ve found the miracle cure for excessive sugar consumption

[Thewildthingsarewithme]

I am being unreasonable to post it here but I feel like it’s a public service announcement and should therefore be shared as widely as possible!
I have a really healthy diet with little to no processed food in my meals but I have a really terrible sugar addiction. Daily I would probably eat three or four chocolate bars, biscuits and a pudding and probably ice cream or a pastry as well. Because I’m naturally slim and eat well outside of this I’ve been kidding myself it’s ok but it’s really not.
I saw an instagram recipe for peanut butter stuffed dates. I bought some organic ones, filled them with 100% PB and rolled them in melted 80% dark chocolate. I know there is sugar in dates but it’s natural and the fibre in the dates means that your blood sugars don’t shoot up, the dark chocolate is also very low sugar. This has honestly been a miracle cure for me! I’m eating three a day. This has completely cured me of the urge for anything else with sugar in, they are so stodgy that I can’t actually eat more than three and they feel completely decadent. For the first time probably in my adult life I’m not craving sugar all day, I’ve had nothing but these dates for three weeks now and it’s actually feeing like a permanent change!
Just wanted to share because I thought I would never be able to kick the habit but I feel so much healthier!

I have a really healthy diet with little to no processed food in my meals but I have a really terrible sugar addiction. Daily I would probably eat three or four chocolate bars, biscuits and a pudding and probably ice cream or a pastry as well.

I hate to break it to you but you're in denial. You don't have a "really healthy diet" eating all that!

YABU dates are disgusting. Whst else could I substitute them with?

I tried These to is week after seeing them on Joe Wicks’ Insta. Bloody lovely!

Are the figs dried? How do you deal with the stickiness? Are they easy to eat mid run? I don't mind the energy gels but if these work in a similar way I would much rather eat them!

Are they easy to eat mid run?

Easy to eat mid run to the shop to buy chocolate eclairs? They just about tide you over

Where have I suggested they are? Plenty of people count calories and macros. Some to bulk up, some to maintain and some to lose weight. There are people who are fine without and that's all good.

Low glycaemic index so won't cause blood sugar to spike. If the OP is replacing all the stuff she was eating in an average day on top of her normal meals with three stuffed dates. That sounds like a win to me.

Oh I love frozen grapes. I haven't had any for a while, must put grapes on my next shopping list!

I do like dates (not peanut butter or dark choc) but they're high calorie and a bit bingey so only buy occasionally. I put them on a par with Waitrose's choc yogurt 'icecream' (also only occasional). https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/waitrose-calorie-controlled-belgian-chocolate-frozen-yogurt/796531-168692-168693

Normally use the soft figs from Waitrose, and they’re fine in a sandwich bag. No more stickier than those gels!

These are delicious, also sprinkle a tiny bit of sea salt to go to next level

My current obsession is rice cakes with peanut butter and jam.
A sandwich - delicious. And I make the jam so no added sugar.

Ooo I love Campari. I like it with just soda 😀

Sugar is not an addictive substance.
Saying you have an addiction is disingenuous

Well you couldn't sell it as jam as it doesn't meet the definition!

Why is MN so obsessed with sugar? Dates are amazing AND healthy.

health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-dates

I eat and enjoy dates but they are full of sugar and should be eaten in moderation

Because they eat far too much of it.

Dates are healthy despite the sugar rather than because of it.

Fruits have nutritional benefits - fibre, antioxidants etc. It's a bit of a no brainer that if you want something sweet they'll be better than sugary junk food.

Of course sugar is fine if you're active, as fuel (see Duke of Edinburgh awards food and snack recommendations!) but too many of us eat sugary crap while sedentary. Hence the rise in type 2 diabetes etc.

I found that eating sugar leads to wanting to eat more sugar...

Oh and less stress makes it easier

Exactly. Everything in moderation is an alien concept to some posters.

Indeed it is. Most people don’t count calories at all.

Does it really matter whether sugar is addictive, or habit forming, or many people merely find it hard to resist sweet things, or 'we' (as a nation, along with most in the West) simply eat (far) too much of it.

And I agree with @ErrolTheDragon that Dates are healthy despite the sugar rather than because of it.

I used to be 'addicted' to ice cream. Because I exercise a lot and the rest of my diet is very healthy, I remained fairly slim. But some years past the menopause I was found to be pre-diabetic. This happens to many as we age.

By giving up almost all sugar - and also reducing wine... - I was able to normalize my HbA1c. And I no longer actually miss sugar! I still eat fruit and that's enough sweetness for me.

What helped me wean myself off sugar was Dr Mark Hyman's The Sugar Solution, which not only explains the problem succinctly but also offers solutions. His companion diet book contains lots of tasty recipes (though I chose not to go full non- carb...)

I also listened to lots of short pep talks from Dr Becky Gillaspy on YouTube. Dr Hyman also has lots of talks on YouTube, if you don't have time to read his book. There are many others: Michael Moseley, Tim Spector, Eric Berg, etc. Find an expert whom you can relate to and kick the sugar habit - it's so worth it.

Sounds delicious,OP!

I agree. People can be addicted to anything - it doesn’t have to be an addictive substance.

The thing that makes people crave sugar is eating sugar. If you stop eating it you stop craving it.

I don’t eat much sugar and when I want something sweet I eat fresh/dried fruit or my cacao energy balls, recipe above etc.

There‘a nothing wrong with eating dates if you don’t eat a huge amount of other sugar. I find them very sweet but balanced with other things they’re fine. They’re a better form of sugar than the refined stuff or corn syrup or fructose.