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Beat the rush - sweet support for sugar slaves!

98 replies

washnomore · 27/03/2011 19:38

A few of us have realised we've got big problems with sugar addiction so we decided to make a support thread.

A few links to get us started:

What Wikipedia has to say

NHS information on the binge-eating cycle

American Heart Association's webpage on carbohydrate cravings

My name's washnomore and I'm a carb addict. Pleased to meet you :)

OP posts:
Thandeka · 27/03/2011 19:43

marking my place.... as only just found the other thread...
Just finished a whole bag of natural confectionary company jelly dinosaurs so will be back once the sugar dip hits!

moosemama · 27/03/2011 19:44

Hello, my name is Moosemama and I'm a refined sugar and carb addict, nice to make your acquaintance. Smile

PersonalClown · 27/03/2011 19:45

I am Personal Clown and I am a chocoholic.

Although there is an apple pie in the oven right now.

moosemama · 27/03/2011 19:46

I have done quite well today, although I did have two hot-cross buns for breakfast. Just had a bowl of veggie bolognaise, without the pasta for tea, so nothing too bad there.

Unfortunately there's half a box of triple choc cookies calling to me from the kitchen and I can't decide whether to give in, eat them and start properly tomorrow morning or be strong. (Problem with being strong is that the stupid biscuits will still be in the house tomorrow.)

moosemama · 27/03/2011 19:54

Thanks for the links washnomore, very interesting.

I'm ashamed to say I definitely fit the description of a binge eater at the moment. Fortunately its only very recently, so I'm hoping I can do something about it before its too late.

washnomore · 27/03/2011 20:09

I'm a serious binger. I haven't even owned up to DP about it. It ranges from toast and jam to home baking via chocolate and any sort of sweet stuff I can lay my hands on. I go through phases and right now it's really bad, the worst ever I think. I'm blaming sleep deprivation, it's definitely a trigger.

It's just so so hard to break the cycle. My blood sugar's all wonky I reckon, I'm sure I'll give myself diabetes if I don't get a handle on it soon.

OP posts:
washnomore · 27/03/2011 20:12

moose, do go for it ASAP because once the weight starts going on it get so difficult to overcome - there's no sluggishness like the sluggishness of being overweight and sugar deprived.

OP posts:
frazzledblob · 27/03/2011 21:07

Hello

Another carb addict here. I had been following a vegitarian low carb plan since new years day. The weight loss has not been as great as I had hoped but it was fantastic to be free from the carb cravings and no longer addicted to sugar.

I have had a few days off and I am now going to switch to the Harcombe diet - no processed foods and no combining fats and carbs.

Tomorrow is day 1 for me if anyone would like to join in?

moosemama · 27/03/2011 21:35

Interesting that you think sleep deprivation is a trigger, as I have been bingeing really badly for a couple of weeks, ever since dd was up all night coughing and retching and then got into the habit waking at 4.30 am every day for a chat! Hmm

Hello frazzledblob, which plan have you been following? I found it really difficult to find a decent veggie, low-carb plan.

Haven't heard of the Harcombe diet. I used to do a raw food diet with food combining and juicing years ago and both dh and I still reckon it was the healthiest we've ever felt/been. It took up a lot of time though what with juicing (and cleaning the juicer - yeuch) and food planning etc, there's no way we could manage to stick to it these days.

I am planning to make tomorrow day one as well, need to hurry up and make up my mind how I'm going to approach it then don't I! Confused

AppleHEAD · 27/03/2011 21:47

I'm a sugar addict. I have done quite well for the last week but haven't been eating much as all 3 kids have been ill so have been a bit out of sorts. It depresses me and makes me worry about my health. I think I eat so much crap now it's not a treat it's not special
not even sure I taste it.

WillIEverBeASizeTen · 27/03/2011 21:54

Hey guys, Im glad you've started a support thread for this. I am certain I will one day get diabetes as I'm sure I have glucose running through my veins instead of the red stuff!

I just crave crap:( help definitely needed...

imnobody · 27/03/2011 21:55

I am a sugar addict. I tried to cut down the sugar in my tea I used to drink it with 2 sugars.
Everyone said just stop putting sugar in and keep drinking and within a week you will not notice... Boll@cks...... A week later i had given up drinking tea, so i decided to do it gradually...
It took me about a month to get used to drinking tea with just one sugar but even now 3 months on I sometimes wish I was drinking my nice sweet tea...
I keep trying to go down to half a sugar but I just can't do it.

Last year I gave up coca cola for my new years resolution.. I lasted until the summer when I work like a looney and don't eat properly and its the coke that keeps me going....

I would like to give up or at least control it a bit. I can go awhile without too much then I will sit down and gobble a huge bag of Haribo and feel like shite... If there is sweets, biscuits or chocolate in the house I have to eat it all.... Not just a couple of biscuits but hte whole packet etc.... Blush

frazzledblob · 27/03/2011 22:19

5 day Harcombe Diet here

D-Day it is then moosemama Grin

I sort of followed the rose elliott low carb plan. I think I need to watch my fat intake though as the weight has not shifted and I wonder if this is due to having my gallbladder removed?

I find I am very carb sensitive so I need to watch the types of carbs I have in my meals. Doing this plan I found beetroot and onions tasted really sweet!

I also used to be a diet coke addict and would have numerous cups of tea and coffee with sweatener in. All these things would drive the carb addiction.
You may feel as rough as hell for a couple of days ditching these things but it really is worth it :)

Idontcareifyoudontlikeme · 27/03/2011 22:25

help definetly needed here aswell as I always crave sugar, I have stopped using sugar in my coffee and use sweetner but it dont taste the same. :(

WillaCather · 27/03/2011 22:27

Any advice for an ex-anorexic sugar addict with a low bmi (18.5)? I want to eat more healthily, but I've just spent two weeks trying (not particularly successfully) to avoid refined sugar and carbs and lost 3kg, which pressed all the old buttons and had me alternately fantasising about being really thin again and remembering how much I don't want it to take over my life again. I realise I don't know how to eat well (although I manage it for my kids).

washnomore · 27/03/2011 22:30

The Harcombe diet is good for sugar lovers I think, it's designed to reset your cravings to zero.

Also I think it's important to avoid artificial sweeteners at all because they tell your body you've eaten something sweet, so you churn out more insulin and end up with low blood sugar and even worse cravings than before.

I think an easy method - if you were going to cut sugar/carbs down and you want some structure - would be to do a low GI diet. So porridge for breakfast tomorrow!

OP posts:
washnomore · 27/03/2011 22:34

Gosh Willa, that's a tough one. My instinct says you probably need to keep your protein intake up but have you thought about getting a dietician's advice?

OP posts:
WillaCather · 27/03/2011 22:40

I think you're probably right about the protein. I just find it expensive and difficult - there's a family history of bowel cancer so I worry about red meat, fish seems to be either irresponsibly farmed, endangered and/or requiring a second mortgage, cheese is high in sat fat. So we eat a lot of chicken and beans, but neither makes much sense for breakfast/packed lunches. (I know there's something wrong with this logic because the result seems to be carefully hand-made high-protein meals for everyone else and a small portion followed by cake after the children are in bed for me.) I can see there's something I'm not getting but not what it is. (I'm both bright and analytical in rl but somehow it doesn't work with myself and food...)

washnomore · 27/03/2011 23:12

What about eggs? We have egg-based meals a couple of times a week. A portion of red meat a week, chicken a couple of times, fish once then a couple of tofu type affairs and a takeaway and Bob's your uncle. Soup or pittas for lunches.

OP posts:
moosemama · 27/03/2011 23:24

Frazzled, what would you do to replace the steaks etc on that diet. Do you eat quorn?

Willa, you probably do need some advice from a professional dietician. Protein is almost definitely the way to go, but proteins containing good fats, so perhaps those from vegetarian sources, such as quorn, avocado, nuts and seeds? Eggs are good for breakfast, as is full fat natural yoghurt - actually the best breakfast is probably porridge, as although its not high in protein, its a slow release low GI carb that really fills you up. If you add a good amount of fruit to it as well it will really keep your blood sugars stable for quite a long time. For the rest of the day you really need to keep your protein levels up to stop the crash that makes you crave the sugar, a handful of nuts or a small chunk of cheese as a snack between meals can do that.

I was had an eating disorder myself when I was younger (I was a food restricter) it did recover, but it seems that once I started eating sugary food again I had no self control around it, so its been an uphill battle ever since really.

A1980 · 28/03/2011 00:26

Can i join?

I didn't know there was so many of us. I have a bag of sweets or chocolate on most days and actually begin falling asleep in the afternoon needing a sugar hit to wake me up again.

Will read all the info though Grin

foxinsocks · 28/03/2011 07:42

tiredness was my driver too

I have cut out all sugar in tea and sugar on cereal. Have cut out sweets totally now but I found that hard and limited soft drinks. As a result, the number of migraines I get have cut in half.

I now eat bran flakes for breakfast (v good for keeping you full!) but I still find it hard to eat breakfast every day (am one of those people who gets hungry at 10am but not at 7am if that makes sense).

I never tried to cut down fruit because I like it too much tbh and it's good for you so I can't see the harm in it. Have found I can eat things like fruit as long as I'm eating them with meals and snacking on things like crackers rather than fruit, if that makes sense. Tends to balance my blood sugar better.

MarioandLuigi · 28/03/2011 07:49

Can I join please. I crave sugar all the time and drink about 10 cups of tea a day, each with three sugars in Blush.

I have been on a diet for ages and havent dropped more than a stone because of all the sugar, still have a stone to go and want to lose it before the summer.

hester · 28/03/2011 08:02

Hello. I am a complete sugar addict (chocolate in paticular) and have got into a very bad habit of consuming chocolate and sugar all day to keep me going, then staying up late at night to eat vast amounts more, then being tired next day so more of the same.

Would really like to break this cycle.

neepsntatties · 28/03/2011 08:06

I need to join. Also had eating problems in the past. I just had dd and my body is a mess. Only way I know how to lose weight is to restrict and over exercise, but I don't want to go back to that.

I don't eat meat but do eat fish. I also can't cook so need easy meal ideas. We have salmon once a week, eggs a couple of times. What else could we have?