Sugar

[Lazyi]

It’s embarrassing and ridiculous, but I am addicted to sugar. Had a massive binge yesterday, ate 100g of sweets, massive slice of cake, a pack of cookies and a scone with jam and cream. Now getting night sweats and massive energy slumps. I’ve been addicted to alcohol in the past, and the feeling of cravings is similar. The buck stops here. Please help support me and join me if you wish. This is day one on my sugar free journey.

Day 3 done. Not so tricky as we went out for dinner so avoided my post-kids-bedtime snack 'trigger'.

Tonight's going to be tricky as DH is away and I know I have chocolate in the cupboard....

@Lazyi that's very kind, thank you! Tough times for me. I have long Covid (18 months of it so far) and am on my 2nd attempt at a phased return to work (the first one failed when I relapsed when my working days became 12-14 hours of high pressure) because if I don't work, I don't have an income. I'm single and alone so I have no financial back-up. I'm £20k in debt due to medical bills from long Covid (if I waited for the NHS, I'd still be waiting and that means not able to work so no income). I hate my job but can't change jobs until I'm better so I'm trapped. This is just the tip of the iceberg but it's no surprise that I've fallen off the healthy eating wagon and have reverted to comfort binge eating. Which means I'm now 3 stone heavier! Trying to get my head back in the game but it's hard. I'm menopausal and put weight on so easily. Shifting the weight is so hard, especially when I can't exercise as much as I used to because I have chronic fatigue (thanks Covid!) which makes my cognitive issues even worse which jeopardises my job which means no income etc etc. Covid has basically changed my life dramatically and I have sought refuge in comfort eating. Which I know makes things worse but it's not that easy is it?! And then this morning I just found out that I probably have undiagnosed ADHD to add to my list of woes. Argh! Meanwhile today I'm mainly eating chicken and broccoli (and trying to force myself to the gym later - I try to go 4 times a week) but really I just want to sit on the sofa under a heated throw and eat all the cakes in the western hemisphere and watch Love Island. 😝

@HundredMilesAnHour … that sounds so shit, I’m really sorry. Is there anything that we can do on here to help you? It really sounds like a catch 22 situation. Thinking of you.

@Avacadoandtoast well done!
@FatGirlTriesAgain2023 … how has your day been after sugar discovery? Normally I stop eating at 7… but I was hungry today.. had some milk, Musli and banana for a snack. It was boring, sugar free Musli with about 3 rasins per pack. Day 11 done!

Well done @Lazyi day 11 is good, how are you feeling, any better?

Thank you @Lazyi Just being part of this thread helps. For me if I can gain some control back over my over-eating, it will help me feel better about myself, and hopefully stronger to deal with all the other stuff going on that I have limited control over.

I have no 'bad food' at home at present so there's been no way I can comfort eat. Eating chicken isn't quite the same as sugar 😂🙄

Day 5 for me, aiming for less sugar rather than none.

Yesterday's hidden sugar doesn't seem to have affected me. But I did have a bowl of that cereal, and it had a similar effect as before. It's now definitely off the shopping list.

I haven't succeeded one day yet in not eating past 7pm. That's when I do deliberately have something sweet. eg PB&J wholemeal sandwich or banana sandwich with a little stevia sprinkled over.

@HundredMilesAnHour Can I suggest a green salad before you start tour meal? Thin sliced cucumber on a bed of shredded lettuce with a drizzle of olive oil. I found it made things more digestible, and lowered the comfort eating cravings.

@Lazyi thanks so much for this thread. It helps so much to post these things as there's not much sympathy for it in real life. 💐

Binned the cereal. Not something I would normally do, but the bin gets emptied this morning and I wanted to remove the temptation.

I think that's all of the "bad food" out of the house, the kind that I can't stop eating once I've started.

Yesterday's home-made version of McD's was popular. That's Thursday's tea sorted. Friday is always home-made pizza on sourdough base, another easy and popular win.

I found a sourdough loaf in the freezer yesterday. I'd forgotten it reduces my sugar cravings. I'll get another in next week's delivery.

I've done a week now with no sugary things and feeling good. I have found I have more energy and very few cravings. Out for dinner tonight though and imagine will be hard to resist a dessert

Woke up with night sweats… maybe banana and raisins were too muCH of a sugar boost for my poor, chocolate and fruit pastel deprived body… anyone have any suggestions for night time snacks that won’t send my blood sugar through the roof?

@HundredMilesAnHour … yes, I agree, you can only eat so much chicken!!

update on the cereal, then I oromise I won't mention it again. I looked at the list of ingredients again, and sugar is third. Totally explains my reaction after eating it.

@Lazyi Peanut butter on wholemeal bread works for me. The evening snack is so hard to control with the cravings.

@FatGirlTriesAgain2023 - I wonder how much sugar it has in it? When I was a kid, I used to spoon caster sugar onto my cornflakes - which was pretty gross, but eating sugary cereal is probably got even more sugar than the mountain of sugar I used to put on top. I love granola... once I looked at the ingredients, I understood why!!

@bluejelly - how did dinner out go? I see that sometimes people suggest having cheese or fruit salad... but it always feels a bit kill joy to me to have fruit salad. I'm going to go for a fruit tea next time i go out... rock and roll.

Like I said up thread, having a sugar addiction is just so embarrassing... I really cant tell people in real life in case I come across as a Gweneth Paltro type who thinks all sugar is poison, and that its a good idea to name your kid after fruit, and also insert fruit into your vagina.....

I'm not really a cereal eater but those who are, have you tried Surreal? It's quite expensive but it's a pretty tasty variation of healthy cereal. Might just satisfy a craving? Have a look at eatsurreal.co.uk

I haven't tried it myself (as I said, I'm not a cereal fan) but I have gym friends who have been very positive about it.

Tonight I'm going wild and having turkey 😂And I had salmon for lunch (back to chicken tomorrow lol).

Actually tonight will hopefully be nice as I'm doing turkey steaks in a Nandos shake & bake bag with oven cooked sweet potato fries and lots of baked courgette. So a healthy fakeaway. I was pleased that I managed to get round the supermarket without buying anything bad. Of course tomorrow is another day but at least it feels like I'm ending the working week on a positive note (and I went to the gym before work this morning too).

Hi everyone, just checking in… thanks for updating, it really does help me to know you’re on here doing the same thing as me!

its (nearly) the end of day 4 here. I think my jeans are a little looser, so that’s something! I haven’t eaten anything obviously sugary but have overdone it on the fruit, which I know is better than cake but still probably not in the spirit!

Definitely on the up though!

for @HundredMilesAnHour - sounds rough. Hopefully the healthy eating will pay off!

@HundredMilesAnHour that sounds like it tastes great. @DaffyDaffy … of course it’s in the spirit! Listen to the Michael Mosley podcast that was recommended up thread. Well done all.

I did have some dessert.
It tasted incredibly sweet! Almost inedible, which makes me think my week off sugar has reset my taste buds a bit...
I'm not going to let one dessert in a week set me back though. Going back to sugar free tomorrow ✊

I'm struggling a bit with it being the weekend. Not bingeing, just not sticking to plan. Have had some chocolate biscuits brought in by a visitor, and now a glass of cider. Back to the plan tomirrow.

@FatGirlTriesAgain2023 … sounds like a plan. Get back on it tomorrow!

when I complete tomorrow I will be 2 weeks sugar free 🎉

I’ve been trying to cut sugar out. I go through cycles where I can cut it out for weeks then fall off the wagon and end up eating loads. It’s definitely addictive, after the first few days I want it less.my main trigger is if I get hungry it’s always the sugary carbs that are just there, immediately available with no effort. And then boom I’m addicted again. My focus the next couple of months is to up fat and protein to avoid this. My skin massively clears up when I cut sugar out and also if I ever overdo pure sugar like haribo on Halloween or after Christmas my crohns flares up.

Hi everyone, @FatGirlTriesAgain2023 Back on the wagon tomorrow is good, we’ve all been there. It sounds like you’ve made some great progress overall anyway!

@Hedgehogproblems You have described my sugar cycle accurately there! Why is it so tricky to crack for good?!

@Lazyi thats awesome, 2 weeks! Do you feel any different?

day 5 for me I think(?) - when I get peckish I’m struggling to think of things to eat, which I think just goes to show that my default is something full of sugar. I certainly need to make some changes. It’s definitely becoming easier though, not so much pull to the kettle to make a hot chocolate, which is good and marks a change.

@DaffyDaffy …
do I feel better?
Night sweats are 100% better unless I eat something with sugar before bed
cravings for sugar reduced, but not gone (last night I could have eaten jam out of a jar… and needed will power to stop.
I feel freer and less beholden to food a bit, but I am having to be a bit obsessed at the moment to keep focus and motivation… in time my aim is that I think about food much less and this becomes an ingrained habit (like now… after 10 years of not drinking, it just comes naturally to me and I don’t have to try.
probably more energy, but just been woken my a small child… so not feeling that presently.

you go!!!