Help- Totally addicted to sugar, went cold turkey today feel like head is exploding.

[Stickwithit]

I have a big problem with junk food particularly sweet stuff. I can easily eat nothing but chocolate, sweets, biscuits and cakes all day and in vast quantities.

I am 5' 6" and 11 stone so am overweight but I think in reality my weight is not too bad because I often eat nothing but junk all day that is I don't bother with meals as such).

I am tired, lethargic and unmotivated. Even after several nights of 9 hours sleep I am still tired. I have finally admitted to myself that my diet is terrible and I have to do something about it.

Today was my new start. My plan was to allow myself as much 'non-junk' food as required but no junk is allowed. Breakfast was low sugar Alpen, salad and brown roll for lunch, fish and rice for supper, fruit and nuts for snacks. I have not felt hungry, this was part of my plan as initially I want to reduce sugar and bad fats before moving on to reducing calories.

I was doing ok, but have thought about little other than wanting (or even needing) to eat cakes all day. At about 5 I got the headache from hell, I caved in and ate a doughnut. I tried not to, but could think of little else and gad a stupid idea that it would ease the headache so was not such a bad thing.

Now I feel useless, I have failed on day 1. If I can't do 1 day what hope do I have?! Plus my headache is really bad- enough to make me struggle looking after my lovely DS or cope with my part time job.

I need to get this under control but I'm worried I can't do it. I know I sound pathetic but after finally admitting to myself that my diet is disgusting I know I need to take control somehow.

Sorry for the long rambling post. Can anyone offer any advice please?

Dont beat yourself up. You have done well for day 1!

Take it slowly. Dont try and go from 10 to zero in one go.

I did it gradually. Used to have 2 suagrs in my tea. Did 3-4 days with 1 sugar, then with half sugar, then knocked it out.

Sweets - instead of loads of packets, 1 packet over the course of a day, then two days etc.

Cake once a week. Know that you can have that donut, but only on Sunday if you've been good all week.

Dont deny yourself completely. A healthy diet includes some treats.

and 11st at 5ft 6 is within your BMI, so dont panic too much.

Good luck!

Thank you smokinaces, maybe I have been aiming too high. I guess in someway I feel I don't trust myself to make sensible decisions about how many treats to have- so I took the all or nothing approach.

I know I am lucky that I am not more overweight but it's more my energy levels and health I am trying to address. Plus the fact that the amount of junk I was consuming was/is out of control- yesterday I ate a packet of scotch psnkakes with butter and golden syrup, half a large pavalova, three doughnuts, two chocolate bars and two eve's puddings with creme. I know that list makes me sound terrible (or a troll!) but that is how bad things have become.

I believe you - I have been known to eat family sized bags of crisps, plus a 6 pack of cream donuts, plus ice cream, plus a share bag of maltesers all in one sitting.

However, its taken time and i have cut down. a binge for me now is 6 or 7 biscuits with my tea!

You can do it. but the sugar withdrawal headaches do hurt!! it takes 3 or 4 days and then you will feel better than ever.

It's nice to know I am not the only one with a huge capacity for junk. I have a great deal of respect for you in managing to get things under control.

If you, or anyone else can suggest anything to help with the headaches I would be really grateful.

sleep. and weirdly mint humbugs in my case - I keep a bag in the car and every few days have 1 or 2. they have just about enough sugar to help with the headaches.

and support!! I'm on one of the weight loss threads here!

I would suggest as you are at a starting point it would be worth going to the doc and getting your thyroid and fasting glucose tested. Those sugar cravings may lead to insulin resistance. Waking tired can be a sign of an underactive thyroid, which will mean you will find it difficult to lose weight. Worth just getting the tests done.

Well done on starting and great advice from smokinaces on taking it slow. You'll stick to a plan much better if you set yourself small achievable goals.

I would suggest a low GL diet. YOu will not be hungry on it and as it balances your blood sugar will really help with the cravings too.
Have protein with every meal, it will keep you fuller for longer.

Your BMI is on the turning point between high/normal and overweight.

I think might be better to cut down gradually, eg at start of my diet I allowed myself 50g of ben and jerry's cherry garcia frozen yoghurt and one square of tesco's 85% chocolate if I'd been good all day and the treats were within my calorie allowance. The trick is to break of the amounts you need, and then put the pack away before you SIT DOWN to eat.

Over time I have found I don't need these treats every day but it helped me cut down.

FWIW I agree about the thyroid test, I also woke up tired when I was diagnosed.

Have you ever considered following Slimming World?

I have just started it. It dawned on me on day 2 that it was the sugar,fats and salts I am addicted to, not food. You can eat most food in its natural form, but it limits the amount of processed food. It also allows a small amount of sugary foods. I too am addicted to junk, and finding it a struggle, but I am glad that I have a structured eating plan, I now feel in control.

Thank you for your replies.

Foreveronadiet, I think a small treat may be a good plan. I am also having half a sugar in my tea and allowing myself 'hidden' sugar foods like fruit.

I don't really understand the whole sugar craving / thyroid / insulin resistance thing. I guess it might be sensible to read up about it. I have a vague idea that it may be linked to PCOS, which I was disgnosed with pre DS. However, to complicate things my consultant said my PCOS was nit typical as I had no symptoms other than those which showed on an scan of my ovaries (lots of developing eggs I think rather than one clear 'ripe' one if that makes sense).

OnEdge thank you for your suggestion. I know nothing about slimming world so I will take a look. I am a bit scared of plans that rewuire masses of planning and organisation, but maybe its this lazy attitude which has caused my problems!

stickwithit Yes, by doing Slimming World, it has made me realise just how much processed/ready made food I was eating and feeding to the family. I am getting really pissed off with Slimming World because I spend ages cooking and planning now, but like you say, it is the lack of this that has caused me to become obese. I have just weighed out 28 gms of white chocolate and sucked it. My headache and general stress and tension have started to leave me.

Stickwithit, I have PCOS too and have to be careful about the sugar cravings etc. Honestly, following the Slimming World plan is ace as it has a lot of wholewheat principles and food that keeps your blood sugars steady, whilst allowing treats.

I have pcos and underactive thyroid. Sticking to low GI diet definately helps pcos - like you mine is mild (no massive symptoms just tendancy to irrregular periods and cysts on ovaries).

Thyroid is dealt with via medication.... But if you have PCOS, eating a high sugar diet would def impact on energy levels.

Go to GP and get thyroid and iron checked - both can lead to lethargy....

And yes, ok to allow yourself little treat providing rest of diet is healthy.

stickwithit there is a brilliant brilliant life changing programme to treat sugar addicition by changing what you eat and when at this website.

www.radiantrecovery.com

It has transformed my life beyond description. her programme heals the underlying biochemistry that causes sugar addiction. treating this imbalance can make you feel physically and mentally so much better.

The support there is unbelievable too and the author kathleen desmaisons is always on hand to offer her advice and wisdom too.