Breaking the sugar addiction for real

amother

OP ↓

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 9:14 am

I have a horrible addiction to sugar that I just can't seem to kick. Even the old "get through those first 2 weeks without and then the cravings will be gone" does NOT work on me. I've gone up to 6 months off sugar, but the cravings ALWAYS return with a vengeance and I end up falling off the wagon. I don't know what else to do to stop it for good! Oh, and I'm diabetic. So I really really do need to kick it.

ima22

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 9:17 am

Sugar addictions are real...but they do eventually go away if you really eliminate all sugar.

In my experience, I had to get rid of all sweeteners and forms of sugar, real and artificial (honey, maple syrup, agave, aspartame....)

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 9:22 am

I did all that. When I was off sugar, I NEVER used honey or agave either because I knew those are still sugar. The first time I went off I wasn't careful about artificial because I didn't know that it mattered but the other times I went off, I was more educated and didn't use artificial either. I STILL always end up going back to sugar.

amother

Orange

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 9:31 am

Given that you are diabetic, have you had counseling by a qualified nutritionist? Or can you get some counseling and ask about the best way to cut out sugar?
Maybe there is a way to limit sugar intake but not to eliminate it totally? That worked for me, but I'm not diabetic.

amother

Yarrow ↓

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 9:33 am

I have this with carbs. I have gone off completely for 4 months but instead of the cravings lessening they get more intense.
No one believes me, they tell me I must have not totally eliminated it. They advise me to join OA or do keto. I've done it all and it's only made it worse for me.
I have learned that I have food noise that gets stronger when I cut out carbs and stronger the longer they are cut out.
Most people like this end up on the shots. I can't afford them so for now I eat them moderately and still have binges here and there but it's way less often and way less intense than it used to be.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 9:38 am

I've done all that. I have nutrition counseling with someone who specializes in diabetes. By sugar I also mean carbs, I need to cut down on those too (though not entirely. Just very very low and nothing white). I KNOW sugar/carbs hide in a lot of things and I know how to look out for it. When I'm doing well, I'm making everything from scratch to make sure I'm not ending up with sneaky sugar. I've done it ALL. I still end up sliding back, even after months of doing everything right. I haven't done the shots yet because I'm breastfeeding, but I will be starting them as soon as I'm done (silver lining of diabetes is that insurance will cover). Is that my only hope?

amother

Powderblue

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 9:41 am

You may have underlying yeast or candida issues or possibly parasites (sounds gross but we know about pinworms). You're nursing but when you're done you can do a parasite cleanse

amother

↑ Yarrow ↓

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 9:42 am

amother OP wrote:

Honestly, I think so.
What other things do you think you could try?

amother

↑ Yarrow ↓

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 9:44 am

amother Powderblue wrote:

You may have underlying yeast or candida issues or possibly parasites (sounds gross but we know about pinworms). You're nursing but when you're done you can do a parasite cleanse

What other symptoms would indicate parasites?
What is a parasite cleanse?

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 10:06 am

amother Yarrow wrote:

Honestly, I think so.
What other things do you think you could try?

I don't know. Maybe there is something I'm missing. Or maybe I just have to wait the 6ish months till I finish breastfeeding and see what happens with the shots.

amother

Latte

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 10:18 am

Did you cut fruit when you went off sugar?

I second the yeast and parasites cleanse, it's a big piece for some people.

A potent brand spectrum probiotic can also help because so many of us have compromised gut biomes and those friendly gut bugs play a large role in cravings and satiety. Don't forget prebiotocs too. In general, healing your gut will go a long way towards this.

Another thing to look at is aggressively supporting the hpa axis. And thyroid should be working optimally.

Look into medications like naltrexone.

Homeopathy can be a game changer for some people.

Berberine and Inositol can help curb cravings.

amother

Winterberry

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 10:42 am

I've started eating nuts and am losing weight, though I see I also need to exercise. They don't cause sugar spikes and they kept me full.

BmoreBubby ↓

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 5:44 pm

amother OP wrote:

My trick was to reduce slowly rather than going cold-turkey. Like TINY reductions at a time so that I could adjust my taste buds.

shanie5 ↓

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 6:41 pm

amother OP wrote:

What about potatoes and other root veggies. On the glycemic charts, potatoes have more sugar than sugar does! Parsnips, carrots nand beets are also high in sugars. So are tropical fruits. And fruits in general. Look at what you are eating in these categories. Maybe they are triggering you so that you really aren't as sugar free as you thought.

Also, when you went sugar free, did you eat enough to not be hungry?

amother

Bisque ↓

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 8:02 pm

That's because the body NEEDS sugar in order to function (obviously talking about healthy sugar and carbs) being that you're diabetic, your body can't process sugar so you end up with a lack of sugar which is causing the sugar cravings. (not saying that you should start eating sugar now since you're obviously diabetic, I'm just explaining from where your cravings stem and that doing elimination diets won't stop your cravings.)

amother

DarkRed

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 8:23 pm

amother Bisque wrote:

What is the solution?