Defeating the boson: Sugar, how do you kick its ass?

[Naturally]

I have come to think of sugar (the refined, unnescessary stuff) as a baddie in a video game: specifically, the big bosun at the end of street fighter (or waas it streets of rage? I forget). We play cat and mouse but unfortunately for the last 2-3 weeks he has had more wins than me, and I'm finding it hard to kick him in that weak spot.

Take today for instance. Banana for breakfast. Bacon and eggs for brunch - fine. Got tired, had a power nap which I struggled to come back round from (unusual for me to take a nap). Got grouchy, fed up as I still felt tired, so went to get milk to make a coffee (I have coffee maybe twice a week hence don't always have any milk in). looked longingly at the sweets and chocolate. Bought a bottle of full fat coke! Loved every sip of it. 4 hours later I've just craved sugar after tea (100% paleo) so I've had a few dried dates. It follows a similar pattern every day in that I'll be fine up to a certain point in the day (never the same time!) and I NEED MOAR SUGAR!! I feel like a smoker trying to give up cigarettes. Yet a few weeks ago I was perfectly happily being paleo 6 days and eating sugar and junk on one. Not too sure what's happened but HELP!

[Corbab]

Sugar was never a big problem for me, so I don't have any personal insight, but I'd recommend trying to use honey, agave nectar, or stevia to take care of that sweet craving. They're still not ideal, but all three options are better than sugar. If you're really trying to kick the habit, consider staying away from the triggers (candy aisles, tea) until you're out of the woods a little further.

[girlysogroovy]

I find that I have to basically teach my body that it is "allergic" to the bad stuff. Don't eat the dates. Don't eat the banana. Don't have any sugar at all, for at least a few weeks. Then two things will happen: 1) you'll find sugary things too sugary and less tasty, and 2) hopefully you will have broken the cycle and one tiny slip-up won't snowball into a binge.

Try to find a non-sugary pick-me-up for those low times. Maybe some almond butter on a celery? A hard-boiled egg? Alternatively, you could try something like brushing your teeth to keep your mouth fresh and curb the craving.

[HughMannity]

I find that I have to basically teach my body that it is "allergic" to the bad stuff. Don't eat the dates. Don't eat the banana. Don't have any sugar at all, for at least a few weeks. Then two things will happen: 1) you'll find sugary things too sugary and less tasty, and 2) hopefully you will have broken the cycle and one tiny slip-up won't snowball into a binge.

Try to find a non-sugary pick-me-up for those low times. Maybe some almond butter on a celery? A hard-boiled egg? Alternatively, you could try something like brushing your teeth to keep your mouth fresh and curb the craving.

I second the recommendation to avoid bananas and dates. Both of those will give me massive blood glucose spikes.

The best way to defeat sugar addiction (and yes, it is an addiction, and it does feel like giving up smoking) is to quit completely. Work it like AA -- one day at a time. If you end up eating something sweet, just start again. Don't beat yourself up about it, make a note of what set you off, and carry on. Guilt tripping yourself is counterproductive.

Cleaning your teeth after you eat, or even just using mouthwash, is a great way to get the "I've eaten my veggies now where's my dessert" taste out of your mouth.

A strategy I've used to great effect in the past is creative procrastination: I tell myself that I can have that banana/cigarette/candy bar/play one more round of $game after X if I still want it. Where X is either a time -- after dinner, after work, etc. -- or an event -- after I've done the dishes, finished this report, folded the laundry. What happens is that you've effectively given in to the craving which lessens it. Then putting your focus onto doing whatever it is you need to get done, stops you obsessing over how good that candy bar will taste or how you'll take down that damned boss. Most times I find that when it gets to reward time, I don't want it any more, so I don't have it.

Another useful strategy is to give yourself 6 "no rules" days in a year. Pick days that mean something to you and try to space them fairly evenly through the year.On those days, you can eat whatever you want. No Rules. When you're beset by a craving for something, write it down in a notebook (or word document) specifically for that purpose. When the next No Rules day comes round, if you still want Bananas Foster or Baked Alaska, then go ahead, you've earned it. Chances are you won't want anything that's in the notebook.

[Corbab]

I find that I have to basically teach my body that it is "allergic" to the bad stuff. Don't eat the dates. Don't eat the banana. Don't have any sugar at all, for at least a few weeks. Then two things will happen: 1) you'll find sugary things too sugary and less tasty, and 2) hopefully you will have broken the cycle and one tiny slip-up won't snowball into a binge.

That worked really well for me with soda, then fried food, then bread/grains (the most recent of which involved a rapid acquisition and even more rapid loss of a large number of tortillas and Clif bars. If you can manage a full month being strictly paleo, you can try and incorporate some of the "sensible indulgences" (dairy, chocolate) back into your diet, and you might find you don't even have a taste for them anymore.

[Howlin' Moose]

I agree with the others that the best way (which is also the hardest way) is to swear off completely. At the outlook the cravings are monumental, but it really does get easier. Heck, for me my cravings disappeared in under a week. Of course, some people take way longer...

L-glutamine powder, which is an amino acid, (and chromium supplements, too, apparently) is supposedly a sugar craving hack. I have a big tub of it but have yet to use it. I wish I could give you more info on the mechanisms of how it works. People either take it daily, or else they place the powder under their tongues when they feel an acute craving coming on. I think L-glutamine's been used to treat alcoholics, but don't quote me on that.

I wouldn't usually recommend taking supplements to beat something like cravings, but if you're interested you could definitely look into it. Just know that there can be some drawbacks - I'm not sure, but I feel like 'tricking' your body into thinking it's receiving sugar might still result in an unhealthy reaction.

[Elastigirl]

First off eat a bigger breakfast. Make sure you get some protein (like 20 -30 grams) and fat in your breakfast

You said you used to be better at it. Do you know what changed in your diet or life? If you need to adjust your diet do that, if your trying to solve some problem by eating sugar as one who often tries that I'll tell you it doesn't wrok.

SUgar is just so addicting for some of us. Once we give in one day, its easier to do it the next and then even easier the next. Break the cycle. Just don't buy the stuff or go by the dessert tray. The more you flex your self control muscle the easier it gets.

[Corbab]

First off eat a bigger breakfast. Make sure you get some protein (like 20 -30 grams) and fat in your breakfast

You said you used to be better at it. Do you know what changed in your diet or life? If you need to adjust your diet do that, if your trying to solve some problem by eating sugar as one who often tries that I'll tell you it doesn't wrok.

SUgar is just so addicting for some of us. Once we give in one day, its easier to do it the next and then even easier the next. Break the cycle. Just don't buy the stuff or go by the dessert tray. The more you flex your self control muscle the easier it gets.

I have to second the importance of a solid diet in kicking cravings. Oftentimes, cravings are your body's way of telling you you're missing something. This site has a good list of common cravings and the accompanying deficiencies.

[Sydnie]

Corbab, can I keep you in my pocket for useful information when I need it?

[unicornassassin]

I have had some successes kicking refined sugar by quitting cold turkey. For me, it is very addictive, and once I start eating it, I get really bad cravings and my will power goes away. So I have to stop eating it, and it's hard for a day or two, but then it's fine.

I'm at the point now where I treat myself once in a bit, but the appeal is lessened because I know it'll make me go all sugar crazy again.

That all said, I don't worry about fruit sugar from fresh fruit. I limit dried fruit because it does pack a much more concentrated sugar-punch.

[guest439437484421]

I just started telling myself that it's evil, or the enemy, and that i have to avoid it to win the game.

[Naturally]

First off eat a bigger breakfast. Make sure you get some protein (like 20 -30 grams) and fat in your breakfast

You said you used to be better at it. Do you know what changed in your diet or life? If you need to adjust your diet do that, if your trying to solve some problem by eating sugar as one who often tries that I'll tell you it doesn't wrok.

SUgar is just so addicting for some of us. Once we give in one day, its easier to do it the next and then even easier the next. Break the cycle. Just don't buy the stuff or go by the dessert tray. The more you flex your self control muscle the easier it gets.

That's an interesting one which I try to implement when things don't go to plan. I guess PMS combined with a normal cheat day rolled over into a cheat weekend rolled over and over and over. That and I am under a lot of stress more or less constantly now until June (final year of degree, but I have a plan in place to relax daily and manage this). I have also given up chocolate since the beginning of the year, and will be chocolate-less until next year. I was okay for 6 weeks, but struggled, like, A LOT at that time of the month. I have been taking magnesium supplements but thinking about it I have run out... now that's an interesting thought. I'm also drinking more coffee, but generally only two days a week - at college, where its also more tempting to grab a sugar fix, because we have two VERY intensive days a week, so we all tend to use everything we can to try to stay alert and concentrating!

When I was successful I went cold turkey and was absolutely fine and ready for it. I felt really ill when I did have sugar on my cheat days, so tended not to bother. I bothered with the dried dates less (we're talking a total of 1 small packet in 2 months, and 1 bunch of bananas, so not huge amounts and suprisingly for me these didn't kick off a binge on sugar, or so I thought until recently..). My worry with excluding sugar completely is where do you draw the line? Root veggies are reasonably high in sugar. Fruit I can take or leave. I guess I'm worried that if I exclude sugar completely it'll be a very hard diet to follow sustainably. I'm also worried that by telling myself I can't have it at all, I'm even MORE likely to want it, as I recently tried to have no sugar for February and this is where I am now.

I like the idea of "I can have it if I really still want it after X". I have used that before with great success, thanks

[Zorch]

Sugar was never a big problem for me, so I don't have any personal insight, but I'd recommend trying to use honey, agave nectar, or stevia to take care of that sweet craving. They're still not ideal, but all three options are better than sugar. If you're really trying to kick the habit, consider staying away from the triggers (candy aisles, tea) until you're out of the woods a little further.

Agave is NOT better than sugar. Its claim to being "natural" is dubious at best, and it's even higher in fructose than HFCS.

To me, avoiding anything sweeter than the occasional piece of fruit was the trick. Artificial sweeteners(including sugar/splenda in coffee) definitely triggered cravings for me.

[weirdquark]

I haven't tried this myself because I'm okay with the amount of sugar that I eat, but you could check out the suggestions on the Stumptuous site.

[HughMannity]

I like the idea of "I can have it if I really still want it after X". I have used that before with great success, thanks

I keep thinking I should expand the idea into a self-help book and make millions

[WizardTrip]

I weaned myself off super sugary things awhile back. Don't get me wrong, I still love the occasional sweet thing, but I have to be more careful these days since too much sugar will have my stomach yelling at me.

I lived in the south for 11 years (and no, DC is not the south no matter that its below the Mason Dixon Line :-)....I'm talking MS south, so, super sweet tea, tons of deserts for every meal, 5-8 packets of sugar in coffee, etc. I also would put down 5-10 cans of soda a day years ago back in college. It really was one of those things that I simply just had to force myself to cut from my diet. Now, sweet tea is way too much for me, and other sweet treats I can only handle in small amounts. It is an addiction, but one that once its kicked, the super sugary things won't be all too appealing except for those rare occasions (and those are the times where you savor and enjoy it).

['Roos]

I have to just go cold turkey as well. If you're eating anything processed, (ramen, salad dressings) watch out for really sugary ones which you may unconsciously go to to get your 'fix'. I take tons of magnesium (partly 'cause I'm on medication known to lead to magnesium deficency) but I haven't found a big difference in sugar cravings (?). The biggest thing for me is just deciding it's not food, and that I won't eat it no matter how much I want it, 'cause it's just messing with my mind.

Alternately you could pretend it is evil brain pollen trying to get you to eat it, or something. Growing up a Trekkie, this is more in my bent.

[oystergirl]

I have not eaten any sugar foods in a number of months, except saturday I had a bit of icing off a piece of birthday cake. i do not eat gluten so had to avoid the cake itself. AFTER having that little bit of sugar, I was starving ALL DAY. I was lucky it was my cheat day. Understand that I eat warrior style (one big primal meal a day and a bit of whole raw milk through out the day but thats it) so hunger really isn't something I ever give in to or even have...

Having a banana first thing is setting you up to fail. Period. Instead, eat a boiled egg and some ham or Some other NON-sugar containing food. If you feel you need fruit, have it as the ending to your meal later in the day and if you find you are still craving or hungry, move it to the last meal of your day or eliminate it all together until you get your sugar under control. Best of luck beating the big ugly monster!