sugar and alcoholism
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Join Date: May 2014
Location: Apache Junction, AZ
Posts: 111
sugar and alcoholism
These are just some random thoughts about alcoholism and diet. The last time I quit, a year ago, I went 4 months with out alcohol. Right away I had intense cravings for simple carbs and started drinking a lot of sugary sodas and eating ice cream, cookies, chocolate, etc. It took the first 3 months to cut back but until I started drinking again at 4 months I was still eating sweets every night and feeling bloated, lethargic, and lazy. Of course, once I started drinking the sweets were gone. Just booze, coffee, water, insanity...
This time I have made a real effort to watch what I eat and I think it's really helping. 10 days ago I started eating only vegetables, salads, light fruit like dried blueberries, nuts, meats and fish, some dairy, B complex supplements, and have cut out any sugary drinks, breads, starches. I still have a bit of chocolate after dinner :-). So far I've lost 6 lbs and have energy throughout the day without any real "crashes" like before.
The first 4 days I had INTENSE cravings for sugar but that has weakened. When I think about my drinking habits, it's scary. I would wait until my "start" time (typically 4pm) and quickly down the equivalent of 5 or 6 shots with a beer. That's about 600-700 calories in 20-30 minutes. After that I drank through the evening until passing out (of course to wake up at 2am and lie there in misery until morning).
Anyway... I haven't had an strong cravings to drink but definitely for sugar. I guess my body got addicted to that energy "kick".
This time I have made a real effort to watch what I eat and I think it's really helping. 10 days ago I started eating only vegetables, salads, light fruit like dried blueberries, nuts, meats and fish, some dairy, B complex supplements, and have cut out any sugary drinks, breads, starches. I still have a bit of chocolate after dinner :-). So far I've lost 6 lbs and have energy throughout the day without any real "crashes" like before.
The first 4 days I had INTENSE cravings for sugar but that has weakened. When I think about my drinking habits, it's scary. I would wait until my "start" time (typically 4pm) and quickly down the equivalent of 5 or 6 shots with a beer. That's about 600-700 calories in 20-30 minutes. After that I drank through the evening until passing out (of course to wake up at 2am and lie there in misery until morning).
Anyway... I haven't had an strong cravings to drink but definitely for sugar. I guess my body got addicted to that energy "kick".
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 16,945
I think cutting sugar out, or at least cutting back, on sugar is a good idea for everyone. Sounds like you have a good diet plan going to, congratulations. It's kind of corny, but the old "you are what you eat" saying really is about the truest statement out there.
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: PA
Posts: 12,000
good to see you're in the know about this. I hit the chocolate big time, plus useless carbs early on. I've done a lot better over the past couple months - 5 months sober - but evry now and then I find a sugary snack in my hand. I stopped eating the chocolate they put out at meetings + I don't drink coffee any more at meetings.
It takes some discipline and it's worth it.
It takes some discipline and it's worth it.
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Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Brooklyn, ny
Posts: 734
I am eating too much sugar and can't seem to stop. I feel crappy like I need to detox off sugar but don't think I can without someone actually grabbing the late night muffin, bowl of ice cream, etc. out of my hand. This is depressing me and undoing a lot of the good that I anticipated from quitting alcohol. Not that I will, or want to, drink again but I have to get out of this rut. It's been 8 months, enough is enough!
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 5,229
I did a low car diet lost ions of weight. But now i'm on the other side of the spectrum I eat a high carb low fat vegan diet and my energy levels are off the charts and the weight stays off I dont really need to loose anymore tho i dropped 10 more lbs going to this way of eating.
its not for everyone but if the low carbers saw the sheer amt of carbs i eat they'd short circuit. It defys all the stuff we hear about low carbing and how sugar makes you fat.
fat makes you fat. sugar does not. the science behind it is basicly your body will burn the carbs and store the fat. But if you remove the carbs your body will just burn the fat. But if you remove the fat your body will just torch the carbs and torch your body fat etc..
I wont eat simple carbs however. tho I could and not have any issue. My diet consists of beans rice fruits veggies. I'll eat about 70 80lbs a week of just bananas. I'll eat potatos and brown rice etc..
There is a strong correlation with alcoholism and getting your sugar fix alcohol is just another form of sugar.
its not for everyone but if the low carbers saw the sheer amt of carbs i eat they'd short circuit. It defys all the stuff we hear about low carbing and how sugar makes you fat.
fat makes you fat. sugar does not. the science behind it is basicly your body will burn the carbs and store the fat. But if you remove the carbs your body will just burn the fat. But if you remove the fat your body will just torch the carbs and torch your body fat etc..
I wont eat simple carbs however. tho I could and not have any issue. My diet consists of beans rice fruits veggies. I'll eat about 70 80lbs a week of just bananas. I'll eat potatos and brown rice etc..
There is a strong correlation with alcoholism and getting your sugar fix alcohol is just another form of sugar.
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Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: illinois
Posts: 907
My opinions on this are a little mixed. I know a bit about nutrition. Refined sugar is something to be carful with. Cheap, bad for us, and addictive.
BUUUT...improvement is improvement. Depending on the severity of our habits, maybe we can deal with first things first.
Yes, im still smoking, drinkin coffee, and that damn chocolate. I dont want to be dependent forever, but 4 months ago i was drinking my breakfast, hitting the bong before i kissed my spouse after work, and keeping my eyes open for oxys and hydros.
Sober, but not dead. A man has desires... LOL. Just making light.
If what we are talking about is holistic wellbeing, our whole society has a ways to go. Humans have quite the love affair with toxins.
BUUUT...improvement is improvement. Depending on the severity of our habits, maybe we can deal with first things first.
Yes, im still smoking, drinkin coffee, and that damn chocolate. I dont want to be dependent forever, but 4 months ago i was drinking my breakfast, hitting the bong before i kissed my spouse after work, and keeping my eyes open for oxys and hydros.
Sober, but not dead. A man has desires... LOL. Just making light.
If what we are talking about is holistic wellbeing, our whole society has a ways to go. Humans have quite the love affair with toxins.
Sober since 10th April 2012
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 6,047
This is a great topic everyone. At a couple of months over 2 years sober I still battle with simple carbs cravings. Sometimes I can head them off, sometimes not. I look for sweets, bread with sweet toppings but not chocolate for some reason.
I am one of those people who will gorge until something I love is gone, and as controversial as it might sound, I bet if I could get over the binge eating I would have a chance of moderating alcohol. But I'm not going to test it out as I'm too content with sobriety, so please don't urge me not to drink. I won't!
But I digress. I get most of my cravings after eating my evening meal, and I have a reward thing where I feel I 'deserve' a sweet. Sound familiar?
I am one of those people who will gorge until something I love is gone, and as controversial as it might sound, I bet if I could get over the binge eating I would have a chance of moderating alcohol. But I'm not going to test it out as I'm too content with sobriety, so please don't urge me not to drink. I won't!
But I digress. I get most of my cravings after eating my evening meal, and I have a reward thing where I feel I 'deserve' a sweet. Sound familiar?
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 442
I also get the sugar cravings, generally desert after dinner, a bowl of ice cream or some chocolate. Ive tried low carb diets, zero sugar diets, low glycemic diets, etc.. Through all of them I kept seeing my weight drop a bit and then just come back up, and the cravings remained. Actually in all those diets I felt pretty rotten all the time.
Recently I have moved onto a diet where I only eat an evening meal and have finally managed to get under my previous unreachable weight floor of 80kg. I had hit 80kg before but under a very strict Atkins style diet and that made me feel anxious that I was eating too much fat.
Now Im down to 77kg from 85kg (around 18lbs lost), all Im doing is missing breakfast and lunch. I only eat between the hours of 5pm and 9pm. I then eat what I like, which tends to be some salad and meat, or a cooked veg and meat dinner, then I have a desert.
I think because of this diet, im probably having around 1000-1400 calories a day and hence losing weight, as I guess I need around 2000 a day to keep me at the status quo.
I like this diet, because I don't need to worry about what I eat. I tend to eat quite healthily anyway, so I'm happy i'm getting all my nutritional needs.
For those concerned about such a low calorie intake, you'll find that the health professionals use something called a VLCD (very low calorie diet) quite extensively for pre-op patients who need to rapidly lose weight. That is around 700 calories a day and supported with nutritional supplements, they keep patients on it for months.
Very low calorie diet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Recently I have moved onto a diet where I only eat an evening meal and have finally managed to get under my previous unreachable weight floor of 80kg. I had hit 80kg before but under a very strict Atkins style diet and that made me feel anxious that I was eating too much fat.
Now Im down to 77kg from 85kg (around 18lbs lost), all Im doing is missing breakfast and lunch. I only eat between the hours of 5pm and 9pm. I then eat what I like, which tends to be some salad and meat, or a cooked veg and meat dinner, then I have a desert.
I think because of this diet, im probably having around 1000-1400 calories a day and hence losing weight, as I guess I need around 2000 a day to keep me at the status quo.
I like this diet, because I don't need to worry about what I eat. I tend to eat quite healthily anyway, so I'm happy i'm getting all my nutritional needs.
For those concerned about such a low calorie intake, you'll find that the health professionals use something called a VLCD (very low calorie diet) quite extensively for pre-op patients who need to rapidly lose weight. That is around 700 calories a day and supported with nutritional supplements, they keep patients on it for months.
Very low calorie diet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 5,229
MrTumble Years ago I at like that. skipped breakfast and lunch and only ate dinner. It was easy for me at the time I simply was not hungry. and it worked out I ate whatever i wanted for dinner in whatever quantity.
If my activity wasnt so high i'd certainly consider that approach again. I knwo the nay sayers will say its not healthy but it worked for me and i was pretty happy with eating like that.
If my activity wasnt so high i'd certainly consider that approach again. I knwo the nay sayers will say its not healthy but it worked for me and i was pretty happy with eating like that.
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 442
Originally Posted by zjw 
MrTumble Years ago I at like that. skipped breakfast and lunch and only ate dinner. It was easy for me at the time I simply was not hungry. and it worked out I ate whatever i wanted for dinner in whatever quantity.
If my activity wasnt so high i'd certainly consider that approach again. I knwo the nay sayers will say its not healthy but it worked for me and i was pretty happy with eating like that.
If my activity wasnt so high i'd certainly consider that approach again. I knwo the nay sayers will say its not healthy but it worked for me and i was pretty happy with eating like that.
Normal people were mostly poor and might have a small breakfast (if lucky) and a big evening meal. There were no sugary cerial breakfasts and subway lunches, followed by deep dish pizza for dinner...
The elephant in the room when it comes to our diets and the increasing levels of weight problems people are facing is the sheer availability of delicious and cheap food.
We are victims of our own success when it comes to food and the only way I can see of solving my problem is to just plain and simply eat less...
BTW, im starving right now
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Out in the Sticks
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Cutting out the sugar is a good idea ,It sure helped me .
I don't totally quit all sugar ,just basically sweets .
Just had lunch - Can of tuna ,made 2 sandwitches on wheat bread ,and a package of microwave velveta mac and cheese .
I find carbs don't bother me .
I also found Caffine ,to be almost toxic to my system .
I don't totally quit all sugar ,just basically sweets .
Just had lunch - Can of tuna ,made 2 sandwitches on wheat bread ,and a package of microwave velveta mac and cheese .
I find carbs don't bother me .
I also found Caffine ,to be almost toxic to my system .
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