Lawry

This is a little off topic but definately relevant.

I have carbohydrate cravings a lot. I know a lot of people use sugary drinks and chocolate as a means of staving off cravings for booze and this is fine. I do it too and if it stops me having alcohol there's nothing wrong with it. However, I've been reading some literature which suggests that sugar may be responsible for sapping the body of certain vitamins it needs to reduce stress and anxiety, which can then lead to the desire to drink. Also my desire for carbs, specifically sugary foods, seems to be just another instance of the need for self medication and instant gratification.

I started today on a new diet, which is fairly vague but basically rules out (as much as possible) foods which lead to craving. So I had whole grain cereal with no sugar, toast with just butter (no topping) and coffee with no sugar. I'm also going to cut out sauces such as ketchup, which are high in sugar. I'm not sure about drinks with sweeteners becuase while they don't contain sugar, I do crave them.

The aim here is 3 fold . Firstly to stop engaging in eating habits which fuel the desire for instant gratification. Secondly to reduce the amount of sugar in my system which robs my body of essential vitamins and minerals. I don't want to become a health food fanatic, I still want to enjoy my food but I want to get away from situations where I'm guzzling it because of the craving. Thirdly ro reduce anxiety and thereby reduce cravings for alcohol.

Any thoughts would be welcome.

thanks
Lawry

minnie

Sounds like a plan, Lawry. Just think of the amount of sugar you were putting in your body when you were drinking. It's no wonder that your body has adapted to this.

Have you heard of the GI diet? I have heard good things about this - it means if you are going to eat carbs, you only eat slow-release carbs like multi-grain bread, wholewheat pasta, brown rice and cutting out white bread, pasta, cooked potatoes. This is to avoid the insulin spikes that lead to cravings. Loads of info on the net, I believe.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

Lawry

Hi Minnie,

Yes I have heard of this diet and tried it a while back but I cheated too much. It takes some study to get it right because foods I thought were ok tended to not be. For example I love bananas and they're a good source of vitamins but they're high GI. It's definately worth keeping in mind though and is always a good excuse to put more butter on the toast (because fat reduces the rate at which carbs are absorbed)

I've now decided to cut out carbonated soft drinks altogether. I have a smoothie making machine (which is basically just a blender with a tap) and I'll replace fizzy drinks with fruit smoothies in order to get that sweet taste satisfied. They still taste good and the sugar from fruit isn't addictive like that of coke or lemonade.

You're right about the amount of sugar ingested during the alcohol days especially with all the beer and mixers ! I can't believe it's been 8 and a half months since my last drink. Physically I feel like a different person. My asthma has improved by 80 or 90%. My eczsma has cleared up completely and my skin looks and feel different. Also I sleep better and don't need or want anywhere near as much caffeine to get me through the day. My work has improved and my patience and temperament among my work colleagues. My sense of self image is better, I have more confidence, less panic attacks and generally feel better all the time. However I still do miss it sometimes, when everyone else is having a good time. I still sometimes slip into thinking that I could join in, that I could drink sensibly and get into the groove. It's at times like those I really have to remind myself that I'm an alcoholic. I have a problem with booze that will never go away and I cannot be all things to myself. If I want to drink, sure it will be fun that evening but it will be at the expense of my self respect. Is it worth it ? NO!!!!!!!

sorry for the ramble

Lawry

Richey

I've eaten a bowl of hard candy and 6 packets of crisps today...to be honest, though, I'm just glad I'm not drinking!
I should get healthy though, I have terrible malnutrition, tomorrow I'm going to get some fruit and vegetables.

Millwallj

eat six pieces of fruit a day. thats what I do. stops me eating sweets and is bloody healthy!!!!

been doing it for years. hard at first but try

2 in the morning
2 at noon
2 in the evening

easy!

Richey

I got some grapes and a veggie pizza (tomato, peppers, aubergine, onion, olives)...now I'm really sick. I think my body's not used to eating food other than toast and coffee.

livenletlive

I am a fat bastard and the only American poster on this thread so far. What up UK!

Dead Poet

Hey! I know a great book........it's so worth the read, believe me...Potatoes not prozac ...get it at local barnes and noble ....you will love it and it will def. open your eyes to sugar and alcohol and the body's addiction to it

Lawry

Dead Poet - the book sounds interesting, I might order it from Amazon now. I like the idea in the review I just read, it makes sense.

MJ - six bits of fruit a day, that's impressive. I had one today but then had a snickers so I guess that cancels it out. Man why do snickers taste so good.

Tomorrow no sugary stuff !

amymarie

kinda funny lawry- i was just munching on my hersheys bar....lololol

good luck with the diet...sounds like a plan that maybe i should journey on as well!

wozzek

Now, reading this thread I found out that I am a junk food addict, a sugar dependent moron!! Grrrr... I said to myself, while eating a whole ice cream (cca 2.000 saturated fat calories and zillion grams of sugar) that I "cannot" resist it!?? That I have to have it???? Imagine this bull***??? Same like with the drink!!??

So, f* it - is my new resolution!! I'm affraid that this food addiction may lead to the drink (I always ate gargantuan quantities of food with an equal amounts of drink while I was drinking...). I'm ashamed of myself, imagine, "I cannot" without the fricking sugar, grrrrrrrrrr...

Ok, no more!! From now on, a junk food, a sugar and the rest of the **** go to the addiction book, same as a booze, and from now on, no more!!

Hough, an addict has spoken!!!

Sober is not enough. Sober, clean, strong and beautiful will do. Thank you for listening. Feel free to check me on, it would help

Don W

I was told it is normal to desire sugar. There is so much in alcohol. I understand there is good and bad surger for us. At the VA they encourage us to get the surger from fruits. Except for grapes for some reason. However, I do like my ice cream. Hey, I'm fat ,sober and happy today. I have to give myself credit, sometimes I put fruit on my ice cream. Don W

doorknob

I have a definite problem with my eating habits. Eating makes me tired, so I put it off all day while drinking too much coffee, and then way over eat at the end of the day. And I do notice the impact of eating or not eating on anxiety/cravings for alcoholic beverages. I need to force myself to eat earlier and maybe even take some vitamins.

Doorknob

Kellye C

This is something I can relate to! I had gastric bypass surgery 5 years ago and basically lost half of myself. I could no longer stuff feelings with food so I turned to alcohol and became an alcoholic. Prior to the surgery I rarely, if ever, drank and after drinking to the point of puking everywhere to "celebrate" my 22'nd b-day in 88 I was scared to drink LOL! Anyway, I knew how much sugar was in alcohol so I made sure I mixed my whiskey with Diet Coke. My weight stayed fairly stable because while drinking I would binge to the point where I would be unable to eat for 4 - 5 days at a time and while coming off that binge I'd puke anything I ate anyway.

Anyway, when I got sober 13 months ago I thought that I'd lose weight because I wasn't putting all the calories of alcohol into my body. I quickly found out that wasn't the case. I started gaining weight and immediately launched into a low carb diet. I started freaking out with all the cravings I was having so my sponsor told me to stop with the dieting (last year). First things first, I had to get the alcohol out of my system and if it took eating sugar to keep from drinking, well, which was worse?

Being the alcoholic that I am, I took this as license to eat anything and everything. Now I am at least 30lbs heavier than I was last year (possibly more cause I'm scared to get on the scale - I just know that none of my jeans fit anymore). I am now ready to do something about it and I have my best success with low-carb.

I am concerned with the whole vitamin thing because being a gastric bypass patient I don't absorb vitamins and minerals the way normal people do. I know for a fact I am seriously anemic and am taking steps to correct that through supplementation.

But........ I am a food addict as well as an alcoholic. I've been sober for 13 months now, it is time to address food. For those newly sober, I would caution against dieting. As my sponsor told me, first things first. But............. one cannot ride that horse forever and it is now time for me to get off of it.

I don't know if this had any significance for anyone but me but I needed to share it so thanks for bringing the topic up. We have one American fat bastard on here, I guess I am and American fat b*tch. But I hope to be a smaller b*tch soon LOL!!!!

Hugs,
Kellye

Lawry

A lot of interesting responses on this thread !

A great site, which I found based on Dead Poet's post on Potatoes not Prozac, is radiantrecovery.com. It's about sugar addiction, which is what a lot of people here seem to have. I'd recommend anyone with potential sugar addiction to go there.

It's weird. I quit taking sugar a few days ago and this morning I had a bowl of cereal which I used to top with loads of the stuff. Even without any sugar topping at all, the cereal tasted sweet today (weetabix, I'm not sure you get that in the States). I looked at the ingredients and sure enough, sugar was there. It's amazing how fast my taste buds are changing. I'm not really on a diet so to speak, just quitting anything which gives the cravings. I still have a big chunk of butter on a jacket potato !

Wozzek & Kellye D - good luck on your battles with food addiction. I made a post in another recovery group today about how good it feels to take on all the addictions. When I was quitting one at a time, I felt a real sense of loss and grief and boredom over losing that coping mechanism of my life. Now, with all the strings cut so to speak, there is certainly fear but also elation and a sense of real possibility. There is certainly no boredom !

Doorknob - eating makes me tired too but I'm discovering that it's only if I eat the wrong types of foods. I'm a complete novice in working this stuff out but what do you usually eat which makes you tired ?

Don W - happiness is really what it's all about so I hold my glass of orange juice up to you !

Lawry

KelKel

Hi Doorknob... eating can make me tired as well, especially lunch. Sometimes when I eat breakfast, I then feel hungry all day.
Try eating something light in the AM like some fruit (not juice, it is too loaded with natural sugar) and protein (nuts,an egg,peanut butter,protien bar etc...)

Just a thought....

michaelj

Lawry,
I must be a glutton for punishment as I gave up the drink at about the same time as you and embarked on a change of diet as well. I have been on a low carb diet since the new year and have lost just under four stone (55 pounds). I have been slowly adjusting the diet for the past six weeks or so to maintain my present weight.
Before I went on the diet I found that I was hungry just about all the time. I think that foods that are high in carbs have that effect on me. Now that I have become used to a low carb diet I rarely feel hungry between meals. I eat loads of vegetables, meats and quite a lot of nuts and the low carb diet really suits me.
Feeling sleepy after a meal is nothing to worry about, in fact it is your body's natural way of dealing with the food it has just taken in. Your body simply wants to concentrate on digesting the food and relaxes to do so. One of the worst things you can do to yourself is to eat a meal and indulge in strenuous activities. Your body can't do two things at once.
I think you are right to cut highly refined sugary foods out, they do you no good at all. I have to say though that I would be lost without diet coke, I regard a can of it as a real treat.
Best wishes
Michael

Junkyard Dog

I eat a nbag of Jolley Ranchers a day. Just before i go to the gym I eat a whole handful.

Just make sure you walk or do something to use the sugar as fuel before it is converted to fat. I find I need less and less candy as time goes on.

But hey, Jolley Ranchers are not Popov, they can't be too bad

Lawry

My 8.5 month sobriety streak is being threatened.

I'm starting to think that maybe I don't have a problem with booze but only with carbohydrate laden booze as I'm sugar sensitive. My brain is telling me that drinks such as red wine and spirits might be ok because I won't crave them.

Is this crazy ? it sounds like a big rationalisation doesn't it. maybe this is where this whole thing with sugar was leading. I thought I was being good by laying off the sugar but really I was teeing myself up for a big rationalisation.

On the one hand I can't believe I'm considering trying this and on the other the little voice that says "maybe" just won't go away.

I keep trying to remind myself that if I didn't have a booze problem, I wouldn't be torturing myself like this. Why do I think it's important to drink ? I don't know the answer. I guess I still feel I might be missing out on something. I think I can still be the life and soul of the party. A part of me thinks maybe I can still drink normally if I drink the right type of drink. God, this sounds like I'm falling into every trap in the book.

Has anyone else experienced this rationalisation before ?

Lawry

Richey

I've gained a lot of weight suddenly. I'm barely eating anything but all of it is ****. I've gained over a stone (14lbs) and it shows badly. I drank about 3000cals of vodka a day and there's no way I'm consuming that much in food...wtf is going on?