stairs

I crave sugar for the last few days. I am on day 11 of my alcohol quit.

I do not want to get caught up in a habitual sugar habit.
Has anyone dealt with this successfully after quitting drinking?
Do you stay away from refined sugar altogether or find you can take it in moderation?

At my first therapy appt the therapist told me that sugar, alcohol, heroin and other drugs all have a very similiar chemical structure. I haven't done research on this yet but it's an interesting idea , never heard it before.

Needsassistance

Part of my sobriety has been dieting and exercising, so I'm avoiding sugary snacks for that reason. That said ill have ice cream or a cake, etc once a week as a treat. Doesn't directly answer your question. I'd recommend being careful, and clearly keep not drinking as your primary focus.. It's my main priority every day.

doggonecarl

Are you powerless over sugar? Does sugar makes your life unmanagable? Then quit (said with tongue firmly in cheek).

I went from never eating sweets to eating a lot of candy and cookies after I quit drinking. I think my body was used to the empty calories that beer provided.

I didn't even worry about it for the first couple of months. Once I was on firm ground with my recovery, I focused on cutting back on my sweets intake.

But I still enjoy a sugar snack. In moderation, of course.

Congrats on 11 days.

england

Since I stopped taking cocaine I have developed a massive sweet tooth - its driving me mad.

This time last year I hardly ate any chocolate but I find myself binging on sugar based snacks every day - maybe I have replaced drugs with sweets.

Zee

I love chocolate and I'm proud!
Seriously though, I have also developed a sweet tooth that I never had before. I am on 1 small bar a day now (serious tapering). I am trying to throw in some healthy stuff too, and I don't get stuck in chairs (yet) so I'm not too bothered right now. I just have my daily chocolate bar as my 'treat'... Well, its alot better than drinking right?

olympia

My aunt told me in her early days of sobriety, she was advised to carry around hard candies to suck on when a booze craving hit; one of my AA books espouses similar wisdom. Myself, I've always had a sweet tooth, booze or no booze, and I have no problem continuing to indulge. Sugar, from what I understand, does light up the brain, similar to substances, but since it doesn't trigger the catastrophes substances do, I'm alright with it.

bloss

Yes, I know one can eat too much sugary snacks, but I'd rather eat snacks than drink till I fall down, which I have too many times.

Hevyn

I was like doggonecarl - never that crazy about sweets, but suddenly couldn't get enough. I had lollipops, lifesavers, chocolate bars - even donuts & things I never bothered with. There are some other threads on SR that cover this same subject, so it's not just you stairs.

After a few months I settled down and didn't have that craving anymore. Er, except for ice cream.

Pondlady

I've been trying to eat healthy and exercise, but love candy. I find the more I eat high protein / low fat, the less I crave carbs and sugar.

I am however, munching on potato chips as I type

MartyMcFly1

There's tons of sugar in most alcohol, no to mention the mixers! Having a sweet tooth is natural. I'd say have at it at first and as you may have done with your alcohol intake slowly ween yourself from the candies too! Don't cut them out completely though, we're only human! We need some vices after all!!

August09

For sweets, I've been eating a pouch of fruit snacks when I get a craving. Welch's Berries 'n Cherries are my favorite. They only have 11g of sugar each and 100% RDA of vitamin C. They are also fat free. Not sure that will satisfy your sweet tooth but it might be worth a try.

Congrats on 11 days btw.

mfsteve1

Take a doughnut and nuke it for a few seconds, put a scoop of ice cream in the hole, and cover liberally with maple syrup.

I call that my pre-breakfast snack.

scat143

since quitting 18 days ago, can't get enough of my Nutty Buddys! But I am switchng to Coconut Milk icecream mocha almond fudge! haha not sure if thats any healthier!

breath

As alcohol metabolizes in our system it turns into sugar, so yeah, it's part of our recovery to crave sweet stuff

Tippingpoint

Me too - never ate sweets.

Now I have to have some ice cream after dinner most nights. I will also grab the odd chocolate bar too.

I've also run a marathon since quitting and am down about 10-15 pounds, so I'm not going to sweat it too much.

It is normal!

NoFireWater

I'm really glad to hear the sugar cravings simmer down after awhile because I do feel like I've traded one addiction for another and my jeans are reflecting that. I wanted to be one of those people that lost weight when they quit drinking! Instead I'm inhaling Twizzlers and Oreos as we speak lol

backbeat

The first time I quit drinking I had a sweet tooth after about 2 weeks (I guess it took that long for the residual sugar from the alcohol to leave my body). I was waitressing at night back then so I slept during the day. I was craving chocolate so I would eat a Hershey bar and take a nap. When I woke up I felt horrible. Depressed, angry, empty.

From that experience I believe sugar has the same structure as addictive substances.

I avoid it now... if I'm craving sweets I eat a banana or sugar-free choc chip cookies.

jobei

I never understood bakeries OR desert lists... but the wine list was the first thing that I looked for! Now that I quit drinking I am really starting to understand the love of sweets. There is definately a similar chemical reaction in your brain to drinking alcohol when you eat something sweet. In the first few weeks of quitting booze I was willing to do ANYTHING to not drink. Prayer, AA, eating a box of donuts... anything. If eating sweets helps you stay sober. Do it.

miyako

I suggest you don't try to quit sugar for at least 30-60 days unless you are diabetic or have another medical problem where sugar could hurt you.

As you can see, wanting sugar after quitting drinking is a really common thing. Only you know what works best for you, but if I tried quitting booze AND sugar together, I am sure I would quit. I find that eating or drinking something sugary helps stave off the cravings. Yes, I get the roller coaster effect from having the sugar high and then going down, and that leads to more sugar :-( but at least it keeps me away from drinking. I don't JUST eat sugar though. I eat other things so I don't just screw myself up. I am gaining some weight, but now (at 26 days no booze) I am just at the point where I think I should add some aerobic exercise and that will help with the sugar cravings and the booze cravings. I don't plan on changing my diet for at least another month. THEN I will reduce the sugar. I don't want to relapse.

stairs

Great responses!

Yeah I think I'll indulge my sugar habit for awhile. I am on day 12 now and have some energy, housework and going to the store, cooking....but not enough yet to feel motivated to start the walks and yoga I want to start doing.

I get these big plastic bins of assorted cookies at the grocery store bakery. Chocolate chip, mini m&m, peanut butter, sugar, and oatmeal raisin. Yum.

Today I got an apple danish ring. Man I love that white drizzly icing!

Hmm better go brush my teeth. LOL.

I'm gonna look into sweets alternatives too, see what I come up with. Stuff without refined sugar.

Thanks to all.