Introvrtd1

Sigh…This feels like such a setback and a relapse. I’m thoroughly convinced I’ve been bingeing this substance from time to time and without really realizing it, has been having similar effects on my body and brain as alcohol.

When I quit the sugar for a few days, things tend to greatly improve, but not before I feel the withdrawal symptoms in different ways very similar to any other stimulating substance.

Am I the only one who feels or suspects this same thing going on inside their body and brain?

biminiblue

Yeah, it can affect brain chemicals.

Have you read through the threads about carbs and sugar in the Eating Disorder section? Or the binge threads? It's all related.

Most of the threads in that section will have pertinence. It's a long process to get past food-based issues. I've worked on it for nearly 15 years and I consider myself recovered, but it wasn't easy. Sugar will always be something I have to be careful and mindful with.

Introvrtd1

Oh ok thanks Blue…I really want to read into what experiences folks here in SR have.

biminiblue

Just to sort of ease your mind - my sugar demons got a lot quieter after about 6-9 months sober off alcohol.

Everything just got a lot easier at that time in general but I have logged food and been really nutrition conscious for many years. Sugar is a hard one...you're definitely not the first alcoholic to have noticed the similarities in mood/withdrawal/addictive-like behavior.

Libby06

Yes Introvrtd, that is pretty close to exactly my experience with sugar. I was getting into a dangerous territory with it, and it looked a lot like my alcoholism. I was planning what I would binge, when, where, and how to clean up the evidence. The whole show, like I did with alcohol. My go to was/ is ice cream, chocolate or baked goods. I was getting a rush just thinking about it, and also feeling hung over in the morning.( I did most of my binging at night).

Anything that hits the happy, feel good part of my brain, I have a very time moderating. I'm not perfect, and I try, but once I recognized it for what it is, the frequency has dropped off.

Talking about it helped me a lot. Thanks for bringing it up,and I hope putting it out there helps. Bimini has an awesome food tracking system!

advbike

That's me exactly.. Sigh..

Been fighting this sugar addiction longer than alcohol, and the two are almost interchangeable for me. Before when I was drinking at dinner occasionally, and had a couple glasses of wine, instead of being unable to stop drinking, I would just have a dessert - problem solved. Of course it was a 1000 calorie solution, lol.

So it gets even worse when I am alcohol free of course. When I go to the grocery store I can't resist the treats, even "healthy" ones. Night before last I had TWO bowls of granola - the good kind with dates and seeds and nuts - but loaded with sugar. I just couldn't stop.. and I felt like I had drank afterward when the sugar hit me. I just can't keep those things in the house.

I'm not obese, maybe 10lbs above optimal, due to all my cycling.. but I actually lost weight during the pandemic because I was ordering groceries online and not tempted by all the goodies in the store. Just the healthy basics. If this keeps up I will have to go back to that.

Evoo

I highly recommend Whole30. It’s not really a “diet,” it’s a way of reframing your relationship with food, getting you into the habit of looking at labels, and developing a comfort with daily cooking. It will also ween you off simple sugars.

I still love cookies and pies, but I enjoy them now in moderation as part of a Mediterranean diet of mostly fish/rice/nuts/berries and stir fry veggies. It’s not an obsessive diet with a lot of rules (unless I’m in a crohns flare, that’s another story).

Getting control over what I was consuming and taking care of myself was a big part of long-term recovery. Try Whole30! It’s actually really fun

alphaomega

I'm having to face my sugar issues as well and I'm fighting it kicking and screaming.

I decided to try to get back into Keto again but it's proving to be a big challenge. Maybe it's too soon - 50 days - for me to tackle sugar and carbs along with
alcohol, cigarettes, xanax and weed.

But I'm so sick of not having jurisdiction and soveriegnity over my body. I cant stand that control this crap has over me.

Scd619x

Same as most things, if you change your diet you will notice a difference.

Introvrtd1

Thanks all. I’ve changed my diet and have a new commitment to eating healthy. I do read labels for sugar and too many carbs but i still incorporate a few carbs in my diet for nutrition.
My blood pressure is still elevated but heading on the downward slope….improving slowly but surely. Im starting to sleep better too. Again…these were the same problems I had during drinking days. Between binges, my health would deteriorate and took about a week to improve.

Introvrtd1

Lately, the lines between paws and sugar get blurred

biminiblue

Sugar is a really hard one. I mean, it's the bestest food ever, instant energy, AND it hits those dopamine receptors hard.

Keep working at it. I found that having various types of fresh fruit around at all times was a really big help. It's harder to binge on fruit...and it does quiet the cravings. Just be kind to you. It's harder than alcohol in my opinion because the negative side effects are less damaging and less obvious.

Make sure you're getting enough protein and fiber, that helps.

silentrun

I now think of sugar as a second prong to the same process that had me a compulsive drinker. I keep relapsing. I'm so thankful that I at least got rid of the alcohol. I keep trying.

Someone mentioned the whole30. Tha4t's a good plan. Keto is good too. I do a combination of the two when I'm taking care of myself.

biminiblue

I have a huge problem with Keto. Just be careful with that. Carbs are an absolute necessity for me or I can get depressed...plus I just don't like eating the Keto way due to high fats.

If I try to cut below 150g of carbs per day I have lots of intrusive thoughts and my sleep is affected. Just me, though, and to be fair I've never stuck with it for more than a couple months. A lot of people do think it's helpful - I've tried Keto many times in the past and it's just not for me as far as mental health.

boreas

I second the fresh fruit suggestion. Whole fruit, not juices. The fiber does make a difference in how your body processes the fructose. It was my free food early in my quit, and I still eat a ton. It was/is overindulging from time to time, but better that a (delicious) slice of cake.
-bora

alphaomega

I realized tonight after a week of keto, my cravings for alcohol were almost unbearable.

I can’t quit sugar right now in early sobriety, but I can definitely cut back.

I was miserable until I had a waffle with syrup and I swear almost instantly the world felt brighter and I could not just constantly be thinking about wine.

This “self actualization” stuff is hard work…

anxiousrock

Sugar is crap!!! I never ever ate anything sugary until I turned 32. Then all of a sudden all I wanted was cake, cookies, brownies, and BREAD!
some days I can't stop thinking about it, and I will go to the store to buy 12 giant oatmeal chip cookies and half them with my fiance.
it's disgusting nonsense.
I miss the good old days where I was satisfied with a meal and didn't need dessert.

However I'd get low blood sugar alot before and that hasn't been the case lately, but now I'm worried about diabetes! I'm not overweight and I do eat like 80% good though.

anxiousrock

150gr is low especially if you work out.
but TBH, when I'm on a health cycle I eat 113gr per day, but I am short and don't need as many. during those cycles most of my carbs come from fruit because I find that's what I crave most.
when I'm off the wagon it's free game, and mostly crap lol

biminiblue

Yeah, 150g is my scream level when I'm trying to drop a small amount of weight. Keto suggests 50g though. That's super crazy-low (to me.)

Obviously the amount would vary for different people and different lifestyles. I have a baseline of 1700 calories to maintain my current weight and my carbs are set at 234g. If I exercise I eat more of all the macros, proportionally.

Problem with allowing free carbs (more specifically, sweet treats other than whole fruit) is just what you said - once I allow too many, I'll eat WAY too many.

silentrun

I think waiting on the sugar may be a good idea. I noticed that a piece of cake would take the edge off in early sobriety. By 6 months in the cravings were pretty much non existent. I did a whole30 at 7 months and had no problems. I did so well I thought I had broken my sugar compulsion and had some. We all know how that ends.