Pondlady

My sweet tooth returned after I quit drinking. I do let myself have something sweet each day, but try to eat fruit, diet popsicles, mini carrots etc as an evening snack. My interest in baking has also returned!! LOL!

Mizzuno

I didnt make it last night. I ate some brownies. YEP! I guess Ill try again today....Wait, I already failed. I ate some of the brownies this afternoon. What am i going to do with myself?

silentrun

I got some really bad cravings for sugar around week 3. Not just sugar, but sugar with fat in it like cake or those Little Debbie Swiss cake rolls (stored in the freezer of course). Someone had posted this link about that time. http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...hin-brain.html When I was drinking I was consuming ALOT of sugar. About a 2 liter of coke every other day. Plus drinking made me depressed and what do a lot of depressed people do. Eat sugar; candy, donuts,cans of frosting. But when I quit drinking the sugar cravings went into freak mode. I guess the idea is to feed that monster as little as possible. I try to drink a lot of water now whether I feel thirsty or not. I try to eat small portions of lean protein weather I am really hungry or not. I am still smoking though and that regulates blood sugar. I will be using cinnamon and chromium when I quit smoking to try and help regulate that blood sugar. I see nothing wrong with a treat a day, but sometimes I can eat a half a tube of cookie dough before I can stop myself. That's bad right because sheesh there are raw eggs in that.

Someguy23

I don't have a sweet tooth, not even back when I was a kid, but I thought I might share a tip with those who do:

Chewing fruit-flavored gum while eating plain yogurt tastes pretty much the same as eating flavored yogurt but at a fraction of the calories. Try it.

sparky78

I also craved sugar like crazy the first 2 months or so, but wasn't too worried as quitting drinking was so much more important. After that, it died down a lot, but I still have small treats everyday. I love Chocolate lollipops as they take longer to eat and are only 60 calories. However, at some point I realized at some level I am powerless over ice cream lol- at first it really helped me not drink a night (who wants alcohol with ice cream?) but I found I could not stop at one bowl and it was becoming out of hand, the thought of not having it for one night seemed impossible. I also wanted to lose a little weight and my 2 or 3 bowls a night habit was making that impossible so I just stopped buying it. Now I have it twice a month but I only buy single servings as I don't trust myself with a half gallon! While I like other sweets too for some reason ice cream makes me out of control!

Have you tried teas/decaf coffees at night? I find I eat less sweets if I have some good flavored decaf teas (Chai, African Roobois are great!) and coffees on hand with some sweet & low (though not the best thing for you either but I ca't quit everything at once!) I also started eating 1 piece of fruit a day (I eat tons of veggies but only fruit in the summer) which helps you taste buds acclimate to healthier sugars.

IWillWin

Ditto. I NEVER ate sweets when I was actively drinking. One day during my first few weeks of drying out I found myself in the parking lot of a donut store and I was like a posessed demon. I didn't have any control - I ate 6 Boston Creme donuts in about 3 minutes like I was in a contest or something. I felt soooo much better after getting that sugar though, and I thank God I didn't go the extra block to the liquor store instead.

Sweet cravings have drastically reduced, but I do find myself eating more sugar than I used to. Thankfully, I have not had another donut episode though. I don't even LIKE donuts! I actually wound up laughing in my car when it was all over at the complete absurdity of my life and how I never could have in a million years predicted I'd scarf down 6 donuts in record time in my car!!!

But I didn't drink. And that was all I cared about at that moment

topspin

Sugar's a tough addiction !

Remember y'all.

......keep brushing them pearly whites;

.. in the meantime !!!!?

ArcticSA

Thanks alot, I am drooling now!!!! :P

ClearLight

Lemme tell ya something Arctic - it's inspiring to here you being worried about sugar.
Compare that to where you were at a couple months ago.
You go girl!!!
I have two suggestions - things to consider. And I've seen these things work.
1. Fruit. Ripe fruit. Not that half ripe stuff most people buy - get stuff that's going to be sweet the day you buy it. It doesn't cost any more than candy. AND it has ruffage - which is really good for you.
2. pre-emptive eating. Eat a lot of food. Eat every 1.5 hours. But eat mainly veggies and fruit. You can eat the veggies raw but I like to steam them a little. I can't stand raw cauliflower, carrots, broccoli or what ever. But I like them steamed.
Get a huge steamer, cook a huge bunch, pop them into smaller containers and munch on them all the time. All day long.
Anyway - just something to consider.

miyako

All this is very helpful to me too. I've been trying to quit sugar for a week, but it's not working too well. And yes I go to that foggy horrid place too I'm 9 days short of 120 sober and sugar is the new vodka :-(

fantail

*hiccups*

*hides empty pint of Ben & Jerry's*

ArcticSA

I wanted to bump this thread and hear more input on the subject, as this sugar thing has gotten VERY bad again!

The past two days I have been sneaking sugar straight out of the bag!! I go in the kitchen and make sure every one is out of sight and then hover half in the cupboard with a spoon and shovel sugar straight into my mouth! :O
Shameful!
I wake up craving it, crave it all day, and crave it until I fall asleep.
Has ANYONE had luck or personal experience with maybe a supplement or nutrient???

Notimetoloose

Arctic, Google 'Candida'. and ' Candida overgrowth' It makes up part of the flora in our intestine. It thrives on sugar and can cause an imbalance in our gut that can affect our whole well being.
It is possible that the intense cravings you are experiencing are due to this. There are a few test that can be done. Alternative practitioners can help you with supplements.

ArcticSA

Thanks, I don't know why I didn't think of that, I have a great alternative practitioner right in my chiros office.

Threshold

The best way to address sugar addiction, yes it IS an addiction for some of us, is to quit it cold turkey.

Go to Amazon and put "sugar addiction" in the search section, You will get a bunch of books that address the issue. You can also find websites and support groups.

It's real and it eats at and destroys the bodies of those who have it. You are not the only person who eats it from the bowl etc, it's shockingly common.

Been there myself.

Cutting out refined carbs seems scary and even impossible at first, but really, it's doable and there is good life and good eating without sugar. There is freedom.

Check out the eating disorders section here on SR as well.

big hugs.

Leshar

Hi, I'm having a terrible problem with sugar/binge eating sweet stuff/vats of icecream which emerged at a later stage of sobriety. I've just passed 7 months. Really a problem which has coincided with a bad depressive episode in the last 6 or so weeks.

Just wonder what kind of alternative practitioner? Like a naturopath?
I'm feeling horrible and have tried without success so far to go cold turkey. It's like I need something to soothe my jangled brain but it seems like I've just replaced one problem with another.
So, naturopath, nutritionist?
Thanks.

cusper

I hear ya!! I think it's normal. I was on a diet years ago that forbade alcohol because it turns into pure sugar. So when you give up alcohol that is exactly what you want! Everyone that I know who's given up alcohol has a love affair with chocolate or some other sugar. What's funny is, I was the same as you when I was a kid, I would crave sugar soo much I would steal the flintstone vitamins and eat them... or spend all of my allowance on chocolate bars... I personally think there is a correlation between the two addictions. Definitely go and read what you can on the internet. There are tons of books. I just finished reading Sweet Poison. Check it out. It's very interesting and it may make you decide to give it up.
Good luck!!!

GreekGuy

I've quit drinking a few times and each time I go crazy for sugar after a few days of not drinking. What I do, and this works for me.
An Apple or banana (or any fruit you like) with some Almond or Peanut butter (100% natural, no sugar added. It should say on the ingredient list only "almonds or peanuts"). This works for me and it is healthy. You are getting natural sugar from the apple, and the almond or peanut butter fills you up. Just make sure you don't over do it with the butters, they can be fattening if you eat too much.

Otherwise go for some Dark Chocolate. A cup cake isn't so bad everyone in a while.

neferkamichael

Candida is a genus of yeasts and is currently the most common cause of fungal infections worldwide. I drink to much coffee with too much sugar, and eat lots of sweet stuff too. Not only does that yeast thrive off of our sugar addiction but they also produce as a waste product alcohol in our gut. Maybe we just can't win. Rootin for everyone.

Ruby2

Thanks for the thread. I've been thinking about this the whole past week. I've been shoveling candy bars, ice cream, cake, cookies, etc. into my mouth. I've got a nice belly from all that junk. I was underweight while drinking because I drank most of my meals. I've replaced all the sugar in alcohol for all the bad things to eat. And I have to stop. I am pre diabetic and have to really start watching what I eat. Never was a sweets eater before quitting. Sometimes though a diet coke helps when I have a sugar urge.