3 Myths that Don't Work to Curb Sugar Cravings and What to Do Instead, from a Healed Sugar Addict!
I'm a former sugar addict who has found complete freedom from sugar, living a life that is satisfying and sustainable without sugar. I've been sugar free since 2004 and lead a low carb sugar free life style. This is my experience and I'm sure this post will be controversial as anytime someone speaks out against the norm all hell breaks loose. But this is my blog and I'm sharing this in hopes it will help someone else break free from the bondage of sugar addiction.
If you're not interested in watching me passionately share about this on the video, here are the main points in a nutshell.
Myth #1 Satisfy your Sweet Tooth with Natural Sugars
Unfortunately if you've been told or have heard this before, it doesn't work when you're truly craving chocolate or carbs. Feeding the craving with sugar only makes you want more of it, at least in my experience. A fruit isn't going to help me when all I want is a donut or potato chips or chocolate. Choosing instead a healthy fat will work to curb that craving. Fat is satiating and really does help satisfy.
Some Quick and Easy ideas:
- A spoonful of no sugar added peanut butter
- An avocado
- Nuts
- My 1 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake topped with Sugar Free Whipped Cream and Sugar Free Magic Shell!
Sugar Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Mug Cake
Myth #2 Give in Just a "Little" to What You're Craving
Again feeding a sugar addiction only makes it worse. You're hungry for more in that first bite. A little in moderation, whoever spoke that first was probably not someone who's battled a sugar problem. All the power to you if you can truly have one bite of something filled with sugar and carbs and be satisfied. That has never worked for me.
The only way I've conquered my sugar battle is eliminating it completely. You might think going cold turkey is hard, but in the long run you're better off. The sooner you get it out of your system, and that may take weeks, the better off you'll be. The easier it will be to say no the next time you're tempted. It might need to start like baby steps for you. Remove all added sugar, read all labels to everything you purchase and start building a sugar free pantry. As that gets a bit easier you can start trying all my low carb recipes.
Myth #3 Never Go Hungry- Snack Frequently
Frequently snacking throughout the day only increases your insulin. Insulin is a hormone that controls the amount of sugar in your blood. If you're snacking on carbs and sugar those will increase insulin, which causes a spike in your blood sugar, which leads to more hunger. It's a vicious cycle. Insulin converts sugar to fat and cholesterol. I'm not just talking when you eat something with sugar in it, I mean the refined carbs as well which turns to sugar in your body. Whenever insulin is increased, your body can not burn any fat from your body, it will only burn the sugar and carbs you are eating. So if you're trying to lose weight, you don't want high blood sugar because you won't be able to burn stored fat from your body.
Decrease the snacking each day by making sure you're getting a good amount of healthy fat at your meals. The healthy fat is what is satiating and will keep you fuller for longer periods of time. Going Low Carb has been a huge help in curbing the cravings!
I'd love to hear from you! What has been your experience in battling sugar cravings?
Need Help to Get Started? My Low Carb 1 Month Menu Dinner Plan eBook for purchase will help!
About Brenda
Brenda Bennett is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, certified Sugar Detox Coach, certified Keto Coach and certified Life Coach. She has been Sugar Free & Refined carb free for 17 years and has written 2 cookbooks, Sugar-Free Mom, and Naturally Keto and her 3rd book The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet, is a four part program to help you detox from sugar, eliminate cravings, balance blood sugar and lose weight all while eating a delicious, nutrient dense whole foods. Meal plan offers two tracks to follow, low carb or keto. She is the founder of the Sugar Free Fresh Start course and Sugar Free Tribe weight loss membership. Learn more.
Bobbi W.
If you continue to struggle with sugar addiction and/or food addiction and/or compulsive overeating, I highly recommend Overeaters Anonymous. I have struggled all of my life but this program has saved my life! Google it to find out about online, telephone and face-to-face meetings in your area.
Louise Mourgues
I loved your video and am really enjoying your recipes.
I think I was actually more addicted to sugar substitutes as aspartame has been a major part of my diet since college. I've kicked that to the curb too; I feel the true sugar free diet has made me feel less moody, less tired and more balanced in general. I will be checking into your blog regularly as I continue my sugar free journey, thanks very much.
Louise (in London)
Geneva Collins
I am a sugar addict too. I cannot get my fill of desserts if I even taste something with a name that starts with dessert. My question is that I have tried the paleo diet and have some f the cookbooks but don't really know sometimes what a serving is. Are the servings restricted or can I have six cookies or just one. Even with no sugar I have a hard times just eating one.
Lee maryte
Hi Brenda
I just now read your blog. I am 20 lbs over weight,diabetic and am addicted to sugar and carbs.
My doc says I need to change my ways very very soon or I will have to be on insulin. I need help and don't know
Where to start
Lee
Patty in Co
Hi Brenda.... I found your entire article applied to me as well. I also used Gymnema for a week to get me off sugar. It makes anything sweetened with sugar taste absolutely awful. I kept taking the Gymnema and it worked! It also works for the empty carbs that are in things like white pasta and bread, so I went off empty carbs at the same time. Having my doctor telling me that I was going to need insulin shots put me right on track fast! It is now 4 years later, I have stabilized my blood sugar, trigliycerides and lost 70 pounds and I turn 70 this year. I feel better than I did at 50! Thank you (and so many other dedicated bloggers like you) for all your time, effort and dedication to changing the world regarding "healthy" food!
Genenevie Ohlrogge
I have failed quitting sugar a few times now... I need to just commit to giving it my all and saying NO to all sugar. I find myself in the traps of these myths and they make it harder and harder to quit. I feel like I love the idea of sugar, but when it comes time to do it I forget what other foods are and get bored. All I know for sure is something has to change!
Brenda
One day at a time is all you can do. Just try living one meal at a time making the best choices you can. Each day you'll get stronger in this area.
Susan D Myers
Dear Brenda
I am new to your blog and I am thankful for the recipes you are providing. I'm eager to try the 1 Minute Sugar-Free Chocolate Mug Cake. I would like to ask you a question, please. I don't own one of those fancy whipped cream canisters, and probably never will. So is there a way to whip more than one serving of cream, and have it "hold" in the frig for a day or two? I know I could eat all I beat, but also know I probably shouldn't... Your site is a big help and full of great ideas and help. Thanks, ~Susan D
Brenda
I don't have a fancy whipped cream canister either. I just whip the cream and save any extra in the fridge in a covered container. It usually stays well for 2 days.
Deysi
I’ve been using my nutribullet! It does a fantastic job and very quick. Just pour in heavy cream and confectioners Swerve and blend. Perfect whipped cream every time.
txgrandma
Thanks so much for telling it like it really is! There are so many lies in the medical community and it's hard to weed them all out which is why I am so grateful for people like you who help us to know the truth..
Like you, I am a sugar (really a carb) addict. I have battled this my whole life. I have always been able to hide the fact of what I was doing until one day when I got a call from my doc after some alarming blood tests. I think I always knew that I would get the call someday but really hoped it was "way out" in the future or maybe it wouldn't come at all. My mother died of diabetic related multiple organ failure and so I knew the consequences of what I was doing. Sadly, I don't think she ever realized that had she made the changes that needed to be made so much of her suffering (and ours) could have been avoided. I knew I didn't want to put my loved ones through the same thing, especially when I realized that I had all the power to change.
I left my doctor's office that day reeling from the news that my fasting blood sugar was 167 and my A1c was 8.1. In his very kind way, he didn't mince words and made it clear that I was on a path to somewhere I did not want to travel. He told me that if I could get it under control right away, I could lick this thing and put it behind me. He then gave me a packet from the ADA. I read through it and knew right away that it was not the answer I was looking for. One day while waiting to pick my granddaughter up from school, I stumbled upon a TED talk from an MD who has bucked the low fat, high carb treatments for most disease. Among other things, she mentioned that diabetes is a $250+ billion dollar a year industry. Knowing about how money works, I knew right then that "treatment" for diabetes would not lead to a cure for anyone but rather lots of pricey (and useless) meds for diabetics which made drug companies richer. This began my path to the right answer and I found the LCHF community. Through God's grace, I began to convert my diet immediately. I stumbled for a while but within a few weeks, I could see improvement in how I felt.
When I went in for my 3 months checkup, I found that my A1c was down to 6, still too high but much improved. Now nearly 2 1/2 years later, I am over 60 pounds lighter and at 60, truly feel better than I've ever felt in my life. When I had my yearly exam and blood work last year, I found that my A1c was 5.6, which is on the high side of normal but greatly improved. All my numbers showed dramatic improvement but the best thing is how I feel. My doc took "diabetic" off my chart. It was a day to celebrate but not in the way I would have celebrated before by a Sonic blast as a "reward".
Since then, I am pleased to say that I can sit next to any sweet (including my former favorite, donuts) and not be tempted by it. I do spend a lot of time making wonderful meals, including desserts a lot of times. This is only made possible by kind and generous people like you, who help the rest of us live the life we've only dreamed of. I now know that "you are what you eat" and if you eat sugar of any kind, you aren't "sweet" but sadly, "very sick". I will always have to watch what I eat and because of the wonderful recipes you (and others) share with us, I know that I can maintain this lifestyle for life.
Thanks for sharing your time, efforts and yourself with us.
May God bless you and your family!
Brenda
What a beautiful and inspiring story! Thank you so much for sharing with us all to read! And congrats on reversing diabetes!!!
Stacey
You are so right!!! Thank you so much for your words. I have been low carb for 18 months and I am a sugar addict. I absolutely cannot have sugar, except naturally occurring in fruits, veges, nuts, beans. I get consumed with my next bite, once I have 1 bite. I have not cheated once, because I cannot have sugar and I know it. I have lost 50 pounds, just from giving up sweets, eating low carb, no artificial sweeteners, and no bread or pasta. I do occasionally crave M & Ma's, but I cannot eat even one. Most people look at me like I am crazy when I say I am a recovering sugar addict . I'm glad to know I am not alone. Thank you so much!!
Brenda
You are definitely not alone!
Diane Carter
These are great! After battling my weight for years and finally having Gastric Bypass (and then starting to regain) I went Sugar free, grain free and legume free. No more cravings - my weight and insulin are stable
Lori Soard
Yes to all of this. It was only after really studying how insulin works that I started to understand my grazing habit was part of what was packing weight on me. Like you, I also can't have "just a bite" of something high in carbs. It is a downward spiral from there. Thanks for all the amazing recipes and reminders.
Julie
Thank you for your post. I was just thinking this morning how I need to go "cold turkey" as I was finishing up the last of the 1/2 off Valentine candy at 10 AM that I HAD to go to the store to buy on 2/15! It's really quite sad- and the behavior of an addict. I want to do it but there is a part of me that feels like good food (including desserts and sweets) is a part of a good LIFE. I know that sounds silly but constantly depriving myself is something I feel SO OVER now that I'm 42. I actually had the thought the other day "would being a size 10 for the rest of my life be so bad?" And the answer is no... but I have constantly been gaining for the last 2 years from a size 4 (after a terrible divorce- actually, I lost 15 pounds after finding out about the affair, stayed that way for a while, and then gained 25 back since the divorce) and what are the odds that it will stop at a size 10 when my entire family suffers from obesity? I know I NEED to do this. And I want to do it to feel better and more like the athlete that I am. Thanks again for your inspiration. I know I can have a good life that includes healthy sweets, it just takes a little more work and preparation.
Sorry for the rant, but if you were a sugar addict, I know you understand.
Brenda
I totally understand! When I went sugar free in 2004 I thought I'd just try it for 6 weeks. I thought, "How in the world can anyone live a happy life without cake on their birthday?" I was depressed about that, but then started researching and learning all I could.Then I started creating recipes to satisfy my sweet tooth but without sugar. I'm so excited for you, take the leap of faith and do it, but do it one day at a time. You can do anything for one day. The more days that add up the easier it will be I promise!