I am addicted to binge eating..sugar

[caroann]

Re: I am addicted to binge eating..sugar

Sugar addition - I can totally identify...Sugar is the worst!! On top of the cravings around the holidays I am a CATERER for crying out loud!!!!!!!! I did slip on Christmas. I was doing SO well, too, on induction but I invented an incredible chocolate dessert that one of my friends calls "sin on a plate". It really was too tempting and I got hungry and overwhelmed. Now I'm back on induction. I never know whether to just start counting 14 days from re-start or forget the day I slipped and count from there. Anyone know?

[clogger]

Re: I am addicted to binge eating..sugar

Sugar is evil albeit enjoyable . Once I start I cannot stop until I've undone a lot of the progress I have made. You are not alone. We are not alone. Since my Atkins restart almost three weeks ago I have abstained from sweeteners because I think they caused me cravings. It's been pretty good so far. I made it through Christmas Eve and Christmas Day without wanting any of the desserts that were around. There are Christmas cookies sitting in our kitchen that family and neighbors brought over and I have no desire to eat them. Most people have emotional ties to food and it's quite a complex relationship. Take it one day at a time and if you stumble get right back on track. Making this WOE a WOL can be trial and error. The payoff is priceless though!

Good luck!

[channeryisolde]

Re: I am addicted to binge eating..sugar

"It’s not always a case of no will power or self destructive behavior. At times, our negative and addictive behavior is symptomatic of a more worrying type of eating disorder. If you feel that you are not making any progress no matter how hard you try or that you swing between extreme dieting and binge eating, it may be time to get professional help. Log on to Binge Eating Treatment for strategies on managing binge eating and programs to help you eliminate unhealthy eating habits and accept healthier ones."

[trippytoe]

Re: I am addicted to binge eating..sugar

I too have sugar cravings but it's all in the mind. When I have one of those, I make my own concoction of heavy cream, a teaspoon of splenda and a teaspoon of cocoa, then I eat it to fill the craving. I also sometimes get frozen strawberries, sprinkle them with a little splenda and put cream on top. I think once you get a little sweet taste, it is up to you to put your mind and body back into Atkins diet mode.

[trms]

Re: I am addicted to binge eating..sugar

I am on the verge of crying right now. It is crazy how this works. I do sooo well, then any emotional thing will trigger me to eat a choc chip cookie, and then it's all over. It's a thin line between love and hate...

Man

[happymomto4]

Re: I am addicted to binge eating..sugar

trms,
How are you doing today? I hope you're feeling better. I don't crave sugar, but I do crave foods from my old life when things aren't going well. I hope today was a better day.

[sham]

Re: I am addicted to binge eating..sugar

I don't have this problem but I do hope things get better for you.

[IrishIrish]

Re: I am addicted to binge eating..sugar

Drug addicts always have a reason and are drawn to drugs. Alcoholics always have a reason and are drawn to alcohol. Sugar addicts always have a reason and are drawn to sugar.

As other posters have said, you need to eliminate the slippery slopes from your life. If you can't be around sugary foods, clear them out or ask someone in your household for support. If you can't make wise choices in restaurants, stay away from them.

I know it isn't easy. I tried and failed to get sugar from my life until I found this plan. I used the twelve step process realizing I was powerless unless I reached out for help. You need to find out why you sabbotage yourself, find some supportive people in your life, take a day at a time, an hour at a time, a minute at a time ... whatever works for you. I found that within a few days of beginning Atkins, the sugar cravings disappeared. For me, it wasn't about "willpower", it was about giving up "my will".

[Sherri]

Re: I am addicted to binge eating..sugar

So true Irish, So true!

I for one am a sugar addict as well. Although the monster is quiet now, I know that it wouldn't take much to waken it and raise it's wicked head.
I wanted to share this information to those of you here that have sugar cravings, A supplement called L-Glutamine. Dr. Atkins discusses it on pge 136, DANDR. He suggest that if you have sugar cravings to take 500 mg prior to each meal.
Also, here is some information that I have on this supplement. I'm a true believer in L-Glutamine.
Sherri

Take L-glutamine (not glutamic acid). to help control "irresistable" cravings for sweets. Begin with 1 200mg capsul or tablet(I take gel capsule form) three times a day for one week. Then INCREASE the dose to 2 capsuls or tablets three times a day for one week.
After two weeks, if you feel more alert, more energetic, and have lost your craving for sweets, you can then experiment with the amount of L-glutamine you take until you find the best level for you.

This is how L-Glutamine works-
Through nutritional magic and by the use of L-glutamine, a form of glumatic acid which the brain consumes for energy, we can feed the brain and quiet its craving for sweets.
Because L-glutamine can cross the brain barrier easily, and the brain can take it and quickly convert it into glumatic acid, if you take L-Glutamine in supplemental form the brain will be able to satisfy its hunger more easily.
Glumatic acid serves primarily as a fuel for the brain's operation and as a buffer against excess amonia.
The relationship of glumatic acid to glucose (blood sugar) goes beyond the brain-fuel interrelationship. Since the brain can store only a small amount of glucose, it is very dependent on the second-to-second supply of blood sugar which may explain dizziness and other nervous symptoms that accompany hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
The grey matter in the brain converts glumatic acid to a special compound that helps regulate brain cell activity. Thus, a shortage of L-glutamine in the diet, and of glumatic acid in the brain, can result in brain damage due to excess ammonia or a brain that cannot get into "high gear."
The stress of the dieting can lead some people who are not nessesarily fond of alcohol to drink a lot more than usual in an effort to control the stress level they feel.
Also, since alcohol is metabolized very quickly, it is converted to brain fuel, and during your diet your brain can feel hungry and ask for a drink. If you answer it's request and continue to do so you can do more than just wreck your diet program.
Dr. Roger Williams, along with his colleagues at Clayton Foundation for Research at the University of Texas, made the vital discovery that not only did L-glutamine protect against poisonous effects of alcohol, it also controlled or stopped completely the craving for it.
L-glutamine is a versitile amino acid that can contribute to your diet program if, on your way to your best weight level, you suffer from any of these problems described.
L-Glutamine is an excellent supplement to curb the cravings for sweetness and alcohol